For today’s Rough Start, I want to put a visual into your mind. Picture every “badass in black” on-screen muscle car you’ve ever known. Think of the GTO from The Punisher, the Nova and the 1969 Charger from Death Proof, and all of the others like them. What stands out? They all have a similar pattern to their builds: minimal bodywork, black in color, filled to the brim with engine, built for the sole purpose of hauling tons of ass and looking like violence sitting still. Don’t tell me there’s a little something inside of you that doesn’t like that kind of car…it doesn’t have to be pretty, but it had better run like the Devil was in hot pursuit. Liking what you’re picturing so far? Good…
Before the 1970 AMC Rebel “The Machine” debuted, first in the standout AMC red-white-blue paint scheme, then in other colors, AMC was toying around with this look: all black, minimal ornamentation, and one graphic (this test mule has two, I know, but you can imagine that AMC wanted to try out all sorts of options for a prototype.) All car, little to no frill. A lightweight bully of a machine. Shame it didn’t come out like this, the Road Runner might have had some serious competition.
The Rebel that we found on the Washington/Oregon border isn’t the wicked creature it can be, but look at other 1969 intermediate two-doors, and tell us where you’re going to get a buy-in of $3,500 with the owner admitting that he might be a little bit flexible on the price? You aren’t getting a Machine…this gold Rebel is a 343/automatic beater that has a worn interior, a rough but straight exterior, and if our eyes aren’t mistaken, a painted roof. But we suspect that the car does run and drive, and we also suspect that one super-snotty 401 and a built-up 727 TorqueFlite…excuse us, Torque-Command…could be the start of something really, really sinister. Wide black D-slot mags, Midnight Black paint, and only minimal amounts of chrome left would turn this from Aunt Janet’s old car into the ultimate “WTF is that?!” ride.
Craigslist Link: 1969 American Motors Rebel SST
Hmmmm… if only I had the room for another project…
Yes! I saw this pic in a book long ago, and always wondered why no one built a tribute car like it. It’s sinister. How about a twin turbo kelvinator V8?
Just getting a good start on my ’64 Classic 2 door hdtp, but I would love to add this to my project list.
One of these showed up at the Stanwood Idlers car show but it was a convertible. The owner claimed it was 1 of 2 in the state? I believe him.