If you’ve been around street-strip drag racing at all over the last few years, you probably already are thinking about where you’re going to find a GM LS engine—Hell, you might have a couple in your garage already, they’re everywhere—to put in either of these Malaise Era compacts. Both this 1975 AMC Hornet and 1979 Dodge Aspen are rollers in varying states of preparation, but which would you rather have?
The Hornet, which is for sale in Fargo, seems like it mostly just needs an engine and a transmission dropped in and it’s ready to go with Mickey Thompsons, a Ford 9-inch rear end, and a whole lot else. It’s a two-door, also, and it should weigh somewhere around 3,100 pounds with an engine in it. The big ram-air hood scoop looks a bit like that of an SC/Rambler.
The Aspen for sale in West Virginia is a coupe that doesn’t appear as well prepared as the Hornet, but it is considerably cheaper and comes with a pair of small-block Mopars, a 318 and and a 360. The included rear ends aren’t as ubiquitous as the Ford nine-inch, but with more budget, theoretically, you can do more with it. You could put one of the Mopar V8s in or you could go a totally different route.
Either car gives you something a bit out of the ordinary that you could take racing. While we like a ‘68 Camaro or a late ‘70s Nova just fine, a ripping Aspen or Hornet stands out in the crowd. So does either pique your interest? And what would you put under each car’s hood?
If I had an LS engine Eric, I’d come round to your place and insert it where the sun don’t shine!
Why do you automatically assume that your readers have no individuality when it comes to engine swaps?. For your information I’d put a hot AMC 340 in that cute Hornet and a 442 or even a Hemi in the Aspen. Then I’d sell both cars and buy a Camaro into which I’d put a Ford Shotgun motor just to piss you off….
Way to go . I want a 56 dodge pickup powered by a chevy 409 bolted up to a clutched torqueflight using an old international driveline coupled to a ford 9 inch
Gotta love Geordie! I’d put the same engine in either of them, a big block Mopar stroker. I’d go with the Hornet. Different is good, which is why using anything GM is bad. (besides the fact that , without the aftermarket, GM stuff breaks).
To hell with this constant LS shit, last time I checked there are other engines on this planet. I’d give the Aspen a stroker small block Mopar, and the AMC will remain AMC powered with a 390 or 401 powerplant.
Amen! 75Duster..AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Aspen looks like it might be a pretty decent bracket racer with that 360.
Either car is a win for me. Push comes to shove, though, I’d take the AMC.
The Hornet easy! Put in a LSX and have some fun.
Put that idiot Geordie under the hood of either one and the hot air he expels guarantee 7 sec time slips.
Easy, a Coyote 5.0 in the Hornet.
Turbo’ed 4.0 liter AMC inline 6 in the hornet.
Modern 3.6 V6 in the Aspen.