Here at BangShift, we are not shy about our love for AMC’s. These quirky cars from Kenosha always stand out in the crowd, and better yet, they can be built into serious speed machines. But taking into consideration that the last true AMC’s left the assembly line about 30 years ago, clean, unmodified examples are getting tougher to find by the day. Understandably, when we see a clean one, like the 1975 AMC Hornet we are about to show you, our wheels start turning. Let’s have a look at this lovely vehicle, shall we?
What we have here is a very clean, Aunt Mildred-fresh 1975 Hornet 2-door. These cars came in a few different body styles, including a 2-door coupe, 2-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, and a 5-door wagon. Obviously, this is the 2-door coupe variant. They built just over 12,000 of these in 1975, and there aren’t too many left, especially in this condition.
This Hornet is of the more pedestrian variety, wearing hubcaps on steel wheels and devoid of crazy 70’s tape stripes. In this day and age, it’s easy to forget that cars from that era weren’t all fire breathing muscle monsters. People needed “appliance cars” to get from Point A to Point B back then, too. This is basically a refrigerator on wheels. But what a clean refrigerator it is!
I always found the way the rear tail panel bows inwards a strange design element on these AMC’s. It started with the Hornets and continued on with the Concord and Eagle. Every time I see one, I always think that the car got rear ended, but nope, that’s just how they came.
Holy minty interior Batman! Seriously, this interior is in amazing shape, considering that it was assembled over 40 years ago. I hope my interior looks that good at that age.
No word on whether these are the original bucket seats, but I’m guessing they are, or have come from another similar car, since they appear to be black. They don’t look like they offer much support, but what seats from that era did? Even the sportiest of cars had padded slabs for seats back then. They do look comfy though.
Enough about how the car looks… let’s pop that hood! In the engine compartment, you will find 258ci of inline six goodness, backed by an automatic transmission of possible Chrysler origin. These were dependable, meat-and-potatoes engines back then, and used across the AMC line in just about everything they made. Today, you can use the crankshafts out of these to stroke it’s descendent, the Jeep 4.0L I6. Wait… that sounded a little weird…
So, now that you have seen this blank canvas of a car, how would you mechanically Bob Ross this thing up? Personally, the easy button here is not a LS swap. It’s a Jeep EFI 4.0 HO swap! First off, while not a direct bolt-in swap that you could do in an afternoon, it’s pretty close. The wiring harness will need to be modified, and while you are there, consider switching to something like Megasquirt engine management. It’s more customizable than the stuff that came on Jeeps, and there’s more headroom for mods. I would take that 4.2L crank and make it play nice with the Jeep 4.0 to build a 4.7L stroker, and then turbocharge it. These inliners love boost, and you can make surprisingly good power doing so. And the best part? It all fits under the stock hood. Another obvious option is the AMC V8. These cars could be had with the 304ci variant, and in earlier years, they could even be optioned with the 360. And where those fit, a honking 401ci V8 will also fit. Regardless of what ends up under that hood, I would keep the thing looking almost exactly as it does now, save for a set of Magnum 500’s or another period-correct wheel. Even a set of widened steelies with the stock hubcaps screwed on would be great. Keep it sleepy!
Also, did I mention that this thing is dirt cheap? Check out the ad HERE.
1975 Hornet, automatic, 6 cylinder blue interior, blue exterior, good glass, nice body, new tires, brakes, shocks, strong running engine, A/C, power steering.
$1950 or best offer.
But enough out of me… how would YOU build it?
Keep the exterior totally bone stock and fit wider steel wheels hidden by those hubcaps. Fit race-tuned brakes and suspension and then install an EFI’d AMC big block and T6 gearbox then go out hunting anything bearing the word Chevrolet….
It needs a twin turbo LSX! Just kidding Geordo!
I always liked the early AMC Pro Stocks like Wally Booth. Red, white, and blue paint, snorkel hood scoop, big meats in the back, high winding, dual quad, tunnel rammed factory small block back by a clutchless 4 speed.
LS and a turbo. Leave the outside as stock as possible.
…and that’s a bargain right there unless something like the trans is about ready to puke.
I dig it, super clean and straight six! I had the same engine in a 74 Gremlin with three on the floor, three pedal!
But those seat covers are too black and puffy. I bet an American quarter they are not original. Maybe from a later Concord, which was really the same car with square headlights and ugly tail-lights.
Pack the dash board with C4 and give to O as a going away present.
Back in the late 80’s a buddy of mine with a used car lot bought a 71 hornet 2 dr with three pedals in the floor with less than 15,000 miles on the car,no rust anywhere.We talked several times about putting a 401 with a 4 speed,but he decided to keep it original.Would love to have it today!
I’d leave it alone and drive the hell out of it. Although, a tribute to the 71 S/C 360 Hornet sounds good, also.
I like Chevy Hatin’ Mad Geordie idea except with a turbo Jeep 4.0L to keep things weird.
4.7litre with f.i.., 904 high stall , does 14.20’s all day and night . Or,put some boost to it and go 12.’s. I want it, bad
Unless you see 258 on the engine emissions decal it could be a 232. Also the transmission may be a GM automatic. I have worked on CJ7’s with Factory TH400’s behind the 258 inline 6,.AMC also used the TH400 in the full size jeep trucks in the 1970’s to early 1980.s Thats when you get the really odd ball stuff. Like the 1984 Jeep XJ Cherokee with a Chevy 2.8L V6 a Chrysler 904 automatic that has a Chevy 60 degree V6 (also 3.8 buick FWD block) bellhosing pattern.