We’ve looked at plenty of AMC products here at BangShift, but if there is one model that we don’t pay much attention to, it’s the Matador. Unless you are a die-hard fan of Adam 12, chances are good that you haven’t paid much attention to an AMC matador in years, either. They were (supposedly) mid-size cars, and replaced the Rebel in 1971 in name and front sheet metal only. They honestly had more in common with the AMC Ambassador full-sizer than it did with the Rebel, but one great option from the muscle car era still remained on the options list: the 401ci V8. In a car the color of a grocery store paper bag on whitewalls with huge hubcaps, nobody would see it coming. You can fit six adults comfortably in one of these cars (eight if you’re pushing your luck or are really close friends) and if you see another one while driving, buy a lottery ticket, because that just doesn’t happen everyday.
Ebay Link: 1973 AMC Matador coupe
I can’t believe it’s that nice shape. Still would rather own the freaky 74′ and up Matador.
Wow, someone really loved that car to have taken that good of care of it. As with Jerry, I prefer the later big-eyed Matadors but this one is pretty sweet.
I spent many hours in this cars 4 door brother when I was a kid. My Pap had one and was a lead foot of the highest degree…that car would scream down the highway smooth as silk….I’d love to give this one a good home…just a little underhood TLC and it would be perfect….
The 1973 AMC 401 was a shadow of it’s former self. 255 HP and 345 Ft. Lbs. Torque. Not much “muscle” there.
Part of that is the conversion to SAE figures. It’s gross rating was 330hp, so it wasn’t quite the powerhouse, especially compared to the Big Three’s offerings, yet it didn’t fall off the cliff quite like the later big-blocks did either.
Plus the good stuff was still there. Forged crank and rods, high-nickel block. A head swap to the ’70 heads would probably pick up a lot of the snort. I did like AMC’s honesty though. Saw a dyno of a bone-stock 390 and it made an honest-to-god 315hp, right what AMC rated it at.
Nice, well-kept AMC. Lots of potential.