Taking the different path can have some excellent benefits. AMC Matadors aren’t on most anyone’s radar, unless they have AMC leanings, but a two-door large-displacement coupe from the early 1970s isn’t something to pass up without at least a cursory look, right? Of course not, so when I found the eBay listing that showed only the white Matador, I had to look…if for no other reason than to check out what was being offered. And yes, the white Matador has everything that is worth mentioning: a .060 over 401 with the “group 19″ cam, a Coan-built TH400 with a a transbrake and a Coan 8” 5500rpm stall converter, an 18-gallon fuel cell and license plates. With the “The Machine” style hood and a nearly flawless interior, we’d be all over that, regardless of whether or not the Matador gets “only” 6.5 miles to the gallon on the street. Anyone who wants to argue against that can try to voice their opinion over the 3″ exhaust’s bark. And maybe the current bid (as of writing) of just over $20,000 would possibly be in the realm of reason.
But then you notice the green Matador parked next to it. It is every bit as ugly as the white car is pretty, and the seller does not mention what is under the hood. We do know that it runs and drives, though, and that leads us to an interesting proposition: a “Beauty and the Beast” combination. Most people don’t need a reason for owning the white car, but picture the green car, as rough as it is, done up with a snotty AMC V8, built-up TorqueCommand, and the visual impact of such rough and ready cars as the General Mayhem Charger or anything off of The Dukes Of Hazzard. Some wagon-wheel mags, raised white letter tires, and just enough bodywork to fix rust-through and prevent any more tinworm openings. Daily-drive the hell out of the green one and drive the white one as a sunny-day beauty. Sound good?
eBay Link: Two 1972 AMC Matador Coupes
If I had the money, the nice clean one would go to all the car shows and get babied while the mean green one would be a sleeper track stomper.
The green one needs a tunnel-rammed, nitrous’d high-compression 440 stroker motor jammed through the hood
The white one is a good looking car but the green one….the green one speaks to me…gives me a warm fuzzy feeling all over….
The white one is perfect in every way but would take the green one since that’s what my budget only could afford!