If there is one car above all the others that has been eating at the back of my mind lately it is any of the AMC Spirit models. They are a good sized car, they are unique, they are a fairly handsome design for AMC, and they are versatile. This is also the only car I’d want two of: One, an SX/4 with the inline-6 for off-roading, and then a Spirit AMX dead-on like this one for sale in British Columbia.
Subtle, it ain’t. Fender flares, air dam and spoiler combined with the red-orange graphics from the factory turned the dowdy Spirit into an evil-looking little beast, and the factory Vector-like turbine wheels are just perfect. The malaise-era 304 was decent enough for the time period, but like anything from 1979, a performance boost is certainly welcomed and this AMX has one, in the form of a 1972-era 401, now backed behind a T-5 five-speed manual raided from a Mustang GT. I say again: big-block, five speed. Whatever grudges you have against the car can be put aside for those reasons.
Outside looks good, and under the hood has been remedied. So where are the problems? Inside the car…the seats look generic and replaceable, and the only rust on the car is a small spot in the hatch area. New seats…easy enough, right? Maybe some cleaning here and there, and maybe hunt down a new radio faceplate that didn’t have a ton of holes drilled into it.
The best part is the reason the seller is putting the car up: “This car generates smiles and interest wherever I take it. So why sell it? I hadn’t owned a domestic V8 before and wanted to try it out but really, the car is too far from my preferred type.” Fair enough…at $5500 (USD) he’s being more than fair with the price for a car that will bring someone a lot of happiness.
Craigslist Link: 1979 AMC Spirit AMX
(Courtesy: Bring A Trailer)
Could be a fun drag car but I’d go for a Pro Touring build. Wider wheels, exaggerate those factory flares a little, drop in 2″
I\’ve always had a soft spot for these cars…. oh btw, AMC never made a \”Big Block\” engine… 290, 304, 343, 360, 390 and 401 all used the same basic architecture..
Pretty much perfection.
Drop it an inch or two, clean up the wires under hood and drive the piss out of it….killer.
An absolutely outstanding example of the best malaise era pony car. I’ve been wanting one for years now. That’s a great deal for someone close to British Columbia (is that in Canada?) I’d be all over it if I wasn’t PCSing to Hawaii next month.
Holy crap that’s 29 hours from my house! I bet it’s cold as hell up there.
B.C. = British Columbia. Also often referred to as British California. Never gets all that cold there.
Learn something new everyday. It just looked so far north on the map I guess.
Stop this nonsense now mctagert. this thing is too close to home. And its in the 70s around here by the way
Almost bought one similar back in the mid-80’s. Car was silver, 401 powered, 4 spd Super T-10. Couldn’t agree on price (he wanted $4000, offered $3500). Car ended being sold to someone else for his price. It was a fun car to drive though!
Thanks again, Bryan. Every time you boys at BS show some love and a smidgeon of respect for we Orphan AMC nuts and our cars, I’m gonna thank you all personally.