360 Upgrade: 1979 AMC AMX

The AMC AMX has always been a bruiser. Fat wheels, fat flares, and just beefed up all around – it’s like the Oreo Double Stuff of AMCs. When they were built, it was a totally different twist on a car that typically looked like something your high school chemistry professor would drive. While somewhat obscure today, the AMX does have its fans, and the seller of this example tossed the original 304/4-speed combo in favor of a 360 with a 722 automatic. He claims it moves out right now and we don’t doubt him. Find the AMX here on eBay with the current bid sitting at $5,699 and the reserve unmet.

I’ve always been a big fan of the AMX and one of my favorite junkyard cars to visit is a copy of this car save for the fact it’s painted tan with the orange decal strip over the wheel wells. Of course, it doesn’t have this bad-ass engine swap, either. The beauty of this swap is obviously the increased performance but also the fact that it’s somewhat undetectable from the outside. It also has 4.11 gears and a positraction rear end; needless to say, the seller confirms it is quite quick. The actual installation looks clean and aside from the distraction of the plug wires, all signs point to it being a job well done. The seller also adds that it has a Holley Double Pumper carburetor, electronic fuel pump, new ignition, an Edelbrock intake, and more.

There’s part of me that is sad, however, that the original three-pedal setup is gone. Many of these AMXs seem to come with the automatic transmission, and the manual just seems to fit its brawny personality better. I don’t know if it was even an option to keep the manual and swap in the 360, but I would be sorely tempted to revert back to the stick. The interior is in great shape with wide bucket seats that lack bolster support but are likely couch-like in comfort. The dash pad looks to be in good shape and the same goes for the door panels. The interior is dying for a nicer set of bucket seats; I’d look for a set of Recaros with the netted headrests from a Trans Am, myself.

Based on the description, the seller found the AMX sitting in storage after years off the road. He doesn’t specify whether the swap was already done, but I’d love to know if someone built this as a hot rod back in the day before parking it. The seller notes that the paint is OK – not great – but that it is mostly rust-free save for a spot in the outer rocker on the passenger side. The inner rocker was repaired correctly, and while it sounds like the inner panel still needs correcting, it’s likely not a big deal at the moment. This hot rod AMX looks like a hoot-and-a-half, and assuming the reserve is under $10,000, it also seems like a lot of fun for the money.