We’ve seen seven 1974 Matador Coupes here at Barn Finds over the years but none with a manual transmission so, it’s not just being orange that makes this 1974 AMC Matador Coupe unique, it also has a manual transmission. Not to mention, a floor shifter. The seller has this unique ride posted here on Facebook Marketplace in Airway Heights, Washington and they’re asking $5,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Lee for sending in this tip!
I’m assuming that this car had a factory manual transmission with a column shifter and was converted to a floor shifter? The standard (no pun intended) transmission for the six-cylinder engine cars would have been three-speed manuals as a four-speed wasn’t available. I couldn’t find any information, including a very hard-to-read 1974 AMC factory brochure, that listed a manual floor shifter for a Matador Coupe. One of you AMC experts will know for sure. With the help of my brother, we converted a 1974 Dodge van’s three-on-the-tree manual to a floor shifter about four decades ago so it’s possible.
The AMC Matador Coupe was made for model years 1974 through 1978 and around 100,000 of them were produced. There were a couple of high-end editions including the Oleg Cassini edition with designer touches inside and a later Barcelona II edition which included classic 1970s white-shoes-and-belt touches like a padded landau vinyl top, opera windows, and two-tone paint. A Matador Coupe X had sporty touches and a standard V8 engine. You can see the rear bumper on this car is home to some rust so the next owner will have to track down another one or take it off as a lot of Matador Coupe owners do.
The seats appear to have been reupholstered and could use a good cleaning both front and rear, although I’m not sure if that would bring them back to life again or not. The whole car inside and out looks a little rough and the seller has included a few photos showing rust, both on the lower left front fender and over the left rear wheel. Faded paint on the hood completes the look. I wish we had more interior photos, especially showing arguably the biggest selling point: the manual transmission!
The seller says that this is an AMC 258 cubic-inch inline-six which would have had 110 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. It reportedly runs well and it appears to have a few replacement parts. Do any of you AMC experts – and there are a few of them in the Barn Finds family of readers – know if this is actually a factory three-speed floor shifter with a 258-six engine or was it converted from a three-on-the-tree manual?
Hard to say because we can’t see the other side of the steering column to see if there’s a nub there from a column shifter or not. Most conversions used a chrome Hurst Mastershift handle or something similar – this one doesn’t look like what I’d expect for a conversion.
Our neighbor friends had a stick shift ’74 Matador like this for a few years when we were kids. It was a column shift.
Why is the radiator top hose so near to that belt? I would want to see the clearance it actually has. The picture makes it look too precarious. Just saying.
That is a little too close for comfort.
I’m no expert on AMC’s, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a floor shifter for the 3 speed was OEM. It seemed a lot of 70’s AMC’s used floor shifted 3 speeds.
When I met my future wife she was driving a 74 6 cyl Javelin, with a floor shift 3 speed, and a friend of hers had one too. A buddy had a 6 cyl. Hornet X with a 3 speed floor shifter, and one of my brother’s friends drove a Gremlin X with a 6 and a 3 speed floor shifter. None of this proves Matador’s came with 3 speed floor shifters, but considering that AMC was barely holding on in the 70’s, a floor shifter shared with other models, might have been cheaper?
I agree. I owned a 73 hornet hatchback with a three speed floor mount. It was purchased new by my brother in law.
Page 13 of the 1974 brochures says the floor shift is available on V8 coupes with bucket seats and a console. This has neither.
https://www.xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/1974-AMC-Prestige.pdf
But on the final page of this brochure, the transmission specs chart states the 258 V6 offers “3 speed manual on column [N/.A Coupe]” So does that means a manual floor shift for the 258 on the coupe?
https://www.xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/1974-AMC-Matador-V2.pdf
258 is a straight six. Console shift was automatic and usually came on the “X” trim package. This one is pretty rough, the issue is finding parts Good luck. Shifter is to hard to see but AMC would put anything in any car to make a sale if it was in the parts bin.
If you blow up the steering wheel pic you can see the nub for the column shift. Also with power brakes the brake pedal should be lower than the clutch pedal
AMC, believe it or not, acted like other automakers, and made things according to spec. Yes, the spec might sometimes change during a model run, but Matador coupes never came with a manual floor shift.
I see this one has the rare trailer towing package, as well.
I had a couple of Gremlins and they had the three-speed stick in the floor. Might be the full-size had three on the tree but floor shift wasn’t uncommon.
Look like it has a Holley 4 barrel.
Has some rust, you think?
Also has Jeep 4.0 intake and serpentine belt set up.
…which might explain the precarious belt-hose relationship noted in comments above.
That is not a 4.0 intake, which would have 6 injector holes, that’s a 80s 258 (4.2) intake, same era valve cover. Original matador one for 74 would have been stamped steel. If I had to guess they transplanted an 80s engine and transmission into this, which would also explain the belt.
Look like the AMC famous plastic valve cover.
famous”plastic valve cover”??
AMC used some plastic valve covers on these 258s that that were infamous for warping/leaking. A good replacement was the valve cover from Clifford Performance that has a machined mating surface on it.
From the FB Marketplace ad:
“Not mint condition…”
They are not kidding!
This is my car if you want more info the contact info is in the original post it’s on Facebook marketplace it does have the original interior it is a 5 speed manual transmission it was originally an automatic on the Column. It does run and she purrs like a kitten. It’s been driven daily since we bought it and got her running.
Im the one whos been working on this car. So… It has a 83 inline 258 engine with the newer serpenrine belt configuration (which btw clears the radiator whose easily) with a holley 2 barrell. T5 transmission is not the original, it was an automatic. I daily this and It fires right up and you can coast 65-70 all night long, no overheating or glitches. It is an ac car but theres no ac pump at the moment. Rust it has is what you see, framerails etc are in mint condition.
Guys, it has a 258 out of and 83 Jeep as well as the t5 manual transmission. Original owner traded it out because he loved the car. Just message and I can answer questions.
My dad owned a 75 Sedan with a 3 on the tree.. broke the shifter off the column after a jam up… A 3 speed floor shifter was installed the only Matador sedan I have seen with 3 on the floor
I kinda feel like most of the people here are blowing smoke. It’s a good price for a unique car. We will weld the acne on the drivers side this week.
Well don’t expect us not to comment on what we see. Your pics leave many questions that are unanswered. Thanks for clearing that up. I’m looking but parts are very hard to come by.
Well we are driving it 1900 miles to southern Oklahoma next week. The hardest part to find we the 3.95 inch idler pulleys. It sat on the street for 20 years. We are technically the 3rd owners. All the interior is original, pretty good chance a family was living in it.
I have been looking for one of what this car was, a 258 3 on the tree matador coupe for many years now. It is my holey grail.