Cumberland Green Metallic is the color of this 1979 AMC Spirit Sedan; it isn’t black, even though it looks like that in the photos. It’s a dark green specified 9H on the body tag, which the seller included a photo of, along with dozens of other great photos. They have it listed here on eBay in Mullins, South Carolina, and they’re asking $7,999, or you can make an offer.
The resemblance to the AMC Gremlin is unmistakable in the profile photo above, and pretty much in any of the exterior photos that show the unique design. I get a strong Eagle Kammback look here, as this one seems to be lifted an inch or two for some reason. Maybe they were starting to give it a Carolina Squat, but ran out of time or money. Just kidding, of course, but it does look taller than normal, doesn’t it? The AMC Spirit was made from 1978 for the 1979 model year, until the end of 1983, and they came in this body style, and a sloping hatchback model.
The sides seem to be showing some waves, but the seller says the “paint looks original,” and the body lines are “straight as an arrow,” so maybe it’s just me. The Gremlin shape is unmistakable here as well. Here’s what the rear cargo area looks like, or some of it. I’m not sure what the wheels are from; they aren’t shown in any AMC brochure from 1979 that I saw while doing research on this car. They say this car came to their South Carolina showroom from California, so hopefully it’s solid.
The seller mentions leather seats, but this is a base model Spirit Sedan, and these are clearly vinyl seats. If it were a Limited trim level, it could have had nice leather bucket seats. These seats look perfect, both front and rear, and other than some discoloration of some of the plastic dash elements, the interior looks nice. They have included several underside photos, and kudos to the seller for providing so many good photos of this unique car.
The dirty engine is a VW Group/Audi-sourced EA831, a 2.0-liter SOHC inline-four with 80 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque when new. It’s passed through a column-shifted TorqueFlite three-speed automatic, sending power to the rear wheels. They don’t say how it runs, but mention it’s had a full service with new fluids and filters, and it could sure use a quick detailing to bring it up to the level of the rest of the car. Any thoughts on this Spirit Sedan?
Poor AMC. Here’s our brand new car old car, the Spirit!
I got a Gremlin for my daughter when she was in high school. at first she hated and was embarrassed. Then all the kids loved it and she was really cool. The Gremlin gas cap had more time in her back pack than on the car.
I had a 79 with this body style. It was Russet in color with the body side striping similar to the slant back version. This body style was only available for 79 as AMC was using up the remaining 78 Gremlin bodies. Mine was the 232 cui that had quite some pep. My dad bought an 82 slant back with the 258 cui. Great little cars, never rusted with the anodized sheet metal.
If the Spirit and Eagle wiki articles are to be believed, this bodystyle (aka Spirit “sedan” or Eagle Kammback) was produced up through ’82, the last two years in both Spirit (RWD) and Eagle (4×4) variants, and only discontinued as of the ’83 model year.
Looks like it will rattle your fillings out sitting so high! Wonder what’s underneath, big block springs?
When I first viewed this sitting so high I was thinking all-wheel drive like the Eagle, but then I thought Gremlin? If these have a timing belt, shouldn’t it be changed asap? Also check transmission fluid.
And don’t gas it up after midnight!
me too Dave, but in reverse order.
AND
I was wrong on both accounts.
I bet driving this would almost be the same as my ’90 XJ 2dr.
This would be pretty nice with the six-cylinder engine but it must be a real slug with that 2 liter VW engine, automatic, and AC! About all that would be worse would be a heavier Concord with that combination. (I once saw a Concord like that in a junkyard.)
I always thought that this body style without the huge sail panel should have been a stable mate to the Gremmy from day one.
If I weren’t 90 I’d be all over this like a chicken on a Junebug!
What is with the sudden proliferation of pop up advertisements on this site?
Sw, I get pop up ads when on cell phone but not when on the computer when checking Barn Finds.
We would lift our Hornets and Gremlins by using Matador V8 springs in the front. Easy to do on those. Then if I remember right we put an add a leaf or flipped the springs on top of the axle for the rear. Good for 2 or 3 inches.
Maybe that’s the case with the front but the rear-quarter view clearly shows the axle is above the spring.
My guess? The rear leaf springs have been re-arched which, if not done properly, could work-harden the spring. I know- I once had the front spring on one of my FIAT 600s re-arched by a truck spring shop and they must have wailed the livin’ daylights out of it on a form using a huge mallet… good thing my wife wasn’t pregnant then or she’d have miscarried! Over time, it softened up.
I found I could re-arch those springs by disassembling and butt-bending each leaf in a bifurcated ash tree to a slightly taller arch. Worked like a charm and I never broke a leaf!
The muffler has a big dent in it like they been stump jumping in this, its rubbing the drive shaft. Car has been repainted, -door strikers painted and missing rubber bumpers on doors ,traces of red primer here and there.
The transition from Gremlin to Spirit was a slow careful one. Much like other manufacturers did to use up left over parts. In this exercise they were able to create a largely new car. As an engineering standpoint was genus. The rear treatment was also used on the Eagle. The rear lift back design was really handy for those going to the grocery store. Like the Gremlin. The window was light to open with one hand holding the shopping cart with the other.
Is the rear window larger on the Spirit and Eagle version of this body. I thought my Gremlin had a smaller back window, but my memory is not as good as it used to be.
Early Gremlins had a smaller back window, which got larger with the ’77 facelift, then it appears that revised back panel and window was carried over as-is for the ’79-on Spirit “sedan” and Eagle Kammback.
Of all the funky aftermarket wheel-covers I’ve ever seen, these are a new one. Can see the illustration with a couple of bling stars in the JC Whitney catalog with the promise of expensive, custom wheel appearance as well as the disclaimer “rear wheel drive only”.
Nice blue firewall. Definitely c.1979 penalty box with the four banger and automatic.
I am loving that all to pieces- cool how AMC stretched the back window and changed the name to a Spirit! Great find and write-up Scotty, and thank you for sharing it with us!