Sometimes you can look at an advertisement for a car and think that on the surface the price is too high. At first glance this AMC Concord for sale with a clean title here on craigslist with a price of $9,995 OBO appears that it could potentially be just such a car. Located in Brashear, Missouri, you need to scratch below the surface to find the truth about this car and what I believe is some justification for the asking price. Our thanks goes out to Pat L for bringing this car to our attention.
I know….it’s brown. You need to remember that the decade from the mid 70s through to the mid 80s was the decade of the brown car. I actually think that it’s quite a nice shade of brown. The seller states that there are some marks and chips on the paint, but that it is in really good condition for a paint finish which is 36 years old. There appears to be no obvious issues with corrosion, and the seller also states that the original vinyl roof is in excellent condition for its age.
The interior looks really clean and tidy. There is no appreciable wear or discoloration, and the dash looks to be in great condition. There are no visible cracks, the plastic and wood-grain appear to be in first class condition, and nobody has hacked into the dash or door trims to fit an aftermarket stereo.
The rear passenger area looks even better than the front. The story behind this car is a sad one. The owner used to buy older cars and tidy them up, fixing any major issues, before on-selling them to people to enjoy. He didn’t make huge money in the process, but did it for the enjoyment. This car was going to be his “keeper”. Unfortunately a back injury and ill health means that he is unable to get in or out of the car, so he has decided to sell it.
Under the hood is the 258ci six, backed by an automatic transmission that shifts like new. According to the owner the car runs perfectly, which is no surprise if the claim of 38,450 genuine miles is correct. Looking at the overall condition of the car, I find the claim to be quite believable. The car has AC which easily blows out cold air at 40 degrees. The owner has gone over the engine with a fine-toothed comb and has basically replaced every seal and hose to ensure reliability. He has also replaced the coil, plugs and plug wires, ignition module, alternator and battery. The car had a new exhaust and tires fitted when he bought it, and all are still in good condition. The car is also fitted with power steering and power brakes.
This is what I meant when I said that you needed to scratch below the surface to understand the price on this Concord. That is as clean as you will ever find a 36 year old car. The list of new parts under here is just as impressive as those under the hood. Upper and lower ball joints, tie rod ends and control arm. The brakes have been rebuilt with new discs, pads drums, shoes, hoses and wheel cylinders. As I stated, the owner had intended to keep this car and that is why he went overboard with the parts.
I accept that it may not be the most desirable car on the planet. I also accept that the asking price seems quite high. But I also accept the fact that if you have a soft spot for the Concord, then I think that this is as good as it gets. Just remember, it wasn’t that many years ago that people couldn’t give away a Pacer or an Edsel. Look at them now.
There are no visible cracks, the plastic and wood-grain appear to be in first class condition, and nobody has hacked into the dash or door trims to fit an aftermarket stereo
Great, but nothing on what happened to the bottom 35% of the steering wheel?!?!?
I was expecting that Knight Rider steering wheel to come up when we started scratching below the surface.
Yeah, I did a double take on that…
Super mortally obese owner?
Was gonna ask the same…
My guess is that the hacked wheel was an attempt to make it easier for the owner to get in and out with their back problems.
That’s my guess too. Give credit where credit is due though. Most people with back problems just buy a CUV these days.
Yikes, this might be the nicest AMC Concord left on the planet! Price seems way out there but this is probably the closest thing to a new one you’ll ever see.
The underdash AC actually looks pretty good though the interior looks a little odd without the commonly-seen parcel tray. I guess the bottom of the steering wheel was cut off to make the car easier to get in and out of. (The standard AMC driving position has the wheel practically pushed into your chest.) The Motorcraft carb is a common upgrade from the electronic feedback BBD unit but may cause problems with emission inspection in some states. The engine appears to have the infamous plastic valve cover but no leaks are apparent. (Aftermarket aluminum replacements are available thanks to the Jeep crowd.)
Unlike some of the older Ramblers, there is little on this car that really poses a service problem. Just about all mechanical parts are readily available and its engineering is bog-standard domestic practice from its time period. This would make a pleasant fair-weather driver.
It would go well with the beautiful ‘78 Concord my Mom bought new. I took it for an ice cream about a month ago…
Gone!
The interior is a hack job. Cars that came originally without ac had that dashboard arrangement. The lack of lower shelf and the huge air vent left of the wheel are a give away. I’d walk away once I saw that interior
I would walk away at the price before the interior.
Since when has a four door AMC been worth almost 5 digits?
Even if it is the nicest example around, it was nothing special when it was new.
Don’t get me wrong, I have liked every AMC I have ever had, but to think a car like this, and specifically this one, would be worth that kind of money would be crazy.
Lovely looking AMC Concord. Unfortunately, the Craigslist ad seems to have been removed by the author.
No, No, NO! The hacked up interior is a shame since this car is so clean. I’ve never liked these cars, I’ve always thought of them as “duds” just boring cars for boring people. But this one needs saved.
whats with the chopped steering wheel and the aftermarket ac system
I would like to know what happened to the steering wheel?
300 lb. owner
thaats not right i was 450 the last time i drove one of these and it was fine he probably broke the wood part off ,,, not worth that much
If he really needs to sell it he’ll need to get real on the price. Probably just some curbstoner with a made up sob story! This is $4,000 car on good day. Don’t get me wrong I like Concords, but let’s get real. A 2 door with under 20k miles recently sold in New England for around 2k. Just because this guy dumped all kinds of money into it fixing and upgrading things that didn’t need to be done does not mean he will get all that money out of it! My guess on the wheel is that the bottom woodgrain section of the rim, which is a separate piece, broke off. Inexcusable on any car offered for 10k. He should have sourced a replacement wheel. At least it’s the most common interior color- Nutmeg!