AMC resurrected the old Hudson Hornet name and applied it to their new compact in 1970. The Hornet would replace the Rambler American, thus ending the use of the Rambler marque in North America. This first-year Hornet is stashed away in a garage or barn and the passage of time has not been kind. While anything can be restored, perhaps it would best serve as a donor or parts car. Located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, this old Hornet is available here on craigslist for just $600 (thanks for the AMC tip, Pat L.!).
The Hornet would run from 1970-77, give birth to the Gremlin “subcompact” and continue under the Concord and Eagle banners until AMC was acquired by Chrysler. The cars were available in base and upscale SST trim levels, selling more than 100,000 copies in 1970. Of those, 43,600 were the regular 2-door Hornet which the seller’s car appears to have been.
What may be the most interesting thing about this Hornet is that the seller says it’s a one-owner car. Chances are it was well-used, quit running, and went into storage until it could be repaired, which never happened. We’re told it has a six-cylinder engine, which could be either of AMC’s straight-6 engines with displacements of 199 or 232 cubic inches. A 304 V8 was optional. The motor is paired to an automatic transmission, but neither is close to running without significant effort.
While the body contains rust and faded paint anywhere you look, the biggest problem may be the serious lean on the driver’s side at the rear. There could either be a suspension or chassis failure of some sort and it will make pulling the car out of where it is and loaded onto a trailer a project in itself. Flat tires don’t help.
As with most AMC cars, which the exception of hot rods like the AMX or Rebel Machine, the resale value on even top condition models is below that of anything from the Big Three of the same era. You could buy a nice 1970 Hornet for a lot less money than the cost of restoring this one. So, is there enough here to use it as a donor for another project or should it be put out of its misery?
‘just $600’? Overpriced by about $599.
We would offer Tree-fiddy for this Loch Ness monster. YMMV.
My next door neighbor was an AMC Dealer. When they first came out he bought one home and after driving it for a couple days, he told me it was nothing more than a piece of junk.
The Hornet was inferior to the Rambler American in a lot of ways. It looked more modern and the trunnion front end finally went away in favor of twin ball joints, but the Hornet’s interior and seats were atrocious and the car rode like a buckboard. It was improved over the years but really did not come into its own until it became the Concord and by then the platform was obsolescent.
This one is a parts car at best.
TJ–I kind of doubt that story.
I had a 72 Hornet SST with 232 engine. It burned a quart of oil every 500 miles. The speedometer head had to be replaced twice. Automatic transmission fluid somehow followed the speedometer cable into the interior of the car causing it to collect on the under dash parcel shelf. The tops of both front fenders rusted by the time the car was 4 years old. Some of this was covered by AMC Buyer Protection Plan. At around 50000 miles, I traded the car in on a much superior new 1978 Mercury Monarch.
Growing up the guy next door had a 71 sc360. I thought it was one of the coolest AMCs out there. It was dark green with a white side stripe…and of course some old school aluminum slots lol. Too this day if I found a clean reasonable one i would probably but it
What’s scrap metal at these days? Shame the car is very lightweight.
Oy, makes me feel right at home. Typical Wisconsin car, and why anyone saved it, is the real mystery. More like forgot about it. They used yellow plates into the 80’s, so it’s been sitting for a spell. Even as a parts car, not sure there’s even a market for that. Most trim can be found NOS, and not worth much as is.
By the way, Wauwatosa, a suburb of Milwaukee, had the 1st underground radio station in the Milwaukee area, WTOS, with a range of about 3 miles, making it the strongest acid rock station at the time,,,Far out, man!
Planet Houston has been trying to move an SC360, same color, for a spell. It needs lots of bits – I could see this coming in pretty handy – $600 handy? Not so sure; but…
I’m confused, are they trying to sell this rolling pile of scrap metal for $600 or are they offering to pay someone $600 to haul it off
Oh Please !! Send it to the crusher & get it over with
It was there, but they refused it.
Junk.
Everything has to die sometime. Time to send this mess to the crusher
It not even worth a comment!
But,,,you just did,, :)
Restore? Parts? I like your sense of humor
hmmn, should I buy this or that Corvette I just saw? I can’t decide…
Add that interior to a dry desert car, and then you have something!
i remember being a teenager before driving age, mom had a purple hornet wagon.
It had holes rusted in the top of the fenders real quick…….
$600, such a deal for an obscure classic! Invest $10k in a comprehensive restoration, and no doubt it will be worth…$300!!
AMC made a lot of absolute junk. We had a Gremlin in the family years ago, at 60,000 miles the engine was caked with an inch of grease, we had to buy oil by the case and it smoked like a diesel. Good riddance to AMC
Isatso? Don’t tell that to my friends and neighbors that built these cars. I happen to know, these people put their hearts and souls into these cars, they were very proud of what they did, until the end, that is. To base your opinions on a Gremlin, that may have had 160K on it, and not on the other great cars AMC made, shows you don’t have a valid opinion to begin with. They were on par with any other make, they had to be.
BTW, the “inch of grease” usually came from spilling the oil all over the motor. All older cars were oily slugs.
Parents had two brand new: 71 Gremlin, 72 Ambassador Brougham.
The worst workmanship of any ever seen. Cheapest plastics unmatched even by 80s GM standards..
There was a reason AMC developed the Buyer Protection Plan.
On The Ambassador ill fitting weather stripping you could stick your finger through the corners of the door post corner wind lacing, kewpie doll hair carpet of the lowest quality. Balls joints at year four, replacement of the vinyl top because of rust a little later. Rear upholstery fraying [ it rarely even saw passengers ] after a few years.
Poorly fit Gremlin grade plastics inside, hood release went out at least three times, trim on the arm rests was loose and unanchored.
I even saw a Matador on the dealer’s lot with the dash trim having fallen on the front passenger floor.
The floor filled with water in the Gremlin during a rain storm, [it was only a few months old ] seat bits were chewing their way through the side of the seat on both driver and passenger sides in less than a year. sloppy dash fit and warped plastic trim.
Just stop it.
I loved them both but “on a par with other makes” ? They were not. Built to a low price to compete on price…..Your comment shows shows your own lack of a valid opinion.
I was there. My folks could have bought anything else. These were new cars straight from the factory.
Your memory is has a rose covered filter.
Proud of what they built ? I hope not.
Disgraceful build quality. No one deserved that.
My Dad said of the Ambassador: if that’s AMC’s best car I’ll never buy another one.
scrap
Dear old mom bought a ’68 Rambler and it survived 4 major accidents before we replaced it in ’76 with a Ford Maverick. For my money it was a downgrade. I took the new arrival out for a test run and noted hard mismatched shifts plus a suspension system which was downright dangerous if you didn’t replace the bias ply tires with steel belted ones. AMC fought a long and hard fight to stay alive and blessed the market with 2 masterpieces, the AMX and the most inspired American car of the ’70s, the incredible Pacer. Jetson rules!
First car I’ve seen with leprosy.
My 70 didn’t have holes in the top of the fenders……….but it sure had a lot of Bondo
Psychofish2
“Your memory is has a rose covered filter.”
I think maybe your memory IS HAS a missing filter.
If anyone out there is even remotely interested in this car, I live right by it & would be happy to inspect the remains. I doubt there is anything worth while here, but ya never know!