The seller says that this 1970 AMC Hornet is a Washington state car with fewer than 69,000 miles on it and it’s rust-free! Those are my favorite words in the car world: rust free. This rad red rust-free ride can be found here on eBay in Cream Ridge, New Jersey with a $6,200 buy it now price.
The exterior of this car looks absolutely gorgeous other than the dull right front fender. I’m not sure what’s going on there. I’m assuming that the whole car has been cut and buffed or at least just buffed, maybe that fender was repainted at some point and it doesn’t shine up like the rest of the car does? Does anyone have any ideas on that dull fender? It would be a shame to paint it and have it not match but I’d sure want it to look as perfect as the rest of the car does.
The two-door sedan is such a great body style on these cars. 1970 was the first year for the AMC Hornet which, believe or not, replaced the Rambler American in AMC’s lineup. This car is not only rust-free but it’s a one-owner car. I really like this one so far. AMC made almost 44,000 base model 2-door Hornet sedans in the first year of production. The Sportabout wagon would be available in 1971 and the hatchback came in 1973.
Here’s where things fall off the track for me a bit, but not enough to still not want this beauty. I’m not a fan of the two-tone 1950s style seats in a non-1950s car but that’s just my personal preference. Other folks may love this look and that’s great. The flooring has to be new and the dash appears to have been painted as well as the horn button? The vents are red which wouldn’t have been factory unless I’ve been missing that for the last few decades. The back seat is also obviously new and I’d have to add the cost of redoing the interior to a more factory-like fabric or vinyl if it were mine. Are you a fan of this style of seat cover here?
The engine looks clean despite missing a good portion of the paint on the 199 cubic-inch inline-six which would have had 128 hp. 1970 was when cars still had nice horsepower even from small six-cylinder engines! With the 3-on-the-tree manual transmission, this would be a super fun car to own and drive. I’d want to sleuth out that dull RF fender and change out the interior a bit, but I love this body style and a rust-free car is hard to beat. Any thoughts on this red ride?
While I like the looks of the coupe, if this was a Sportabout, I’d be all over it.
Good V-8 transplant, sleeper upgrade candidate?
I love the red and the clean lines.
The Hornet and Rambler American were really similar except the sheet metal – I’ve always thought the Hornet could have been the new 1970 Rambler American . Its too bad they messed up the interior ; with supposedly 69K on it should have been in better shape. I also believe this car may have had a black interior and someone went crazy with red vinyl paint .I’ve owned several of these, including a Matador red 70 , and a Matador red 67 American , and most of the interior parts were either black or white. I could be wrong, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a red interior in a Hornet
It was called Rambler American in Mexico.
Karl,
AMC spent 40 million in 60s money to develop the Hornet.
Much more than new sheet metal.
I had a ’70 Gremlin in this color. Purchased new in April, 1970 that had the deluxe interior with everything red vinyl, including high-back front seats with integral head rests, not like the removeable ones in this car. And red carpet, and red plastic package tray under the dash. The little strip beneath the wiper and headlight switches should have labels for the knobs.Three on-the-tree, and IIRC the radio delete plate was plain red-painted metal.
That 128 hp is gross, probably 85-90 net.
1970 was the last year for the 199. Now there’s a forgotten engine. It did power a lot of Americans from 1965 to the end. I believe 65 was also the last year for the flathead six as its base engine.
My sister had a 72 gremlin
232 I6 I think
Tail pipe would blow out of the muffler all the time
Constant brake issues – pulling
But hey, this red one could be better
My father had a’70 Hornet very similar to this. His was a coupe, grey with a red interior. Every thing was red except the floor mats which were black like these, didn’t have the 2 tone seats just a black stripe. Even with only 20,000 miles the vinyl was starting to fail, so this one may have been fixed up a bit? It was a great runner though, 232 six and a three on the tree and power nothing. My dad tried giving it to my brother but he didn’t want it, so dad traded it in on a new Pinto for him instead. Big mistake!
Geezer, any vinyl that replaced the original AMC quality stuff would be an improvement.
The folk’s 71 Gremlin had the seat frame hardware poking through the seat upholstery in less than a year.
Traded for a 72 Ambassador Brougham [AMC’s finest] that used the same cheap interior pieces as the lowest rent Gremlin.
The Ambassador also used the same front suspension parts and steering gear as the Gremlin. For better or worse, AMC was a master at getting the most mileage out of their parts bin.
If someone buys it, I have all the factory parts for a disc brake conversion
Haven’t seen an early Hornet this clean in a very long time, particularly a stripper base model. The single major chassis difference in the Hornet vs. the Rambler American is the full ball-joint front suspension. (Look Mom, no trunnions!) This should move out OK with the 199 six and manual transmission. Emission controls were minimal in 1970. Probably this 199 puts out almost as much power as the emissions-strangled 258 sixes of a few years later.
It seems unlikely that the electric wipers were ordered when new given that there isn’t even a radio or carpeting, though I suppose it’s possible. In those days you could pick and choose individual options so perhaps the original owner thought a new car in 1970 shouldn’t have vacuum wipers.
The detailed description on ebay says power brakes but I don’t see a brake booster under the hood, just a manual dual drum brake master. Looking closely it appears that “Command Air” is just a set of face-level vents in the center of the dash. Not an option I recall seeing before but it makes sense seeing as how these cars have no kick panel vents or vent windows. (The wimpy under-dash vents are like a cruel joke and as I recall without air conditioning a Hornet normally has just a blank plate in place of the center vents – essentially zero air circulation unless you lower the windows.)
Absolutely beautiful and I completely agree on the interior. It should be put back to the factory original not this silly two-tone business that belongs in a 55 Buick. Another thing, it should absolutely be retained as a 6 cylinder with a 3 speed on the column just as it left the factory. Very nice to see it in that factory red color also which was not a very common color on Hornets. Also, the hubcaps are wrong.
50s two tone thing ? Come again ?
The Grinch got hold of this one!! LOL.
In my current state of mind, I like the luxury comforts, but this is a nice little plain Jane if that’s what you crave. I expect it’s kind of rare. Seats are just a matter of taste. Someone should love this and drive it with pride.
God bless America
Just looked at all the photos and when I saw the Deeley decal on it I busted out howling. Sitting here in Surrey, Vancouver suburb looking at an original Vancouver car now in Joisey. I’m liking this, but I’m with you guys on the interior, the black piping ruins the show, 10K CDN for this would be a stretch but I’ll bet some AMC guy is drooling right now picturing this as a 401/T-10/Dana 44 Twin Grip car…………
For some bizarre reason I’m actually okay with the red and black seats. I wouldn’t have chose to do them that way but I could live with these just fine. Right, I know, different people, different tastes. On a bright note – even if they were neon green and pink it still would beautiful compared to that poor Corvette in this same run of cars listed today.
Beautiful AMC. I used to love driving three on the tree cars. Yeah, I’m that old.
I would use some clay on that front right fender, then polish it off.that’s nothing but oxidation, nothing major. Then drive and enjoy. Wouldn’t change a thing.
I see nothing upsetting about the red and black seat upholstery. personally I do not like mono color interiors. No class. I remember my 1960 Pontiac Bonneville white convertible with what they then called a TRI- COLOR UPHOLSTERY. I also liked two and some three color painted exteriors on the cars. Most of those cars paint colors back then are still beautiful today. The problem with todays vehicles is to save added costs to the vehicle they mono color the exteriors and interiors in mostly bland greyish type colors while msrp,s are astronomical. To me the new vehicles are very generic looking.
Listing ended. $5,600.00.
It’s not the horn button that’s the wrong color, it’s the wheel