There’s something cool about a person who loves a car enough to own it for more than three decades, such is the case with this 1972 AMC Hornet SST. This l’il beauty is located in Crystal Lake, Wisconsin and can be found on Craigslist with an asking price of $7,000. Thanks to the ever-vigilant Rocco B. for sending in this great tip!
This car isn’t perfect and for $7,000, which happens to be over twice NADA’s high retail value, I would expect it to be. But, it looks like it’s in very nice condition. The seller says that it’s an “All original 2nd owner Hornet SST. Garaged its whole life. Was a daily driver for the 1st 13 years and know I have owned this since 1986.” Cool.
I love this 2-door sedan look on the early Hornets and this one is wearing it’s original Canary Yellow paint after 46 years. Dog dish hub caps and black steel rims? Yes, please. I would personally not change one thing about the look of this car inside or out.
The interior looks great, too, with that nice hounds tooth fabric insert on the seats both front and rear. This car has a three speed manual with a column shifter, I think? The seller lists it as a “3 speed on the tree” but how have I not noticed how different the brake and clutch pedals are on a Hornet before? They have it listed as an automatic in the listing so I would have thought that pedal on the left is the parking brake and it was an automatic if they wouldn’t have mentioned it being a 3-speed on the tree in the description. Anyone? That’s really an automatic, isn’t it? They have to mean 3-speed automatic with a shifter on the column rather than on the console. It looks like the column gear indicator that an automatic would have on top of the steering column. Ok, enough of that.
Here’s one area that could have been a little better and I’m not just talking about the infamous red hoses. This is AMC’s 232 cubic-inch inline-six which would have had 100 hp when new. A 258 inline-six would be nice but a 304 V8 would be even nicer. I’d want to shift it myself and I don’t think the 304 was available in the ’72 Hornet SST with a manual so I’d choose the 258. But hey, this car is about as base-model-spec as it gets with no power steering or power brakes and a three-speed manual so a 232 is probably on the money. What do you think about this little gem?
Look on top of the column just behind the steering wheel, there is the gear selector indicator “PRND”. It’s an auto. The ad is a little misleading but it’s also not false by stating three on the tree.
Nope, if theres a c4 or c6 or a turbo 350 it could technically be referred to as a 3 on the tree.
A 3 on the tree refers to a 3 speed manual H pattern shifter . no auto was ever considered a 3 in the tree.
This is wonderful! This will get far more thumbs up from us Average Joes then some ratty old Porsche 356 at 10 times the price. We need to see more cars like this here, the ones we all grew up with and remember.
You mean the ones we can afford…
Happy Father’s Day y’all!
Definitely not a manual car. You can clearly see the shift indicator on top of the steering column. Cool, but $7 large is ambitious.
This is an automatic. You can see the gear indicator on the steering column. That and the wide brake pedal are dead giveaways.
Definitely an automatic!
Why the hate on red heater hoses? It’s not like they’re universal flex radiator hoses or brightly colored split loom.
Yup, this very tidy Hornet’s equipped with the famous Shift-Command automatic. The left-hand pedal is for the parking brake.
All please prepare for a moment of simulated acceleration…
SST= Super-SonicTransport
@Todd Zurercher. I have to agree with you. Why the hate on red hoses? Are they after market, or are they original? If they are original then there is no room for complaint unless they are in bad condition. However, I must say that they are an unfortunate choice of colour if they are original spec.
“Red hoses” are the new “luggage racks”. If you can’t come up with anything worthwhile, you can always fall back to the hose or rack comment.
Or the classic “never mind the car we are talking about, I want to show how savvy I am by saying I want the car behind it”.
Dan- My hat is off.
I see a PRNDL housing atop the column and the big brake pedal tells us it’s an automatic with the park brake pedal to the left. Three on the tree is kinda accurate but not as car geeks know it. Cool car. I like the 232, one could drop any big AMC in it but you can do some really cool ups to the inline such as a vari-duration lifter setup and a cam, intake, header, etc. or since the LS swap is such a big deal how ‘bout an outside the box treatment such as an injected 4.2 or a 4.7 stroker? Better yet – buy it, drive it, love on it and have a blast while getting pretty decent gas mileage. Ah the possibilities.Ramblers Rule :-)
Anyone who’d desecrate a car this nice with an ls swap deserves a good hard slap upside the head.
I agree with Billy 007,more gems like this! I’d love to see more cars that I can identify with than BMW’s,Porsche’s,etc.
I have small collection of classic vehicles. I recently bought 81 AMC Concord Coupe Limited package blue exterior with blue cloth interior. ALL original 50K miles Iron Duke 2.5 engine auto, factory AC , factory AMFM, factory rear defrost . Just a beautiful classic AMC from past! I paid $6,500 and No it’s Not for sale
The car is definitely an automatic. He may not understand the common use of the term “Three-on-the-tree”. It’s most likely a Chrysler 904 automatic which is a three gear type automatic transmission.
Nice little car in any case.
The car is in Crystal Lake, Illinois which is northwest of Chicago.
Ok you guys take this ugly thing and leave the BMW FOR ME! LOL
Bmw? You can have it.
The car is in Crystal Lake, Illinois not Wisconsin. Northwest Chicago suburb. Listed on Chicago Craigslist. Plate is Illinois.
I test drove a plain 4 door Hornet with an automatic and manual everything else, it had the 304 and it was a rocket. My father was smart enough to know it would have been too much for me to handle and smartly passed on it.
Nice Hornet and write-up, Scotty! I spent many hours in a friend’s ’74 Hornet with the 258 I6. Even with over 200k on the odo that thing was so smooth at idle you’d think it stalled. When I saw “SST” on this one I thought maybe it would be a V8, but that I6 will run forever. I believe they date back to the Nash / Rambler era. Also funny that someone of driving age in 1986 would go their entire life misusing “Three on the tree.”
The 232 was the first of AMCs “modern” sixes, introduced in 1964. The final derivative was last seen in the 2006 Jeep Wrangler (at least in the US – not sure about elsewhere).
The price is ambitious, to say the least. I find that many times someone isn’t really familiar with the vernacular and may throw out something like “3 on the tree” thinking that it means something that it doesn’t. So I wouldn’t be too harsh on the old gent or lady selling this. Red heater hoses…pretty common, not meant to be flashy or splashy (like red or blue silicone ‘fan boy’ lines and hoses)
But 7000 is way over what this pretty base Hornet should be sold for
Like “pillarless hardtop” or “two door post” or “change out”, “swap out” etc.
‘I find that many times someone isn’t really familiar with the vernacular and may throw out something like “3 on the tree” thinking that it means something that it doesn’t.” -wuzjeepnowsaab
A perfect summary.
Nice car, but a real crack pipe price. 1972 is a desirable model year for these with the original clean front-end styling and no battering ram bumpers. Also electric wipers became standard that year and the change was made to the Chrysler Torqueflite automatic transmission. Called “Torque Command” in AMC cars it was an improvement over the earlier Borg-Warner “Shift Command.” Crude emission controls had not yet totally sapped driveability and economy, at least on 49-state cars. (That would happen the next year with the introduction of EGR.)
Not a lot of optional equipment on this one. It has a radio, but no AC, no reclining seats (no adjusting lever visible). Looks like manual drum brakes going by the master cylinder visible in one of the underhood photos. Not sure about power steering. I don’t see a power steering pump but it may be below the visible area of the engine photo. There is a rag joint on the steering shaft which I don’t think was used with manual steering.
A nice, basic, easy-to-work on car but the price seems way out there.
Also the first year of AMC’s “Buyer Protection Plan” that was implemented to improve quality control and customer satisfaction.
AMC simplified their line up by dropping the base models.
At least that was the claim. My parent’s 72 Ambassador wasn’t much better assembled than their 71 Gremlin.
So, what did SST stand for anyways? Super Slow Transport? lol.
No one really seems to know. Ideas include Super Sonic Transport and Super Sport Touring. A 232-equipped Hornet is certainly no ball of fire but it would get out of its own way well enough.
You could also find the SST designation used on other models such as the Ambassador or Javelin with available 401 V8. Those might be just a little bit quicker.
Somewhat Sumptuous Trim, Super Slick Tires, Seats Six Tommy – honestly I have no clue. Just maybe some of the letter designations manufacturers used had no particular meaning. Maybe?
SST SUPER SPORT TOURING actually
yeah im an AMC fanatic…….
its an upscale package much likes chevys SS
Much like a 63 SS impala that was in Hemmings, with a six banger
I race my 69 AMX autocross, drag race and high speed track events……oh yeah street driven too
Not like the SS Chevy package, Jeff. When Chevy put SS on something you knew it the moment you put your foot in it. I’m sure the 63 you saw was not a true SS from the factory. SST was more…eh, three letters…and I’m an AMC guy
SS was a trim package on Chevrolet, nothing more…63-64 impalla ss could be a 6 cylinder, check it out in Hemmings classic car
The later years 68-69-70 350 was usually the smallest engine in most SS chevys. But it was still a trim package. Jeff
Go check your FACTS
Nice 10 footer
Misleading ad because here and in China three on tree means manual shifts on the column.
Real value around 3K-4K IMHO
$7,000? Maybe for a SC360!
someone back east with a rusty SC/360 would die for this clean body. to switch all there gear over….I sold a perfect two door to a guy back east for just such a purpose………..
Perfect color.
And the 2 door had the same amount of rear leg room as the sedan: apprx. 35″. For perspective, that’s as much as the more modern GM FWD A bodies.
Auto. Same pieces as on my parent’s 71 Gremlin and 72 Ambassador [different transmissions tho].
Title and plate were issued in 2017, so there should be an explanation if the seller has owned it since 1986 as he claims.
This should explain BPP better.
A 302 ford is a bolt in and a lot of fun!!!
@Max- you reminded me of that fellow from Beirut (Allan or Allen) that used to inform us of all the car deals that he got. Almost miss that guy.
I thought that Miguel filled that void adequately!
My favorite year and body style. A 4.0 bored out +.060 and a 258 crank gives you 4.9 liters. Add some Clifford goodies and aftermarket throttle body fuel injection. And you would have a very nice runner. Add some nice sway bars and some wider wheels. ( keep the dog dishes and black wheels). And you have a very nice car. Why do these show up after a new project has already started?
I like this car. Very practical. Transmission comments are spot on…automatic. But, I would have to paint it a different color. I just do not like yellow cars. That color is for school buses, taxi cabs and racing vehicles, not daily drivers. Price is very ambitious, too. $4,000.00 tops IMHO.
I had one in the late 80’s a white one had a 304 with a powerglide. Red interior buckets and red sc stripe. Man did that thing fly.
Please correct me if I am wrong here guys, but wasn’t the SST model the lowest package you could get on an AMC?
I understood all 72 hornets were SST’s so its not that special. Also there were 4 engine choices that year, two sixes and two V8’s including the 360 cu in. The car would sell well for about half the asking price I believe. I happen to have two 72 hornets both with pwr steer and air. One a 6cyl and one a hornet X with 304V8.
Nice little cars with the long hood and short trunk mimicking a pony car style.
Mikel, I know this is an old post, but do you still have two 72 Hornets? Any interest in selling?
“This is AMC’s 232 cubic-inch inline-six which would have had 100 hp when new. A 258 inline-six would be nice but a 304 V8 would be even nicer. I’d want to shift it myself and I don’t think the 304 was available in the ’72 Hornet SST with a manual so I’d choose the 258”.
for a start if you actually knew anything about AMC’s you would keep the 232 over 258 any day of the week .
#2.. you could order any engine /trans combo you wanted .
Powertrain
Engine
199 cu in (3.3 L) I6
232 cu in (3.8 L) I6
258 cu in (4.2 L) I6
304 cu in (5.0 L) V8
360 cu in (5.9 L) V8
Transmission
3-speed “Torque-Command” automatic (1972–77)
3-speed manual
4-speed manual
Have a 71 of my own .
Could someone–if anyone is still watching this car–answer two questions for me? ONE: Could a non-working A/C in a car just like this one be repaired–or would that be too much of a hassle and too expensive? TWO: Could the drum brakes be switched over to disc brakes? Or would the added power-assist unit work in this car?
Thank You for any help. RUSS
Jeff from Colorado AMC club………yes to both questions, up grade to power front disc brakes, from other AMC cars, get master cylinder and proportioning valve..Power assist vacumn canister could be purchased with master too.
oh yeah
you could make an SC/360 clone 360 with auto or 4 speed and hood scoop is reproduced