Good morning! We’re finishing out the week with two cars that need some work, but not on the outside. They’ve both had a fresh coat of paint, so they’ll look great in the garage while you work on them.
We looked at two comfy cruisers from the ’90s yesterday, and the consensus seemed to be that the Roadmaster is probably a slightly better car, but the Town Car is in way better condition, which gave it an easy win. It is hard to argue with a grandpa-mobile with only eighty-five thousand easy miles on it.
Plus, the Town Car is much more handsome. I saw a Town Car of that era on the road yesterday when I was out running errands, and I found myself admiring the design of it. The ’70s and early ’80s Lincolns look gaudy and overwrought, and the later bulbous Town Cars are hideous, but this one, like the Mark VII coupe, just looks right.
When it comes to working on cars, everyone has their “thing” that they hate doing. For me, it’s bodywork. I’ve tried to abate rust and fix dents before, and I’m just not any good at it. I’ll tear apart an engine, replace a clutch, rebuild a carb, fix suspension and brakes–but I just know that whatever a car looks like when I buy it, that’s the best it’s ever going to look.
These two are my kind of projects. They have both just been repainted, but neither one of them is really ready for prime-time mechanically. So let’s break out the fender blankets and get to wrenching, and see which one you’d rather fix up.
1975 AMC Hornet – $3,500
Engine/drivetrain: 232 cubic inch overhead valve inline 6, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Visalia, CA
Odometer reading: 100,000 miles
Operational status: New carburetor installed incorrectly; won’t idle
The AMC Hornet doesn’t have many claims to fame, but it does have one really great one: the spiral jump scene in The Man With The Golden Gun. It’s my favorite car stunt of all time, and I love it so much that I once tried to recreate it in 1/10 scale for an RC car photo contest. I did not succeed, but someday I’m going to try again. I would imagine that this Hornet has kept all four wheels firmly on the ground throughout its life, but it’s still cool by association.
The Hornet was available with a V8, but most of them came with AMC’s tough, simple inline six. This is the 232 cubic inch model, with a one-barrel carb. That carb is new, but unfortunately it sounds like whoever installed it did something wrong, and now the engine won’t idle and the accelerator pedal is stuck to the floor. It’s probably an easy fix if you know what you’re looking at. The transmission is a basic three-speed automatic–a Chrysler Torqueflite, I think. It has neither power steering nor power brakes, so you’ll get your exercise in once you get it running right.
The seats have been reupholstered, and the carpet is new, but for some reason the seller has chosen to photograph it all full of stuff, so you can’t really see. Why go through all that work, and then not take proper photos? Maybe we should write an article on how to present a car for sale. Between all of us working at this site, I bet we’ve seen every mistake you can make in a classified ad.
This isn’t quite the same body style as the James Bond car; it’s a notchback coupe instead of a fastback, but it’s the right color, and it’s got the right wheels, shod with new whitewall tires. It’s hard to tell the quality of a paint job from photos, but the seller says they dropped four grand on it. I would hope it’s as good as it looks in photos.
1979 Dodge Magnum XE – $6,000
Engine/drivetrain: 318 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Mesquite, NV
Odometer reading: 108,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives, but needs front-end work and tires
If you want to get a car person’s attention, just utter the words “homologation special.” Production cars that only exist because race cars need to use their bodies or drivetrains are some of the coolest vehicles around, and NASCAR stock-car racing has produced some great ones, like the Plymouth Road Runner Superbird, Ford Torino Talladega, and Chevy Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe. But not every car designed for racing homologation is a success. The 1978-79 Dodge Magnum, based on the Charger and Chrysler Cordoba, was designed specifically to keep Dodge in NASCAR, but even the great Richard Petty couldn’t make it work on a track.
Like all NASCAR specials, the street version of the Magnum is a lot tamer than the race car, with a 318 lean-burn V8 that’s probably good for about 140 horsepower on a good day, and an automatic transmission. This one runs well and is drivable, but it rides on old tires that should be replaced, and the front suspension and steering needs a rebuild to be safe.
The interior is a mixed bag. The upholstery on the seats looks decent, but the dash needs work. The previous owner took apart the bottom of the dash and installed some short-wave radio equipment, and in the process screwed up some wiring in the dash. The good news is that all the trim from the bottom of the dash is still with the car, in the trunk. You’ll just need to put it all back the way it should be.
The fresh black paint looks good, and the seller says there was no rust before the repaint, just a little minor damage on one rear quarter panel. The chrome looks good, and what little trim there is on these all looks intact, with one obvious exception – the headlight covers. Part of the redesign that made the Magnum more aerodynamic than the Charger was a set of clear plastic covers over the headlights, and they’re not on the car. Maybe they’re in the trunk with the rest of the trim. It looks fine without them; it’s just that I know they’re supposed to be there.
Mechanical parts for either one of these should be easy to come by. Rock Auto still sells all the Dodge’s front end parts, as well as a rebuild kit for the AMC’s carb, if need be. Cosmetic restoration is always the hard part, and it’s already done on both of these. Spend a weekend or two turning some wrenches, and you’ll have a cool, good-looking, uncommon classic, no matter which one you choose. So what’ll it be?
Hornet, and this reminded me to start watching https://lastindependentauto.com/
Hornet. And I’m getting a custom window vinyl made with Sheriff J.W. Pepper flying from the front seat into the back.
Am trying to recall ever seeing a two door Hornet, ever.
As a teen in the early 70s I spent a lot of time, and effort in a Horny Hornet Wagon doing my best to put seed burns in the seats, and defile my female classmates.
Then as retribution God steered it and me into the bedroom of an old couple in our town on an icy Christmas morning, at 6 am…While they were still in their bed.
Good times.
A strong vote for nostalgia today. YMMV as always.
“Strange days indeed.
Quite peculiar Momma.”
Try and have a car painted and upholstery done for $3500, that makes the Hornet a deal.
Gimme a hornet and I would be a very happy camper.
I would like to see an ad mistakes article. Would be interesting.
I wrote this a few years ago when Autopian was fishing for content…
This is why your Craigslist ad is getting NO responses
It’s big fun to peruse the Craigslist ads for cars- you’ll see things you never saw before, cars you can’t believe are in such great shape, and other cars you can’t believe are so trashed.
But I’m here to tell you why YOUR Craigslist ad is a dud. A loser. A total waste of time.
Hence, ALL BOW TO THE RULES OF CRAIGSLIST CAR ADS!
Rule #1- The title of the ad needs to begin with the year, make, and model of the vehicle. After that, you can add something like “low miles” or “mechanic’s special”. Do not put “car for sale”, as that should be obvious. Do not put “car”, or “need gone”, or anything else first. The first three things MUST be the year, make, & model.
Rule #2- Do not misspell or misidentify the car for sale. It makes you look stupid. Why would someone want to buy a car from a stupid person? Look, the car is right there in front of you. You can easily check the spelling by looking at the damn car. Also, do not list cars that your car is “like” or “similar to”. It is not either of those things.
Rule #3- Put the car’s odometer reading in the listing and enter it into the Craigslist info for the car. Do not put “31” for “31,000”. Do not put “0”. If you do not say what the odometer mileage is somewhere in the ad, you are obviously hiding something. Why would anyone buy a car from someone who is obviously hiding something?
Rule #4- Put the price in the listing and in the Craigslist info for the car. Do not put “$1”. Put the damn price in properly so people using the search tools can find your ad. Why would you put the wrong amount in the listing? It makes no sense.
Rule #5- Write the narrative like a normal person, using good grammar and spelling. Do not use ALL CAPS, as this makes you look stupid. Do not use an exclamation point after every sentence, as this also makes you look stupid. Again, no one wants to buy a used car from a stupid person.
There is no reason to go into your life story. If you must tell us why you are selling the car, make it brief and avoid unnecessary details. Also, a narrative consisting only of the standard equipment list from the sales brochure is not helpful. It doesn’t tell us about the current state of the car.
Rule #6- You don’t need to upload dozens of photos, but using only one or two is pointless. We want to see if the car suits us before we make a trip out to meet you. A good set of photos includes two three-quarter views (each showing one side of the car), a front view, a back view, a view of the driver’s seat surface, and a view of the dash taken from the back seat. The engine compartment, trunk, and back seat are also good. Photos of repair receipts, owner’s manual or original sticker are okay too. But we don’t need photos showing the tread on each tire, and we don’t need a photo of the spare tire. If the vehicle is older and you want to show how clean it is underneath, that’s okay. And by the way, if the photos look like crap, go back out and get some decent ones. Like, during the daytime, outside of the garage, without blurriness or fingers over the lens. If, for some strange reason, you think that your license plates should not appear on the internet, remove them for the photo session. Do not cover the license plate with a digit, a keyfob, a computer-generated emoji, or a t-shirt. Just pull them off if you are that damn paranoid.
For the price, the AMC is the winner. For my NASCAR loving heart? Give me the Dodge!
You had me at AMC 6 banger. What Barney Navarro did with the 199ci version was amazing.
100# of boost on an old Rambler engine! Today I learned something new and I thank you for that.
You had me at AMC inline-6.
I was going to pick the Dodge until i read about the wiring under the dash.
UGH! No thanks!
I’d rather spend my Saturday afternoon troubleshooting a carburetor than trying to un-bork an electrical system.
Hornet for me.
That Hornet is just a little more interesting.
The AMC is half the price with a nicer interior, and is the better looking of the two.
I’d call this an easy with for the AMC. With a cheap 360 and a stick, that’d be a fun little Sunday Driver.
The Magnum
Because clear plastic retractable headlamp covers.
Did they really retract?
I worked at a Dodge dealer when these were new but don’t recall them being retractable.
But that lean burn system was a winner for sure. /s
Edit: noticed missing covers, maybe they do retract?
Retractable:
https://ontime.mecum.com/auction/331/item/1978-79-dodge-magnum-xe-headlight-coverspart-no-4016145lh-4016144rh-47184/
See page 2-3 of the 1978 brochure:
https://xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/1978-Dodge-Magnum-XE.pdf
“…clear head lamp covers designed to retract when the beams come on.”
thanks!
I did not know that! So they’re probably not missing, just (stuck?) open.
They were required to be retractable, because at the time, European style covered headlights and aero headlights weren’t US DOT-legal. So Dodge built it with clear covers that looked like Euro-style fixed covers, but they had to retract when the headlights came on to be street-legal.
Better red than lead sled. Ugliest Hornet body style still beats Dodge’s condom namesake.
Another tough one. Both are peak Malaise awfulness which of course means I like them both. Either one would be welcome at a Mopar show, most of which have an AMC section because where else are they gonna go?
Mopar 318’s are normally both reliable and durable, EXCEPT those from the Lean Burn experiment. Most have had those bits removed. Anyone still running Lean Burn is doing so ironically. An additional concern on the Dodge is the wiring situation.
I’d rock either one, but it’s a thin win for the AMC for me.
The Lean Burn was BRUTAL. My mom’s ’78 Power Wagon had it. She said it was the only automatic she ever owned that she had to drive with two feet.
The rest of that truck was glorious, though. Hers sported the Black n’ Yellow Power Wagon motif.
For the price, I’d just get crazy and buy the Hornet a new carb. and throttle cable. Or maybe spend a few minutes with a screwdriver and get it working properly. Either way, the car looks clean and from what I’ve heard, anything short of a direct nuke strike won’t hurt that engine.
The Dodge doesn’t push any buttons for me. It’s maybe closer to a NASCAR racer of its period than a current Toyota Camry would be, but so what? The 318 burns gas, but doesn’t do much with it.
Wondering how many times the Hornet was redlined before they quit fooling with the carb though.
Hopefully whoever gets that Hornet puts a bumper sticker with the words SLIDE WHISTLE inside a red diagonal-barred circle on it.
For maximum reference, the bumper sticker is upside-down à la https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3ht0PpmHDONSQ17DppR9Csd4iyWyOhTcSx41iCAPK5NBL0hfRk8sYHt0vgUhYLUMuUvWBGMsppOO4y_3_zO5vTkHK_NxRn9yMjGg9B7FqmYwiAeYLLJjposnFxO2fLx-vsZp/s280/scan0020.jpg
In case some people don’t get it, here’s what a Hagerty article had to say about the stunt scene in the film The Man with the Golden Gun: “the sound editor, who inserted a slide whistle on the soundtrack during the stunt’s execution, will be doing extra time in purgatory for that sin.” https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/the-greatest-car-stunt-of-all-time-the-astro-spiral/
C’mon, the Magnum is rarer than some exotics!
The Hornet is charming-ish in its own way, but the Magnum is bigger, more comfortable, and a decade newer. Yes, it’s also twice the price.
It’s no St. Regis, but the Cordoba for Plebes is the one.
I’d still hum The Greatest American Hero theme when driving it.
You’ll be happy to know that the Raddest Outfit prize at last month’s RADwood Charlotte was won by an NSX driver in a GAH costume.
Yes. A decade is totally just 5 years.
Hornet was designed/engineered in the late 60s vs late 70s for Magnum. The Magnum wasn’t much more than an update on existing 60s stuff tho.
They’re not all that far apart temporally but the Hornet feels like a car from a different era
Hornet for me. Six grand is WAAAAAY too much for a malaise era barge with front end and electrical problems, even with fresh paint.
Hornet. Did driver’s Ed in 70s Forrest Service AMCs—plus a buddy’s family had at least 2. So I have an affinity for them that is completely irrational: seeing one just makes me smile.
Huh. What kind of AMCs did the Forrest Service purchase? I’m thinking it’s Jeeps, but I want it to be Gremlins and Pacers.
4-door Hornet sedans. There must have been some massive purge of them here in SW Va in the late 70s, cause those awful green things were freaking everywhere when we landed in 1980.
I remember seeing some single cab long-bed pickups, too—but don’t remember the make
Pretty sure I haven’t seen one still mobile in that color this century—certainly not in well over a decade
Oof. I wouldn’t take either one of these for free. Just the worst junk from the worst era of cars. Not be a Debbie downer, of course.
Yeesh, neither really, but if forced I’ll go Hornet. Why? That checked fabric on the seats. Is that a smart reason? Nope, but it’s what I’m going with.
Yep, this is my take as well.
I agree: I’d smile each time I opened the door
If you are going to go 70s boxy just go full barge. The Dodge the 318 could be a good foundation.
I like the dodge, but would run with the Hornet because 1975 and CA.
Ho- Ho- Hornet for me. A set of front springs will fix that droop, and maybe a Jeep 4-liter to spice things up. Or go crazy and retrofit the entire Eagle AWD drivetrain and 4-liter, and make a pre-Quattro AWD car of sorts. A fun thing about AMCs is that such a thing is probably pretty simple to do, if you can source the parts.
Now THAT is a project I would follow!
My original thought on this was a Gremlin, but you’d kind of have to go with what you can find. So Hornet? So be it.