1980 AMC Spirit Base Baby! review from North America
"Reliable/Comfortable/Dependable - AMC Spirit!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Well, the day I picked up the Spirit I was rear ended, locking the brake calipers. Fun.
The seat latches were broken, giving you the "I'm in the space shuttle" seating position.
Super cheap plastic grip assembly were EXPENSIVE to replace. (This prior to AMC going to Chrysler)
General comments?
Considering what the AMC Spirit was, it was a comfortable, reliable car. Started EVERY time on the first start. The Borg/Warner trans shifted perfectly (including a backfire from inital shift from 1st to second. Always called it a 'fart').
The Iron Duke 4 wasn't a great engine, as some claim. If was VERY touchy on the settings, and if you stripped it, you were toast. Thus the reason I got rid of it.
Hindsight being 20/20. I should have fixed the carb, and kept the car. I was a great performer, and was my favorite car for YEARS after. It has since moved down a notch to my 1997 Chrysler Cirrus.
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  | A great car to have once, and only once, owned |
| Sleeper! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1980 |
| First year of ownership | 1983 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1986 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 Manual |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 10/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 38000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 87000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 1st September, 2006 |