1977 AMC Hornet 256 C.I. Straight Six

Summary:

This was the best $600.00 I've ever spent, and regret ever letting it go

Faults:

Valve cover gasket leaked severely when purchased. I was aware of this at time of purchase. Not a big deal at all.

Fan belt was in need of replacement at the time of purchase. I was aware of this. Not an issue.

Minor cracking of the front seats. Not an issue (20 year old car.)

General Comments:

Very solid 258 CI Jeep engine.

For its age, it had decent fuel economy (~20 mpg).

Lots of interior headroom and legroom.

Fairly smooth and quiet ride (for its age and the technology present at the time of manufacture).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 24th September, 2010

25th Sep 2010, 20:01

FYI - The 258 6 cylinder engine is not a Jeep engine - the Jeep uses the AMC/Rambler 6 (dates back to 1964 - available in 199-232-258 cubic inch sizes). Pretty solid engine - occasional timing chain problems - other than that, no worries.

26th Sep 2010, 10:03

Back in the 1980s and early 1990s my brother had an enormous collection of 'field cars' down on the farm - decrepit free cars he had fixed up so we could drive them round the farm in lieu of Jeeps. Well, as you can imagine we were very hard on these cars, and the one that stood up best to all we had to throw at it, was, you guessed it - a 1970 AMC Hornet.

Runner up was a '73 Olds Vista Cruiser, but the Hornet was the toughest. Modern cars would have been destroyed the first day under our abuse, but the old Hornet lasted well over a year!

25th Feb 2014, 11:46

I was pretty hard on my 73 Gremlin X with the factory 304 V8. It was bulletproof tough car, and withstood my college years and 2 years afterwards.

I drive Corvettes today, many years later, also with the bulletproof LS engines and drive trains.

Actually wouldn't mind having my V8 Gremlin X in my collection. I special ordered it, and there were few made vs the 2 sixes made then. My mom had a 66 Ambassador wagon with a 327 V8; yes that's correct. In college a kid had a SC Hornet 360 4 speed, a pretty rare offering, and there was the Machine rare AMC as well. I remember a James Bond movie with nothing but AMCs in it, and even a Matador airplane! A Hornet did a special jump in a spiral over a river. In the early 70s, AMC models were very popular. My most desired pick would be a Mark Donahue Javelin, even over a AMX with the GoPack. These were well built in the day.

1977 AMC Hornet

Summary:

This car was basic, hardworking, reliable, and I wish I had another

Faults:

Brake work done several times.

The universal joint was replaced.

The alternator was replaced.

The transmission was rebuilt.

It developed a cold start problem. It would only start on cold days if the engine was cold.

It had lots of carburetor work.

The manifold cracked.

The suspension went bad after about 12 years.

General Comments:

This car had a 258cid and it would climb Everest.

It had no pick-up, but at speed it could cruise for hours at 75.

It was very, very good in the snow.

The front seats were very comfortable. The back seats, not so much so.

It was a good car for trips - the trunk held a lot.

I regret ever selling it. It was a workhorse, inexpensive parts, relatively easy labor.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th February, 2009

14th Feb 2009, 16:01

"I regret ever selling it."

Don't! Today it would be an old crate made totally obsolete by 21st century car standards.

30th May 2009, 08:32

On the other hand if it were in good shape, it would be worth a few thousand dollars. Eventually anything rare becomes worth something.

It's also worth noting that the 'twenty-first century' cars of which you speak cost many, many times what this Hornet cost new or used.