1979 AMC Spirit review from North America
"A great car to have once, and only once, owned"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Where to begin? In the 10 years I owned this car, virtually everything that could break, broke.
Year 1: battery cables wore through, nearly causing fire.
Year 2: water pump & thermostat needed replacing; thermostat housing cracked and needed to be replaced; wiper motor went.
Year 3: clutch linkage broke.
Year 4: radiator, heater core blew; needed new shocks.
Year 5: another water pump; distributor.
Years 7-10: water pump, again; shift linkage broke twice, locking car in 2nd; rear springs broke; new shocks again; replaced clutch; rebuilt transmission; gas gauge broke; rear view mirror fell off windshield; driver's seat broke off its mounting. All this above the normal wear and tear maintenance required. And yet...
General comments?
In spite of all this, my wife and I loved this car. We factory-ordered it and waited four months to get it. Despite the fact that it seemed things were constantly either breaking or falling off, nothing ever went wrong with the engine. It just kept going. It cost $5300, including taxes and shipping and when we traded it in for a brand new 1989 Cavalier, the dealer gave us $3500 as a trade-in. And driving away from it, even knowing it was probably only one more breakage away from the junk yard, we shed a tear.
Recommended reviews
| Good car, caught up in bad times |
|
| A really fun unique car, as long as you change everything |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1979 |
| Year of manufacture | 1980 |
| First year of ownership | 1980 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1989 |
| Engine and transmission | 232 CDI 6 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 155000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Beetle |
| Date of Entry | 7th March, 2006 |