1975 AMC Matador

I found a 1975 AMC Matador today and think Im going to buy it.Its ether going to be my next years (wide body 2012 challenge car) or a DD. It only has 50k miles 360 V8 auto.no rust and drives great.all the chrome is good and only 2 very minor dings.So what you guys think?? The pic is just of a car not the car.

I've always considered that to be the ugliest car ever built, and I like AMC's.

Buy it, do it up like the Penske/Donohue Nascar racer for the Challenge.

My concept is to do a IT widebody.Ive never saw one built that way.

Do it.

they say you can't polish a turd..

.. but Penske made it look good

If it's in that good of nick, just leave it stock.

The one I had in high school is still one of the fastest cars I ever owned, though the suspension could use some tightening-up. Love me some AMC 360.

360 V8 and the term "daily driver" are rarely seen in the same sentence any more. How bad do you expect the mpg to be?
Here is a link to some stats...
http://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/amc/matador_2gen/matador_2gen_coupe/1975.html The 360 could be had in 140hp or 180hp with torque of 260 or 280 ftlb. I think the stronger was due to a 4 barrel carb.
Here's the kicker... mpg's were either 10.2 or 9.7!!!

Video from "back in the day": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNCDcL6X7XU&feature=related which claimed a to see mpg of 11.3

Based on this video, I would love to see the Matador run through an autocross, especially slalom.

Zomby woof wrote: I've always considered that to be the ugliest car ever built, and I like AMC's.

You know, I like almost every car, but I have to +1 that. That said, if you can get rid of the body I guess it would be okay...

Zomby woof wrote: I've always considered that to be the ugliest car ever built, and I like AMC's.

Nothing that can't be fixed with some black paint and a blower

I have always liked those. My dad was the GM of a big AMC dealership when I was a young lad of about 6 when that body-style came out. He brought home (his demo) one of the first Matador X models in black. That car is still burned in to my memory almost 4 decades later.

Get it. The 360 is a very under-appreciated engine; but it can be made to make very respectable power, and more so, like all AMC V8s, a ton of torque.

Stock performance in '75 couldn't have been all that good. That was after they started saddling cars with emissions equipment and before they learned how to make horsepower with those items in place.

As noted, gas mileage is going to be somewhere between "bad" and "horrendous".

I always thought the matador was way cool looking. All the ugly E36 M3 that came out of Detroit in the 70's and you guys want to pick on the Matador? Sheesh!

Jean Girard said: And now, the matador shall dance with the blind shoemaker!

JoeyM wrote:

Zomby woof wrote: I've always considered that to be the ugliest car ever built, and I like AMC's.

Nothing that can't be fixed with some black paint and a blower

Transforming the car in the OP into that me thinks may take more than paint and a blower...

Another fan of that body style Matador coupe chiming in. I'd give the "worst looking AMC" nod to a different car by the same name, though:

I say put a mean 401 in that bad boy... though a 360 can be hopped up too with the same parts.

If the Coupe in the OP was one solid color without a vinyl top, say white or bright red, and then if the headlights were flush mounted instead of sunk into the grill, I think that'd be a great start on cleaning the car up visually. There's still that goofy grill to deal with as well as the bumpers with those large by huge over-riders and maybe some work required on stance but at least it's not covered in gingerbread.

I agree, Matt...the "coffin-nose" Ambassadors and Matadors were hard on the eyes.

The only real advantage of the 401 is that, like the 390, it had an all forged bottom end, whereas the 360 like the 304 was cast. The both share the high-nickel block that was almost as hard as steel. The 360 shares heads with the 401...and you don't need to spin crazy R's to make power. A set of '70 or early '71 high compression heads would really wake up the 360. The upside is that the Matador 360 above would have a Torqueflite 727 transmission...a basic shift-kit, and you're good to go there.

Ugh, coffin nosed Ambassadors. WTF were they thinking?

I think the Matador is really cool looking and I am an AMC guy. For all the Malaise era crap that came out, this was one of the best looking cars.

But does your car have the rare and ....um.....desirable Oleg Cassini interior?

I think it needs wings

Those headlight buckets are begging to become air intake ducts.

In reply to Gearheadotaku:

For twin turbine engines! Yeah, that's the ticket! And the tailights are easily large enough to use for exhaust!

bravenrace wrote:

Zomby woof wrote: I've always considered that to be the ugliest car ever built, and I like AMC's.

You know, I like almost every car, but I have to +1 that. That said, if you can get rid of the body I guess it would be okay...

I saw a customized Matador once where they had removed the round lights and pods on the nose and it looked AMAZING. The rear had some sort of sunken square-er light as well. Really, really sharp. I wish I had pictures of it.

In reply to Javelin:

I'll admit the overall shape of it isn't all that bad. If you change the front and the rear, well yeah, maybe it would end up looking not terrible.