I don't know much about the Spirit, but I can vouch that the Chevette was a true piece of garbage. My parents had one for a little while when I was a kid. I used to say, after a ride in it, that I knew what it would feel like to be a milkshake as it was being made. The ride was horrendously stiff.
I'm not sure how you can really compare a Chevette with a Spirit. The Spirit is much heavier, and has a bigger engine i.e. a 6 cylinder that was about 4.2 liters (258 cid). You bought a Chevette because you wanted good gas mileage. Those things had 1.6L 4 cylinder engines in them. They conveniently ignored this fact in the ad.
My very first car was a 1980 white AMC Spirit. My folks got it for me when I graduated from high school. Loved that car!
BTW, the very first car my folks ever bought brand new was a 1977 maroon AMC Pacer. My dad sold it to buy a Volvo in '83 and I think he said the guy he sold it to told him it finally died after 200k miles.
I always thought the AMC Spirit's were very underrated cars and you hardly see them around, I never liked the Chevette's all that much but they were a lot better than the Chevy Citation.
i owned a 1982 amc spirit until i bottomed the front end out on rail tracks i smashed the oil pan cracked the block and shattered the bell housing. all the coolant leaked out as well as the oil and the tranny fluid. Believe it or not i drove it almost 50 km home and had my brother take a look at it. he asked me how i got it home i said drove he said bs. when i started the car he could see not only the drive shaft but the inside of the tranny spinning and such. what a car.
You know its amazing I just found out that the last AMC dealer in the world is in Pikevill NC The people who owned it decided not to quit after amc was bought by chrysler in 1987 Its a bit rundown but still its amazing to think AMC isnt completly dead yet Im going tomarrow
@Kevinesque They didn't, the car division was absorbed into Chrysler. The enture Chrysler product line was AMC derived in the 1990's. The military division continues today as AM General, you know the people who make military Hum Vee's
I also enjoyed my 1980 Spirit and my 3 AMC SX/4 vehicles. AMC manufactured THE BEST autos, quality wise. I would hope that if Chrysler survives their current situation that they would bring back some great name plates like Javelin and Eagle Ambassador as well as Spirit and use them on equally great vehicles.
what a terrific and beautiful car it is
canadiancatgreen 1 month ago
Why is it that in this day and age we have cars that don't come with air conditioning standard?
Segasaturn95 4 months ago
@Segasaturn95 They pretty much do anymore, along with power windows, door locks and other features. Years ago a standard model meant plain jane.
auaiao9 3 months ago
I don't know much about the Spirit, but I can vouch that the Chevette was a true piece of garbage. My parents had one for a little while when I was a kid. I used to say, after a ride in it, that I knew what it would feel like to be a milkshake as it was being made. The ride was horrendously stiff.
MaestroTJS 4 months ago
"which shuold you buy?" how bout neither,there both junk!
ohguy1991 5 months ago
I'm not sure how you can really compare a Chevette with a Spirit. The Spirit is much heavier, and has a bigger engine i.e. a 6 cylinder that was about 4.2 liters (258 cid). You bought a Chevette because you wanted good gas mileage. Those things had 1.6L 4 cylinder engines in them. They conveniently ignored this fact in the ad.
njot33 7 months ago
@njot33 The '79 Spirit could be had with a 2.0 liter SOHC four if you chose; the 2.5 liter Iron Duke Four was available from '80-83.
OldcarsNmusic 7 months ago
@OldcarsNmusic
Porsche 924 power lol
colognecapri 6 months ago
My very first car was a 1980 white AMC Spirit. My folks got it for me when I graduated from high school. Loved that car!
BTW, the very first car my folks ever bought brand new was a 1977 maroon AMC Pacer. My dad sold it to buy a Volvo in '83 and I think he said the guy he sold it to told him it finally died after 200k miles.
tyendanega 8 months ago
My first car, built like a tank.
OnlySinner 8 months ago
I always thought the AMC Spirit's were very underrated cars and you hardly see them around, I never liked the Chevette's all that much but they were a lot better than the Chevy Citation.
Doobie1975 9 months ago
i owned a 1982 amc spirit until i bottomed the front end out on rail tracks i smashed the oil pan cracked the block and shattered the bell housing. all the coolant leaked out as well as the oil and the tranny fluid. Believe it or not i drove it almost 50 km home and had my brother take a look at it. he asked me how i got it home i said drove he said bs. when i started the car he could see not only the drive shaft but the inside of the tranny spinning and such. what a car.
tazdevilman1 1 year ago
@tazdevilman1 Damn man, that's insane. These AMC cars are totally underrated.
shawnkrause871 10 months ago
You know its amazing I just found out that the last AMC dealer in the world is in Pikevill NC The people who owned it decided not to quit after amc was bought by chrysler in 1987 Its a bit rundown but still its amazing to think AMC isnt completly dead yet Im going tomarrow
kzegene 1 year ago
I bought a new Spirit in January of 1979 232/4spd
$4500 + tax. My first new car.
hamtrak 1 year ago
AMC Spirit looks like a cute car to me.
MattTheSaiyan 1 year ago
Me to!
jakesaintsrow123 11 months ago
I wish AMC had never gone belly up.
Kevinesque 1 year ago 18
@Kevinesque They didn't, the car division was absorbed into Chrysler. The enture Chrysler product line was AMC derived in the 1990's. The military division continues today as AM General, you know the people who make military Hum Vee's
Drivermatic 1 year ago
Why look at a Chevette indeed.
johnreagannumber1 1 year ago
I am a proud owner of a VAM Mexican-built 1981 AMC Spirit GT, it a DIFFERENT piece of automotive history, draws looks everywhere all the time.
TrentmanX 1 year ago
why buy a chevette when you can buy a warmed over Gremlin?
DamnStraightM35A2 2 years ago 2
@DamnStraightM35A2 I guess that means you're a Chevette "man".
tomperanteau 6 months ago
It's because every damn car they made by that time was based on a 1970 Hornet.
thatmuse76 2 years ago 3
@thatmuse76 Was that so bad? The '70 Hornet was based on the '68 Javelin- and it won a Trans-Am race or two.
OldcarsNmusic 5 months ago
I also enjoyed my 1980 Spirit and my 3 AMC SX/4 vehicles. AMC manufactured THE BEST autos, quality wise. I would hope that if Chrysler survives their current situation that they would bring back some great name plates like Javelin and Eagle Ambassador as well as Spirit and use them on equally great vehicles.
jeepster02 2 years ago 3
I loved the 79 Spirit..Concord too!
jtart51 2 years ago