1970 AMC Rebel SST Coupe - My "Barn Find"

1970 AMC Rebel SST Coupe
360 4-barrel, dual exhaust, posi
Approximately 115,000 miles
I've owned several AMC's over the years, and have owned this Rebel since it was restored by a prior owner more than 20 years ago. It was my weekend driver for years, and it was a pleasure to own and drive. When I applied for the vanity plate, I was told there were only five 1970 Rebels registered in Florida, and some were four doors. There might be fewer now, and if you're an AMC fan, you know how rare these 70 coupes are.
This used to be a pretty good looking, great running car. Almost no one has ever seen one before, making it a conversation piece wherever I went. The prior owner made a few small upgrades which enhanced performance and gave the car some get up and go. It was fun to drive and reliable, even taking me back and forth to Texas (without a single hiccup) about 15 years ago.
As you can see from the pictures, however, those days are behind me. Between the recession, working all the time, and having mouths to feed, the time and money I used to have for cars went elsewhere. So my Rebel was parked in a shared warehouse until I could get to it. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a few years, when I "found" the car again today.
It looks pretty bad right now but with a day's work, it could be running and driving again.
However, it really needs a full restoration to be what it should be. Here's what I can tell you about the condition:
Mechanical:

• Original 360 was supposedly rebuilt about 20 years (and maybe fifteen thousand miles) ago and was running when parked. It turns ok but I have not tried to start it.
  
• Has an aftermarket 4 barrel carb (I think it's a Holley 650 or 750)
  
• Has after market headers and they were never much good, always producing a little exhaust leak one one side or the other after a little bit of driving.
  
• Radiator was sound, but I would replace it along with all hoses and belts
  
• Plan on a buying a battery; this one probably won't take a charge.
  
• Has gas shocks which gave it a nice rake
  
• Gas tank will need to be drained
  
• Car will need a complete tune-up and inspection
  
• Brakes are still holding pressure and are probably ok
  
• Transmission worked fine "when parked," as they say
  
• AC is there and blew air, but I never used it, so I never charged it. Assume it doesn't work
  
• Tires probably have less than 100 miles on them but are at least 5 years old. Put on just before it went into storage.

Interior:

• Odometer speedometer cable gear (I think) broke a few years ago at 113K, but it has not been driven much since then
  
• Steering wheel insert broke, but I may have a replacement somewhere
  
• Carpet was destroyed by rodents and will need to go. Otherwise, the interior is pretty good and can probably be reused.
  
• Most of the lights, gauges, and other stuff is probably ok, but the radio never produced more than static

Exterior:

• Original color was "Golden Lime Metallic" and it had a black vinyl top (long gone when it was changed to the green you see here).
  
• Body is in overall "ok" shape for a 47 year old car; doors have some rust in the corners and in a couple of other typical spots. I don't think there is a lot of bondo in the car, and it is pretty straight.
  
• The undercarriage and floors are in clean, solid condition
  
• Bumper was dripped on from a roof leak and will need re-chromed or replaced; clear coat is coming off all over the car.
  
• All of the trim is there and is in mostly good driver condition. Assume that you're going to need to completely rehab the paint and body of the car if you want it to look good.
  

I have some decent looking "before" pictures which were taken over the years, but I am not including them in the listing because I don't want anyone to get confused about what they are seeing. If you're interested in the car and want to see what it looked like a few years ago, I will e-mail them to you.

If you have questions, I will answer what I can. If you are local to Tampa Bay and would like to see the car, I can probably do that with a day's notice.

The standard disclaimers apply: this is a 47 year old car which has been parked for a few years, so it doesn't come with a warranty. It's for sale in other venues, and I reserve the right to end the auction at any time. I can't finance it for you, so you'll need to have the cash.

Please don't feel the need to bid if you don't actually want the car, your significant other doesn't want you to buy it, or you're about to have some "emergency" which results in your being unable to follow through with the purchase. I can hang on to the car for pick up until the end of January.

That's it. I really wish I could keep the car, but I'd rather see it go to a better home where it will be revived, cared for and driven regularly.