Parked 20 Years: 1968 AMC Javelin
Due to a death in the family, this 1968 AMC Javelin is being sold here on Hemmings after being stored for about 20 years. The car is pretty clean but does have some rust bubbling through the bottom of the doors. The car left the factory painted in Laurel Green Metallic which is AMC Paint Code 46A. However, at some point, it was painted a Ford Emerald Green Metallic. The seller is asking $11,750. The car is located in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Almost every AMC Javelin that I have seen is equipped with a V8. However, this car left the factory with a 232 cubic inch inline six cylinder engine and automatic transmission. The engine has had some performance work performed or at least as much as you can do to a six cylinder engine. A small Holley 4 barrel carburetor and Offenhauser aluminum intake were added. The Javelin retains its manual steering and manual drum brakes. The car had air conditioning but it has been removed. The three speed automatic transmission is operated by a column mounted shifter.
The interior has been reupholstered with gray and black cloth seats. The headliner, carpet and dash look new and were reportedly done prior to being parked 20 years ago. The interior was originally black vinyl before the custom interior was installed. The paint is also approximately 22 years old and is said to be in good shape except for the noted areas where rust is bubbling through the lower doors.
The car is said to not be fast or powerful but it drives well and does fine in traffic. The owner has mounted aftermarket wheels on the black wall BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires. The seller installed a new Interstate battery and changed all the fluids after pulling the car from storage. The brakes have been rebuilt and new brake lines were also installed along with new shocks. This car can be driven as is or modified. I think it looks sharp, just like it is.
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Comments
I like it. Throw a set of headers and a couple of speed parts at the 232 six to wake it up some. I remember reading in Hemmings Muscle Machines a guy back in the 60s dropped a 232 six in a Rambler sedan and added some Weber carbs and a few other speed parts and ran 14s with ease.
It’s an inline 6, doesn’t take s “SET” of headers…
Yep my bad
Depends on who builds the headres, I know for a fact if its headers by Clifford performance, yep, its two headers, and they sound weird with Glasspacks, I had a 68 Javelin, that came stock with a 232 auto, replaced it with a 258-6 and a 3 speed out of a 1972 hornet, easy swap, ran like a champ
Some header designs for 6 bangers feature two outlets… a set of pipes… that this vehicle has in the picture above.
3&3
Not so. There have been many in line six headers that came in two parts.
Definitely seen several AMC sixes with split headers and dual exhaust, usually in modified Cherokees and Comanche pickups.
That is not true. You can get a set of split headers for an inline 6.
It’s a nice point of entry for someone to get a good looking ‘muscle car.’ Lets face it, most muscle cars are not used for much more than Sunday drives. Mine aren’t, with the exception of a road trip ranging from 1500-3000 miles every couple of years (they take turns). Unless you advertise it, nobody will know you have an inline six and you can just enjoy the heck out of it. Or, if you feel the need, swap in a V8 (for the love of God, please not a Chevy 350) and enjoy it.
Looks to be a decent car that could be used as is or restomoded. But Would offer maybe $7k. Wonder how it came to be optioned so oddly. Also wonder why the seller who owns a restoration business, doesn’t restore or restomod it himself and make another $70-100k if it’s as nice as he claims.
Lots of restoration shops will pick a deal then hope to find a customer that will buy it and pay them to do the work. If that fails they will at some point cut loose a car and pocket the profit. This car isn’t popular enough to build in spec, where they finance the build out of their own pocket, then look for a buyer.
Steve R
Steve Bush,
AMC customers tended to be a bit [ahem] cheaper than those who frequented other makes. This was likely a car the dealer could advertise as a genuine AMX for a low price of $2695.00. Get the customer into the dealership, show him the car, then sell him one with a V8, and power steering & brakes. As for the factory A/C, well the car is from Louisiana!
Correction, Javelin, not an AMX
I would probably keep the 6 since it’s such an odd combination. There are plenty of things you can do to wake up this engine. I work on a 69 343 with the go pack for a friend. These are cool cars.
If I were going to do anything with the drivetrain it might be to drop in the 4.0 engine and 4-speed automatic transmission from a 2WD Jeep Cherokee. (The 4.0 makes at least as much power as AMC’s smaller V8s.) Biggest problem of course is dealing with all the electronics that the Javelin was never designed for.
You can build the 4.0 with a 258 crankshaft and end up with a fuel-injected 4.7 stroker that makes surprisingly good power without hogging gas.
I would leave the 6 clean up the engine area. Add headers nice duals with flow masters. MSD set up. The rear differential put in 3.90 gears. It would be different and fun to drive to car shows. Easy to maintain. 😄
I had a 68 Javelin with a 6cyl as a teenager. Mine had the 3spd manual floor shift. Great looking car, until someone in Vega pulled a left turn right in front of me and wiped out the front end of my car.
Beautiful looking car. I’ve always loved the 1967-69 Javelin.
When I saw the first pic I thought $11,000 wasn’t too bad of a price , but then I read its repainted the wrong color , has a little rust , has had some cheesy upholstery work done and its a base Javelin with manual steering . Changing some of the engine parts isnt helping it out either IMO . I’d say its worth roughly half the asking price.
Exactly what bone says. I was hoping for a Craig’s Listing 100 miles from me and half the price.
“A little rust in the bottom of the doors”. Located in New Orleans. Stored 20 years. Having lived through Harvey in Houston, I’d be very wary about possible Katrina issues. JMHO.
I’d love to be able to buy this for my son. His father use to race a 71 Javalin. His father passed in 09. This is the first one I’ve seen in awhile. Awesome car
When I first saw this on Hemmings, it made me wonder how many Javelins (and pony cars in general) came equipped this way – 6 cylinder, auto on the column – nothing too fancy, but at least you could look cool.
Reminds me of my ’81 V6, automatic Camaro that I ordered. Black,Rally Wheels, RWL tires, Rear Spoiler – all show and no go, but people loved the look of that car.
Lots of first Gen. Mustangs and Barracudas were 6 cylinders !
Dad bought a ’69 Javelin.Last owner had blown up the 343 and stuck an inline 6 in it. HAd the vacuum wipers. Was always weird how they would stop going uphill.Rust free and perfect interior. He was going to give it to me after I got my license until a guy rear ended him in another Javalien.
I have a love for most old coupes and somehow AMC,s are the ones I always look at . I owned a beautiful 70 AMX 390 4 speed with the shadow mask black hood and pulled back stripes . I looked for 25 years and one day found it in Northern Canada. I jumped on a plane and drove it home and enjoy it immensely for a few years and was always being approached and appreciated for how cool it was . The down side is there is NO parts or incredibly hard to find for these cars and if you break anything you better be ready to pay up . I would put a reliable V8 in this car and get on the rust because ya they rust they all did some more then others but I can remember in the mid 70,s seeing these cars primered up to slow the rust .