AMC Javelin, AMX, and Muscle Car Restoration 1968-1974. Scott Campbell

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       A rare sight indeed, this 1969 AMC Hurst SC/Rambler is a perfect candidate for a top-flight restoration. This project car comes from central Minnesota and had spent many years out in the elements before finding a new home in 2005. (Photo Courtesy Michelle Kiffmeyer)

      This is likely the reason that so many people have overlooked AMC’s performance models for so many years. To most people, “American Motors” meant Gremlin or Pacer; when the conversation turned to muscle cars, American Motors was generally left out completely. Only recently have mainstream collectors cast an eye toward the products of American Motors. But because most AMC cars were produced in much smaller numbers than comparable GM, Ford, or Chrysler models, demand for some of them has already outstripped the number of surviving examples.

      The red, white, and blue 1970 Javelin SST Trans-Am edition is one example; only 100 cars were originally produced and few survive. Another hot collectible in recent years has been the 1971 Hornet SC/360; only 784 units were originally produced and fewer than 200 are known to exist today.

      Low production combined with decades of limited collector interest has done little to raise the bar on AMC restorations. A lack of easily accessible restoration information hasn’t helped either, especially in the days before the Internet. Although GM, Ford, and Chrysler muscle cars have long enjoyed a strong aftermarket, as well as specialized periodicals and restoration support, AMC owners have had to make do with scarce, often conflicting or confusing information and relatively few reproduction parts. The result is a lot of amateur restorations using mismatched or incorrect parts pirated from various AMC models or years.

      With the price of AMC muscle cars finally on the rise, there is an urgent need for a concise, easy-to-follow blueprint for accurately restoring an AMX, Javelin, or other AMC performance model. That is the mission of this book. However, because the value of a restored AMC car generally trails that of a comparable GM, Ford, or Chrysler model, it is not difficult to spend much more on a restoration than the car will ever be worth, at least in our lifetime. That is one reason I do not profile a 1,000-point rotisserie makeover, ending up with a car that is too perfect to even drive.

      The other reason, of course, is that AMC workers did not stand the body shells upright to carefully paint the underside! You will discover how these cars were originally built so that you can accurately duplicate their factory-new appearance. You also won’t be bogged down seeing every step involved in rebuilding an engine or transmission. That book has already been written. In fact, if you’re doing a stock rebuild, everything you need to know for assembling the drivetrain is in the AMC Technical Service Manual (TSM) that corresponds to the model year of your particular car.

      Since there is no need to rewrite the TSM, this book is intended to complement it; it fills in the details needed to restore a car rather than just repair one. In these pages you will find the nuts and bolts information needed to perform a real-world rolling restoration with the goal of it being a show-quality, stock-appearing, drivable car that you will be proud to own and display for many years to come. But first, you will find useful information designed to help you find, evaluate, and purchase a project car.

      I cover the disassembly process, some basic as well as more advanced restoration steps, the reassembly phase, and final detailing. All major systems are covered: body and paint, mechanical, and interior. Some aspects of a high-quality restoration require hands-on training followed by months or even years of practice in order to hone your skills, but having a better understanding of these operations will give you a greater appreciation of what you might pay someone else to do. Who knows? You may be inspired sufficiently to get your hands on some equipment and give it a try yourself. The more you can do, the less you will spend.

      A variety of AMC models and years were used to illustrate this book to present as much original restoration detail information as possible. The two primary vehicles featured are a Matador Red 1968 AMX with a 290 V-8 and automatic and a Bittersweet Orange 1970 base model Javelin with a 390 V-8 and 4-speed transmission. These two cars provide a nice cross section of 1968–1970 restoration information.

      Although the main focus of this book is the early two-seat AMX and similar four-passenger Javelin, most of the restoration information can be applied just as easily to second-generation 1971–1974 Javelins and Javelin AMXs, as well as Hurst SC/Ramblers, Rebel Machines, Hornet SC/360, and even 1972 and newer V-8–powered Gremlins, AMC’s “mini muscle car.” All AMC cars built during the muscle car era were assembled using the same basic procedures and assembly sequence. Whenever possible, photos of original unrestored parts and other details are included, rather than replacement parts or parts that are already refinished.

      When restoring any car you find that some things go even easier than expected, and naturally there are some setbacks along the way as well. No major project is without a few of those! However, in the end all of the trials and challenges that are part of restoring an AMC muscle car will be worth it because car show spectators will stroll past the rows of common Mustangs and Camaros just to check out something a little different. Let’s get started!

CHAPTER 1