I wouldn’t necessarily call reader Scott C’s Javelin a “barn find”, but it looks to be a great find that is priced right! He needs it gone soon, so he thought he would see if any of his fellow BF compatriots wanted to give it a good home. I’ll let him tell you more about it and why he needs it gone. He is asking $6,000 or best offer for it and all the spare parts that he has for it. It’s currently located in Denver, Colorado and is about ready to be a daily driver. If you are interested in giving it a new home, be sure to message him via the form below!
From Scott – Here is my 1973 AMC Javelin with a 304 V8 and a 4-speed manual transmission. 72,234 miles are believed to be actual. The reason I’m selling: Girlfriend is pregnant, and the wife is pissed. Kidding, we are moving to Alaska and can’t bring it with. Nice almost new tires and original Javelin rims and rim rings. Was a white leather interior, replaced front seats with racing seats with full harness. Parts that come with:
-Original front/rear/side chrome window trim in 9.9/10 condition.
-Original chrome 1973 Javelin bumper with bumper guards to replace the fiberglass bumper that is on it now.
-Original replacement tail lens for the one that is cracked.
-Original truck lock and key.
-Original magazine articles
-Original AMC spec sheet, original owners manual, guidebook
Starts right up every time, idles perfect, and drives smooth. The car sounds and looks amazing with dual straight exhaust. Original brake set up works good but could use a booster to stop faster. Very Very little rust, one or two specs where there is a paint chip. Frame and undercarriage in excellent condition. Floor pans are solid.
Very straight body minus the damage in the back. Ding in the back caused salvage title. Fix the back and this car is a very nice head turner. After a little work when you are driving and showing it off, no one will know it had a small ding in the back or a salvage title. Everyone always asks “what is it?”. It’s so unique in its lines everyone always loves to see this car. There are some minor flaws in the paint: hood rubs on the fender, slight paint bubble near rear driver fender, and other small flaws. Excellent from 20 feet away though.
The dash has the original radio. Dash and door panels are about 90% there and 8/10 condition. The wipers are a little finicky. The door locks need loosening up. Doors and windows work well. Rear white leather seat has some white duct tape on it and could use reupholstered.
Runs and drives excellent. In daily driver condition. Make me a reasonable offer and you can drive it home.
It’s too bad about the accident and the subsequent salvage title. If your plan it to fix it and keep for the foreseeable future, that really isn’t a big issue. It really only becomes a problem when you go to sell it. I would get the rear straightened out and find a set of original style seats and make this a daily driver. It really is a unique classic with lots of potential. You could leave the 304 alone or find a 401 for a nice performance upgrade. It will be up to the next owner to decide what to do with this AMC, but what would you do with it if it were yours?
Our thanks to Scott for listing his Javelin with us! Be sure to message him via the form below or leave any questions you might have for him in the comment section. And if you have a classic car project that needs a good home, please consider listing it with us.
I’m interested!
If anyone is interested in seeing it, please watch this walk-around VIDEO of the car showcasing its flaws and its beauty on the open road.
1973 AMC Javelin 304 V8
https://youtu.be/5euJJRq6jko
Inside
Not a bad price. If I were looking for one I would give this car a look.
4 speed! lord save me! I agree with Josh back to original. Great opportunity!
What sort of rear end collision ( which seems apparent) would get this a Salvage title today? I mean a modern car I can see. Perhaps the salvage title is decades old. When my ’47 Ford was hit by a moron, my insurance company paid me to the agreed value and didnt give me a Salvage title. Of course I had to come up with an extra seven grand………..as I was underinsured. Live and learn.
Many states will now offer a “rebuild title” which tends to be better than a salvage title. Still not an original title, but the insurance companies respect it much more than salvage.
Please post the vin. The 4 speed was not available with the 304 engine option. Either it had the 360/401 and someone did a motor swap or factory 3 spd manual and someone upgraded to a 4 spd. Nice car. Too bad the salvage title tho
Some info straight out of the book.
And here is the Vin#A3E797H227xxx minus the last 3 digits, contact me I’d you need them.
Any extra info you find out I’d love to hear about.
Thank you!
The vin states that it was born with a 304 V8 H code and three speed manual trans E code. Not shabby. Still a fun ride and now has a 4 speed. Good luck.
Very nice. If I had room and time I would Love to have. I have bought and sold several cars over the years with salvage titles for great prices, and sold for fair prices when I was done with them. My last three daily drivers were totaled by insurance companies for hail damage. They may no look perfect, but the price was great.
And all that works fine as long as the purchaser understands the rules of the game with salvage titles. The seller is being a little generous when glossing over the salvage title issue as salvage vehicles are NOT legal to be driven on public roads and can’t be insured to be driven until the salvage title is cleared. Nice car but would really like to see inside the trunk, run my hands over the quarters and peek underneath to understand why the vehicle was salvaged. That and the fact that there are a bunch of non-original parts would make me wonder about this car’s history.
That can’t be true here in TN as it seems like every other vehicle on Craigslist is salvage and many are sold by dealers. I picked up a daily driver for my daughter that had similar rear damage (repaired) and saved thousands. The key was asking the seller for a photo prior to repair. When I saw it I was amazed at how minimal the damage was. Same with this car, which will be a steal for someone with bodywork skills.
This is not true that salvage title cars cannot be insured. It depends on the state you live in
This car was not available with the 304 4-spd. It either has a bigger engine or it has a 3-spd. so the seller needs to check the displacement on the side of the block.
Fred and AMX — we’ve been rebuilding insurance salvage vehicles for almost 20 years but I never say I know it all and the rules change all the time. I will tell you that no insurance company that I know of will insure a vehicle with a true salvage title to drive on the street IF they know the title status. No states around here will allow a salvage title vehicle to be titled and registered for street use. Now, if it’s been salvaged and repaired each state has a different process to get the title converted from salvage to either a clear, rebuilt, or re-manufactured title and those can be insured and licensed. The dealers selling salvage title vehicles can do so but it’s the buyer’s responsibility to get the title converted (some of the dealers kind of neglect to point that out when they sell them). In some of the states it’s a very simple process, here in GA it involves paperwork, inspections, and a 4 to 6 week wait for the title to be processed by the state. Again, just a warning to those thinking about purchase to understand the laws in your own state so that you don’t get hung up with something you can’t enjoy. I’m not at all saying “don’t buy this”.
” It either has a bigger engine or it has a 3-spd. so the seller needs to check the displacement on the side of the block.”
It’s likely a 3 speed. BUT, to check the casting you should really do it from underneath ’cause you ain’t gonna see it from above without a lot of trouble
Example above…driver side
Here in Denver the salvage Title is changed to a reconstructed Title that IS legal to drive on public road. This is done by a Vin inspection by a dealer($20) to make sure all the main parts are original.
The main downside to a reconstructed /salvage title is the insurance company will not cover full book value on the vehicle. But that’s OK, because they will pay out appraisal value with the reconstructed title status known. Which is $10,000 for this car.
Was that a plastic rear bumper?
This body style looks like one of the most difficult to prepare and paint straight.
Depending on where in Denver it is (it could be 30 or 40 miles away and people will tag Denver because it’s the closest known metro area :) ), if someone has an interest in the car I can give it a good lookover.
I’m in Hudson, just north of Denver, and if anyone would like a 3rd party opinion on the car I’d be happy to show it to you, take it around the block anytime.
Late model salvage is one thing A collector car is another however they are still the same. Once a title is branded it is that way for life. Regardless if you plan to keep it forever or not. It will always be an issue when you or your loved ones try to sell. It is up to you to do due diligence prior to purchase. It is NOT about fixing the damage. It is living with it. Like an old timer always used to say. You can’t un wreck a car!
All states do have their own rules but are pretty much the same. Once a vehicle is wrecked and considered a total loss the owner is paid for the vehicle. The owner can buy it back or it goes to a salvage pool, auction etc, The title will become salvage. IT CANNOT BE DRIVEN it must be repaired and inspected. Once the car is repaired it is taken to a state inspection center. The crux of this is to check mainly for stolen or unaccounted parts installed on the vehicle. The misconception is that the centers inspect on how safe the repairs are. Not in my state. They are there to collect fees. You will pay for the inspection $60. and go back to the DMV and pay for your new title. $35. Once the vehicle passes the inspection you must take the paperwork back to the DMV and get a new BRANDED title that states Rebuilt Salvage or may say SALVAGED
Here is the part of living with a wrecked vehicle. What your insurance company will NOT tell you is that insuring a salvage rebuilt vehicle is this: It will be classified a higher symbol. What that means is twofold. (1) You pay higher premiums (2) If you file a claim you will only receive a percentage (where I am from it is 60% of the comparable value of an undamaged counterpart) It used to be that once a vehicle was repaired and inspected it was considered the same as an unwrecked. The insurance companies got a lot smarter.
Be sure to call your agent and get a friendly quote today!
AMCFAN — agree with all that (see my comment above) except that here in GA they do actually look at the safety aspects (check lights, wipers, horn, airbag and abs systems, etc.) and the quality of the repairs. I know that some of my neighboring states do the minimum of checking for stolen parts only. GA also offers a service where an independent inspector can come to your location. I also agree with your vehicle valuation comment — the insurance companies either charge your the same or add a premium for full coverage then tell you when it’s totaled that they can’t cover it for the full amount on late model rebuilds. Again, all the state rules are slightly different but my point was just to make sure that whoever buys this understands that they can’t just drive it “as-is”.
racer99 My point was due diligence. (I thought added to your statement) Each state is a little different in what they inspect and by who.
My state has certain locations run by the State Highway Patrol. Some have to drive 60 or miles or more to the station depending on their location. You must call for an appt. It has taken me as much as six months to get a car inspected. You have to have all your paperwork in order. They do not like ebay parts (used parts by private sellers) Used parts must be purchased from a licensed salvage dealer and must provide the vin. of said salvaged car. New parts are fine. Again have your receipt. If you do not have things in order they can take all your paperwork and impound your car. At my location they have crushed cars because of discrepancy. I know the local towing company.
The insurance thing really got me. I learned one day by talking all afternoon to a 19 year old representative from my insurance company. My 5 year old car with 20K miles was at a friends house and got in a freak flash flood. Insurance paid well considering. They offered it back for something like $1200.What a deal. I knew the car….it was mine! The water got up to the floor console. It was fresh water. I bought it back and went through breaking all the electrical connections that were affected. Cleaned and added die electric grease to the connections. Cleaned and dried the carpet seats etc. Has been fine up until I get a letter in the mail stating it could no longer be covered the same as it was. Arguing that it had not been smashed up was not going to do it. I am paying more for insurance on the same car and getting less coverage if something happens. They do not care what you spend on restoration. It will never equal the value of a solid example with a clean history. So I’ll drive it to the wheels fall off because in 10 years it isn’t going to be worth anything. That will just cost me more!
Agreed, here if you get full coverage for a rebuilt vehicle they don’t tell you about diminished value until you total it. In the mean time you’ve paid for insurance at the clean title rate but are paid off at something less. There are rare cases when the insurance company declines full coverage on a late model vehicle with a rebuilt title but most will cover them including most of the major companies. We’re on the same page on this — just have to understand what you’re getting into.
I’d call that rear end damage a little more than a ‘ding’!
Uh. Find someone to buy my RX8 and I’ll buy your Jav. I’m serious.
If I had the money i would be on a plane to pick this car up. It is my dream car. I just love the lines, inside and out.