The AMX was American Motors’ attempt at combining a sports car with a muscle machine from 1968 to 1970. It was a 2-seat GT-style performance auto that essentially was a Javelin with 12 inches cut out of the wheelbase. When the Javelin was redesigned in 1971, the AMX was dropped as a separate product line and became a hotter version of the company’s 4-seat pony car. This ’70 edition was abandoned and found itself in the seller’s possession for deposition. Located in Belle Mead, New Jersey, this low production example is available here on eBay where the bidding holds at $4,550. Another vintage tip brought to us by T.J.
We assume the production output of the AMX wasn’t enough to pass muster with even the AMC bean counters. Sales of the AMX were a fraction of that of the Javelin, 19,134 over three years. Demand was the least in 1970 when just 4,116 AMXs were produced and – of those – only 901 had both a 390 cubic inch V8 and an automatic transmission. There is no indication that what’s under the hood of this car now is what it left the factory with 53 years ago.
As the story goes, the seller came into the custody of a car trailer that this AMX happened to be sitting on top of. The car has no title, and other to investigate the process with his/her DMV office, no efforts have been made to secure one. We’re told that the AMC Club of America was consulted about the viability of restoring the car and confirmed that it is, although no mention was made if this car was ever registered with them. The body looks fair and – except for some surface rust on the frame – it may not require that much time in the body shop.
We gather this car doesn’t run, and no apparent attempts have been made to try. It’s a well-equipped AMX, with power steering and brakes, factory air conditioning, and even an 8-track tape player (gadzooks!). The odometer reads 58,100 miles, but who knows if that’s anywhere close to being accurate. The seller admits to being a Corvette guy and is mostly interested in getting it out of his hangar where it’s been staying.
Another unique car to cruise Hot August Nights type gatherings and such. This one would need someone with a real love for AMC’s IMO but with the right tools, time, timber and tamales (cash) it could be done-as with every machine.
And if this isn’t the original motor, a rebuilt 401 from one of the police package Matadors would be a hoot!
Another one of those that some will talk trash about because it’s an AMC and others appreciate because you don’t see your mirror image coming at you down the street every day.
If I only had the means that car would be in my garage for sure. Love the Javelins from the first year they were built.
They had the best ads,,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB3FCInATuU
Great ad. Don’t ever recalling seeing it before, either.
Leaves in car seats and under hood rust says it all sadly
A M C a underrated company recognized by few along with Studebaker and Packard. All now defunct but still quite worthy of their accomplishments.
I agree wholeheartedly !
So my roommate in college Devin Leeper of Arlington, Va., had a 1968 AMX 290 ;it was a screamer as it ate 289 mustangs off the line like nothing😎👍.
I had a 1968 Pontiac Firebird 250 sprint 355 rear end with a hertz shifter but, his was a screamer.@Such a Great A. M. X car!
Commander Dr. Bob Matthews
A 401 from a Police Matador is the same as any other 401. In general, police car motors were not “sooped” up. What police cars usually had was the largest engine that the factory offered in a normal state of tune.What police cars often had were things like high amp alternator, better cooling system & oil coolers. This car is not a factory A/C car. This is evident from the dashboard: the Weather Eye control is not the A/C type and there are no vents in the center of the dash. The A/C compressor visible in the engine compartment is from another car & i would suspect that the engine is a replacement.
Not correct Sir,of the police engines I’ve had both Pont 389 and Chev 350 did have different heads slightly better cams that were compreble to performance 2+2 & SS the Pont had arma steel crank,and Chev was 4bolt main not standard 2bolt product line block and the 389 was also 10 3/4 compression not standard or common CR of 9-1 or 10-1 but huge radiators and heavy duty trans…not all like plain Jane nova or ordinary Catalina..Even AMC 390,401,360 police were not standard 2brl motors … It’s like trying say E heads for a 70 olds 445 we’re common on 70 88 2brl motor that’s Far from Reality..No argument intended but my personal experience has a gearhead says differently and it can’t be exclusive to Ohio that I’ve seen with both my eyes the differences
Totally agree. Speaking of Ford and Mopar, the “police interceptor “ engines were noticeably different. Had a 440 out of a Fury II ex police car, when we tore it down we found a lot of the internals were not the run of the mill. According to Mopar they were differences. My two cents…
Depends on the year, make, and model. Back then, some police cars had two speed rear ends. Some had different parts on them ( metal vs phenolic timing gears, HD clutches in the trans, etc), and some had only external mods. The alabama state trooper javelin’s were like this. Stock engine, but it was a “fleet service” package. Such as having a bigger radiator and such. It’s not cut and dry across the board.
JLHudson is correct. I sold police pack Matadors and the X code 401 was the identical engine that would be in a Javelin or AMX. He is also correct about the police pack including HD radiators, trans coolers, oil coolers and the like.
As i said: Police car motors were generally the largest available motor in the highest state of tune. Pontiacs’ Armasteel” crank was not exclusive to Police cars & many 389, 400,& 428 motors had 10.75 compression ratios; Consider that the SD455 was not installed in Police cars. Chevy 350s came with a variety of heads that had different valve sizes and the 4 bolt main bearing block was used in many Chevys, especially trucks. with regard to MoPar engines, the 440 sometimes had a steel crank other times it had a cast crank and the same is true for 383 motors. As for Ford, the 428 PI was warmed up compared to the 428 that went in a T-bird. As for the Olds 455 police cars, i figure that those motors were perhaps equal to a W30, but not better. It is known that W30 motors had select fit pistons and a better manifold & heads than the 455 fitted to a 98. Now back to AMC: to my knowledge, no AMC 390 & 401 motor was issued with a 2-bbl carb; even the 401 in Internationals had a 4-barrel. I have no doubt that some Police departments had a mechanic alter some of the engines. The point i am making is that these “Police packages” were not so much about being faster but about being able to go fast for longer and still being tractable while idling with the A/C on. As an example: the 1994 Caprice 9C1 has the same motor as a Roadmaster, as opposed to the LT1 that came in Corvettes. The 9C1 also has extra oil cooling, larger ball joints, first gear lockout & 4 wheel disc brakes. The bottom line is that police departments needed cars that were as fast as 99% of the cars on the road while still being affordable and easy to operate.
Also ford had police interceptors, I do not think any passenger car could just have one.
The engine code P was used to order the ford Police Interceptor engine. For instance the standard 390 4Bbl was rated 300hp. The PI had a rating of 330hp and came equipped with a aluminum intake among the changes I have seen several Galaxies with the P code engine in addition to police cars.
Shelby Mustangs initially used the 428 PI before the availablity of the 428 Cobra-Jet. It was rated at 355/360 HP whereas the T-bird was 345 HP.
Those who know a bit about Ford, know that the 428 was a big powerful engine that did not compare one bit with the expensive 427 medium rise engine. Yet one could get the 427 side-oiler, or other lesser 427s in a Ford passenger car. To my knowledge, the 427 was not offered as a “PI” engine. Of course, some police may have ordered a Galaxy with the R-code 427 “under the table”..
A parts car, IMHO.
AMC cast engine size on the side of the block. Should be and easy tell as the numbers are plenty large.
dayum ! jump on this 1 (sez this ford guy).
I drive em in worse shape than this… ‘restore’ as we go. Sell when nice, the next beauty (not when found, couldnt afford that) catches the eye. Start over~
Not sure the Y/M/M and sourcing, availability, costs but really like these since the 21st Century (still not doin the research as never see them in this shape/condition, this stagea life – nuff projects to carry me to ‘the end’). Just didnt notice back in the day. A girl friend’s ex had one in Manchester, NH 2 hrs away. Loved the 2+2 as it reminded me of all the “Itialian sports” I’d done the above with. But merican. More room. Gusta-mucho now, too late
slooooow doooooown !
bone, just get used to it.
Looks like reserve is met.
390s cam with Chrome Valve covers. Looks to me current engine is a 360.
An engine with an A/C compressor in a car without the A/C control knob or dash vents says very loudly: engine swap at some time.
According to the seller, somebody gives him a trailer and there is an AMX sitting on it – this kind of thing never happens to me. For the buyer’s sake, I hope the car isn’t stolen.
Says that he wants to get it out of his hanger.Aren’t hangers
for airplanes? Looks like he has it filled up with everything but
a plane.I also read somewhere that the FAA was going to start
cracking down on storing things like vehicles in them.
Also says that it’s up to the buyer to secure a title to this.Why
doesn’t he just do it? I would think that’d be a huge red flag.
Good price if bidding is done hate to see it ramp up in the end
No title …no deal for me. Parts car. Who needs the headaches.
Depends on what state you live in. Over here in CT, classic cars only require a bill of sale to register them. Not sure how many other states for that though.
Vermont title is available for any car.
Ended, no longer available, sold it off of FeeBay?
At least it was optioned with one of the larger engines available.
JL Hudson,95 percent of all 389’s we’re barely 9 1/2 cr and the 428 400 455 cars were diff and not same bone stock cam ..a ram air 3 or HO cam are diff then bone stock boring standard yawn factory and the 421 was nothing normal ever. ..and has far as w31 w30 442 and 455 E casting heads could inhale golfballs and gallons per WOT hence forth speedo one way and the gas gauge the other way at same time..Hurst or special order per all GM DIVISIONS has far your roadmaster comparison..hmmm that was about all GM had at that time and the SD 455 was the last of the line and not enough made per production to really say anything like 454 Chev’s and that has a wide range of heads and cams and blocks and won’t discuss the fact that Rat is beast of beasts and Chevy COPO modern knew it,knows it and it ISN’T Stock
My point exactly: Police cars did not normally come with the most powerful engines. they came with the largest engine that was in a moderately high state of tune: no SD421s or Ram Air 4, no Hemis or six pack 440s, no LS6 motors, no Boss or even Cobra Jet 351 or 429s, no 1970 LT1 motors. No 455 Stage 1 either. None of that, just a very powerful motor that could idle away while waiting for one of the many scoundrels to do something…..in the past i looked up the cam specs for Pontiac Ram Air motors: Ram Air 3, rated at 366 hp, has valve timing that is perhaps a bit more than a normal 400 Poncho. Ram Air 4, rated at 370 hp, has valve timing that was fairly aggressive for the time in addition to better heads than run-of-the-mill 400 motors; me thinks the 4 horsepower difference suggests that the RA3 is over-rated, or the RA4 is under-rated. You tell me.
Yes Sir,Ford made some real monsters,I know a guy locally with a 63 406 4spd Galaxy..I even have a 63 Comet project and it will be kept all Ford..302s and 351w are very plentiful in my area and reasonably priced..I just wish more of what we knew was still around,even a standard 9 -1 or hippo 289 would be fun or a Cleveland 351! But those are not so common unless you pay dearly and have it shipped from Australia…I just have nothing but respect for all diff manufactures that stuff that would just get it like 304 hornets,290-343 javelins Soooo many just never got there due respect or earned credit
on the way back from purchasing an AMX, a Vega wagon with centerline wheels and a big exhaust on the side i could see pulled up. My car had 390 tags. his passenger went lizard-head, so i put the shift command into first. the light turned green & the race was over in less than 100 feet. i then learned that the AMX actually had a 343. The 343 motor does not get the resect it deserves as a very over-square motor with big valves.
I always liked the results of 428 heads on the 390s but one that did impress me was the 352 4brl motors, smooth & very strong pulling.. Pontiac 428 wasn’t a slouch either just not a rpm setup nor did it need be…the Wildcat 430 another brute and I liked the Mopar 413 and 383 with 906 440 heads..
JL Hudson,the specs between the Ram air 3&4 cams and there rpm ranges are so very different..the Ram air 3 is very drivable mild cam lope and very strong in mid range rpm – had one in a 72GP 400..Ram air 4 needs 10 or more CR at least 373 or 410 gears preferred 4spd or 2800-3200 stall converter it’s duration is crazy ..Ram air 3 and few I other cams grinds are truly amazing with how hard they pull torque wise,that being said is why I also have a soft for the Olds setup that plus rather 330,350,400,425,455 is only engines I’ve seen that just destroy a set of tires at 3500 rpm ..my Chev’s,Ford’s and Pontiac’s use a lill more rpm plus revved a lill more,lol..there all fun even had a friend with a built 68 Rivera GS 430 that was just nasty beyond belief.
Still have my ’70 AMX since ’81….traded a ’78 Firebird for it at Hoyt AMC….still has the original 360-4v with the Hurst 4-speed…Bittersweet Orange Metallic with those cool white c-stripes and 14″ rally wheels.
Wow, wore the hell out reading all about Ford and GM cop cars and how they were optioned and compare to AMC. A whole lot of info I care not to know. Also Russ Dixon please spare us from the typical This is a shortened Javelin etc. It needs a 401. AMC made other engines that would power this just fine. A mild 360 will pull the front wheels off the ground.
This would qualify as a real barn find. Refreshing seeing an actual barn find instead of polished Corvettes and the like being posted at collector dealer lots. This AMX would make a nice builder. An AMC enthusiast could build it with no sweat.They either have the parts or know those that do.
A Mopar or GM guy looking for a deal not so. Stick with what you know. This is not for you.