The AMC AMX was an interesting hybrid, but not the kind we think of today. Part muscle car and part sports car. Excluding the Chevy Corvette, there was no other U.S. production car like it. It looked like the Javelin that inspired it, but with a couple of feet missing in the middle as a two-seater. It wasn’t a huge sales success for AMC and – after selling less than 20,000 units in three years – it became an option package on its four-seat cousin. This particular 1969 AMX was the victim of a rollover some 30 years ago and is more likely a parts car now rather than a restoration candidate. It’s located in Spring Grove, Minnesota and available here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,600.
Top-flight AMX’s can be worth some big bucks as Hagerty tells us $35,000 is about the top end. But it’s not likely that this 1969 edition is viable more helping another AMX get to that level. It’s been stored in an old building for at least 30 yearso, after being involved in a rollover that left the roof bent along with most of the body panels. The windshield was also lost in the tragedy, so Mother Nature and all her offspring have probably had access to its innards. The undamaged exterior pieces may include the passenger door, trunk lid and rear bumper.
AMC cranked out about 8,300 AMX cars in 1969, the best of its three years in terms of production numbers. Of that, some 2,200 were fitted with the 390 cubic inch V-8 and automatic transmission. This was the second most popular combination that year (390 with a 4-speed was 45% of sales). This engine should have been good for 315 hp when new, but after 102,000 miles and a nasty accident, I would rebuild it and the tranny without thinking twice. However, the seller does say the motor turns, but no attempts have been made to go further.
How fast could an AMX go? For a brief time, AMC offered the Super Stock AMX. Its 390 engine was equipped with twin Holley carburetors and 12.3:1 compression-ratio cylinder heads, plus aftermarket headers and exhaust system, and the tires were drag slicks. Those cars were rated at 340 hp, but the National Hot Rod Association said it was more like 420. One of them once did the quarter-mile in 10.73 seconds at 128 mph. We don’t know how many of these got built as they were intended for the race track, but they were so hot that AMC would offer no factory warranty.
If the state of the car wasn’t bad enough, it doesn’t have a title either, adding to the argument of a parts car. But, as a partts car, is it worth $3,600 for a handle of body pieces, the powerplant and perhaps the dashboard. If the windshield has been out for the 30 years, I wouldn’t hold out much hope for anything else in the interior. Would you pass on this or is there a future here that I don’t see?
BTW, there is a tag on the dash that says AMX 10673. I don’t know if AMC numbered all of their cars or whether this was added by a prior owner. But if it’s a production designator, that would make it about half way through Year #2.
Thanks, Wikipedia, for filling in some of the gaps for us on the AMX!
It looks angry….
Ugh. Uglee. Someone with a lot of skill could bring it back, there are certainly examples which started looking worse.
Hey, you can buy a giraffe with no hair on this site and hide him/her in an RV.
Too expensive for a viable parts car.
I could see someone enticed by the relatively low entry price talking themselves into taking this car on as a restoration project.
Steve R
Lots of Mustangs, lots of Camaros and ‘Cudas but never was and never will be many AMX’s especially with a 390 and a 4 speed. I think Barn Finds isn’t giving this car a fair shake compared to the glowing write up for the 70 Charger which really is a rustbucket with a wrong engine.
You might get a few parts off this rolled hulk including the engine and tranny (automatic), if the radio still works that might be the end of usable parts, scrap the rest
Scrap the Rest you say? This piece of Scrap Iron needs to be rolled off the top of Mt. Everest!!!!!
Scrap is bringing about $.035 – $.055 cents a pound these days. You would be getting somewhere between $80 – $130 for it. If this thing isn’t rotted out there is potential. But if you are looking at value today then I would say parts car or gut it and build a drag racer or Trans-Am clone.
Ummm… TransAm was made by Pontiac. This is an AMC product.
Patrick,
Trans-Am refers to the Trans-Am Road Road Racing Series that started in 1966. Mark Donohue and Peter Revson raced AMC Javelins in 1969 and 71 and Donohue won the overall championship in 1971. So go “Ummm…” yourself.
https://gotransam.com/#two
Pontiac’s Trans-Am was named after the road race series.
Wow. Someone definitely sent this. Looks like Jeff Spicoli was driving it
I can fix it. My dads a t.v. repairman,he’s got the ultimate set of tools!
I never knew that AMC created their own factory drag car! That puts them in league with the Big Three. I got a story in my feed that says Dodge is going to be offering a track only Challenger. History repeating itself.
Dave;
AMC didn’t actually “build” an AMX drag racer. What they did was hire Hurst to do the work and 52 stock 390 AMX cars were modified as noted above, so they could legally run in one of the NHRA “stock” classes. I’m not sure, but I *think* you could buy the pieces that went into the modifications (carbs, intake manifold, headers, etc.) from AMC, for a short while anyway.
On a lesser (but more realistic) note a stock 1969 AMX 390, with a few modest modifications (headers, rejetted carb, cheater sliks), could run the 1/4 mile in the high 13’s, with no problem.
There were a few of the Hurst parts available, but there were a number of things that were only on the original 52 and not available anywhere else.
Dodge has been offering non-street legal drag race only Challengers since 2010, commonly referred to as Drag Pack.
Steve R
They were called SS AMX’s. There were 52 built, I know the owner of #51 now in restoration.
I think it could be saved but you would have to know a guy who knows a guy……like me. The doors and windshield interchanges with the Javelin from 68-74. The hood is 68-69 AMX only. Those are anywhere from $1000-$1500. Amazingly in 2020 I know a few people that have AMX bodies sitting around and this one needs a roof.
Wouldn’t be impossible. Has the right motor and although would prefer a T10 it isn’t the end of the world. AMC’s are not like other cars in the fact they do not enjoy a 1 800-build a car catalog. You just can’t call and wave your credit card. This will take sweat equity.
This car can be saved honestly by a dedicated AMC guy that has the parts he/she bought and saved many years ago. They would have the resources and know others. The internet has helped quite a bit however some old schoolers you need to know are not on there,
That being said this is not an entry level build for someone wanting in. Pay the money to buy a nicest car you can afford. If you have had only GM,Ford or Mopar this is most likely not for you.
That rollover had to have been one rough ride.
The steering wheel is cracked at the hub.
Must have been towed straight home afterwards and locked away as the windshield is still on the floor and in the console.
Still a lot of good parts remain but beyond that it looks like a Mark Worman special.
It’s a shame when things like this happen to what was once a very nice car, the fact that it was never fixed causes me a lot of concern on what’s messed up under the body? We can see the body would be a huge project, to big for my time, I would wait and find a decent deal on one already restored and ready to drive.
Cool drivetrain for transplanting into a Rambler!!!!!
Same company. Why not?!?!
These were sick, silly fast when modified. I remember a friend with a 69 amx 500 special. In the mid 80’s, Young and stupid(and in the navy) we went from Newbury Park, ca to 32nd st.San Diego and back in a little over 3 hours. I was not driving. With lots of formulations (from his odometer) I figured our average speed to be 140(give or take)
With age comes wisdom(sometimes) and there were several regrets from making risky decisions like that one!
looks like someone had a good ride,,hope No one was hurt,,,,
AMX drag car I rember was Red White Blue , in Burlington By. it was factory race car,, they drag at long gone Milton Dragway…
Wasn’t hurt. Thank goodness. But looking back at the events of that night,many poor decisions were made and thankfully no animals were hurt in the process!
AMC did not remove “a couple of feet from the middle”, but exactly 12 inches, just as an aside. The engine has some value, as the 390 was a special piece, and have become increasingly difficult to find. A few body parts and emblems might be salvageable, and good condition interior plastic bits are rare as well.
So maybe $1,000, if there’s more than just a worn out engine here.
That AMX guy in Houston needs to see this. This is his bread and butter.
Did someone go out of their way to beat EVERY SINGLE PANEL on this poor AMX? Looks like something you might see in a back alley on some long-forgotten cop show from the 70s.
It might be Mad Max’s other car.
Dan, glad you guys didn’t crash. Obviously you were going pretty fast but I seriously doubt 140 mph average. Maybe that was your top speed, but a quick check online shows the round trip to be about 335 miles. So if it took you guys perhaps 3 hrs 5-10 min, average speed would be a somewhat more believable 105-110 mph. Either way, you guys were nuts!
Steve, you may be right on the speed. I remember seeing 150 several times, that speedo moved alot.
Every time I looked out the window, the dotted white line was nonexistent. I was 21, in the navy, and foolish for participating. By sheer dumb luck we got away with it (didn’t end up in jail) I’m older now but still runnin against the wind…
$3,600 is quite optimistic. Maybe even overly optimistic. A true sad sight.
this is the exact picture I mean when I tell folks of my biggest pet peeve: Who, in all creation, allows cars to get in this condition? But, since this was a rollover, I’ll not criticize for letting it sit. But, I agree with Steve Bush: You guys were nuts!
From what I see, I feel there is one too many zeros on the price tag. Sooo much work that needs to be done.
This is no doubt a parts car, the parts to restore far exceed the value of a finished car. What most can not see is this is a fairly low option car. It is not a go pac, no disc brakes, probably no posi rear, am radio, no Magnum 500 wheels, no fan shroud, no flex fan…..390, auto cars do not bring strong money. Not a unique color , no stripes, tan interiors are very difficult. There are so many better projects out there……..on a good day it is a $2500 max for some needing a driveline…
I agree with the $2500 max on this one. I seems fixable but is better suited as a doner. Eddie Stakes in Houston may have most parts to fix. There are many rolling shells here in Wisconsin you could swap parts over for cheaper. Please don’t discredit AMC for using Hurst to help with the SS AMX as they also were contracted for the ’68 Hemi Barracuda’s and Dart’s. Most of the go fast pieces were available over the counter at AMC dealers through their Group 19 Performance Group. All your same typical items as Big 3: Carbs, intakes, headers, cams, gears….
Eddie Stakes is the man,
We had a ‘69 AMC Rebel (ex Boeing 747 runway pace car) we bought at a Seattle Boeing auction with low miles. It was a beast and all my cousins learned to drive it. I think it eventually rusted in half and is still in better shape than this one.
You would pretty uneducated to buy a rust prone car out of the salty road capital of the world. Winters and AMC,s don’t go together. Run away while you can buying junk is nothing but a time waisting pain in the peanuts. You’ll spend too much on gas running place to place to collect everything to finish it and 5-10 years to do it all