In the late 1960s/early 1970s, Chrysler had a plethora of wild colors for their hot cars. Like Plum Crazy and Hemi Orange. Not to be outdone, American Motors had a smaller assortment of crazy color choices in the “Big Bad” range. This 1970 AMX was one of 74 assembled that year in Big Bad Green, but it was largely covered up by black paint some years later. The auto will need a complete restoration, but that makes this AMX even more desirable. Located in Tacoma, Washington, this non-running, old AMC is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached an odd figure of $6,177.59. Our thanks to Barn Finder T.J. for this great tip!
AMC got into the pony car market in 1968 with the Javelin. Looking to change its stodgy image, they added a quasi-muscle car to the mix, the AMX. It was more of a GT-style coupe suited to doing battle with a Chevy Corvette. It was a two-seater thanks to a reduction of 12 inches in the Javelin’s wheelbase. The AMX would not be a big seller, logging just over 19,000 copies in three model years. The 1970s, with a slight styling update, was the least popular with 4,116 produced. Of those, 901 had a 390 cubic inch V8 with an automatic transmission. But how many of the 74 finished in Big Bad Green applied to this setup? It could be one of only a handful so equipped.
This AMX was the seller’s father’s car. We don’t know if he/she is selling it on his behalf or if the gentleman has passed away. It’s said to be a complete machine, but it’s going to need a ton of work. Despite it being in the Pacific Northwest, there is some rust, and the seller says the car will need rear the quarter panels, trunk pan, passenger side door skin, and the front inner lip on the hood replaced. We don’t see much of the interior, but it looks rough, but that’s where the car’s original color is revealed since the driver’s side door panel is missing.
With a 390 V8, this was the most powerful AMX built that year, and likely the most powerful AMC product with the potential exception of the single-year Rebel Machine. When finished, this would be a wonderful car to drive and show, but it’s going to take a lot of elbow grease and money to pull that off. But isn’t the AMX worth it?
One advantage of the ’70 AMX, as with the Javelin it’s derived from, is that they finally got double-wishbone front suspension with ball joints, replacing the primitive trunnion setup from years prior.
That said, IMO the revised front-end styling was less of an improvement than change for its own sake vs. the very tidy and iconic earlier look, but fortunately it appears one could easily swap the bumper, corner/headlight trim, and grille from an earlier model if one prefers.
Great idea! Let’s restore a rare muscle car and, then, chop the value in half by Frankensteining it in the process! Oy vey.
AMX not “derived” from Javelin
American Motors Experimental
Was this AMX originally built with a manual transmission?
Yes it was
No, on the eBay ad, it shows large brake pedal, and auto console
Hmm, that’s strange, it has chrome bumpers…
In 1970 all Big Bad AMX and Javelins had chrome bumpers.
1970 “Big Bad” color car had chrome bumpers…
The only thing clean on this is the vehicle title.
‘Manhandler’ rear tires….this thing means business!🤪
I assume locating parts is well-nigh impossible?
Unlike a Mustang or Camaro, you can’t just go online and order an entire car, so it can be challenging restoring any AMC. However, there are several restoration parts sources, as well extensive boneyard operators. They are, with only a rare exception or two, honest and very helpful. So if you are patient, you can find what you need.
I read the ebay add and looked over the pictures. No it is an automatic with only two pedals, not counting the parking brake pedal.
so much of it is still there, so much of it needs re-worked !
auto, no probs (modern shift kit reverse manny valve body)…
Getting out of my range on 8 bids, twice the shipping price is my top dollar, beyond that now (7K$).
Boy, 1 I’d love ta have ! The ol SCCA livery’d B my rest0mod (@ 97 inch WB).
Dreams R nice to have, the car would B nicer~
As an owner of a 1970 AMC AMX, RUN. There were about 6000 built for 1970. There are about 600 left that are in the wild. Parts are hard to find and expensive. Run away. Leave the dream a dream.
4116 AMX built in 1970. Nobody knows, for sure, how many exist today. Parts are available but it can be challenging.
Again, AMX is not “derived” from a Javelin. It is the other way around. The AMX was its own design. The Javelin came a bit later, from a different prototype. For production, the Javelin used a front end derived from the AMX. The AMX was supposed to be a special fibre-glass body car. That was deemed too expensive so the AMX was engineered the same way as a Javelin: using the already existing Rambler American chassis. This can be observed from pictures taken around 1966-1967. As for a 1970 AMX or Javelin there will be some expenses: Grilles, front bumper, dashboard, instrument cluster, Ram-Air parts, fender extensions & rear quarter end caps are some of the 70 only parts that could be difficult to find; 1970 instrument cluster with tach has different facing, one was just listed for $500. So, with 4116 1970 AMXs, one will have a very rare car that is not a “quasi-muscle car”. A good running AMX makes a “muscle car” such as GTO, SS Chevelle, 442, Buick GS, Torino Cobra etcetera seem like a barge.
100% correct.
Wrong. The Javelin was introduced in August 1967. The AMX was introduced the following year (1968) in February.
Yes, the Javelin was made available to the public before the AMX. That does not mean it was built & designed before the AMX. The AMX was shown first as a push-mobile and then on a Rambler American chassis in early 1966. The prototypes for the Javelin were right behind by a few months. The AMX was to be cancelled because the special chassis & fibre-glass body planned for the AMX was too expensive & risky. Instead, the engineers made a steel unibody that was different from the Javelin: NOT MADE BY CUTTING 12 INCHES FROM THE Javelin. It used some body parts that the Javelin used, which were originally derived from the AMX prototypes. Larry Mitchell provided pictures & documents that proved some AMXs were assembled in summer of 1967. Those cars were sent around the country to drum up enthusiasm for the car. Why the AMX was introduced as a 68 1/2 could be for a number of reasons: publicity stunt, or perhaps AMC knew that the Javelin would sell more & wanted a “one-two punch”. It may also be because development of the 390 AMX motor was delayed for unknown reasons. Many think that the 390 is just a bored & stroked 343. This is not accurate. The forged crank had bigger rod bearings and used a main bearing that is narrower. It also used better bearings for rods & mains. The main bearing on a 390/401 is narrower in order to fit the journal radius at the counterweight. The 390/401 block is also re-enforced compared to the smaller motors. As for underneath, the chassis for the Javelin was a modified Rambler American chassis. The AMX used the same platform but with a few more changes.
There is one place in Kenosha Wis. that I know of that was a junk yard at one time that has a lot of parts for a lot of different kinds of amc cars. I worked there when I was like 18 teen. It is on Sherdon rd. on Wis. and I’ll state line.
Thank you JLHUDSON for the great history of the AMX. Having bought a ’70 new and unfortunately totaling it a few months after the purchase… I have always had a warm spot in my heart for them. It left me too soon.
Sorry to hear you had too much fun in your AMX. Credit goes to CEO Robert Evans who pushed for the AMX when the plans for a fibre-glass body car were deemed too costly. AMC did the best with what they had to work with. Not totally unusual in the automotive world: the 64-66 Mustang was on a Falcon chassis. The Camaro chassis was used for the 68 Nova. Avanti was on a modified Lark chassis. Toronado & Eldorado were very similar underneath. Probably a few other examples of platform sharing back then. Today, platform sharing is central to vehicle design, me thinks.
My Dad was an exec sales mgr from 1959 until the demise of AMC…..therefore he could have any AMC product every 3 weeks as a company car ( back then it was really easy for a dealer to spin back the miles!!). When I got my d/l, he would start signing out 2 cars, one for him and one for me, under a fake name since he was able to. When I turned 12 back in about 1964…..AMC started coming out w/some early muscle cars, the Marlin, the Rebel Machine, the/S/C series of the American….both in patriotic red/white/and blue, and others, then there were some really cool prototypes that my Dad, who was pals w/engineering, would put 500hp 401’s, before they were available, to run them hard for a couple/three weeks, of course with my input on Woodward Ave and other street racing.I could have bought a 1970 AMX, fully+ loaded, for about 2500 bux, some deal even back then!!!