In days of old, car manufacturers came up with some pretty creative names for their paint colors. AMC was no exception, and it is hard to go past a color with the handle of Big Bad Orange. That is what graces the panels of this 1970 AMC AMX, and adding to its attraction is the inclusion of the desirable Go Package. It has been sitting for years, but the seller has managed to breathe life back into it. It now needs a new owner who is willing to return it to its rightful place on our roads. Located in Cave Creek, Arizona, you will find the AMX listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $19,600, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
Big Bad Orange is a color that owes nothing to subtlety, but it is still an attractive color. The owner refers to the paint as being older, but I’m unsure whether that indicates that it is original or whether a repaint has been performed at some stage. The paint isn’t perfect and shows deterioration on the roof and deck lid. It still shines nicely, and if the buyer chose to retain the car as a largely original survivor, there’d be no shame in that. The panels look extremely straight, with no evidence of significant dings or dents. He says that there are no major rust issues, and the single shot that he supplies of the AMX’s underside looks very encouraging. The chrome shows no significant deterioration, while the same is true of the glass. The original Magnum 500 wheels have some discoloring, but it would be interesting to see how they would respond to a clean and polish.
The hood that is currently fitted to the car is a 1970s lightweight fiberglass item, but it doesn’t look out of place. For those focusing on keeping the vehicle unmolested, the original steel hood that you see here is included in the sale. Also included are all of the original Ram Air components that match this hood.
The mechanical package that the AMX offers can be regarded as pretty impressive. What the buyer will get for their money is a 390ci V8, a 4-speed manual transmission, a Twin Grip rear end, power steering, and power front disc brakes. With 325hp available to the driver, the 3,219lb AMX was always going to be a fast car. The trip down the ¼ mile could be dispatched in 14.2 seconds, which wasn’t exactly hanging around. Even though this AMX has been sitting for a while, the news is generally quite positive. It appears that this is a numbers-matching classic. That V8 received a rebuild several years ago, and the process included blueprinting and balancing. The owner has paperwork that verifies this, so there is a chance that it might pump out a few additional horses. The AMX has been revived, and it now runs and drives. However, the owner suggests that the car be treated to a thorough mechanical check before it is considered roadworthy. That sounds like a smart move to me.
For the 1970 model year, AMC treated the AMX’s interior to a bit of a birthday. This included new seats, plenty of woodgrain trim, and a two-spoke rim-blow steering wheel. These features remain in place in this car, and it looks very tidy for an unrestored vehicle of this age. The only problem that I can spot is one that will cost nothing to fix. The interior is dusty, so a deep clean would make a world of difference. Beyond that, there is no significant wear, tear, sun damage, or other issues. There are also no aftermarket additions. The shifter is still the original Hurst item, while the factory AM/FM stereo radio is still in its rightful place.
One of the reasons that AMC products hold a place in my heart is that it was a company that produced some exciting cars on a shoestring budget. It wasn’t just any old shoestring, because it was pretty worn. I doubt that any other American manufacturer has ever managed to squeeze so much out of so little as this company did. It also makes you pause to ponder what they could have produced if they had access to a GM or Ford budget. Sadly, we’ll never know. This AMX is a mighty car, and it is 1-of-1,632 built in 1970 with the 390/4-speed drivetrain combination. The AMX was a brief shining light in the history of AMC, and it is the relative rarity of cars like this that make them worthy of preservation. I would expect the bidding on this classic to top $30,000 easily, but regardless of the final sale price, I hope that someone returns it to the road soon. This is a classic that has been sitting dormant for too long.
To any AMC guys or gals.. question.. is that the original deck spoiler that came with that car? I remember a spoiler on the roof above the rear window. I never saw that type of spoiler before thanks.. 🇺🇸
“Another unique part only factory installed on the T/A Javelins was the Kaplan engineered adjustable 3-pc rear air-foil spoiler, fabricated from machined aluminum and fiberglass. Mounted for maximum aerodynamics, these rear spoilers were easily adjustable and had been designed by Kaplan Engineering to be faced at a downward forward angle for maximum downward pressure at increased speeds. For aesthetic reasons the T/A cars are mostly seen with the rear spoilers leveled out which aesthetically looks good but is not the intended angle.”
from
http://tajavelin.com/history.html
Not sure if it could have been special ordered on an AMX.
Thanks Joe.. this is the first time I seen this spoiler and I have been to many many car shows with AMXs never seen one. I learn something new today! 😄
I am going to go out on a limb here but I think you are thinking of the older Supra that had the spoiler above the rear window. That model of Supra was similar in shape to this AMX. What do you think?
Roof spoiler – only avail on Javelin?
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=72frqsujecu91gotq9fv6nbl86&action=dlattach;topic=64878.0;attach=116836;image
from
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=64878.0
also
https://bigbadamc.tripod.com/javelin_members/69_AMC_Javelin_DV_05_pitt_01.jpg
@Stephen Miklos, you may be thinking of the “Breedlove Spoiler” that was available on Javelins. It was supposedly designed by land speed record holder Craig Breedlove and ran across the top of the backlight.
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AMC_Javelin_1969_Craig_Breedlove_roof_spoiler.jpg#mw-jump-to-license
Think the roof spoiler was available as an option on the Javelin at least as part of the Go Package or Mod Package…
Not a spoiler comment, but that’s one sharp AMX!
This one deserves to bring over 30K. It’s a real bargain when compared to a Camaro or Firebird, or Mustang of the same vintage. Plus you will get a lot of attention at the shows because there are aren’t that many around. They drive nice as well. I work on a 69 AMX for a customer and it’s fun to drive.
Nice thing about the 1970 models is that full ball-joint suspension finally replaced the old Rambler upper trunnions. (On the other hand, electric windshield wipers were still optional but it looks like this example has them.)
One of AMC’s best designs,.if not the best. They really got it right with the AMX. This one is rare and ticks all the right boxes. I would think $35k at least. Nice car
I’ve said it a million times, we, in the Badger, were mighty proud of this car. Now that I look back, being such an AMC fan, why I never bought an AMX? I was into British roadsters at the time, a complete 180 from this car. And thanks to Adam, who probably has no idea what that banner headline refers to today, but for me, IT’S GO PACK(ers), playing Tampa Bay, both great teams.
To the AMC guys. Did the first gen Javelin ever come in a plain Jane six cyl?
I’m pretty sure that Javelins in all years had the AMC straight 6 in the base models.
Kind of funny you ask that. Coming from Milwaukee, the Javelin was very popular, but most I saw had a 6 or a small V8. We saw very few, if any, of these tire smokers. The only reason you see these today, and not the 6 cylinders, is because the “specialty Javelins”, like this, were the only ones worth keeping.
When I was in Navy photo school in Pensacola FL in 1969 there was one there. I remember the roof spoiler and the bumpers being body color. This one has the body color front but not the rear bumper…replacement? I’m not an AMC guy but no one seems to have mentioned the chrome bumper. ???
Nice car, in 1970 both bumpers should be chrome on this car (In 1969 the bumpers were color matched on the Big Bad colors of orange, blue & green) The spoiler on this car was only used on 1970 Red White & Blue Trans Am Javelins (100 made I believe and my dream car) and was not a factory item for a AMX but could have been ordered through the Group 19 performance package that AMC offered back then. Great cars and deserve much more respect than they get in the car collecting world we live in.
I used to own one of these with almost the exact same factory options (390 Go Pack 4-speed). But mine had a wild 80′ style paint job and ankle burner side pipes that the prior owner installed.
I really regret having given that car up due to divorce. It was fast and fun to drive, and extremely reliable for a muscle car. But by far it’s best feature was that it wasn’t a Camaro, Mustang, or even a Challenger.
Gotta love those ELDERBROCK intakes…..are they any better than an Edelbrock? just wondering? Nice car
All it needs is a set of the Trend Setter side exhausts!
chrlsful@aol.comfriend hada yellow one (if I remember right) back in the day. I remember the “amx” hi on the sail panel and something different about the back seat but this guy doesn’t show so nuttin to clue me…
Any GT 2+2 (no matter the sz of the extra 2) was abt the best in our minds back then.
Your right, @chrlsful. The first generation AMXs were derived by shortening the Javelin platform. None of them came with rear seats. AMC marketed them as a “true sports car for the price of a sporty car”.
Later in 70’s AMC resurrected the AMX name as a package on the AMC Concorde and Spirit which came with rear seats. But all “true” AMX models were 2 seaters.
I love AMX,s and 64 GTO,s. I.m not crazy about this black shadowing paint option.To me it detracts from the beauty of the car,s form. Just my opinion. I do love AMX,s, just the right look for an American muscle car.
Once again it has been claimed that the AMX was just a shortened Javelin, so once again that is FALSE. The design for the AMX was first and followed shortly thereafter by a 4 door prototype that clearly resembled the Javelin. The AMX was supposed to be on a special chassis with a fiberglass body. This was too costly and the AMX was about to be cancelled except Robert Evans insisted on it. This led to building the AMX off the Rambler American platform, which was being used for the Javelin. This was cost-effective because the Javelin shared styling cues with the prototype Vignale AMX. Thus, some body components could be shared. The AMX was introduced to the public in February of 1968. The reason for the late introduction is not well explained. Some say they did it for publicity, or it could be that the 390 engine was not quite ready for the typical autumn release of cars……AMC had three spoilers for Javelins: Breedlove spoiler; Donohue spoiler; Trans-Am spoiler. None of these were factory available on a 68-70 AMX, although many people have added the Donohue spoiler & a few have added the T/A spoiler. I have yet to see an AMX with the Breedlove rooftop spoiler added & i hope to never see one.