As I continue our Barn Finds world tour, having recently looked at cars in the U.K. and Australia, let’s now turn our attention to our neighbor to the north and check out a 1969 AMC Javelin SST barn find. This sophomore Javelin is located in Brampton, Ontario, and is available, here on Kijiji with the seller open to offers or trades.
This is an odd listing and I have to tell you that I usually skim right past the “make me an offer” kind. Those arrangements always seem to be an invitation to negotiate against yourself. This 90K kilometer (56K mile) example is rough and the mileage is probably just what the odometer reflects and not a realistic measure. Further confusing is the statement, “This is one fast car. Previous owner did take this car to the track and had his gear ratios listed in the car. 1st gear: 2.43 2nd gear: 1.76 3rd gear: 1.47 4th gear 1.0 Last on the road 1973“. So is it fast because the seller has experienced its prowess or is this a claim based on the previous owner’s account from 47 years ago? It’s not clear. I also don’t understand the need to recite the transmission’s seemingly normal gear ratios. This Javelin’s body has a lot of rust-through and other contusions. The rear roll pan is missing, the floors look shaky, the front clip is mismatched, and apparently, the fenders and doors are easily removable. There appear to be what looks like radius wheel opening trace lines around the circumference of the front wheel wells, some jig-sawing under consideration perhaps?
This Javelin is blessed with the top engine option available, a 315 HP, 390 CI, V8. The motor shows as original and intact though there are some wires that look misplaced. Again, the listing isn’t too clear but the engine looks like it hasn’t run in a very long time and it definitely doesn’t look like a 56K mile example. The preferred four-speed manual transmission, ratios checked and identified, is in place.
The interior is dispiriting. The blue vinyl seats need help, there is no carpet, which helps with the holey floor inspection, the disappearing doors don’t disclose the shape of the door cards, the headliner is sagging, and there seem to be unidentified wires hanging below the dash near an auxiliary gauge panel that is missing one of its occupants. I can’t tell you about the dash and instrument panel because the image is just not revealing.
Neat car? You bet! Equipped right? Sure, a 390 CI engine and a four-speed manual transmission. Beyond that, a whole lot of work, and probably investment as well. The seller offers that the new owner can acquire all of the needed body panels at American Parts Depot. It is suggested, that restored this Javelin SST would fetch $20K. Actually, it would probably do better than that if it’s properly prepped. But what’s it going to take to get there? Too much, I say, how about you?
This was a sharp quick car that was probably a lot of fun to drive when new. But sadly today, it’s at best a parts car even if the buy in is fairly low. After all, its been parked since I was 15 and it doesn’t look like there was any effort to preserve it.
I’d go post-apocalyptic with it and take it to Wasteland Weekend.
“Make me an offer”. I’ll offer to haul it to the scrapyard.
Yep,parts car for sure.This project is 80 grand away from being the twenty thousand dollar car which Jim suggests.I would give him 5 grand for the 390 and 4 speed if he was in Western Canada,instead of Ontario.
“This is one fast car.” “Last on the road 1973.”
It was fast 48 years ago.
I was running those same numbers – Five winters just ate this great car away!
Yes ,but it sure went downhill fast !
I don’t know what you guys want for a restoration , something to just buff out ??
this car does need work but have seen worse, and all the major stuff is there so order some parts and get to work and quit whinning, Id like to have it but too many projects now,,,least its not a camero or mustang,, would not even consider either one for restoration
Believe it or not, people are allowed their opinion, even if it disagrees with yours. I don’t consider it whinning (whining?). ‘Least it’s not a Camero…’ (Camaro?)
If you’re going to be replacing body parts you need sound metal to weld to and I’m not seeing any here.
Media blasting could probably solve that problem. At the very least, it would reveal the true extent of the rust damage, and thus where metal fabrication might be required.
Given what I saw on the floor, though, I suspect that the body would have to be temporarily braced before any type of work could be performed.
My 1st car was a ’70 Javelin 390 SST with a 3 speed auto. It had more power than I had brains at the time. I am almost tempted to turn this into a project car. She’s rough though. Anybody rebuilding this will be doing it out of love, not with an eye for profit.