Here is an immaculate 1971 AMC Javelin that is for sale here on Craigslist in Elizabethton in the Tri-Cities area of Northeast Tennessee. It’s pretty clear what car American Motors was targeting with the styling of this second generation Javelin: the Ford Mustang. When the 1971 models were being drawn up for both models, it’s as if there was a stylist from Ford sending secrets over to AMC (or maybe vice versa) with the side silhouette and the front of both cars with very similar styling. The front overhang looks a bit out of place when compared to modern vehicles, but the Mustang at the time had it too. And who could miss those fender bulges on the Javelin.
At the rear, the Javelin only makes a slight hint at the tunnel window styling of the Mustang. AMC stylists opted instead to go with wide, almost full-width taillights which I think look much better than those of the 1973 and 1974 Javelin. Mustang continued its theme of triple segmented squarish taillights.
Under the hood sits a 258 cubic inch six cylinder. Too bad it’s not a V8 which was available in 304 or 360 cubic inch displacement (the AMX version also offered a 401). Along with that, there is no power steering or power brakes, and I’m guessing no air conditioning since there is no mention in the ad and I don’t see air vents or compressor. But it does have an automatic transmission.
The interior and the carpet have been redone and look outstanding. Other updates have included new tires, brakes, carburetor and custom stereo. The Javelin was repainted two years ago.
Making this Javelin shine additionally is the documentation that is included. This includes the original owner’s manual, the car building order and the original owner’s identification card. If there are maintenance records, it will prove the 96,400 miles this Javelin has covered. The seller is the third owner, having the car for the past 18 years. The Javelin is in great condition. But with an increasingly good condition, comes increasingly higher prices on classic cars. Would you be willing to pay the asking price of $13,900 for this Javelin base model (not an SST or AMX) or find another Javelin in questionable condition with the potential body, mechanical, and interior work needed for a low price?
Amazing condition though not much in the way of equipment. It has the optional electric wipers, bigger six, AT, and that’s about it aside from customizations. (That console with drink holders is certainly not an OEM item.) Still – wow!
What were the wipers if the buyer didn’t have optional electric wipers? Manual?
Vaccum.
What other types of wipers are there? Vacuum?
Yes. My 68 had vacuum operated wipers. Accelerating to pass in a rainstorm was frightening as they’d stall mid- wipe.. .
Yes, AMC did not make electric wipers standard until 1972. All earlier cars from the company (except the British-built Metropolitan) came equipped with vacuum wipers unless the electric option was purchased.
And finding a reputable repair shopwith a mechanic who was familiar with this type of wiper was almost impossible by 1990… At least, it was in Los Angeles, where I spent 3 weeks tracking down a guy who was the mechanic for the last Jeep AMC dealer in the area until it closed just a few years earlier. I think I was kind of smart, because I paid him extra to teach me everything he could about the vacuum systems so I’d never have to go through that again 😉
I believe all Australian and New Zealand assembled AMC’s came with electric wipers.
258 was a great engine, Jeep used them too…
Yes, and it formed the basis for the later Jeep 4.0. (In fact a popular upgrade for the Jeep crowd is to use the crank from a 258 in a 4.0 to build a “stroker” 4.6 engine.) All told it’s an engine family that ran from 1964 through 2006 in the U.S., and even later in some overseas markets.
Although this car won’t be a ball of fire it should move out well enough. In 1971 engines weren’t too badly strangled yet by crude emission controls.
Growing up in an AMC household (at various times, my parents owned a Pacer, Hornet and Concord from new), I’ll vouch for the 258 being dead reliable. It would likely never win a drag race, but it had a decent top speed when driven by a 20 year old with no fear. “Or so I hear”…
Nice looking Javelin
Styled at ‘the risk of scaring people off’, so the ads said at the Javelin’s launch.
It looks like it’s been fitted with an aftermarket steering wheel, which along with the ‘Armstrong’ power steering, will give its new owner a great upper-body workout when parking.
It’s a very tidy example for someone not bothered by a lack of V8 under the hood.
Probably the main thing I’d want to do is upgrade it to power steering. AMC’s manual steering is an agonizing six full turns lock-to-lock. This Javelin has already been customized to an extent and a nice quick-ratio power steering upgrade would transform the driving experience. (I would keep the 258 six!)
My brother-in-law had a Javelin, dark green with a black vinyl top, V8/auto. It moved well enough but I never liked the front wheel bulges. I thought the car would have looked better without them.
This example is a very sharp car BUT…….. an anemic straight six, no P/S, power brakes and no A/C. You could swap in a V8 and the power accessories you would need but you might as well find a Javelin that already has the goodies you want. I’ll pass.
Not really anemic 258. Excellent torque. Improved intake manifolds have been available. Might have some potential in 1/8-mile drags. The existence of the build sheet and other documents make this a valuable original. But I have driven these and the steering would benefit from a ratio change. Original tires and rims weren’t all that wide.
Nice find there Bill.
That car would have looked a lot better without the bulging front fenders.
Then a 1968-1970 Javelin would be the ticket. Basically the same car sans fender bulges, aside from upper trunnion front suspension on pre-1970 models.
I love them fenders its all part of the styling of that car. Body lines Galore
The question asked is ” would one pay asking price, and my answer is, yup!
There are lots of good parts and info, to by not going costly overboard add oomph to motor.
It is a Javelin, that got pregnant and fat and should be treated as such, no drinking of 92 and above gas, smoking of tiires, and only mild exercize.
Wearing enough costume jewelry and face paint to hide old arthritic weight bearing joints, will still not get but those who never had the pleasures of a real set of wheels and hard ups lusting after her, it.
Hey, I LIKE the bulges – remind me of a jaguar about ready to pounce! And love that color!
“A jaguar about ready to pounce”? Had a good long look again but can’t see that one myself. That’s deep, man!
What a great looking car… despite being a lesser trimmed model, it has a very upscale vibe to it – classy. Adding power steering is the only change I would make on this one.
I love that one of the photos has the owner in it.
Very impressive condition for that model. I even like the color on it. Never seen one like that before.
Nicest example I’ve seen, although, never cared for cheesy wire wheel covers,( or any wires, for that matter) some Magnum 500’s would look sharp. And I’ve said this before, AMC promoted the Javelin, with a racy image, but truth be known, it was still marketed as an economy car, and many Javelins were equipped this way. Nurses, librarians, school marms, secretaries, probably all chose the 6 cylinder automatic, and I bet dollars to donuts, that’s who ordered this car new. ( a man clearly would have got the V8) Many women were familiar with the 6 cylinder, it worked well in dad’s Rambler, and if he had anything to say about it, they got the 6 cylinder, and it did the job for them. Great find, but same old thing, you want to enjoy this, gonna cost ya’.
Very nice car but I just can’t wrap around it having the 6 in it. I’ve seen a few lately on here with the 6. It honestly is a great engine, I have some experience with these 258s. Even had a J10 with a Clifford intake and a 4 bbl carb and a header. Moved the truck nicely! So I fully acknowledge they are a great engine, just don’t like seeing a Javelin with one under the hood. Gremlin? Heck ya, bring it on with a 258!
Pretty car but P/S and vintage air needed at minimum or Restomod with a 383 Stroker or late model Hemi with 6 speed, 4 wheel disc conversion and vintage air, wider tires with stock rims and a couple hundred pound bags of sand in the trunk to help it stick off the line but leave the exterior stock…..let em find out when the light turns green
Vacuum wipers should be run off of the vacuum pump built in to the fuel pump. Morons would buy the cheaper fuel pump without the vacuum pump and hook the wipers in to manifold vacuum. That is why vacuum wipers did not wipe correctly. They were not hoked up to the correct vacuum source!
The vacuum pump is on the top section of the fuel pump.
Well, I don’t know if they were morons, many times a dual pump simply was not available. My Packard had a dual action pump, and while it was better, I remember the wipers quitting on acceleration too. I think the dual action pump was in conjunction with engine vacuum, no?
That is possible. They are available now but very expensive. It is possible that the person couldn’t find one at the time. I would prefer the car to be intact and correctly functioning. At least add a check valve and vacuum storage canister if you are going to hook it op to intake vacuum. The problem is there re too many “yahoo, know it alls” that don’t know enough to hook up the CHECK VALVE and vacuum storage canister. It’s not rocket science unless you let a swelled ego get in the way.
I have a 1970 Base model Rebel that needs a new fuel/vacuum pump. I may see if I can get the vacuum pump rebuild kit for it.
I WOULD LIKE IT TO PLAY WITH THERE IS Alot OF UPGRADES FOR THE 258 THEN ADD ps ps ac it could be a real sleeper and a fun one at that!!
i saw a javelin (amx) this color at bush brothers in chestnut hill, tn. at our mossy creek car club fill the truck with toys car show, it was a great looking car, also a great looking eagle wagon. i just bought a gremlin with the 258 engine plenty of get up and go for me. i would love to own this car, mike
I have a 63 Ambassador with vac wipers and the two-stage pump. They’re great wipers. From super fast to so slow you can hardly see them moving. And they don’t slow on acceleration.
My vac motor was rebuilt by Peter Stathes.
Electric wipers? You can keep em!
As long as they are maintained properly and nobody modifies them, there is nothing wrong with them.
This is a beautiful car in a seldom seen color. A 304 Javelin 71 same color popped up on ebay a few months ago in NY. Neat to see the Build Sheet with this one. To learn more about American Motors Build Sheets see this big file on my site http://www.planethoustonamx.com/main/amc_build_sheets.htm
Yes, AMC was last US automaker to use vacuum wipers. The switch is made by INDAK, and was only used one year on 71 AMX & Javelin, would not fit anything else, just those two models. http://www.planethoustonamx.com/restoration/71_amx_vacuum_wiper.jpg
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/restoration/71_javelin_vac_wiper.jpg
it is too bad AMC wasted scarce resources on this. Gremlins & Hornets were flying out of Dealerships so the development on these switches should have just had bean counters telling brass ‘just make them all with electric wipers already available’. Vacuum wipers do suck, sucked then, suck now. My dad used to keep a clothes hangar on sunvisor in our vacuum wiper powered Rambler wagon to help the wipers out in rain down in Corpus Christi us kids loved it, dad’s arm getting wet, us in back getting splashed
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/stuff/cc-celia-1.JPG
For those of you who want a vacuum wiper contraption rebuilt, or a dual action fuel pump rebuilt, yes, Peter Stathes mentioned about I recommend, he is on my VENDORS list
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/AMC_Vendors/AMC-Vendors.htm
Production for 1971 Javelin: “Base” 7179-5 Series: 232-6=2283; 258-6=922; 304V8=3338; 360V8=465; 401V8=97. 71 Javelin “SST” 7179-7 Series: 232-6=433; 258-6=461; 304V8=10907; 360V8=5324; 401V8=582. The 97 ‘base’ 401 Javelins were almost all Alabama Highway Patrol cars. No breakdown on how many got column shift, or floor shift automatics, or 3 or 4 speeds, no 2 barrel or 4 barrel. Eddie Stakes’ Planet Houston AMX
This is a beautiful car in a seldom seen color. A 304 Javelin 71 same color popped up on ebay a few months ago in NY. Neat to see the Build Sheet with this one. To learn more about American Motors Build Sheets see this big file on my site http://www.planethoustonamx.com/main/amc_build_sheets.htm
Yes, AMC was last US automaker to use vacuum wipers. The switch is made by INDAK, and was only used one year on 71 AMX & Javelin, would not fit anything else, just those two models. it is too bad AMC wasted scarce resources on this. Gremlins & Hornets were flying out of Dealerships so the development on these switches should have just had bean counters telling brass ‘just make them all with electric wipers already available’. Vacuum wipers do suck, sucked then, suck now. My dad used to keep a clothes hangar on sunvisor in our vacuum wiper powered Rambler wagon to help the wipers out in rain down in Corpus Christi us kids loved it, dad’s arm getting wet, us in back getting splashed
http://www.planethoustonamx.com/stuff/cc-celia-1.JPG
Yes, Peter Stathes rebuilds vac wiper and fuel pumps mentioned about I recommend, he is on my VENDORS list
Production for 1971 Javelin: “Base” 7179-5 Series: 232-6=2283; 258-6=922; 304V8=3338; 360V8=465; 401V8=97. 71 Javelin “SST” 7179-7 Series: 232-6=433; 258-6=461; 304V8=10907; 360V8=5324; 401V8=582. The 97 ‘base’ 401 Javelins were almost all Alabama Highway Patrol cars. No breakdown on how many got column shift, or floor shift automatics, or 3 or 4 speeds, no 2 barrel or 4 barrel. Eddie Stakes’ Planet Houston AMX
Like the colour. Like the wheels. Bit put off by those fender bulges though. Price seems reasonable. What did it sell for in the end? Can the new owner make a comment on here?
I sold it in September for 11,000. I was glad the car stayed it this area. The sad news was, my friend who gave me the car 18 year a go died at 83!
It now resides in my yard in Pensacola. Very happy car, happy me!
That 1971 AMC 258 is rare and has more HP and torque than any other stock 258 that AMC ever manufactured. Here are the stats:
Bore x Stroke 3.75″ x 3.90″
Displacement 258 (4.2L)
Compression Ratio 8.5:1
Horsepower (gross) 150@3800
Torque (gross) 240@1800
Main Bearings 7
Valve Configuration OHV
Fuel 1bbl Carter or Holley
Compare to the ’72-’78 AMC 258:
Bore x Stroke 3.75″ x 3.90″
Displacement 258 (4.2L)
Compression Ratio 8.0:1
Horsepower (net) 110@3500
Torque (net) 195@2000
Main Bearings 7
Valve Configuration OHV
Fuel 1bbl
Just a follow-up; I am now enjoying this car immensely, and it now has the correct steering wheel, and correct plain American Motors hub caps on it. The 258 is strong, as are my upper arms – armstrong steering-LOL! I love the car, and traded one of my Harley’s for it, and don’t regret it at all.
wonderful car. I actually like the six cylinder. must be a rare car with six. I have a Jeep 2005 with the six and it runs well. I wish I could buy it, saving money to pay cash for a Javelin. Maybe in six months