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Rare 1971 AMC Javelin 401 SST

This 1971 AMC Javelin 401 SST has been a model of patience. It has now been sitting for around 27-years, just waiting for someone to take hold of it, and return it to its glorious bet. If you are that person, then you will find the Javelin located in Los Angeles, California, and listed for sale here on eBay. The BIN on the AMC has been set at $8,750.

The Javelin is finished in Classic Black, and it is a car that appears to be largely complete. Two of the original Rally wheels are missing, along with a few minor exterior trim pieces. Even though it isn’t pictured, the front bumper is present, and it appears to be in good condition. As far as rust is concerned, there is a small amount near both the windshield and rear window, along with a small amount in the trunk lid channels. The floors and trunk appear to be very clean, while there is no external rust visible in the lower body extremities such as the rockers or lower quarter panels. The windshield will need to be replaced, but the rest of the glass would seem to be in good condition.

The interior is going to require a complete restoration, but the original owner certainly didn’t mess about when he got his hands on the order form for this car. He decided that air conditioning would be nice, as would Rally gauges with a Tick-Tock-Tach, a tilt wheel, rear defogger, center console, and leather upholstery for the seats. If the new owner is seeking to return the interior to its original best, then this is not going to be a cheap proposition. Leather covers for Javelin seats are not a volume-selling item, meaning that they can command a premium when sourcing replacements. I’ve done a bit of a search around, and figures of between $1,800 and $2,000 seem to be fairly common for a full set of covers. Of course, it might be possible to source these at a lower price with a bit of intensive searching, so all the next owner can do is try.

The Javelin 401 SST was a serious toy when it was new, with its 401ci V8 packing a healthy, and some would say conservative, 330hp. This is sent to the Twin-Grip rear end via a 3-speed automatic transmission. At this point in time, drum brakes would still have been standard fitment. Thank goodness the original owner did get their hands on the options list because they chose to equip this car with power steering and power front disc brakes. Performance when new was all that you would have expected from a combination like this. The SST could sprint from 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds, while the ¼ mile could be knocked over in 14.6 seconds. It wasn’t just raw acceleration that was this car’s forte, as it could then work its way to an impressive 137mph, which isn’t hanging about in anyone’s books. The bad news here is that the Javelin doesn’t run, and it hasn’t done so for more than 27-years. However, the engine does turn freely, so maybe it won’t take much to tickle this one back into life.

The owner makes some pretty bold claims about the relative rarity of the ’71 Javelin 401 SST, and these really need to be examined. SST production amounted to 17,707 cars during that year. Interestingly, there are several resources that seem to confirm that of those cars, less than 600 were fitted with the 401 engine. Some even quote a figure as low as 520 cars. The VIN for this car confirms that it definitely rolled off the line as a 401, and that low build total certainly qualifies this as a rare AMC.

Comments

  1. Avatar Classic Steel

    Wow great deal. I luv 401 plus black color
    and red interior. I would probably store trans parts and swap to four speed.
    AMC was under appreciated in my book. This car rocks !

    No room in the herd or collection or would pull trigger…

    Current collection ..54 3100,63 split win, 64 chevelle convertible and 67 mustang convertible plus motorcycle already pushes wife on toys …

    I like Jay Leno who says fill the garage plus one …

    Like 8
  2. Avatar Shaun Dymond

    I would to bring this over to the UK and get it restored to its former glory. What a truly fabulous car.

    Like 4
  3. Avatar petemcgee

    Good luck finding the missing “Machine” wheels and center caps. They are made of unobtanium.

    Like 7
    • Avatar AMXBrian

      They repop them, which would due unless you were trying to be perfect.

      Like 1
  4. Avatar AMXBrian

    Great car, definitely worth the coin. These are highly sought after with a 401. Some people may ding it for not being an AMX, but with the limited number of 1971 AMX’s(2054) and the few 401’s in that bunch(745), this makes the car almost as rare with only 582 401 SST’s. It’s got many options and highly sought after parts that would make this almost survivor a great restoration.
    The leather seats, black paint, 401, machine wheels, plus the lack of rot in a car that is know for it’s rust in the unibody, it’s a catch!

    Thanks Eddy Stakes for the document:
    http://www.planethoustonamx.com/main/71_amc_production.htm

    Like 2
  5. Avatar Cadmanls Member

    These cars had a solid top end, pretty sure Goriga used a few of these for their highway patrol cars, back in the day.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar TimM

    Nice car and in my opinion it’s worth it just for a straight body with minimal rust!! The running gear is just a bonus in my opinion!!!

    Like 1

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