AMC certainly made more than road-burning Javelins, including those falling under the SST trim level. Yes, even cars with six-cylinder engines such as this 1968 AMC Javelin SST. The seller has this recent car show attendee listed here on eBay in the capital city of Ohio: Columbus. There is no reserve and the engine size isn’t keeping bidders away. The current number is $18,200!
This photo is from last month during a World of Wheels car show and that’s a Javelin that anyone can be proud of no matter what the engine size is. I absolutely love the look of the white walls and wheel covers. This isn’t a Pebble Beach-ready restoration by any means, it’s a body-on restoration to sort of a driver-quality or maybe a bit above that. In other words, nicer than basically anything that I own or probably ever will own. Before I get too depressed, next slide…
The seller included many photos but most of the body shots were cut-off partial photos for some reason. There are no underside photos but they replaced the floor pans and the inner and outer rockers so it should be nice underneath. The rest is factory sheet metal. The Javelin came out in the fall of 1967 for the 1968 model year so this is a first-year car. I like first and last-year vehicles for collectibility even though most often that makes no difference in value. It’s just a weird quirk of mine.
The interior is beautiful in this Javelin SST despite having a librarian-spec, column-shifted three-speed Borg-Warner automatic transmission. As expected, the back seat looks almost perfect as does the trunk area. AMC experts, help a brother out: would the door strikers have been painted on this car? Just wondering.
This Javelin SST has AMC’s 232 cubic-inch inline-six which had 145 horsepower and 215 lb-ft of torque. There’s a new fuel pump, carburetor, and as you can see, an aluminum radiator. The AC system is set up but hasn’t been filled with R-12 since the restoration was completed. This car runs well and it sure looks great. I wouldn’t change a thing here, how about you?
They had the best ads, someone found the lost “You butchered the car” ad. It was short lived as it seemed to promote street racing and ads were pulled. Nice car here, it was the zenith of pride for us in Wisconsin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RJLwJOnotI
My all-time favorite car ad! Only Dodge would attempt that these days.
232 six,automatic on the column,non functioning air,$18,000?Zzz zzz:-)
3 spd manual in this relatively lite weight amc would be a fun driver even w the 6pot
I like it, a little unusual with the straight 6 but I like my cars a little unusual. I prefer the Javelin to the AMX even though they’re very similar. Only thing I’d change is the wheels and tires. Some color-keyed steelies and white letter tires would look great
With that RWL tire change, people might be inclined to race you at the traffic light & you would most likely lose every time with this motor. Psychologically not good.
Better to keep the hubcaps & whitewalls & “race” only Mirages, Yarises, & Sparks. lol
The one race you want to come in last in everytime is the race to the gas pump – especially now!
As it stands , its a beauty
I wouldn’t touch anything
But
I wouldn’t buy it
Cause i like to drive
Actually, my gf says that i race i dont drive
And this would be too boring …
Would be a great car to cruise around in.
1968 – best looking year of Javelin.
Why not put in some Freon?
I’d leave it as a six. It won’t be a drag racer but a 232 six made before 1970s emission controls is pretty sprightly even with the automatic.
I don’t recall seeing the door strikers painted on any of the AMC cars I’ve owned.
Too bad they didn’t go the rest of the way and convert the AC system to R134a and get it working. Air conditioning systems on these are very basic and it should not be difficult to get it working if all the parts are there.
Minor nit, the ad says it’s a “frame-on restoration”. That is the only way to restore an AMC car since they all employ unit construction, there is no frame in the traditional sense.
Brakes are non-power, probably drums on all 4 wheels. The factory AM/FM radio is a rare option as are the electric windshield wipers. Hopefully the trunnion-based front suspension is in as good shape as the rest of the car appears to be.
Price seems high but you couldn’t make a beat up, rusty one this nice for that kind of cash.
I agree. Coming from Milwaukee, there were quite a few Javelins, and I’d say 90% were just like this. We rarely, if ever, saw an AMX. Javelins were sold to single librarians, secretaries, school nurses, even that hip art teacher had one, all 6 cylinders, targeted squarely at single female Mustang buyers, remember the Mustang ad, “Six and the single girl”?( not seen in the conservative Midwest, btw) A spoof on a best selling book at the time, but a clearer message, single gals needed a car like this and they didn’t have to be wheelstanders. This ad captured the REAL Javelin buyer,,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB3FCInATuU
Oddly, unlike Camaros, Novas, Mustangs & even old Cudas & Challengers, Javelins are hard to find for sale – even AMX’s seem more plentiful!
I find it hard to believe, tho, that Javelins rusted out faster than the other cars. Maybe today’s owners just don’t want to sell them? Maybe the same to a lesser extent with Mavericks & Dusters?
Unfortunately, even tho the strait 6 motor was restored here, i give the 6 a 50/50 chance remaining with this car after its sold – may wind up in a gremlin, hornet, or in storage indefinitely, with a big V8 & flowmasters transplanted.
no manual disc brakes available in 1968 for Javelin or AMX
Sweet, i would leave it stock, but a 6cyl. is not for me.
With gas prices up to $4/ gallon, and more electric cars on the road every year, maybe 10 years from now muscle cars with their smallest stock gasoline engines may start have a premium value. Is so, then now would be a good time to buy,
A great AMC design.
6 Cly. I’m out
Auction update: this Javelin sold for $18,600!