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Trans Am Tribute: 1969 AMC Javelin SST

American Motors joined the pony car wars in 1968 with the Javelin (and the AMX in the GT world). With a limited reputation for producing performance cars, AMC decided to enter auto racing in 1968 with the Javelin and found success. They were able to eventually win the Trans Am Series championship on two occasions, 1971 and 1972. To celebrate their growing SCCA program, in 1970 AMC built 100 Trans Am street cars, all of them painted in red, white and blue. This 1969 Javelin is an older restoration that is a tribute car in the vein of the 1970 real thing. Located in Sewell, New Jersey, this Javelin can be yours by hitting the Buy It Now button here on eBay for $25,000 or by making an offer that appeals to the seller.

The Trans Am street cars had a 390 cubic inch V8 (in Trans Am, they ran the 290) with AMC’s Go Package. To sweeten the pot, they threw in a Hurst 4-speed manual transmission, Ram-Air hood, spoilers, 140-mph speedometer, tachometer, power steering, front disc brakes, heavy-duty suspension and raised white-letter tires on mag-style wheels. These cars were rated at 340 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. The seller’s ’69 tribute looks the part but doesn’t have all the features of what AMC built.

This ’69 Javelin is a numbers-matching SST (short for Super Sonic Transport in AMC lingo), restored some years ago with no expense spared and painted to replicate the replicas. The red, white and blue paint continues in each part of the car as the engine compartment is red, half the passenger zone is white, and the trunk area is blue. The body looks quite solid and we’re told the undercarriage is similar and this Javelin is ready to show off at Cars & Coffee with its newer tires on Cragar SS wheels.

The restoration stayed true to the then Trans Am engine displacement limit of 305 cubic inches. But this car has 290 with a 2-barrel carburetor that is still good for 200 hp with an automatic transmission, in this case. The engine and surrounding bay look like a work of art, including originality and detail. Its performance is enhanced by a Flow Master side exit exhaust system. This does not look like a car with nearly 89,000 miles on the odometer.

Inside the AMC, you’ll find the original steering wheel, AM radio, seats and shoulder belts and sweet-looking corduroy seats. The glovebox contains the owner’s manual and dealer brochure from 1969. But the jack and spare tire have flown the coop. AMC built more than 40,600 Javelins in 1969, with 23,300 of them being the more upscale SST edition like the seller’s car. We’re told this car “runs like it was built yesterday,” but since it’s something of a one-off tribute, does $25,000 sound like a fair price?

Comments

  1. Avatar Steve Clinton

    sold! $25,000.00

    Like 3
    • Avatar Steve R

      Not likely.

      This was the 4th time it was listed, two of those times it was an auction with the highest bid of just over $17,000. It’s hard to see a 290 2bbl Javelin painted as a “tribute” to a little known model from a different production year generating enough interest to entice someone to part with $25,000 especially when you consider that only one javelin over the last 3 months has even come close to that selling price.

      Steve R

      Like 11
    • Avatar david j weiner

      This Car Is relisted For a Steal On EBay 17,000 or best offer auction ends on 3/2/2021

      Like 0
    • Avatar Falcon Dude

      Not hardly, I talked to the guy yesterday, it is back on ebay for $15,900. It started out at 25 then 20 then 17 then 15, now back up to $15,900. New pics on ebay, funky exhaust, cracked crash pad, radiator issues, funky interior..not matching, Cragar’s have the wheel weights on the facing side…..GEEZ!!!!!!

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Tooyoung4heyday Member

    Actually this paint scheme was being used in ’67 if not earlier. By ’68 it was being used on just about every model involved in racing. The Rebel drag cars, the Javelin SCCA and drag cars, the Breedlove record setting cars, by ’69 it spread to the SS/AMX’s and the Jim Garner off road/BAJA SC/Ramblers. Id say the 100 ’70 Trans Am Javelins were a tribute to all the cars leading up to it. Nevertheless, this particular Javelin could just be painted to tribute any of that. Has a good traditional old school look but those seats need attention, yikes. Good news is AMC engines are like B.O.P. so the 390 or 401 would fit right it those fender wells. 290 isn’t a bad little motor but it doesn’t fit the more aggressive look they tried to give this car. Shouldn’t have much issue selling this car.

    Like 6
  3. Avatar Miguel

    Can someone clarify for me if that is the correct color blue?

    Like 1
    • Avatar gbvette62

      The blue looks correct for the 68-69 Trans Am race cars, but not the 70 race or street car.

      When Ron Kaplan ran the Javelin team in 68-69, the cars used a bright blue, similar to “Petty Blue”, and similar to the blue on this car. When AMC turned to Roger Penske for the 70 season, he changed the blue to a darker blue, “Sunoco Blue”, the color used by his primary sponsor. When AMC decided to offer a street version of the TA race car, they used a darker blue too, so that the street car would look the same as the race car. They used Commodore Blue, a dark blue offered across the whole 70 AMC line, and a color that looked an awful lot like Sunoco Blue.

      Like 8
  4. Avatar That AMC Guy

    How many times is it necessary to point out that with AMC there is no such thing as “numbers matching”? :) $25K sounds a bit optimistic to say the least.

    Engine bay looks great down to the vacuum windshield wiper motor and drum brake master cylinder!

    Like 7
  5. Avatar EPO3

    I think I have seen those colors on a couple of Hot Wheels also

    Like 0
  6. Avatar sir_mike

    The stance is all wrong for a ”Trans Am” tribute.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Tooyoung4heyday Member

      It wasn’t just Trans Am cars that used this paint scheme….

      Like 0
  7. Avatar CATHOUSE

    For That AMC Guy,
    Would you please explain why there is no such thing as a numbers matching AMC? My understanding is that the federal government mandated that all auto manufacturers VIN stamp their engines and transmissions starting in 1968. Did AMC not do this? Thank you in advance for the education.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Howard Kerr

      I think that the non numbers matching comment was a veiled reference to AMC being a car manufacturer that got many of its parts from other car manufacturers not to mention that AMC appears to have bought parts in batches and when a supply ran short another supplier’s part might be used.
      As I remember it from visits to various part suppliers over the years, AMC was one of the car companies that you had to have not just the VIN when buying parts, but also the date of manufacturer. And even then you weren’t guaranteed of getting the correct part.

      Like 3
    • Avatar 67carnut

      AMC/ did not stamp their drive train parts with VIN numbers. The only thing for a reference to the body were stamped tags with date codes, or the casting date codes. The door tag data could give you a rough build date, and the part tags could tell you when they were built. If they were within a month or so, of the door tag build info, that’s about as close to “matching number” as you could get.

      Like 3
    • Avatar redwagon

      My understanding is that unlike other manufacturers who would stamp the production sequence vin digits on their engines AMC never did. Their engines have tags affixed – often to the valve covers – but those tags and the blocks are not embossed with any portion of the vin. So there is no way to know which engine block originally came with a vehicle.

      I dont know if that information exists anywhere else, i.e. if there is a master sheet somewhere, or somewhere on the vehicle, that says what engine number was installed into a particular vin.

      Like 1
    • Avatar That AMC Guy

      The VIN may tell you what engine the car came with, but there is no serial number matching between the engine and chassis. (For example, if an AMC car came with a 290 originally and a different 290 was swapped in, no one would be the wiser. Likewise no matching of serial numbers between chassis, transmission, and rear axle.)

      Like 1
  8. Avatar Lee Stoddard

    My brother in law bought a 68 javelin light blue with a 343 cu in 4 barrel carb. with a 4spd does anyone remember that combination ?

    Like 5
  9. Avatar David Byers

    Here locally, I remember dominos pizza had a fleet of javelins painted these colors for their delivery vehicles.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar Tyrone

    Numbers matching in Rambler/AMC lingo can mean that the casting numbers – date & times are consistent with the vehicles build date of manufacture.

    Like 2
  11. Avatar JT Member

    Engine tag affixed to passenger side valve cover. Doesn’t match the car number.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar PRA4SNW

    Apparently. AMC used the Javelin body to race in TransAm.
    I wonder why they didn’t use the more compact AMX body?

    Like 0
    • Avatar gbvette62

      Easy, the Trans Am series was a race series for “sedans”.

      Cars competing in the original TA series (1966-1972) had to be sedans, originally equipped with a back seat. The Porsche 911 was allowed to run in the under 2 liter class, because it came with a (useless) jump seat in back, but the AMX didn’t have a back seat. AMC raced the AMX starting in 71, when it became sub model of the Javelin line.

      In 73, the SCCA completely revised the rules for Trans Am, putting it in line with the international FIA Group 4, and IMSA GT rules. This opened the series up to all kinds of sports cars, and pretty much changed it completely.

      Like 3
  13. Avatar Wayne Cornelius

    I do. I had one. “68 red Javelin, 343 SST, 4sp.

    Like 3
  14. Avatar Karl S.

    I had one also. 1969 Javelin SST, 343, 4 speed. My first car. Wish I still had it.

    Like 2
  15. Avatar CATHOUSE

    Thank you to everyone who responded to my question. It is good to learn something new every day, so this was my education for today.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Joe Samascott

    This red, white, and blue is the scheme used on the Craig Breedlove AMX in 1968. As part of the promotion. for the new AMX, AMC sponsored Breedlove, who went out, and set some speed records with his red, white and( this color) blue AMX.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Dave Horst

    I own a 73 javelin AMX 401 go package. Bought it in 1974 I put some money in the engine and it is fast. I take it to shows and it is received well. These cars don’t get the respect they desire. Until I run them!

    Like 0

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