Oooh Javelin...

Just another teaser

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-AMC-AMX-360-4-SPD-GO-PACK-RARE-BARN-FIND-PROJECT-SURVIVOR-/160673304060?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2568e00dfc

Here's another one for you.

http://charleston.craigslist.org/cto/2656477220.html

Toyman01 wrote: Here's another one for you. http://charleston.craigslist.org/cto/2656477220.html

So close to home, but so far away from my wallet!!

Ooooh AMX.. Javelins are longer.

Beckoning the person, not describing the car,

And a parts car to help with the project:

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/2669041054.html

I'll take the 69 Javelin over the 70 AMX, but really I want them all!!!

I'd like a resto-modded '70 AMX with '69 nose and dash...built 390 with 5 or 6 speed, 9" rear, 4-wheel discs...that would be a fun track-day car.

The relative value of AMC muscle cars vs. the big 3 always astounds me. In my opinion, the '70 Javelin is the coolest muscle car ever built. Period.

SlickDizzy wrote: The relative value of AMC muscle cars vs. the big 3 always astounds me. In my opinion, the '70 Javelin is the coolest muscle car ever built. Period.

Quoted for truth!

I see the bid is approaching $4K. Is a non-numbers matching car that needs total resto really worth this number?

(I know, I know... to somebody it is)

In reply to fasted58:

I think so. This is my opinion and I don't want this to start a dramatic discussion but I think only three sports cars have ever been built by American car companies; the 'Vette, the Viper, and the AMX. Which makes this rather special.

fasted58 wrote: I see the bid is approaching $4K. Is a non-numbers matching car that needs total resto really worth this number? (I know, I know... to somebody it is)

For a 2-seater AMX? Absolutely. As pointed out, there's been exactly 3 American sports cars: Vette, AMX, Viper. They did not make very many of these, and they're all special.

In reply to Javelin:

there's been exactly 3 American sports cars: Vette, AMX, Viper.

Ummm... Pontiac Solstice/ Saturn Sky? Caddy XLR? Bricklin SV1? Vector? I'm sure there are others. AMX's are awesome though.

mblommel wrote: Caddy XLR? Bricklin SV1? Vector?

The XLR is a luxobarge GT car, not a sports car. Read any review of it. The SV-1 is about as far removed from a sports car as you can get; they are extraordinarily heavy, slow, and handle like ass. SV-1 stands for "Safety Vehicle 1" - it was never supposed to be sporty, it just kind of looks that way. Also, I don't think Vector actually sold any cars, they were too busy fumbling with the books and building (as Jeremy Clarkson described the M12) "the worst car ever made." Seriously, from my research, they actually never built and sold a car to the public. Either way, at $400,000+ a Vector is exotic, not a sports car.

As hard as I think, I can only think of: Sky/Solstice, Corvette, Viper, AMX. Anything else is debatable.

In reply to SlickDizzy:

I'm pretty sure the 2 vectors at a dealer near me are not a figment of my imagination. I also think it could be debated that if an AMX is a sports car, so is the XLR and Bricklin. Old corvettes handled terribly also, so would you say they aren't sports cars?

OK, according to a dubious biography of Jerry Weigert, 17 W8's and 14 M12's were ever built for public sale in Vector's multiple existences. Still, that's coachbuilder numbers, and the company has gone out of business amongst mysterious circumstances more than an F1 team. If Vector built a sports car, than the SSC Ultimate Aero/Tutuara, Mosler Consulier/Raptor/MT900, Bill Thomas Cheetah, et. al. are all sports cars, despite their exotic price points and performance.

I stand by my call because the early 'Vettes were, for their time, very sporty and good handlers. They were truly America's first go at a sports car. The Bricklin is just plain laughable from a performance perspective, even for the time, considering that by the time they had the performance sorted, you could only get it with an auto at 2x the cost of a 'Vette. Also, don't forget it was built in Canada! There is some argument possible over the XLR, particularly the V model, but reviews paint it as anything but sporty.

Still, with the XLR added, that's a grand total of 5 vehicles (counting the Sky/Solstice as the same).

um...are we forgetting the Fiero?

Panoz Esperante and AIV.

Two seater Thunderchicken would run & handle with the early vettes. Crosley made a 2-seater that was competitive in the early 50s. Stutz Bearcat? Miller? Duesenburg?

The '70 AMX sold on ebay for $4001.00 btw

Let's not forget the first American post-war sports car: Crosley Hot Shot

Light, smallbore engine, definitely a momentum car.

Racing history: How about Sebring and LeMans?

Then we should include the mercury capri also.

While I do agree the Pontiac Solstice/ Saturn Sky qualifies as a sports car, it should be Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky/Opel GT. Also sold in Germany/Europe and all have some German designed parts. I think the Opel GT version actually beat the Pontiac Solstice/ Saturn Sky to the market.

Which Mercury Capri? The first was actually European although a nice car for its day.

There were others that could count as true American sports cars but not built in numbers that would make them accessible to most. I don't consider myself a vette guy but I do like the 50's and early 60's vettes.

AMX/Javelin have always been my favorite muscle car.

mblommel wrote: In reply to Javelin:

there's been exactly 3 American sports cars: Vette, AMX, Viper.

Ummm... Pontiac Solstice/ Saturn Sky? Caddy XLR? Bricklin SV1? Vector? I'm sure there are others. AMX's are awesome though.

Hmm, true. I forgot about the Solstice/Sky twins. And the XLR. The Bricklin was most certainly not a sports car (Gremlin chassis with 1500 more pounds!), and the Vector was vaporware. 55-57 TBird would count though.