The Javelin & Other AMC Muscle Cars

[Jon Haigwood]

After owning a 1:1 Javelin and Matador I am not overly impressed with them. But they do hold a spot in Pony Car history.

 Since the demise of AMC the Mopar community has adopted them into the family of sorts. Kinda like a "red-headed step-child"

But I always kinda wanted to get a SC Rambler

 

 

[Snake45]

I know someone that has a Flintstone '70 Javelin that they picked up several years ago. The one they have is cast in a very..very thick, very..very dense, very..very heavy resin.  I'm not bashing the Flintstone piece  but stating the quality of the body I saw.  It certainly was not a crisp clean thin casting that you would get from other resin casters i.e. Missing Link/Modelhause etc or manufactures like Möbius, Revell but; I guess it's better than having nothing.

Again I'm not bashing anyone or their products....I'm just saying?

I have one and don't remember it being quite as bad as you describe, but it's definitely in that ballpark. And it has the flared fenders of the Trans Am racers, too, which I what I'm gonna do with it if I ever do build it.

[Dave Van]

I had heard that at least one of the model companies was at one point looking at late 1960's AMC product among possible subjects for future kit series.    

This was quite some time ago but then again these projects do typically take years to materialize... don't know what the current status is....or even if it is still on the consideration list.  

But at least there did seem to be some consideration of the business proposition at that time. 

So bottom line, always good to make your kit preferences known....

TIM

PS - personally the ''71 Javelin AMX with a (truly accurate) 401 Ram Air would be at the top of my want list.  But as a business consideration it would probably be well down the list due to all the reissued JoHan '71-'74 (mostly '73-'74) kits out there in eBay-ville and other locations.

The good thing about AMC being flat broke was how they used and reused parts. A kit manufacture could engineer a tool to make the 70-74 cars with less tooling than might seem needed. The real Javelin doors and glass was the same for all years. Chassis was unchanged for those years......a 68-69 Javelin was different.  A 71 is a good choice for a number of reasons......and I being bias agree!!! I've pitched a Javelin a few times....I hope someone does one while I can still build!!!

[Ron Hamilton]

Ron, do you still have the cut-off hardtop? I have an otherwise nice '66 body that someone chopped the top off of, and then chopped the windshield. As I don't care much about convertibles, it might be fun to try to restore it back to a hardtop. (The cutoff top didn't come in the deal.)

Unfortunately, I got rid of that roof long ago, as it was a very bad glue-bomb, and I had to slice it up. I wanted it to be a hardtop, but it could not be saved. I have to still find some glass for it, and I do not want to raid a pristine S/C Rambler for it. 

Edited April 2, 2017 by Ron Hamilton

[Snake45]

Thought it was the same as the Scrambler kit......

I did some google-fu and that car (the racer in your pic) seems to be a '67, with chrome trim on the front fender tips and the chrome trim down the side.

[Karl Sheffer]

I would love any new tool AMC but I think the Javelin would be the best choice as there are more ways to go with it over the AMX or any other AMC model.  As Dave Van mentioned, to maximize the tooling you could get the 68-70 out of one tool by doing the different front grills, taillights and bumpers, and also incorporate separate door panels and seats on the interior to do the different styles from all 3 years. Include a detailed chassis and you would be able to use that for 68 through 74 (though there might be some issues having to tool the 67-68 trunion front suspension AND the 70 - 74 "coil over A arm" design).  Shorten that chassis up and stick it up underneath those Johan AMX's and Hornet promos.  Bring out stock, Mark Donohue and Trans Am versions to get even more mileage out of the tool.

And back in the July 2002 issue of Model Cars, I had an article published on how to convert a Hornet promo to an SC/360.  This is even easier now with the Missing Link resin.  Note that the picture below is my converted promo and not the Missing Link resin kit.

Edited April 17, 2017 by Karl Sheffer

[DrKerry]

I would love any new tool AMC but I think the Javelin would be the best choice as there are more ways to go with it over the AMX or any other AMC model.  As Dave Van mentioned, to maximize the tooling you could get the 68-70 out of one tool by doing the different front grills, taillights and bumpers, and also incorporate separate door panels and seats on the interior to do the different styles from all 3 years. Include a detailed chassis and you would be able to use that for 68 through 74 (though there might be some issues having to tool the 67-68 trunion front suspension AND the 70 - 74 "coil over A arm" design).  Shorten that chassis up and stick it up underneath those Johan AMX's and Hornet promos.  Bring out stock, Mark Donohue and Trans Am versions to get even more mileage out of the tool.

And back in the July 2002 issue of Model Cars, I had an article published on how to convert a Hornet promo to an SC/360.  This is even easier now with the Missing Link resin.  Note that the picture below is my converted promo and not the Missing Link resin kit.

Hummina hummina hummina!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[br67]

Karl, would love to see that article on your Hornet conversion

[MrObsessive]

Now that's a VERY NICE Hornet! Very seldom saw those on the road, and they'd be a hot property today!

BTW, AMC used that trunion setup through '69. I'm VERY familiar with that crazy setup as it was going bad on my '69 AMX. I got a wake up call one time as I was doing some work underneath the car, and I could see where the insides of the front tires were wearing. 

The trunions were wearing to the point that the lower part of the spring was very slightly rubbing against the tires at times, so I replaced those PRONTO!

 

[disabled modeler]

I would love any new tool AMC but I think the Javelin would be the best choice as there are more ways to go with it over the AMX or any other AMC model.  As Dave Van mentioned, to maximize the tooling you could get the 68-70 out of one tool by doing the different front grills, taillights and bumpers, and also incorporate separate door panels and seats on the interior to do the different styles from all 3 years. Include a detailed chassis and you would be able to use that for 68 through 74 (though there might be some issues having to tool the 67-68 trunion front suspension AND the 70 - 74 "coil over A arm" design).  Shorten that chassis up and stick it up underneath those Johan AMX's and Hornet promos.  Bring out stock, Mark Donohue and Trans Am versions to get even more mileage out of the tool.

And back in the July 2002 issue of Model Cars, I had an article published on how to convert a Hornet promo to an SC/360.  This is even easier now with the Missing Link resin.  Note that the picture below is my converted promo and not the Missing Link resin kit.

Id love to have this body style of Hornet...maybe an old promo one. AMCs were pretty tough...my late uncle owned many cool AMC rides....

early 70s and 74 Hornets one had a V-8 in it

74 AMX 401ci, 4 speed car

mid 70s Matador 

early 70s Gremlin

67,69 and 70 Ambassadors

66 American wagon

Id love to be able to make or have replicas of them.

 

 

[tedd60]

Although not a "muscle car",  a fellow by the name of Amos Johnson raced an AMC Gremlin with a 231 in-line six and 3 speed trans in both SCCA and IMSA events.  In 1973 Johnson drove the car to a National Championship in IMSA's Baby Grand series.

I saw this car race a lot back in the day and was always impressed how well Team Highball got this thing to go on short tracks OR long tracks.  A lot of BMW 2002 guys are still scratching their heads about getting beat by a GREMLIN.

I owned a Hornet wagon for a couple years.  Solid reliable little car.

I keep hoping (but I ain't holding my breath) that someone would produce a model of the Gremlin, just because it was so unusual.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Chd-CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=amos+johnson+racing+AMC+Gremlin&source=bl&ots=l_kVFv4ikJ&sig=ihif4fmN_0erSIAWmQq89DnExdU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjX5_Pk06vTAhUI7SYKHQ8tDh4Q6AEIVjAL#v=onepage&q=amos johnson racing AMC Gremlin&f=false

Edited April 17, 2017 by tedd60

[Karl Sheffer]

Now that's a VERY NICE Hornet! Very seldom saw those on the road, and they'd be a hot property today!

BTW, AMC used that trunion setup through '69. I'm VERY familiar with that crazy setup as it was going bad on my '69 AMX. I got a wake up call one time as I was doing some work underneath the car, and I could see where the insides of the front tires were wearing. 

The trunions were wearing to the point that the lower part of the spring was very slightly rubbing against the tires at times, so I replaced those PRONTO!

 

Thanks Bill!  Your are correct Bill regarding the trunion front suspension on the AMX/Javelin.  I mistyped 67-68 instead of 68-69.  Thanks for the clarification!

[Karl Sheffer]

Karl, would love to see that article on your Hornet conversion

I'll see what I can do for you Brandon.  I don't think that issue is available from the Model Cars back issue department.

[Robberbaron]

I keep hoping (but I ain't holding my breath) that someone would produce a model of the Gremlin, just because it was unusual.

 AMT did Gremlin annuals through 1976.  A couple of years ago, Round 2 restored the tooling and reissued the 1976 kit, followed by the 1975.  If you want to convert to the earlier "small bumper" body style, it's available in resin.  The AMT Gremlins kits have a V8, but the MPC Pacer coupe and the AMT Pacer wagon each have an I6.  Both were also recently reissued.

[tedd60]

 AMT did Gremlin annuals through 1976. 

Thank you ... Sorry for the confusion, but I left out the "1/18th scale".  Some pretty odd ducks get built in 1/18th scale.  Maybe one day.

[om617]

 

I hope find a 68-70 Javelin one day to fix/build. Have a more recent 73? snap-kit and the AMX.

[Snake45]

ATTN AMC Fans: The new (May) issue of Car Craft has a badass-looking restomod '70 Javelin feature car, followed by a restomod puke-green Gremlin! Must-have issue for AMC freaks.

[Karl Sheffer]

ATTN AMC Fans: The new (May) issue of Car Craft has a badass-looking restomod '70 Javelin feature car, followed by a restomod puke-green Gremlin! Must-have issue for AMC freaks.

Thanks for the "heads up" on this Snake!  I'll have to check the magazine racks.