I’m a huge American murders fan because they were the underdog I would love to drive the AMX one day it’s always been one of my favorite muscle cars and I think that it never got the praise it deserved.. it was an amazing muscle car.. I love the fact that AMC came tardy to the party so speak but they were packing some would say the AMC Marlin rambler Marlin may of been a pony car but I don’t view that car as a pony car.. it’s a cool car I don’t know what category I would put that in
When I was 17 I bought a brand new 1969 AMX, Hunter Green, leather seats, 390 c.i. Engine with 320 H (turned out to be more). I started street racing and had few takers, started drag racing and joined the Jav/AMX racing club. This car was stock and was not the fastest car there but it was consistent, I won races because of that. It was a dream to drive, hugged the curves of mountain roads and got me a speeding ticket freeway driving at 140+. What a ride that was! Almost lost my license.
That's the Ford-style shifter. AMC switched to a factory Hurst Competition-Plus shifter mid year. The air conditioning compressor has been removed. It was located directly above the alternator.
I grew up in suburban Milwaukee, not far at all from Kenosha, where these were made. You couldn't park an AMX within a mile of my highschool without coming back to find nose prints on the windows. I was a repeat offender. It was mind boggling to realize AMC could make something that packed so much testosterone, and every aspiring gear head I knew was in a state of frenzied bliss when the AMX debuted. Gorgeous car in the perfect color. This was a real treat! Thanks!
0-60 under 6 was considered prettyquick back then..still respectable today Didnt know they were that light! Neighbor had every color combo AMX made when I was a kid. He and his Dad collected cars. His blue/white 68-9 was his only non stock st racer Car dipped into the 11s back then. As most say back then nobody took amc seriously. Had a 71 sst 401 late 80s..lots of torque I was surprised. I hear the suspension pre 70 was bad but the ones I rode in or drove seemed fine?
I owned a 69 1/2 AMX 500 Special. 390 Go package. BB Green, 4 speed with factory Hurst quick shift. Rebuilt engine .0040 over,(got a deal on pistons and rods, otherwise would have been 30) producing right around 400 hp. Main problem was traction. 2nd gear out of the hole was the solution. A truly exhilarating experience driving that car! Always turned heads no matter where I went.
I had a’69 AMX bought in 1971 with 11K on it. Only $1250 for a 290 it was relatively easy to afford. It could be quick off the line, but the clutch and the 4 speed needed to get to where it was able to shift, up around 5k rpm. It was helpless on ice or snow unless one had snow tires with studs. It was not easy to drive. With spring it could be in its element. It would be good on the 128 or 495 doing 70 in third. So, it wasn’t too thirsty…
Honestly one of my favorite muscle/pony cars. Top 5 for sure. Growing up, a neighbor down the street had 3. No kidding. 1 red, 1 yellow, and one in his garage disassembled. I'd always stare at them every time I'd walk by his house. Gorgeous cars.
I know someone who bought a 69 AMX within the past year. It's a 390 cubed, 4 speed car, dark green. It's driver quality and needs some work (sat for around 30 years). In high school, my high school auto shop teacher had a 68 with a worked later 401 engine. Just fun overlooked cars!
I have a "68" AMX w/ a "71" 401ci bored to .040 over - Edelbrock STR-11 dual quad- 4 spd Black on Black - everywhere I go - people go nuts over it. Most interesting car I've owned. Nice job on the video. If you're every in FL. come by and take a look.
What part of Florida are you in I might be going to Jacksonville for Amelia Island in March I really wanna go but it all depends on budget of course =)
The AMC AMX was the only model AMC offered with optional leather seats at the time, quite a rarity on American cars in this price range. In January 1968, two specially-prepared AMXs set 106 world speed and endurance records at Goodyear's track in Texas driven by world land speed record holder Craig Breedlove, his wife Lee, and Ron Dykes. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) named the AMX as the "best engineered car of the year" in 1969 and 1970. And never forget - - - Playboy magazine's 1968 Playmate of the Year, Angela Dorian, was awarded a specially painted "Playmate Pink" 1968 AMX. One of my old bosses had one. It was very quick. I always thought they were pretty cool overall.
The AMX is such a cool concept of a car, a very underrated automobile like most AMC products. I wouldn't know how to classify it, it's almost like it's in a segment all on it's own, too small to be a muscle car, It has no back seats and, started with a V-8 unlike the other pony cars, yet it's not really a sports car either. It really is it's own thing, and I can't quite help but love it for that.
The wheelbase was an inch shorter than a C3 Corvette, and it met the Specifications of the Sports Car Club of America for racing in the production sports car classes, while the Javelin, Mustang, Camaro, and other pony cars were classified as sedans. To run in the sports car class, Shelby removed the rear seat, in the GT350, while keeping a wheelbase 11 inches longer than the AMX. Not sure what reasoning you are using to determine that it's not "really" a sports car. Much more Sports Car, than a "Muscle" car. Are you suggesting that the Corvette isn't "America's Sports Car"?
Wow, this AMX is stunning!!! It's sad that these cars were so underrated simply because they were from American Motors. They were great cars, nothing like a 59 Rambler!!! You gotta love those Nash seats!!! Thanks Jay for sharing another exciting video!!! 👍👍🎄
You forgot to mention the "Go Pak" for the 390's: 1968-69 AMX 343V8/285hp Typhoon or 390V8315hp engine w/4bbl carburetor; dual exhaust system, power disc brakes; E70X14 redline tires; Twin Grip Axle (posi); Handling Package; Seven Blade Flex Fan; Heavy Duty Cooling; Fan Shroud; Space Saver Spare; Over The Top twin 'skunk' Roof Stripes.
Happy medium is a fine line I have people messaging me saying it’s too much information I’m finding it’s impossible to make everyone happy but are totally right I should have stated what the go pak was
Beautiful car when it first came out and only got better and "badder" looking. I had a 1973 AMX when I was in college. Bought it used, but it was in great shape. Metallic green with a 401 CI and auto trans with that cool horse-shoe shifter. It had a real neat button on the A/C controls that simply stated "Desert". When you pushed it, it boosted the temp down as the compressor ran full time. Very neat!
Your car sounds like it was awesome how was the 401 V8 what did you like about your car what did you dislike about your car thank you so much for sharing your personal experience with all of us =)
I owned a Big Bad Orange '69 AMX during the late 1970s, It was a 390, 4-speed, Go-Pack car, with manual steering and power brakes. The rear sail panels (what you referred to as buttresses), helped keep the rear window clear of rain at highway speeds, though they did add to the blind spots that affected many fast-back cars of that era. The reclining seat backs were gone with the introduction of 1970 AMX, which unfortunately ended the AMX as a stand-alone model. From 1971-1974, the AMX became a performance package on the Javelin. Oh, and the track that you played a snippet of, was "Getting In Tune", by The Who, from their 1971 album, "Who's Next". That was the first 8-Track tape that I bought, back in 1972.
I've always thought this is a really cool design, just different and strangely appealing ! I don't think I'm ever been up close to one though, it's cool seeing the inside in detail! I can see that those seats look like they are lacking a little in comfort, and probably even more so in a hot climate, like you could just melt to them. That's a really beautiful example though 🤩
What a beautiful car. These were never taken seriously due to it being an American Motors product. However these were fast cars. Take that big V8 and put it in a car with a 97 inch wheelbase and you know it's gonna be fast. Friend of mine owned one. He had to pay a premium for his car insurance because his insurance company considered it to be a sports car because it didn't have a rear seat. LOL
Very cool car, always had a soft spot for AMC. They did fairly well in Nascar. I remember watching Mark Donahue driving the red, white and blue Matadore. It would have been cool if the company would have survived. Nice work. 👍👍🏁🏁
Happy you dig this episode Were huge AMC fans here. It’s a tragedy that they didn’t make it but I honestly believe that they had a stellar product but they just did not know how to market it. Their advertising campaign was a bit weird.
Absolutely underrated. The massive low RPM 390-4V torque curve w/4 speed & competition rear end took many a rival by surprise! It was a "sleeper"! Race prepared AMX/Javelins won Trans-Am trophy for AMC 2 years straight.
And a 343ci AMX, built by a team of AMC engineers, on their own time, nearly won SCCA's B/Production class National Championship, after winning the Central Division championship, where they competed against 350ci, and 327ci/ fuel injected Corvettes. They broke on the last lap, while leading, and finished second. The 390ci AMX was classified in A/Prod, where it would have been uncompetitive against 427 Cobras and Corvettes.
I drove one of these AMX cars decades ago when I was young. I think it had the largest V8's offered for this car. One time I revved the engine and dumped its clutch. The rear wheels broke loose and the car just about went sideways. The AMX was a joy to drive. It handled OK and had way more power than needed. Its too bad AMC went down the toilet taking the AMX with it. I thoroughly enjoy your effervescent character and your candor in pointing out some cars less than perfect attributes combined with your accolades of the subject car. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for digging the channel I absolutely try to put the orphan cars front and center because frankly they never got the attention they should’ve gotten back in the day If all goes well the next couple weeks should be epic it’s like a merry Christmas from me to you.. might put some sneak peaks up on Facebook
I always liked the look of this car, but they were pretty rare even when new. That's a lot of cargo space, I have to say. I'm surprised even with this car, the seat can be turned into a bed! It never occurred to me that AMC did this even with the AMX.
I knew a guy in the Oldsmobile Car Club that had an AMX. He said the happiest day of his life was buying the AMX...the second happiest was when he sold it. thanx for going through all these cars, especially under the hood. All this helps when a person builds the model kits to get them right.
Hey Jay, back in '68, our neighbor owned one of these cars, and yeah back in the day it was quite , the "ROAD BURNER" , I remember my brother speaking about it so highly. I was 5 yrs old.
I have 69 my woman’s grandfather owned it and her dad give it to us for our so. That will be here this year so trying to learn as much as I can I am trying to sway her into a stroker kit
Glad you liked that line that was like the third take I had a scene playing out in another take I wanted to use but thought it was idk I didn’t use it Along the lines of all the out car makes were at the muscle car shindig and amc didn’t go to the muscle car shindig for the last few years or any year frankly, someone might say the Marlin is a pony car ( what would that be classified as super curious) anyway amc came through the door like the cool aid man and said OoH yeah.. it was too long and drawn out
The Javelin and AMX debuted in 1968, while competitors like Mustang, Camaro and Firebirds were technically in their 1st generation. The Barracuda might be considered in it's 2nd generation, having clearly moved away from it's Valiant body base. In 1968, all the AMX's competitors had base 6 cyl. motors. The original concept Javelins and AMX's lasted through 2 generations, 1968-1970 & 1971-1974. The AMX branding was applied to a Hornet. Top speed was more dependent on the differential gear ratio rather than a transmission type. As there were no overdrive automatics in 1969, an automatic-equipped car would have a higher top speed because of a taller gear ratio in the rear end. With that same gear ratio, a 4-speed equipped car would have left the automatic car in the dust, as far as top speed goes. Chassis can be re-enforced, unibody or not. Going back to the first Shelby Mustangs, they had extra re-enforcement compared to a stock Mustang. Yep, rust is a vehicles worst enemy.
I believe from a engineering standpoint that driver seat could possibly cause you serious back injury in the event of a severe collision I think that the NTSA told them to correct that deficiency that tune at the end I have heard hundreds of times but just don’t know the name of it or the artist and by the way one of the safest seat designs in the industry was StarCraft but I’m sure there are many more now a days
I had a '69 AMX. I notice that one has the interior controls and vents for A/C, but the compressor and other A/C components under the hood are missing.
Poor AMC, actually good cars but could never escape the “budget” stigma. From what I recall their engines were a bit less powerful according to the specs, but on the street they were competitive. Too bad Chevy aftermarket performance parts were so affordable and everywhere. The AMX should have sold way better than it did, it was fast and affordable
Hi Justin, nice video! The American Motors AMX was a very under rated High Performance Automobile. It was just one of two, 2 seater American cars marketed at the time with the Chevrolet Corvette. By the way, in 1969 and earlier, AMC was American Motors, or "Am". The "AMC" trademark (American Motors Corporation) did not come out until American Motors bought Kaiser-Jeep in 1970, before that time it was just "Am". One more thing, does Max Motive have any Chevrolet Corvairs in their inventory? And if so, would you profile one? Please reply. Dave...
I’m a huge AMX fan I’d love to have one, one day I’m not sure if they have a Corvair but I did a review of one this past summer it was at a car show here is the link 1965 corvair corsa convertible th-cam.com/video/CJw7s9Jj5aw/w-d-xo.html
I love it's uniqueness I get asked what is it? Or is it custom and stories of the past.i like to collect nos parts for it but paying for them has become painful.
Yep buttresses. A term from architecture which describes a style of external support for a building. Usually old style churches. The Jaguar XJ12sport, had the largest I can recall. *Hey, by the way, you showed a car recently, which had an extra toadstool style button under the clutch pedal, and I wondered what it was. I saw that it came on the 40s Nash Ambassador's, and was a starting switch. Once you depressed the clutch fully, it activated the starter, so a lock out. **
Hey Jay, my football coach (Australian rules) used to collect some of our team and drive us to a large training arena to practise, and run laps. This was the Javelin, of course, which was a very sexy American muscle car competitor from our local production vehicles. It wasn't truly competitive, but it sounded great and was luxurious and interesting inside. In a way it was exotic, because not many cars were imported and converted to R/H drive, except the Ford LTD's. The whole experience was slightly different, with a different smell and internal design. The AMX is a small lightweight, like a Japanese V6 nowadays. The big engine is spirited, and it looks the goods, but the Javelin still intrigues me. What was the biggest displacement engine that had?
Yes. Yes it was most underrated. First girlfriends dad had a 1969 AMC AMX 401, with the 4 speed and that bitching red white and blue paint job. Sounded CHOICE, despite how I was slamming his daughters clam, dude was really cool. That car was CHERRY, I have him to thank for my increases knowledge of the AMX. To this day it's the only AMC I've driven, the only rust free Javelin I've ever seen in person and buddy lemme tell ya, it got friggin DOWN, son. Dude owned it all through his early days, I wanna say he got it when he was 18, through his military career and never even contemplated selling it at all. God, they got screwed by the fuel crisis. AMC was really set up to take the top of the muscle car wars, I truly believe. But damn didn't they catch a nut kick. AMC died a prolonged death through poor money saving practices to assuage the financial woes of the muscle cars not selling anymore and their fuel efficient stuff was so cheaply made with such cheap metal and really not great paint coatings. What sold, rusted to bits in 5 years, the lawsuits further tightened the cash flow and ever poorer choices were made attempting to scramble a last gasp to keep their company alive. The AMC hornet and that 4wd wagon deal were good vehicles too, AMC made quality shit. (But I am from the southeast of Wisconsin, so I could be slightly biased.)
I owned a 69 AMX that had the 390 with a Edelbrock torker and the holly 750 double pumper with vacuum 2nd, i got the car from a AMC dealership in 1983 and most definitely fast i was going up a hill that's a bit of a strain but i was doing 130 and only half throttle cause when those vacuum secondies kicked in, it was like gone in sixty seconds.one thing i can't remember is the number what i mean is each car was numbered on a plate on the dash. Just a side note a speed shop i went to told me that the carburetor on the car was changed it should have been the 780 cause the one on the car was for use on a drag strip.
I can tell you that the seat in the AMX is not great for sleeping in. it pivots way to high for comfort, and causes much discomfort. you would better off putting the pillow under your but. But that is about the only thing that this AMX owner has to complain about, these cars are super fun, and as far as gas milage goes on the highway my 390 gets close to 20-21 MPGs if I try, 18 is more the norm.
Those seats were really uncomfortable I don’t understand why they couldn’t do something like a marlin seat the Marlins seats were pretty comfortable. Thank you so much for all the added information as well as insight
The AMX begged for a Targa Top - - the roof from the windshield to the small rear side window would have looked awesome if it cold be lifted off (oh well)
Imagine if this was a hatchback that would make it even that much more awesome =) it could have been the USA version of the Datsun 240z, did you ever notice AMC 390 has the same look as ford 289.. I was thinking the whole time that’s small for a 390 v8
The AMX wasn’t a muscle car, it was a GT car that competed with Mustang, Camaro and maybe the Barracuda. Muscle cars were a different size and style of car.
I would say a "muscle car" is when a mid-sized car gets the big CI engine from a full size car. Example: A Pontiac Tempest gets a 389 CI engine from the bigger Pontiac Bonneville. Boom! You have a muscle car. Then call it a GTO. If the 390 CI engine was in an Ambassador, ( I think it was) then you could call the AMX a muscle car.
o couse dear but we are not selling or purhasing yet what can you tell me abot NOX NESTMENTS looing at joining or shaking hands and adding o thier eample
let me offer some "cultural" perspective on the American Motors "Muscle cars" when they were new. i did my three years in high school 1970, 71, and 72. i had a couple of Corvettes at the time but my "claim to street racing fame" was a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda, 340 4speed Formula S fastback. that car was a mid-13 second 1/4 mile car and high 12's at the strip with uncapped headers and slicks. "back in those days", the car culture was VERY strong with young guys and "brand loyalty" was extremely important with "Ford guys", "GM guys", and "Mopar guys - no car but a mopar cult." that was the group i was in. as to American Motors, only the really "weird" guys drove those cars. i had a good friend that bought a new 69 Javelin and it was a nice car but we made fun of him all the time. the "real" car guys ONLY raced Ford, GM, or Mopar. that was one of the big problems AMC had with the "youth culture" - the kids just didn't identify with AMC cars. one of the reasons was that AMC was the result of the merger of VERY "stogy" car companies Hudson, Studebaker, Packard, and Nash-Rambler. the "parents" of the kids of the 60's knew those cars but an 18 year old young boy in 1970 who wanted to "drive fast" and "pick up chicks" had never heard of those old brands. AND - in 1968 to 1972, there were still OLD Ramblers and Studebakers driving around and those cars looked like they were from Mars compared to the slick and modern looking "Big Three" muscle cars. in fact, the "fold-down front seat" that is featured in the above video of the AMX was a feature on 40's and 50's Nash's and Ramblers. NO TEENAGER in 1970 wanted anyone to think something in HIS car came from a 1955 Rambler!! so there was a strong "youth culture" aversion to American Motors cars. we all thought they were just "odd balls" even though there were some pretty fast models offered like the AMX and the Hurst built AMC SC Scrambler two door "altered" Rambler American two-door sedan.
Accurate analysis, at least where I grew up. But I will have to say, that little Scrambler with its short wheelbase would launch like a rocket with street tyres, and sent many a Chevelle, Camaro and Mustang packing. When you get pulled by two car lengths before you get out of first, it’s hard to chase the little bsatard down in a quarter …
Thank you so much for sharing all the insight, I’m the type of person who likes the underdog.. in 2014 I bought the only new car I’ll ever buy it was brand new 4 miles on it 2014 Hyundai Veloster R spec turbo it’s a little hatchback car I paid $21k out the door, my friend bought a GTI Volkswagen same year about same time. He worked at Volkswagen and got a discount and his was $25k.. this was 2014 hot hatch was in full swing fiesta st, focus rs, gti, veloster I raced Trevor red light to red light first one to 60 won I beat him.. in the underdog. He made fun of me just about every day for owning that car but it was faster and it was cheaper there was a lot of things I didn’t like about that car I ended up getting like two or three speeding tickets in it the car was cursed it got hit for-five times and decided to trade it on a Subaru Outback. But it was quick it was the our Spectre harder to find their more stripped out model than the regular turbo if I can find one I want to do one review one on the channel because most people don’t give that car the light of day but it was actually a really good car. The only reason I beat Trevor in his GTI is because I only had to shift twice to get the 60 and he had to shift three times
so you can read Wikipedia .. that was a sc rambler or scramble.. .you didn't mention it has trunnions not ball joints or any thing about Mark Donahue .. i owned a 1970 javelin.. and a 1969 rambler american
I’ll cover Donahue when I do a javelin, or better yet when we do the AMX SS it’s impossible to know everything about all the cars that’s why this is a car community, so people in the comment section can fill in the blank I used 5 different sources for information and none of them mentioned trunnions, thank you so much for sharing that information =)
Not many realize that the front suspension was somewhat archaic (through 1969), but for those that really feel the need, updating to the ‘70 suspension is relatively easy for anyone restoring one of these cars. But frankly, the old “trunnion suspension” worked fine as it was. And replacement parts are still available at fair prices. And if you want to keep the car original …
I honestly thought it was phased out in the early 60s I knew about the trunnions but I didn’t see any information on any of the sources that I got this information from so I assumed that it wasn’t .. I know Studebaker used kingpins until the day they start making cars.. when I hit a 68 or 70 I will definitely correct that and say that you use trunnions and explain what that is thank you all so much for all that information I really appreciate it =)
The Who -Getting in Tune
Congratulations You got it =)
The condition of this AMX is superb. Long live AMC muscle 💪.
I’m a huge American murders fan because they were the underdog I would love to drive the AMX one day it’s always been one of my favorite muscle cars and I think that it never got the praise it deserved.. it was an amazing muscle car.. I love the fact that AMC came tardy to the party so speak but they were packing some would say the AMC Marlin rambler Marlin may of been a pony car but I don’t view that car as a pony car.. it’s a cool car I don’t know what category I would put that in
When I was 17 I bought a brand new 1969 AMX, Hunter Green, leather seats, 390 c.i. Engine with 320 H (turned out to be more). I started street racing and had few takers, started drag racing and joined the Jav/AMX racing club. This car was stock and was not the fastest car there but it was consistent, I won races because of that. It was a dream to drive, hugged the curves of mountain roads and got me a speeding ticket freeway driving at 140+. What a ride that was! Almost lost my license.
Awesome story these are drastically underrated for what they are
That's the Ford-style shifter. AMC switched to a factory Hurst Competition-Plus shifter mid year. The air conditioning compressor has been removed. It was located directly above the alternator.
I always admired these and some of the other offerings from AMC. Sad they didn’t last.
I grew up in suburban Milwaukee, not far at all from Kenosha, where these were made. You couldn't park an AMX within a mile of my highschool without coming back to find nose prints on the windows. I was a repeat offender. It was mind boggling to realize AMC could make something that packed so much testosterone, and every aspiring gear head I knew was in a state of frenzied bliss when the AMX debuted. Gorgeous car in the perfect color. This was a real treat! Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing that story what an awesome memory =)
Man that must've been awesome to be around in that time. I've heard the Javelins were called the "Kenosha Cadillac"
0-60 under 6 was considered prettyquick back then..still respectable today
Didnt know they were that light! Neighbor had every color combo AMX made when I was a kid. He and his Dad collected cars. His blue/white 68-9 was his only non stock st racer
Car dipped into the 11s back then. As most say back then nobody took amc seriously.
Had a 71 sst 401 late 80s..lots of torque I was surprised.
I hear the suspension pre 70 was bad but the ones I rode in or drove seemed fine?
It was also very competitive in the Trans Am races
I owned a 69 1/2 AMX 500 Special. 390 Go package. BB Green, 4 speed with factory Hurst quick shift. Rebuilt engine .0040 over,(got a deal on pistons and rods, otherwise would have been 30) producing right around 400 hp. Main problem was traction. 2nd gear out of the hole was the solution. A truly exhilarating experience driving that car! Always turned heads no matter where I went.
Awesome story thank you so much for sharing those memories with us =)
I had a’69 AMX bought in 1971 with 11K on it. Only $1250 for a 290 it was relatively easy to afford. It could be quick off the line, but the clutch and the 4 speed needed to get to where it was able to shift, up around 5k rpm.
It was helpless on ice or snow unless one had snow tires with studs. It was not easy to drive. With spring it could be in its element. It would be good on the 128 or 495 doing 70 in third. So, it wasn’t too thirsty…
Honestly one of my favorite muscle/pony cars. Top 5 for sure. Growing up, a neighbor down the street had 3. No kidding. 1 red, 1 yellow, and one in his garage disassembled. I'd always stare at them every time I'd walk by his house. Gorgeous cars.
This is a car that I totally wanna drive one day for the channel I think they are super underrated for what they were..
I know someone who bought a 69 AMX within the past year. It's a 390 cubed, 4 speed car, dark green. It's driver quality and needs some work (sat for around 30 years). In high school, my high school auto shop teacher had a 68 with a worked later 401 engine. Just fun overlooked cars!
I’ve heard/read stories about the 401 that was a super underrated engine
I have a "68" AMX w/ a "71" 401ci bored to .040 over - Edelbrock STR-11 dual quad- 4 spd Black on Black - everywhere I go - people go nuts over it. Most interesting car I've owned.
Nice job on the video. If you're every in FL. come by and take a look.
What part of Florida are you in I might be going to Jacksonville for Amelia Island in March I really wanna go but it all depends on budget of course =)
The AMC AMX was the only model AMC offered with optional leather seats at the time, quite a rarity on American cars in this price range. In January 1968, two specially-prepared AMXs set 106 world speed and endurance records at Goodyear's track in Texas driven by world land speed record holder Craig Breedlove, his wife Lee, and Ron Dykes. Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) named the AMX as the "best engineered car of the year" in 1969 and 1970. And never forget - - - Playboy magazine's 1968 Playmate of the Year, Angela Dorian, was awarded a specially painted "Playmate Pink" 1968 AMX. One of my old bosses had one. It was very quick. I always thought they were pretty cool overall.
Thank you so much for added this information =)
That pink AMX moved like it was shot out of a gun! It was attempted murder on the drag strip. and it slaughtered the men up against it!
God, do I miss my '68 AMX !
The AMX is such a cool concept of a car, a very underrated automobile like most AMC products. I wouldn't know how to classify it, it's almost like it's in a segment all on it's own, too small to be a muscle car, It has no back seats and, started with a V-8 unlike the other pony cars, yet it's not really a sports car either. It really is it's own thing, and I can't quite help but love it for that.
The wheelbase was an inch shorter than a C3 Corvette, and it met the Specifications of the Sports Car Club of America for racing in the production sports car classes, while the Javelin, Mustang, Camaro, and other pony cars were classified as sedans. To run in the sports car class, Shelby removed the rear seat, in the GT350, while keeping a wheelbase 11 inches longer than the AMX. Not sure what reasoning you are using to determine that it's not "really" a sports car. Much more Sports Car, than a "Muscle" car. Are you suggesting that the Corvette isn't "America's Sports Car"?
I remember waiting for the school bus back about 1973 and seeing a copper colored AMX getting sideways in second gear. It was a very cool car.
Great story thank you so much for sharing that awesome memory =)
Wow, this AMX is stunning!!! It's sad that these cars were so underrated simply because they were from American Motors. They were great cars, nothing like a 59 Rambler!!! You gotta love those Nash seats!!! Thanks Jay for sharing another exciting video!!! 👍👍🎄
I was shocked I didn’t know these had that feature =)
I want to drive one so bad maybe next year who knows
AMC made some cool looking cars, that amx is gorgeous.
Totally agree and it just never seemed to get the press it deserved
You forgot to mention the "Go Pak" for the 390's:
1968-69 AMX
343V8/285hp Typhoon or 390V8315hp engine w/4bbl carburetor; dual exhaust system, power disc brakes; E70X14 redline tires; Twin Grip
Axle (posi); Handling Package; Seven Blade Flex Fan; Heavy Duty Cooling; Fan
Shroud; Space Saver Spare; Over The Top twin 'skunk' Roof Stripes.
Thank you so much for adding GO PAK I forgot production numbers too I’ll find them and put them in description
That’s a good point. Jay, you usually do some good research and find very nice ads, but you could have done a bit more and included the GoPak.
Happy medium is a fine line I have people messaging me saying it’s too much information I’m finding it’s impossible to make everyone happy but are totally right I should have stated what the go pak was
@@What.its.like.never too much information anybody who says too much information is not a Gearhead just saying haha
@@What.its.like.they also made a dual quad "340" horsepower 390, tongue firmly planted in cheek more like 400 plus horsepower
Beautiful car when it first came out and only got better and "badder" looking. I had a 1973 AMX when I was in college. Bought it used, but it was in great shape. Metallic green with a 401 CI and auto trans with that cool horse-shoe shifter. It had a real neat button on the A/C controls that simply stated "Desert". When you pushed it, it boosted the temp down as the compressor ran full time. Very neat!
Your car sounds like it was awesome how was the 401 V8 what did you like about your car what did you dislike about your car thank you so much for sharing your personal experience with all of us =)
Too bad you didn’t keep that car they’re really hard to find and it’s got one of the best dashboards I’ve ever seen
I owned a Big Bad Orange '69 AMX during the late 1970s, It was a 390, 4-speed, Go-Pack car, with manual steering and power brakes. The rear sail panels (what you referred to as buttresses), helped keep the rear window clear of rain at highway speeds, though they did add to the blind spots that affected many fast-back cars of that era. The reclining seat backs were gone with the introduction of 1970 AMX, which unfortunately ended the AMX as a stand-alone model. From 1971-1974, the AMX became a performance package on the Javelin. Oh, and the track that you played a snippet of, was "Getting In Tune", by The Who, from their 1971 album, "Who's Next". That was the first 8-Track tape that I bought, back in 1972.
That’s awesome thank you so much for sharing your experience I love the AMX super underrated car
What was your favorite thing about the car
@@What.its.like., the fact that it was unique. You didn't run into one at literally every traffic light.
I've always liked the 71-74 Javelins.
I’ll have to find those to review
71 to 74 awesome cars pretty rare. I always said they had one of the coolest dashes I’ve ever seen.
I believe the upper section of the glove box was dedicated to the owners manual which fit in there perfectly.
That makes total sense
I've always thought this is a really cool design, just different and strangely appealing ! I don't think I'm ever been up close to one though, it's cool seeing the inside in detail! I can see that those seats look like they are lacking a little in comfort, and probably even more so in a hot climate, like you could just melt to them. That's a really beautiful example though 🤩
These are super cool just unfortunately got over shadowed by everything else
What a beautiful car. These were never taken seriously due to it being an American Motors product. However these were fast cars. Take that big V8 and put it in a car with a 97 inch wheelbase and you know it's gonna be fast.
Friend of mine owned one. He had to pay a premium for his car insurance because his insurance company considered it to be a sports car because it didn't have a rear seat. LOL
I absolutely love the AMX =) they are finally starting to catch on 10 years ago you could get that car for almost nothing.. starting to go up in price
Love the AMX. looking back, all their performance cars were much underrated.
So underrated it would hang with the gto
Very cool car, always had a soft spot for AMC. They did fairly well in Nascar. I remember watching Mark Donahue driving the red, white and blue Matadore. It would have been cool if the company would have survived. Nice work. 👍👍🏁🏁
Happy you dig this episode
Were huge AMC fans here. It’s a tragedy that they didn’t make it but I honestly believe that they had a stellar product but they just did not know how to market it. Their advertising campaign was a bit weird.
Wait, the red AMX car in the video shows Weather-Eye controls, but there is no A/C compressor under the hood!
Nice car 5.6 sec. to 60 mph. It’s fast for today car.
Yeah it was/is super underrated
Absolutely underrated. The massive low RPM 390-4V torque curve w/4 speed & competition rear end took many a rival by surprise! It was a "sleeper"! Race prepared AMX/Javelins won Trans-Am trophy for AMC 2 years straight.
Super underrated
And a 343ci AMX, built by a team of AMC engineers, on their own time, nearly won SCCA's B/Production class National Championship, after winning the Central Division championship, where they competed against 350ci, and 327ci/ fuel injected Corvettes. They broke on the last lap, while leading, and finished second. The 390ci AMX was classified in A/Prod, where it would have been uncompetitive against 427 Cobras and Corvettes.
I drove one of these AMX cars decades ago when I was young. I think it had the largest V8's offered for this car. One time I revved the engine and dumped its clutch. The rear wheels broke loose and the car just about went sideways. The AMX was a joy to drive. It handled OK and had way more power than needed. Its too bad AMC went down the toilet taking the AMX with it. I thoroughly enjoy your effervescent character and your candor in pointing out some cars less than perfect attributes combined with your accolades of the subject car. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for digging the channel I absolutely try to put the orphan cars front and center because frankly they never got the attention they should’ve gotten back in the day
If all goes well the next couple weeks should be epic it’s like a merry Christmas from me to you.. might put some sneak peaks up on Facebook
I always liked the look of this car, but they were pretty rare even when new. That's a lot of cargo space, I have to say. I'm surprised even with this car, the seat can be turned into a bed! It never occurred to me that AMC did this even with the AMX.
I knew a guy in the Oldsmobile Car Club that had an AMX. He said the happiest day of his life was buying the AMX...the second happiest was when he sold it.
thanx for going through all these cars, especially under the hood. All this helps when a person builds the model kits to get them right.
Video work has come along way =), thank you for all the good vibes
Yeah, he probably couldn't take the rougher ride, of a shorter wheelbase! 😂
@@ramblerdave1339 Actually, it was mechanical issues with the AMX. And those got costly because of the rarity of the car.
@@MonsterHobbiesModelCarGarageI recall that finding parts for AMCs was more difficult in the seventies, than it is now!
@@ramblerdave1339 I was in the Olds club in the 1990's - but granted, pre-web everything was harder to find.
She is amazing
The only thing that would make it better is if it was a hatchback
the who getting in tune - from Who's Next album
Hey Jay, back in '68, our neighbor owned one of these cars, and yeah back in the day it was quite , the "ROAD BURNER" , I remember my brother speaking about it so highly. I was 5 yrs old.
I want to drive one so bad maybe next year =)
What an excellent example! I really like the red interior -- don't think I've seen an AMX so equipped.
This car has always been my favorite muscle car.. I want to drive one next year
I have 69 my woman’s grandfather owned it and her dad give it to us for our so. That will be here this year so trying to learn as much as I can I am trying to sway her into a stroker kit
Quite an interesting muscle car. I mean in a goo way.
"They brought the goods, baby"! Nice line, Jay.
Glad you liked that line that was like the third take
I had a scene playing out in another take I wanted to use but thought it was idk I didn’t use it
Along the lines of all the out car makes were at the muscle car shindig and amc didn’t go to the muscle car shindig for the last few years or any year frankly, someone might say the Marlin is a pony car ( what would that be classified as super curious) anyway amc came through the door like the cool aid man and said OoH yeah.. it was too long and drawn out
@@What.its.like.
Well said. 😀
The Javelin and AMX debuted in 1968, while competitors like Mustang, Camaro and Firebirds were technically in their 1st generation. The Barracuda might be considered in it's 2nd generation, having clearly moved away from it's Valiant body base.
In 1968, all the AMX's competitors had base 6 cyl. motors.
The original concept Javelins and AMX's lasted through 2 generations, 1968-1970 & 1971-1974. The AMX branding was applied to a Hornet.
Top speed was more dependent on the differential gear ratio rather than a transmission type. As there were no overdrive automatics in 1969, an automatic-equipped car would have a higher top speed because of a taller gear ratio in the rear end. With that same gear ratio, a 4-speed equipped car would have left the automatic car in the dust, as far as top speed goes.
Chassis can be re-enforced, unibody or not. Going back to the first Shelby Mustangs, they had extra re-enforcement compared to a stock Mustang. Yep, rust is a vehicles worst enemy.
Thank you so much for sharing all of that information as well as insight
Great looking car. Love it.
Totally agree
I believe from a engineering standpoint that driver seat could possibly cause you serious back injury in the event of a severe collision I think that the NTSA told them to correct that deficiency that tune at the end I have heard hundreds of times but just don’t know the name of it or the artist and by the way one of the safest seat designs in the industry was StarCraft but I’m sure there are many more now a days
I had a '69 AMX. I notice that one has the interior controls and vents for A/C, but the compressor and other A/C components under the hood are missing.
Thank you so much for pointing that out
Poor AMC, actually good cars but could never escape the “budget” stigma. From what I recall their engines were a bit less powerful according to the specs, but on the street they were competitive. Too bad Chevy aftermarket performance parts were so affordable and everywhere. The AMX should have sold way better than it did, it was fast and affordable
That’s the muscle car I’d buy if it was 1969 and I had the money
I'm on the other side of the state. 1 Hr. north of Tampa on the coast. 4 hrs from Jacksonville.
But thanks for reply.
I go to Thomasville Georgia at least twice a year maybe we could meet up and work something out =)
Hey Jay, guess what I used to carry in my glove box? Gloves.
Yeah totally agree but some of them are so big one can store there lunch in there, so I like showing how big some of those glove boxes are =)
No way was the 390 too much engine for the AMX chassis. Hopped up 390s also worked well in this tough chassis. Haters gotta hate.
😂
I got the pros and cons from the complete book of collectible cars
Hi Justin, nice video! The American Motors AMX was a very under rated High Performance Automobile. It was just one of two, 2 seater American cars marketed at the time with the Chevrolet Corvette. By the way, in 1969 and earlier, AMC was American Motors, or "Am". The "AMC" trademark (American Motors Corporation) did not come out until American Motors bought Kaiser-Jeep in 1970, before that time it was just "Am". One more thing, does Max Motive have any Chevrolet Corvairs in their inventory? And if so, would you profile one? Please reply. Dave...
I’m a huge AMX fan I’d love to have one, one day I’m not sure if they have a Corvair but I did a review of one this past summer it was at a car show here is the link
1965 corvair corsa convertible
th-cam.com/video/CJw7s9Jj5aw/w-d-xo.html
AMC cars in general were underrated in my opinion. 🤷♂️
Totally agree
@@What.its.like. So were Studebaker cars.
I love mine.
That’s awesome what do you love the most about it what don’t you like so much
I love it's uniqueness I get asked what is it? Or is it custom and stories of the past.i like to collect nos parts for it but paying for them has become painful.
I’m hoping next year I can drive one I’ve always wanted to =)
Yep buttresses. A term from architecture which describes a style of external support for a building. Usually old style churches. The Jaguar XJ12sport, had the largest I can recall.
*Hey, by the way, you showed a car recently, which had an extra toadstool style button under the clutch pedal, and I wondered what it was. I saw that it came on the 40s Nash Ambassador's, and was a starting switch. Once you depressed the clutch fully, it activated the starter, so a lock out. **
That is the switch to change from low to high beam headlights.
Hey Jay, my football coach (Australian rules) used to collect some of our team and drive us to a large training arena to practise, and run laps. This was the Javelin, of course, which was a very sexy American muscle car competitor from our local production vehicles. It wasn't truly competitive, but it sounded great and was luxurious and interesting inside. In a way it was exotic, because not many cars were imported and converted to R/H drive, except the Ford LTD's. The whole experience was slightly different, with a different smell and internal design.
The AMX is a small lightweight, like a Japanese V6 nowadays. The big engine is spirited, and it looks the goods, but the Javelin still intrigues me. What was the biggest displacement engine that had?
I think the javelin got the 401 but I’m not 100% I think that’s the biggest engine javelin got the AMX 390 I believe..
@@What.its.like. - The 401 CI wasn't available till after 1970. It replaced the 390. The AMX ended in 1970 and then was just a package of the javelin.
The 401 replaced the 390 for 1971 and was available in AMX, Javelin , Rebel, Matador, and Ambassador through 1974.
My favorite car channel 👍👍👍
Thank you it means a lot put a lot of work in =)
Yes.
Yes it was most underrated.
First girlfriends dad had a 1969 AMC AMX 401, with the 4 speed and that bitching red white and blue paint job.
Sounded CHOICE, despite how I was slamming his daughters clam, dude was really cool. That car was CHERRY, I have him to thank for my increases knowledge of the AMX.
To this day it's the only AMC I've driven, the only rust free Javelin I've ever seen in person and buddy lemme tell ya, it got friggin DOWN, son.
Dude owned it all through his early days, I wanna say he got it when he was 18, through his military career and never even contemplated selling it at all.
God, they got screwed by the fuel crisis. AMC was really set up to take the top of the muscle car wars, I truly believe. But damn didn't they catch a nut kick.
AMC died a prolonged death through poor money saving practices to assuage the financial woes of the muscle cars not selling anymore and their fuel efficient stuff was so cheaply made with such cheap metal and really not great paint coatings. What sold, rusted to bits in 5 years, the lawsuits further tightened the cash flow and ever poorer choices were made attempting to scramble a last gasp to keep their company alive.
The AMC hornet and that 4wd wagon deal were good vehicles too, AMC made quality shit. (But I am from the southeast of Wisconsin, so I could be slightly biased.)
The AMX was really underrated but no one wanted to be seen driving a AMC Rambler.
If I could go back in time I would buy this over anything else on offer for 1969
I owned a 69 AMX that had the 390 with a Edelbrock torker and the holly 750 double pumper with vacuum 2nd, i got the car from a AMC dealership in 1983 and most definitely fast i was going up a hill that's a bit of a strain but i was doing 130 and only half throttle cause when those vacuum secondies kicked in, it was like gone in sixty seconds.one thing i can't remember is the number what i mean is each car was numbered on a plate on the dash. Just a side note a speed shop i went to told me that the carburetor on the car was changed it should have been the 780 cause the one on the car was for use on a drag strip.
Awesome man that car sounds so awesome I love the AMX they are drastically underrated for what they are
You're doing an. Awesome job!!!!!!
Thank you it means the world to me =)
I can tell you that the seat in the AMX is not great for sleeping in. it pivots way to high for comfort, and causes much discomfort. you would better off putting the pillow under your but. But that is about the only thing that this AMX owner has to complain about, these cars are super fun, and as far as gas milage goes on the highway my 390 gets close to 20-21 MPGs if I try, 18 is more the norm.
Those seats were really uncomfortable I don’t understand why they couldn’t do something like a marlin seat the Marlins seats were pretty comfortable. Thank you so much for all the added information as well as insight
The AMX begged for a Targa Top - - the roof from the windshield to the small rear side window would have looked awesome if it cold be lifted off (oh well)
Imagine if this was a hatchback that would make it even that much more awesome =) it could have been the USA version of the Datsun 240z, did you ever notice AMC 390 has the same look as ford 289.. I was thinking the whole time that’s small for a 390 v8
4:16 not 303 CID,it is 343😁
Thank you for that correction
@@What.its.like. - I think the 343CI had 290 HP - Not 280 as stated.
YES !
The AMX wasn’t a muscle car, it was a GT car that competed with Mustang, Camaro and maybe the Barracuda. Muscle cars were a different size and style of car.
=)
… tomayto - tomahto … also known as a distinction-without-a-difference …
I would say a "muscle car" is when a mid-sized car gets the big CI engine from a full size car. Example: A Pontiac Tempest gets a 389 CI engine from the bigger Pontiac Bonneville. Boom! You have a muscle car. Then call it a GTO. If the 390 CI engine was in an Ambassador, ( I think it was) then you could call the AMX a muscle car.
Give me a shout when you plan the trip- maybe we can
Will do if you have Facebook check out the Facebook group shoot me a message on there we’ll stay in touch =)
o couse dear but we are not selling or purhasing yet what can you tell me abot NOX NESTMENTS looing at joining or shaking hands and adding o thier eample
.
let me offer some "cultural" perspective on the American Motors "Muscle cars" when they were new. i did my three years in high school 1970, 71, and 72. i had a couple of Corvettes at the time but my "claim to street racing fame" was a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda, 340 4speed Formula S fastback. that car was a mid-13 second 1/4 mile car and high 12's at the strip with uncapped headers and slicks. "back in those days", the car culture was VERY strong with young guys and "brand loyalty" was extremely important with "Ford guys", "GM guys", and "Mopar guys - no car but a mopar cult." that was the group i was in. as to American Motors, only the really "weird" guys drove those cars. i had a good friend that bought a new 69 Javelin and it was a nice car but we made fun of him all the time. the "real" car guys ONLY raced Ford, GM, or Mopar. that was one of the big problems AMC had with the "youth culture" - the kids just didn't identify with AMC cars. one of the reasons was that AMC was the result of the merger of VERY "stogy" car companies Hudson, Studebaker, Packard, and Nash-Rambler. the "parents" of the kids of the 60's knew those cars but an 18 year old young boy in 1970 who wanted to "drive fast" and "pick up chicks" had never heard of those old brands. AND - in 1968 to 1972, there were still OLD Ramblers and Studebakers driving around and those cars looked like they were from Mars compared to the slick and modern looking "Big Three" muscle cars. in fact, the "fold-down front seat" that is featured in the above video of the AMX was a feature on 40's and 50's Nash's and Ramblers. NO TEENAGER in 1970 wanted anyone to think something in HIS car came from a 1955 Rambler!! so there was a strong "youth culture" aversion to American Motors cars. we all thought they were just "odd balls" even though there were some pretty fast models offered like the AMX and the Hurst built AMC SC Scrambler two door "altered" Rambler American two-door sedan.
Accurate analysis, at least where I grew up. But I will have to say, that little Scrambler with its short wheelbase would launch like a rocket with street tyres, and sent many a Chevelle, Camaro and Mustang packing. When you get pulled by two car lengths before you get out of first, it’s hard to chase the little bsatard down in a quarter …
Thank you so much for sharing all the insight, I’m the type of person who likes the underdog.. in 2014 I bought the only new car I’ll ever buy it was brand new 4 miles on it 2014 Hyundai Veloster R spec turbo it’s a little hatchback car I paid $21k out the door, my friend bought a GTI Volkswagen same year about same time. He worked at Volkswagen and got a discount and his was $25k.. this was 2014 hot hatch was in full swing fiesta st, focus rs, gti, veloster I raced Trevor red light to red light first one to 60 won I beat him.. in the underdog. He made fun of me just about every day for owning that car but it was faster and it was cheaper there was a lot of things I didn’t like about that car I ended up getting like two or three speeding tickets in it the car was cursed it got hit for-five times and decided to trade it on a Subaru Outback. But it was quick it was the our Spectre harder to find their more stripped out model than the regular turbo if I can find one I want to do one review one on the channel because most people don’t give that car the light of day but it was actually a really good car. The only reason I beat Trevor in his GTI is because I only had to shift twice to get the 60 and he had to shift three times
@@sking2173 yes, the "Scrambler Rambler" was very fast! it just didn't have the looks of a Camaro or Mustang or my favorite, the Formula S Barracuda.
Yeah, brainwashed, blind, non-individuals will always be a problem for us normal people who saw the AMX for what it was.
Performance wise it was the closest thing to the pontiac
I would love to compare this to a Gto one day
I had a '69 Javelin. 343CI . It performed very well with many Mustangs, Camaros, and Darts
Speaking of old videos on the 1969 AMX, here's a link to my review of the Jo-Han model kit : th-cam.com/video/q6fQTR7Ntdc/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for sharing that link =)
@@What.its.like. You are welcome! More to come in the future!
so you can read Wikipedia .. that was a sc rambler or scramble.. .you didn't mention it has trunnions not ball joints or any thing about Mark Donahue .. i owned a 1970 javelin.. and a 1969 rambler american
I’ll cover Donahue when I do a javelin, or better yet when we do the AMX SS
it’s impossible to know everything about all the cars that’s why this is a car community, so people in the comment section can fill in the blank I used 5 different sources for information and none of them mentioned trunnions, thank you so much for sharing that information =)
Not many realize that the front suspension was somewhat archaic (through 1969), but for those that really feel the need, updating to the ‘70 suspension is relatively easy for anyone restoring one of these cars.
But frankly, the old “trunnion suspension” worked fine as it was. And replacement parts are still available at fair prices. And if you want to keep the car original …
I honestly thought it was phased out in the early 60s I knew about the trunnions but I didn’t see any information on any of the sources that I got this information from so I assumed that it wasn’t .. I know Studebaker used kingpins until the day they start making cars.. when I hit a 68 or 70 I will definitely correct that and say that you use trunnions and explain what that is thank you all so much for all that information I really appreciate it =)
i am in totaldirent marketing level or group and new euipment loke siund ac heat engines etc
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Taylor Brenda White Margaret Moore Paul