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My "new" 72 Javelin SST

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Topic: My "new" 72 Javelin SST
Posted By: CamJam
Subject: My "new" 72 Javelin SST
Date Posted: May/31/2017 at 11:02pm

I've been looking for a humpster project for a little while now. An AMX with a 360 or 401 would have been ideal, but all I found were either rust buckets or out of my price range. 

Instead what I found was this worn, but mostly original Javelin SST with a 304.  It has been in Arizona or California all its life, and has no rust at all except pinholes at the bottom of the rear window. It was cheap, and the engine seems to run really well.  I say "seems to" because I really haven't been able to drive it anywhere... it has NO brakes.  Right to the floor!! Anyway, it sounds awesome idling in my driveway.







As always, the car looks substantially better in the photos,  but it has no bondo and just a few minor dents. Both bumpers and even the grill are good too!  The carpeting is original, but the seats have been reupholstered.  They put the same fabric on the lower half of the door panels too, so that will have to go. The interior plastic trim is toast... common here in Arizona, but the dash is good except for the usual humpster dash design flaws.  The vinyl roof is gone and has been replaced by rattle can paint.  I plan on going back to vinyl.

At first it seemed a bit of an unfortunate color (Baja Bronze)  but when I saw this photo of another Baja Bronze car I realized the possibilities:

https://assets.hemmings.com/story_image/43512-500-0@2x.jpg?rev=1" rel="nofollow - https://assets.hemmings.com/story_image/43512-500-0@2x.jpg?rev=1

My plan is not to make it a show car, but just a nice driver.  My preference is always to keep a car as original as possible, but I'm not going to go down the NOS dated-coded route like I did with my '69 BBO. That's my story anyway, lol.

This is going to be a spare time project, so updates will likely be slow coming.  




-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD




Replies:
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: May/31/2017 at 11:14pm
Oh yes, it's a factory AC car too!

Unfortunately, the brakes (or lack thereof) are manual drums, so I'll be upgrading to power brakes and discs up front.


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: AMoCoLite
Date Posted: May/31/2017 at 11:36pm
Nice find!


Posted By: mixed up
Date Posted: Jun/01/2017 at 1:50am
nice find looks very good shape good luck on the project i do like the color to

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69 amx 290 auto
65 220 290 4spd
80 ford fairmont


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/02/2017 at 6:12pm
I assumed a PO had painted my engine red, but figured they must have done it during a rebuild because the red paint is in places that would be hard to get at with the engine in the car. Then I remembered that California cars after '71 were painted red!  This car was located just a few miles from the California border, so I assume it must have been bought there.  

Not sure about the air cleaner though. Were they black or red on California cars?




-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 401harry
Date Posted: Jun/02/2017 at 8:55pm
I had a 72 Javelin SST in very rare skyway blue back in the early 90s. It was a 304 auto car from California and it had the red engine. The air cleaner was black. One of those cars I wish I still had but it had some rust issues from sitting outside in Florida weather. It was a power drum brake car...hated those things


Posted By: pacerman
Date Posted: Jun/02/2017 at 10:10pm
I think the engines were painted red only for the 1972 model year.  I had a 73 Javelin bought new in Pasadena and it had the AMC blue engine of the time.  Check the emissions sticker on the firewall to see if states that it meets 49 state and CA emsissons.  Joe

-------------
Happiness is making something out of nothing.


Posted By: 73Gremlin401
Date Posted: Jun/02/2017 at 11:14pm
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:

Oh yes, it's a factory AC car too!

Unfortunately, the brakes (or lack thereof) are manual drums, so I'll be upgrading to power brakes and discs up front.


I had a 73 304/3-speed javelin AMX with drums on all 4 corners, and yes, they sucked.  I upgraded to front discs, changed out the master cylinder, but did not go with a power booster (I was broke!) and I was very pleasantly surprised that the car really didn't require a ton of pressure to stop, and the brake 'feel' was really good. I added an adjustable proportioning valve later, which helped with brake balance, but for street use, you probably wouldn't need to do that.

The front disc setup I used was a Bendix setup off a 78 Matador.  direct bolt on.  You could use a setup off a Gremlin/Hornet just as easily, but the rotors are thinner, and will heat up/fade quicker.


-------------
73 Gremlin 401/5-spd.
77 Matador Wagon 360/727.
81 Jeep J10 LWB 360/4-spd
83 Concord DL 4-dr 258/auto



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/03/2017 at 11:17am
Originally posted by pacerman pacerman wrote:

I think the engines were painted red only for the 1972 model year.  I had a 73 Javelin bought new in Pasadena and it had the AMC blue engine of the time.  Check the emissions sticker on the firewall to see if states that it meets 49 state and CA emsissons.  Joe

It does indeed have the California emissions sticker.  Thanks for that tip, Joe.


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: Have2SC's
Date Posted: Jun/03/2017 at 11:33am
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:

Originally posted by pacerman pacerman wrote:

I think the engines were painted red only for the 1972 model year.  I had a 73 Javelin bought new in Pasadena and it had the AMC blue engine of the time.  Check the emissions sticker on the firewall to see if states that it meets 49 state and CA emsissons.  Joe

It does indeed have the California emissions sticker.  Thanks for that tip, Joe.
The red engines were in 71 models also. all 2 barrel motors?  Lee 

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1971 SC360 Hornet 4 speed   1970 Javelin 390 4 speed "Base Model" 1967 Rambler 220 X code 343 4 speed


Posted By: amxdreamer
Date Posted: Jun/03/2017 at 1:24pm
Looks like a nice find Cam, congrats!

-------------
Tony
Vancouver, BC
1970 AMX
1972 Badassador
AMO#10333


Posted By: scott
Date Posted: Jun/03/2017 at 2:43pm
Cam, What interior parts do you need?? I have lots of 71-74 Javelin interior I can bring to Gettysburg, where I'll have a vending spot. None in tan though, all black, so you would have to dye it. All from northern cars that rusted away years ago, so its in good shape. 


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/04/2017 at 1:42am
Originally posted by scott scott wrote:

Cam, What interior parts do you need?? I have lots of 71-74 Javelin interior I can bring to Gettysburg, where I'll have a vending spot. None in tan though, all black, so you would have to dye it. All from northern cars that rusted away years ago, so its in good shape. 



Awesome, Scott! SEM Color Coat works wonders on changing the color, so that's not an issue.   I need the a-pillar interior trim (both sides), which are two-pieces per side… the main trim piece and tbe top corner.

I also need the upper and lower interior trim at the backglass and a console lid.

Also the pinch weld that runs above the driver's window. Seems to be thinner than the 68/69 pinch weld, which I do have.

Anything else I can think of I'll pm to you.

Thanks again!


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: hassyfoto
Date Posted: Jun/04/2017 at 5:04am
Congrats on the find and good luck on the project!
Thumbs Up

I was like you on the color, when I first saw my car Golden-lime, I was not very impressed. But the paint needed some serious cleaning and polishing. After looking at some other Golden-lime cars, the enthusiasm increased and now I love the color


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Murphy's Law:
Any given mechanical job you decide to solve alone will imminently require a third hand, at its most critical moment



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/04/2017 at 9:00am
Thanks to everyone. I love finding and preserving these cars before they fall into disrepair.

Here's what I want her to look like when she's done:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1d/d0/f4/1dd0f4bfc7ec7299f9a61ddccae37e6d.jpg" rel="nofollow - Baja Bronze AMX

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'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: LakesideRamblin
Date Posted: Jun/04/2017 at 9:38am
That is a sweet color and stance. Good luck with it.

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LakesideRamblin
69 Rambler 360
73 Javelin 360
"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." T. Roosevelt


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/04/2017 at 5:24pm

The best part is having a backup source for parts now.  I discovered at the last minute that I'm missing two brackets I need on my '69 AMX for Gettysburg. Guess where I found them?  Thank goodness the Javelin is an a/c car too!

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/11/2017 at 4:09pm

After investing $60 in a master cylinder and carb rebuild kit, I now have a Javelin that stops and runs without leaking gas over a hot engine.  Thus, I decided it was time for my first drive outside of my little neighborhood.  I live about eight miles from town, six of which is on 65 mph divided highway, so it's a good drive for a shakedown cruise. 

I'd already established that the car would run and stop, but going over 25 mph was a new experience.  The suspension is definitely old and tired-- the odometer says 44k miles, but I always assumed it was really 144k miles-- yet the motor and transmission both seem strong.  Mechanically, she really just needs a front-end rebuild and a u-joint replacement. That's the kind of stuff I enjoy doing, and I think I'll really have a nice driving car once those two issues are dealt with. 

My mom had a '69 Javelin and later a '73.  I always remember how much nicer the '73 drove, and knowing now that they are basically the same car, it still amazes me. I guess the ball joint front suspension is the difference.  Though it's very similar to the Mustang front end of the day, I always felt that the Javelins were nicer driving cars.  Ford steering was horrible back then, so perhaps that's a lot of it. 

Anyway, back to the drive to town... though I had checked carefully for gas leaks, it was reassuring to step out of the grocery store and not see a crowd gathered around a plume of black smoke rising from the parking lot.  The car started right up after heat soaking the carb in 100 degree Arizona weather for 20 minutes too.

Other than the paint job, it shouldn't be too expensive to bring her back to her glory days.  The interior has been reupholstered. Though not great, it's not horrible either, and I can definitely live with it for the time being. At least the upholsterer preserved the look of the original 1972 seats, even though the fabric is different from the original.  The carpeting is amazingly good. Might not need to do anything with it. Same with the headliner. What I do have to deal with is the crumbling plastic trim around the windows, the rear package tray and the hazy instrument plastics.  Of course, the fit and finish on these dashes was mediocre even when new, so I'm sure that disassembling and reassembling the dash so that everything lines up nicely will be a fun job.

The windshield will need replacing due to some nasty scratches, but the rest of the glass is ok, and the side windows roll up and down without drama.

So, basically I have a tired-but-mostly-original and rust-free Javelin.  Pretty much what I was looking for. 




-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Jun/11/2017 at 4:42pm
That bronze color looks nice to me. Though my first Javelin was a 73 that was Copper Tone Bronze with tan interior. Not as dark but had a red hue to it, in the shade. It let the lines of the car show very well.

Looks pretty good and is a driver. Never knew Cali had red engines for one year only. It would've been interesting in my early years to check out the 72 AMX in California that I drooled at for sale. It was Metalic brown with black vinyl top. If I would've seen the engine, i would have thought all AMC v8s were red. Ha! Though the air cleaner sure did not look right when I first saw it. Probably had the sticker installed for emissions or for looks. California was a stickler for emissions. My 73 was originally a Michigan car for less than a year. Then when in California the owner had to have the dealer add emissions to it. Don't know what parts were needed but they told me that when selling.

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: amxdreamer
Date Posted: Jun/11/2017 at 5:56pm
Sounds like a great cruiser Cam! I wish i could have a similar car to just burn around in!

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Tony
Vancouver, BC
1970 AMX
1972 Badassador
AMO#10333


Posted By: 1970390amx
Date Posted: Jun/11/2017 at 10:56pm
If you really like the amx in the picture you are going to need a new hood and spoiler.

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1970 390 4speed Bittersweet shadow mask AMX
1970 Amx missing most everything, or in a box


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 12:39am

I just love this one. I think it is (or was) one of Wayne Davis' cars, and of course Wayne's cars always look like Roger Penske himself prepared them!  Not sure if I'll go with an AMX clone on mine or just keep it an SST.



While we're on the subject of Wayne's beautiful cars, here's another one that I think is (or was) his:



Just beautiful!  If anyone knows where to get either of these wheel styles, please let me know.  All the Minilites I see for sale are only 4-stud.




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'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 3:36am
I think those are mini lite knock offs. There was a , n older thread I stumbled upon on here or an odd forum. Not sure exactly what I searched for at the time, but have an odd feeling it was on a track and steering site of some sort. Hit the top 3 sites and I am sure it's there.

I did not know they existed until someone posted them. Yep they come in larger sizes, unlike the mini lites limit of 15".

At one time you could order them in 5 lug (2005 to 2010 ish).
I think the knock off version came out some time in 2010 or later, when I stopped looking for wheels, and decided on Cobra SVT wheels. At the time I wanted stylish but not so every day. It was my option as mini lites were not going to work for me.

I may have time today to find that link for the mini lite knock off wheel. Though be prepared for some wheel spacers as they may be for Ford fitment only.

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 3:47am
Wow, I found them and the car... funny it was lurking on a Boss 302 site.

http://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?topic=57953.0" rel="nofollow - http://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?topic=57953.0

Here is where to buy... Geezo, good prices too!
http://www.royrezentesdesign.com/clientspace/t3w/T3W2843_WebSiteRedesign/staging6/lt_iii.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.royrezentesdesign.com/clientspace/t3w/T3W2843_WebSiteRedesign/staging6/lt_iii.html

There is an odd picture... a 69 boss 302 with what looks like knock off SC/Ramber wheels. The 70 boss 302 below it on the site has the mini lites.




-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 8:10am
That's them alright! Gorgeous wheels! But wow, a set of those with tires will be half the value of the whole car, lol. Still, a paint job and a set of those wheels is all the outside of the car will ever need. I might have to have a talk with Santa this year.

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 8:36am
Here are some cheapie knock-offs, but alas… only available in a 4-bolt pattern.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/XXR-537-16X8-4-100-4-4-5-20-Offset-73-1mm-Bore-Hyper-Silver-ML-Wheel-Rim-/263006767685?hash=item3d3c6cca45:g:y7EAAOSwZ4dZKbsS&vxp=mtr" rel="nofollow - here

Some gold ones might look good against my bronze/copper paint. Or maybe a little pimped-out?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/XXR-537-Gold-S-15-15x8-0-Wheels-Rims-Deep-Lip-4x100-Stance-90-00-05-Mazda-Miata-/361102715612?hash=item5413662adc:g:yLMAAOSwEK9UKyou&vxp=mtr" rel="nofollow - here

Note that the price on the gold ones is for a set of four (plus $100 shipping).

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 8:46am
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:

That's them alright! Gorgeous wheels! But wow, a set of those with tires will be half the value of the whole car, lol. Still, a paint job and a set of those wheels is all the outside of the car will ever need. I might have to have a talk with Santa this year.


Yep, even though my Javelin was a driver, it was needing more than a paint job. It was one of those things, fix and find something else that needed fixing, only to find it is better to just take it all apart and get it all right to keep from being bled on repairs off and on.

Too bad I made my decision long ago. Though I saved bookoo ducketts by getting my set before shipping got bonkers on costs.

Though I am happy with my wheels as it is now, just imagining 17 inch mini lites on my car when done. Oh well.

Santa is going to have to come through for you, most definitely.

I donno, ever try doing a bit of hand rubbing compound to remove oxidation on the paint. Then do the TR3 or equivalent restorer. A buddy did his Vette being an original paint in orange, and it looked pretty good. I ended up doing my 73 that way, and it brought out the color nicely. Got complements a lot, as not many cars on the road had a copper color in Silicon Valley.

PS. The top photo about wheels you want info about. Those are Mustang Mach 1 or Bullitt wheels from 2001 to 2003 I think. They should be still available through tire rack or ford performance online.

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 9:05am
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:

Here are some cheapie knock-offs, but alas… only available in a 4-bolt pattern.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/XXR-537-16X8-4-100-4-4-5-20-Offset-73-1mm-Bore-Hyper-Silver-ML-Wheel-Rim-/263006767685?hash=item3d3c6cca45:g:y7EAAOSwZ4dZKbsS&vxp=mtr" rel="nofollow - here

Some gold ones might look good against my bronze/copper paint. Or maybe a little pimped-out?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/XXR-537-Gold-S-15-15x8-0-Wheels-Rims-Deep-Lip-4x100-Stance-90-00-05-Mazda-Miata-/361102715612?hash=item5413662adc:g:yLMAAOSwEK9UKyou&vxp=mtr" rel="nofollow - here

Note that the price on the gold ones is for a set of four (plus $100 shipping).


Here's your other option... and more better than the multi lug mini lite knock offs, and affordable.

http://www.americanmuscle.com/99-04-mustang-wheels-rims.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.americanmuscle.com/99-04-mustang-wheels-rims.html

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/12/2017 at 9:18am
The Minilite style would be my first choice, but at a little over $100 a wheel those Bullit wheels are mighty appealing.

Lots of choices on http://www.ebay.com/itm/18x9-18x10-Anthracite-Bullitt-Wheels-Set-of-4-Rims-Fit-Mustang-GT-94-04-/291873060518?hash=item43f4fd76a6:g:xE0AAOSwz71ZOtzk&vxp=mtr" rel="nofollow - E-Bay too.

Thanks for all your info, James. Definitely some good options there.

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: asifnyc
Date Posted: Jun/13/2017 at 7:11pm
there's finally a minilite knock-off that's cheaper than team III....

Rota RKRs in 15", 17" or 18"...  I just put a set of matte black 17x8 (front), 17x9.5 rears on my '73 amx.

the 9.5 rear offset they offer is not good for a humpster with a stock amc 20 rear.  I got a custom offset of -10 but you really want more like +4...

17x8 all around would work good.  I'm running 255's all around now but at some point will get a narrower rear so I can put a 275+ rear tire on the 9.5 rear rim.

http://www.rotawheels.com/product/rkr-fr" rel="nofollow - http://www.rotawheels.com/product/rkr-fr




-------------

https://asifnyc.com" rel="nofollow - asifnyc.com
'74 Jav/'74 Mat Race
'73 Jav/'75 Grm street
'75 Grm, '62 Amer, '70/'71 Jav - projects


Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Jun/13/2017 at 7:38pm
Originally posted by asifnyc asifnyc wrote:

there's finally a minilite knock-off that's cheaper than team III....

Rota RKRs in 15", 17" or 18"...  I just put a set of matte black 17x8 (front), 17x9.5 rears on my '73 amx.

the 9.5 rear offset they offer is not good for a humpster with a stock amc 20 rear.  I got a custom offset of -10 but you really want more like +4...

17x8 all around would work good.  I'm running 255's all around now but at some point will get a narrower rear so I can put a 275+ rear tire on the 9.5 rear rim.

http://www.rotawheels.com/product/rkr-fr" rel="nofollow - http://www.rotawheels.com/product/rkr-fr




Not bad, though the only thing I don't like about them is the odd lug hole cutouts on the spokes. The more expensive ones make the spokes not as long so there is no cutouts on the ends of some spokes, amd it gives the mini lite look with optional center cap.

I guess I am a bit harder to please on that. But all in all pretty good find.

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/14/2017 at 3:52pm
Really nice find, Asif!! I take it you're not running a stock AMC-20 rear then?

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/27/2017 at 9:56am
Here's another option. Not bad on the price, and they're only 40 miles from me! Spokes are shorter than the Rotas so the lug holes look better.

http://vtowheels-com.3dcartstores.com/Classic-8-Wheel-15-x-7-Silver-With-Machined-Lip-5-x-1143mm-12mm_p_369.html" rel="nofollow - VTO Classic 8 Wheels

Would the 4.4" backspace work for the Javelin?

Update:  Spoke to Tom at VTO and they have both 15 x 7" and 15 x 8" now.  It won't take much more than a set of these wheels and a repaint to make this car look stunning. Santa might come early this year!

Here's their new web site:

http://www.vtowheels.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.vtowheels.com


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/29/2017 at 4:22pm

Back on the Javelin now that I'm back from Gettysburg.  Before I left I replaced the master cylinder and rebuilt the carb.  The car was still stalling out occasionally and hard to start after sitting, so I replaced the fuel pump yesterday.  No improvement, and the fuel filters were ok, so I started at the gas tank suspecting a fuel pick-up problem or clogged sock.  Didn't take me long to see that the rubber gas line was cracked between the metal fuel line and the gas tank, so it was sucking air.  

Starts and runs without stalling out now, but I still sense a slight miss at idle. Pulling the plugs one at a time told me it was the #8 cylinder, so I replaced the plug and plug wire on that cylinder.  No change. Compression on all cylinders is between 110 and 115 (seems low to me but this is the first year of the low compression engines and I am at 3,400 feet elevation on a 100+ degree day).  Leak down test on the cylinder showed only 8% loss, so I think I can rule out a major problem.  Sprayed some carb cleaner around the intake manifold looking for a vacuum leak too, but haven't turned up anything so far. Time to look at all the vacuum lines and compare them to the FSM.  This car has had some redneck engineering from a previous owner, so nothing would surprise me.

Was planning to replace the pan gasket on the 998 tranny today, but when I looked closer I realized that it's leaking higher up, at the shifter linkage and elsewhere, so will probably need to pull the tranny and do all the seals.  At some point I'll probably want to pull the engine to repaint the engine bay, so maybe it makes sense to pull the engine and transmission at the the same time.  Disapprove

And so it goes with old cars.  For now I'm just trying to get the car mechanically sound before I start in on the cosmetics, however I found that SEM Color Coat comes in a pre-mixed color called "Camel" that is perfect for the interior repaint.  It looks like peanut butter, same as the original, but is just a tad brighter. Some people like Skippy and some like Jif.  I bought all the interior pieces I need in Gettysburg (thanks Scott!) but will just set them to the side for now.


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Jun/29/2017 at 4:38pm
Your interior color sounds similar to the 73 tan interior. The dash pad was almost a skippy color (Not as dark) the doors probably at one time may have matched a bit better fresh from the factory, but different material being molded in color looked lighter, as with the console.

To me both of my Javelins seemed to have at least a two tone looking interior.

As for the #8 plug not firing well. It may be rotor, cap, or lobes that drive the points. I have seen some lobes when sat way too long, have a hard build up along the flat spot where it sat. I would take a careful look over to make sure its clean, and opens the correct distance with your points about .016, with all 8 lobes to make sure that nothing is wrong and can be overlooked. Be careful not to loose too much points lube on the wiper, else you'you'll wear it out and possibly damage your lobes to the distributor.



-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: SeanHatfield
Date Posted: Jun/29/2017 at 5:01pm
Cam, when you get to redoing your interior plastic pieces, take a look in the Body/Interior section. I did a write up on using SEM products as well as NAPA specialty color matched paint for the interior plastic on my Spirit. Those posts are by far not the only way to paint pieces, but it's information I've found from searching online and I think the results I achieved look pretty good. 


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/29/2017 at 5:35pm
Originally posted by 304-dude 304-dude wrote:


Your interior color sounds similar to the 73 tan interior. The dash pad was almost a skippy color (Not as dark) the doors probably at one time may have matched a bit better fresh from the factory, but different material being molded in color looked lighter, as with the console.

To me both of my Javelins seemed to have at least a two tone looking interior.

As for the #8 plug not firing well. It may be rotor, cap, or lobes that drive the points. I have seen some lobes when sat way too long, have a hard build up along the flat spot where it sat. I would take a careful look over to make sure its clean, and opens the correct distance with your points about .016, with all 8 lobes to make sure that nothing is wrong and can be overlooked. Be careful not to loose too much points lube on the wiper, else you'you'll wear it out and possibly damage your lobes to the distributor.




Good tip about the distributor lobes. I did replace the cap and rotor already. I need to pull the plug again and see if it's firing. Not sure why I didn't do that already.

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: scott
Date Posted: Jun/29/2017 at 5:52pm
On the 70 & 71 V8's I am most familiar with, there is a vacuum tap in the top of the #8 intake manifold runner. I've has a rubber line running to that tap crack & cause a miss on that cylinder.

I can see how this is going to go Cam. "I'm just going to pull the trans & reseal it". Next thing we know the Javelin will look as amazing as your AMX!


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/29/2017 at 6:35pm
Originally posted by scott scott wrote:

On the 70 & 71 V8's I am most familiar with, there is a vacuum tap in the top of the #8 intake manifold runner. I've has a rubber line running to that tap crack & cause a miss on that cylinder.

I can see how this is going to go Cam. "I'm just going to pull the trans & reseal it". Next thing we know the Javelin will look as amazing as your AMX!

That's a great tip, Scott! I'll check it out.

I do get obsessed with these damn things. "I just want a driver" really means "get out the wallet!"


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Jun/29/2017 at 7:00pm
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:


Originally posted by scott scott wrote:

On the 70 & 71 V8's I am most familiar with, there is a vacuum tap in the top of the #8 intake manifold runner. I've has a rubber line running to that tap crack & cause a miss on that cylinder.

I can see how this is going to go Cam. "I'm just going to pull the trans & reseal it". Next thing we know the Javelin will look as amazing as your AMX!




That's a great tip, Scott! I'll check it out.

I do get obsessed with these damn things. "I just want a driver" really means "get out the wallet!"


That is so true... for me I dont mess with old vacuum lines, heater hoses, belts, and other consumables that are obviously been around.

I sort of expect others to do such things when they say they are getting it up and running and soon will be driving and enjoying it.

My 73 Javelin cost me a bit of money as soon as I got 2 miles down the road. Did not realise E ment empty. Ha! 😆 luckly I had money and a follower to take me to the station. Then a simple oil leak at the timing cover ended up with the mechanic not aligning it properly or something, to end up eating distributor gear. Neadless to say after a bit of time I realised I could have saved half of the money spent if I just done some upkeep on unknown milage parts that do fail after time.

On the other hand... my 71 had a lot of recently replaced stuff, minus the belts, hoses, and vacuum lines. Though the carb was clean, it needed a rebuild, as it never got much use with city gas being 10% ethanol.



-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jun/29/2017 at 10:37pm

Well, Scott's tip was right on! The vacuum line tap above cylinder #8 was connected and goes under the firewall somewhere (it was getting dark so I didn't trace it back) but I disconnected it and plugged the intake manifold tap and the idle immediately improved.  No more shudder when stopped at a traffic light!  So obviously the line has a leak or was connected wrong.  I'll track that down tomorrow when I have some daylight (and less mosquitoes!)

Good to know that the engine is apparently sound!

Thanks again, Scott!!


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: amcglass
Date Posted: Jun/30/2017 at 4:59am
what ever options you decide to do to the car will turn out well   sure looks good so far as a good solid find

-------------
Javmanpres

BBG Mark Donohue 401

74 Jav/AMX
71 Matador 2dr sedan delivery wagon
1902 Rambler Runabout   
70 T/A Javelin


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jul/06/2017 at 11:14pm





No photos today, but I started rebuilding the front suspension. I bought a pair of upper control arms complete with new ball joints at the Gettysburg swap meet. Unfortunately, they are in my tow vehicle sitting at the Indianapolis airport right now, as I flew home from there after Gettysburg and will be flying back for the Kenosha reunion.  

I was itching to get started on the Javelin, so went ahead and bought lower control arm bushings and ball joints locally.  I already had an extra set of strut rod bushings.  My plan then is to do the lower half now and replace the upper bushings, springs and shocks after I get back from Kenosha.

I've only finished the lower half of the passenger's side, but already the car drives 100% better, so I'm really excited about what a nice cruiser this car will be when I have the entire front end finished. 

I media blasted, painted and detailed as I went, so the upper half of the RF suspension is crusty and greasy, and the lower half looks new!  No rotisserie restoration on this one.  I'll restore one wheel well at a time, and eventually I'll get to the engine bay and the paint shop. Smile




-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jul/14/2017 at 10:26pm

Happiness is new parts... especially hard to find ones!  Found the front spring perches on Amazon for $31.96 each, almost half what they were anywhere else.  Other times when I found a good price on them they had no stock, but Amazon came through!



I have two sets of wheels for my '69 AMX, one for show and one for driving, so I mounted the drivers up to the Javelin.  I kind of like the stock look instead of the gangsta wheels that were on the car when I bought it.



I also spent some time repainting the grill and fixing a few minor cracks on it.  I can see that the bumper has been pushed in a little at the center. Eventually I'll have the bumpers rechromed and will have the chrome shop fix it at that time as they also straighten bumpers as part of their service. They did wonders straightening the front bumper on my '69.



The amazing thing about this car is that under the hood and the under-body, everything was coated with layers of fine desert dust, and once you wipe the dust off, everything is well preserved underneath. The transmission leaks and the area around it is greasy/grimy but otherwise the car is just dusty and cleans right up.  Very rewarding to wipe it off with a rag, and some Fluid Film or WD-40. I don't think I'll need to repaint the engine bay or under-body.  

I know the car came from the hottest/driest part of Arizona, and some of the interior plastic is toast, but the paint on most of the car is well preserved. I think maybe the car was stored in a dirt lot, but my guess is that it was under a heavy car cover, as you can see where it wore through the paint at the peaks of the fenders.  The car has not been repainted, and there's no way metallic paint would have lasted this long in the Arizona sun unless it was covered.  Because of the areas where the cover rubbed through I will need to repaint it eventually, but it looks pretty good from 20 yards away.

I have a load of plastic interior pieces in my tow vehicle (sitting at the Indianapolis airport right now) that I bought at the Gettysburg swap meet.  I can't wait to get them home and paint and install them.

Today I finally resolved most of a vibration problem I had been chasing.  I installed new U-joints yesterday, but it was no help.  Today I reversed the drive shaft 180 degrees at the rear U-joint and balanced it with some hose clamps, and the vibration is much better now.


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: scott
Date Posted: Jul/15/2017 at 7:13am
The Javelin looks soooo much better with the "new" wheels!!!



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jul/15/2017 at 10:00am
Originally posted by scott scott wrote:

The Javelin looks soooo much better with the "new" wheels!!!


I think so too, Scott.  My plan is a to have a set of Minilite knock-offs, but I can always put these wheels on anytime I want the "Mom's Javelin" stock look. 

What doesn't show up in the photos is that the vinyl top area is rattle-can white.  I'm going to fix that with a tan/gold vinyl top.

I hate the low seating position.  We used to  have a '73 in my family and I don't remember the seats sitting so low.  For now I sit on a pillow when I drive it, but that's something I'm going to have to address.  The seat springs feel worn, so I might try to find some '73 or '74 seats or maybe even retrofit something else from a late-model junk yard find.  1972 was the only year for the horizontal rib pattern on the seats, I think, which I'm not all that crazy about either, but that's the sort of thing that torments me... whether to stay stock or have some fun with it.  Since it's not a particularly rare Javelin, I'm more willing to make some changes, but I'm generally a big fan of keeping cars stock.  I'm always drawn to the time capsule cars at car shows.

I kind of like the '72 one-year-only"C" stripe, but this car has the factory bump rails that would interfere with it, and removing them leaves a bunch of holes in the body that would have to be filled, so I'll either keep it as is, or possibly (though unlikely) go with an AMX-style "T" stripe. 


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: pacerman
Date Posted: Jul/15/2017 at 10:47am
Those bump rails were glued on on my 73 Javelin except for the arrow point at the front  There was/were one or two small bolt/trim holes at the front.  But I only removed mine before paint, so you could have paint problems if you remove them, even though you would not have many holes to patch.  If you remove a door panel you can confirm whether yours are installed the same way.  Joe

-------------
Happiness is making something out of nothing.


Posted By: 69BBB3904spAMX
Date Posted: Jul/15/2017 at 10:54am
Smile Cameron,

Don't repaint it due to thin spots. They are only original once, enjoy the original paint/patina. You could spend thousands on a repaint and I betcha would not enjoy it any more that if you merely preserved what you have.


-------------
37 Ford Tudor 60 hp V8 flathead, all original, never restored
69BBB3904spAMX
70 Camaro 1st car
74 Hornet Hatch 6 cyl floor/auto
2007,2008,2009 PT Cruisers
Aluminum Deck Car Trailer


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jul/15/2017 at 11:50am

I agree with you Pat, but here's the problem I have:









The hood and one of the fenders also have some small dents.

I'm thinking the areas with white spots might have been areas that were touched up before.  They seem to have a clear coat on them that has failed,  but if so they did a stellar job of matching the paint to the rest of the car, and there is no sign of bondo underneath... maybe just a light skim coat, which I think might be the white that is showing through the paint.



-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jul/15/2017 at 11:52am
Originally posted by pacerman pacerman wrote:

Those bump rails were glued on on my 73 Javelin except for the arrow point at the front  There was/were one or two small bolt/trim holes at the front.  But I only removed mine before paint, so you could have paint problems if you remove them, even though you would not have many holes to patch.  If you remove a door panel you can confirm whether yours are installed the same way.  Joe

I'll bet you're right.  I only looked at the front piece and assumed it was the same all the way down the side of the car!




-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: amxdreamer
Date Posted: Jul/15/2017 at 12:08pm
I like it!!!!! I vote for a paint touch up and not a repaint. Those guys that do bumper corners etc for car lots can do magic on those spots and the car is still 90% original!

-------------
Tony
Vancouver, BC
1970 AMX
1972 Badassador
AMO#10333


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jul/15/2017 at 1:13pm

Tony, if you find a guy who can touch up your truck and trailer, he's the guy I want to use. Wink


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: amxdreamer
Date Posted: Jul/15/2017 at 11:14pm
I have one! LOL

-------------
Tony
Vancouver, BC
1970 AMX
1972 Badassador
AMO#10333


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jul/21/2017 at 11:33pm

The original steering wheel needs a repaint, and it's the skinny rimmed base wheel from 1972.  I really don't care for it.  



I remembered that a 3-spoke sport wheel had come in a bunch of spares when I bought my '69 AMX, but it was in bad shape, and even worse after I left it outside for a year or so.  The hub was rusted and the rim had cracks in it. The spokes were in good shape though, so I soaked it in Evaporust for a day, after first ensuring that Evaporust wouldn't hurt the aluminum spokes. It didn't, and the way it removed the rust was pretty amazing.  I didn't take before and after photos of the hub, but you can get an idea of what the rim was like from this photo.



I thought about getting a leather wrap on it, but that looked like $250-350 proposition, so I decided to see if I could do anything to fix it myself first.  I figured I had nothing to lose, and could always wrap it later if I screwed it up.

I've had pretty good luck in the past repairing the dash pad on my AMX with this stuff called Padded Dash Filler from a company called Urethane Supply. It's a two-part talc-based filler that stays fairly flexible, so I thought it might work on the rubber rim to fill in the cracks.

To blend the repaired areas with the original, I decided to spray the rim with a spray rubber coating called "Leak Seal" made by Rustoleum.  This is similar to the "as seen on TV" stuff that they spray on a boat with a screen door bottom. It's used to patch rain gutters, etc. and it's thick enough to mask minor imperfections in the rim.  I chose the Rustoleum brand because it claims to be paintable.

The results weren't bad.  I found by standing a foot or two away with the spray can I got a nice textured finish that looks sort of like suede.

  

I then covered that with about three coats of SEM Color Coat vinyl spray paint.  Considering what I started with, I'm happy with the results. Not show car quality, but it makes a nice impression for a driver.  It's pliable, seems durable enough, but time will tell.  Leather wrap is still an option if it doesn't hold up, though I'd probably do better to just to find a nice used wheel if I have to.









-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: amxdreamer
Date Posted: Jul/22/2017 at 12:53am
Nothing wrong with that Cam!



-------------
Tony
Vancouver, BC
1970 AMX
1972 Badassador
AMO#10333


Posted By: Shannock
Date Posted: Jul/22/2017 at 6:20am
That wheel looks great, Cam. I'd like to do something like that for my car. What about the passenger grab handle, is yours OK? Mines ripped in the middle. I was thinking of having it done in leather, or something that doesn't rip easily. Nice work.


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Jul/22/2017 at 6:28am
Originally posted by Shannock Shannock wrote:

That wheel looks great, Cam. I'd like to do something like that for my car. What about the passenger grab handle, is yours OK? Mines ripped in the middle. I was thinking of having it done in leather, or something that doesn't rip easily. Nice work.


Thanks. My grab handle is ripped too. It's one of the things on my Kenosha swap meet shopping list.

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: amcglass
Date Posted: Jul/22/2017 at 6:37am
just sold a NICE one . one very very tiny small pin dot of a crack on the lower side of the stitch in the middle other than that one very nice Grab handle 

-------------
Javmanpres

BBG Mark Donohue 401

74 Jav/AMX
71 Matador 2dr sedan delivery wagon
1902 Rambler Runabout   
70 T/A Javelin


Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Jul/22/2017 at 7:17am
Hi, great work on the steering wheel. I think you and I both feel the same about judging our own work.

Maybe you need to set it aside and come back to it with a fresh mind.

As for the grab handle. I have mine still, and it has a crack in the center. I cleaned off the goo that was used to mend by the original owner, and will be doing a repair. I may pull it out and post what I do with it

As for having it done in leather, that can be done as well.

The odd thing about the handles is that the bi color does not match anything as for appearance.



-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/08/2017 at 2:04pm

Back from Kenosha and have been painting the interior pieces I picked up there and in Gettysburg.  Here's a before and after of the driver's door panel.  I sure think it looks better without the P.O.'s upholstery job on the lower half of the door.





The color is SEM 15173 (Camel), which is very close to the original peanut butter color.  It's just a tad lighter, but when I compared the cost of using the off-the-shelf color with a custom mix I decided it wasn't worth the extra expense.  

Finished both door panels today, but the rear seat panels are upholstered the same way, so they'll have to go as well.  I'm itching to get started on the dash though, so the rear seat panels will have to wait.

Got the horn button painted on the steering wheel too. Not too bad for what I thought was a junk steering wheel.




-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: pacerman
Date Posted: Aug/08/2017 at 2:23pm
Looks good.   I used the camel color on Gizmo my 76 Gremlin too.  Joe

-------------
Happiness is making something out of nothing.


Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/08/2017 at 2:39pm
Looks great! Things are going very well on the interior considering off the shelf color.

Yep, I agree lighting is one of them things that really can't be helped. When I custom mixed color I had to do a spread of various shades and grey scaling. 3 pictures done with the same light source and at different angles, all did not match between them. Though even with a well kept interior my 73 had slight color differences by plastic vs vinyl on the interior. My door panels and kick panels were lighter than than the crash pad and upper door pad on the door panel. Though the console was the only factory painted part had matched well with the plastics. Steering wheel and arm rests were oddly darker, as oils or what not from being handled darkened up the color. Never bothered with the steering wheel clean up, as a cover was installed right away.

I told you your steering wheel looks great... looks just like mine but missing stitchery and not black. It took a bit of getting use to the thickness feel. As my first attempt was more to my tastes, but had bad leather, so after the replacement was found to be out of whack with its stitch holes, I compensated by adding more padded wrap. Thus the thickness matching what you have done on yours.

Maybe you should get into the sports wheel custom grip service in the side.





-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/10/2017 at 5:54pm
Dash is out. Looking at the condition of the plastic crash pad structure makes me wish I had bought one at the Kenosha swap meet. Looks like it's time to pull out the PC-7!  Fixing cracks in the plastic is easy... restretching the soft plastic and getting it to stay where it has pulled away from the hard plastic, not so easy. 







-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/10/2017 at 6:27pm
CamJam, you may find my crash pad fix thread helpful. Though now that I have a better glue for vinyl adhesion for pulled away and bubbled areas I will get back to correcting once more. 3M gasket and rubber adhesive does wonders for tough things like keeping vinyl in place for the eye brow overlay area.

Plus if you pickup a shifter handle kit from Amark you may want to use my shifter handle mod for long term reliability, since yours popped put it's top.

Will look for my threads.

http://theamcforum.com/forum/strenthening-7174-javelin-console-shifter-handle_topic49961.html" rel="nofollow - http://theamcforum.com/forum/strenthening-7174-javelin-console-shifter-handle_topic49961.html

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/10/2017 at 6:48pm
I donno where my fixit dash repair thread went... may have been lost to the way side of what I did to my AMC thread.

Basically I uses flashing material and bent it to patch missing broken out sections using liquid nails all purpose adhesive gun tube. The stuff is pretty durable and sticks well.

Here are my links to images.

http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1441369432228-1591960403.jpg" rel="nofollow - http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1441369432228-1591960403.jpg

http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1441369559433-1312109964.jpg" rel="nofollow - http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1441369559433-1312109964.jpg

http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1441369963873897285876.jpg" rel="nofollow - http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1441369963873897285876.jpg

I even sealed up the speaker hole to conform to the shape of the dash pad.

http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1450311239524-1153411773.jpg" rel="nofollow - http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1450311239524-1153411773.jpg

http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1450311149773537174411.jpg" rel="nofollow - http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1450311149773537174411.jpg

Even folded metal flashing over to create new fastener locations along the metal trim and grab handle area.

http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1441369633716-603337643.jpg" rel="nofollow - http://theamcforum.com/forum/uploads/1422/1441369633716-603337643.jpg



-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/11/2017 at 12:10am
Originally posted by 304-dude 304-dude wrote:

CamJam, you may find my crash pad fix thread helpful. Though now that I have a better glue for vinyl adhesion for pulled away and bubbled areas I will get back to correcting once more. 3M gasket and rubber adhesive does wonders for tough things like keeping vinyl in place for the eye brow overlay area.

Plus if you pickup a shifter handle kit from Amark you may want to use my shifter handle mod for long term reliability, since yours popped put it's top.

Will look for my threads.

http://theamcforum.com/forum/strenthening-7174-javelin-console-shifter-handle_topic49961.html" rel="nofollow - http://theamcforum.com/forum/strenthening-7174-javelin-console-shifter-handle_topic49961.html

Good idea on beefing up the shifter handle, James.  As you can see, the hole in mine is right where the spring sits.  I did plan to order one from Amark.


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/11/2017 at 12:15am

All clamps on deck!



-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/11/2017 at 3:56am
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:


All clamps on deck!



Ha! Yep, I see you had a bit of lifting in the vent area. I too, and very crispy I may add. I was able to warp back most of my ABS plastic under the vinyl with map gas. I tell you the dash pad was a t**ser. But it is good enough for my use, once tamed down with a bit of man handling. Ha!

Well I think there is no hold down not redone with metal flashing and a good bit of liquid nails. That stuff is great filler and for reinforcing. Just have to be patient and a bit creative. Though I see you have plenty of other glues and what available that will do as well.

As for the handle, that was used long ago when in college. I had a 10 year old factory handle split in two. Used some adhesive to glue in the copper pipe segment to hold the two together. Figured after getting back to owning and some repair work on my AMC, to add that wee trick here, as a good piece of preventive maintenance.



-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/12/2017 at 1:19am
New lens, new sockets, new bulbs and some contact cleaning, and whaddya know? Turns out the car did not leave the factory with the dash light delete option!



-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/12/2017 at 5:01am
CamJam, if you want a factory look. I suggest searching for a very very light blueish green clear film sheet. I donno if art or photography supplies can help. But a cut thin sheet behind the new clear lens would make it look more OEM.

Maybe the new LEDs are too bright but seem to wash put the tent of the lens.


Looks great by the way!

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/12/2017 at 6:08am
Hey James, not sure what you mean, but this IS the factory look. I'm using the original 158 bulbs and just cleaned things up and got them working. I have considered replacing the incandescent bulbs with LEDs though.

Maybe what you're saying is that the light is more green than the factory look? Could be just the way the camera interpreted the color, but maybe the colored lens over the bulbs has faded with time?

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/12/2017 at 7:05am
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:

Hey James, not sure what you mean, but this IS the factory look. I'm using the original 158 bulbs and just cleaned things up and got them working. I have considered replacing the incandescent bulbs with LEDs though.

Maybe what you're saying is that the light is more green than the factory look? Could be just the way the camera interpreted the color, but maybe the colored lens over the bulbs has faded with time?


Ah, i assumed that you went with LED by how bright white it looks.

Yes, the camera does play a lot into the lens and light colors.

I will pull my lens out and post a picture of it on bright white paper. To show how the light tent of the lens.

Mine is near perfect oem. Needs some buffing, but free from the blasted haze that most notice, from direct sun light when parked over time.

Here it is... Notice the lens is a stock 120 MPH modified to work with tic tac clock. I do believe original clock lenses have elongated holes.



-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/12/2017 at 7:32am
Geeze, i adjusted my tablet... did not realize I had changed the screen mode, so colors and brightness was off. Now I see your incandescents are proper. Just assumed you went all out and got a new lens and LEDs. Well the only good thing from my picture is being able to notice the tent, and how much ones lens has yellowed. Mine shows some cloudy areas but they are micro scratches around the windows of the open face. The florescent lights show a yellow tent more on those micro scratches than elsewhere. I have a badly yellowed one somewhere in my box of wee instrument panel parts. Could have posted a joke picture as this is a proper tinted lens. Ha!

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: Mopar_guy
Date Posted: Aug/12/2017 at 8:56am
Just to give you a reference Cam, I replaced mine with Blue LED's to go with the blue in the interior. The stock greenish lens is still there. If you do switch to LED's, you'll need to jump the rheostat because they don't like dimming.




-------------

" http://theamcforum.com/forum/hemilina_topic95889.html" rel="nofollow - Hemilina " My 1973, 5.7 Hemi swapped Javelin


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/12/2017 at 10:52am
Thanks Keith! Good to see the photo. I wondered how much of a difference LEDs would make and whether they could be dimmed. They sure look nice!

I picked up two very good lenses at the Kenosha swap meet. I paid too much for one and then the next day saw another for only $5, so of course I had to buy it too!

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/12/2017 at 11:20am
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:

Thanks Keith! Good to see the photo. I wondered how much of a difference LEDs would make and whether they could be dimmed. They sure look nice!

I picked up two very good lenses at the Kenosha swap meet. I paid too much for one and then the next day saw another for only $5, so of course I had to buy it too!


Maybe in the winter, I will make a voltage to frequency generator using a 555 timer circuit and an op amp.

Since I have a few various 12v to 16v voltage dependent LEDs, the only way to dim them is to drive them with pulsed DC voltages between 60 hz and 120 hz with an on duty cycle of 25% when dimming is needed. I will need to make it any way and see how well it works with what I got.

Most plug and play LED kits have a mess of odd quirks that limit them in verify ways with older cars.

One way to make old dimmer switches work is to limit on time of an LED, which is how many display devices operate to achieve depth in color or brightness by the way.

Somewhere I found kits long ago to make such VFC devices for hobby use. I am sure modules can be found as well. For me I make most all my circuits from parts I have around. The cost of $25 is to high when either I have them on hand or a buck or two at Fry's or RS.

If I come across a kit or module online, I will look into how to make it work with our voltage ranges and for hook up in series with our switches.


I checked online for a module and found one that is cost effective enough to try out. I found it on a blackberry forum. The good is you do not need to solder as far as I can tell, and is robust enough for automotive use.

The big problem is it needs setting up, and may be beyond the non electronics oriented minds here.

Here is an amazon link.

https://www.amazon.com/XINY-Frequency-voltage-converted-frequency/dp/B01HXS9SOA" rel="nofollow - https://www.amazon.com/XINY-Frequency-voltage-converted-frequency/dp/B01HXS9SOA

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/17/2017 at 9:35pm
Got the dash back together.

Before:



and after:



Those with eagle eyes will notice a few details still missing... the grab handle, and I'm awaiting a new shifter handle from Amark.

I'm also missing a sleeve that goes behind one of the radio knobs. I changed radios for one I bought for $5 at a local swap meet. That's right, an original AMC radio at a local car show swap meet! It had a much better face plate than the one I had, but my old knobs don't fit it and it was missing the sleeve.

I haven't put the covers back on the switch levers yet either. They're such a pain to get off that I'm not going to put them back on until I'm SURE I'm done.

The woodgrain is a tad darker than I wanted.  I used the SpazStix root beer candy paint that Scott has detailed in another thread.  His method works great, but when I masked over it to paint the chrome edge it pulled a strip of the paint off.  I was able to save it, but it meant applying one more coat of paint than I otherwise would have.

There's a bigger gap than I would like on the upper left where the crash pad meets the instrument cluster.  The plastic inside broke when I was tightening it down.  I'm going to try fixing it with some Padded Dash Filler, which hopefully I can do without removing the crash pad again.

The SEM "camel" color is a bit lighter than the factory color, but the original was also dirty and sun baked. It sure feels clean and bright in the car now.

The new thick-rimmed steering wheel sure feels better!  The two steering wheels are actually the same diameter (I measured), but the thick rim somehow makes it feel smaller.


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: kirkwood
Date Posted: Aug/18/2017 at 9:22am
looking great Cam. Those dashes are a real PITA, especially with AC. I understand not wanting to take it apart again!

-------------
AMO Newsletter Editor


Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/18/2017 at 9:36am
Camjam, that color is closer to my 73 color. It turned out nicely for you. Sorry you had some issues pop up, when installing.

Funny thing about the steering wheel... Our Honda has a nice thick 15" wheel, and yes thickness makes the wheel feel smaller. Even though it is 15", the padding makes it seem about 14.5", by closing up the open center.

True 14" and smaller on passenger cars look odd. Mainly because I grew up around low riders with chromed chain link rimmed steering wheels.



-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/20/2017 at 7:25pm

This stuff is almost a dead-on match for the original AMC Baja Bronze.  Going to be very useful for underhood touch-up.  $7 at Home Depot. Painted my new battery tray with it today!




-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: kirkwood
Date Posted: Aug/20/2017 at 7:33pm
"Metallic rust" is how I will start describing the color of my 72 Gremlin I think!

-------------
AMO Newsletter Editor


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/20/2017 at 7:35pm

Yeah, I thought that was an appropriate name too! LOL

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: Scene One
Date Posted: Aug/20/2017 at 9:21pm
Coming along nicely Cam..

               B.P.


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/26/2017 at 4:23pm





Thanks, Buster!

The front suspension rebuild is going well.  I have the driver's side completely finished and the lower control arm on the passenger side is done.  I'm just waiting for the welder to fix a hack in my passenger's side upper control arm where a previous owner had damaged it removing the old bushings.  Should have that on Monday.

Removing old bushings is not an easy job, but I've gotten better at it.  Using a combination of long bolts and sockets of various sizes I find I am able to press bushings in and out pretty easily without the need for a press (though a press certainly would be nice to have!).  The spring perch bushing was a little problematic because I didn't have a socket of the right size that was deep enough to slip over the mounting "ears", so I got a loaner bushing tool kit from O'Reilly's solely for an adapter in it that was the right size.  I didn't bother with the big c-clamp in their kit, as I find a long grade-8 bolt is easier to manage,


 
I'm cleaning and painting everything as I go, so now have a mixture of shiny/new and rusty/crusty on the car.  The crossmember cleaning & painting will be left for another session, and the steering knuckle pin and spindles will be taken care of when I do the conversion to disc brakes.

The Moog 3112 springs seem to have been the right choice.  The car sits noticeably higher in the one corner with the new spring.  Might be a tad bit too high at first, but I'm sure it will settle in.

Hopefully I can get the rest of the passenger's side finished early next week.  







-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/26/2017 at 4:46pm
Camjam, I would advise new flex brake lines to the calipers and rear junction. My 73 originals had wee cracks that showed when flexed, back in 87. My 65 Riviera blew it's front line out at a stop light... about 250 feet from a full service auto repair shop. Lucky me.

A little goes a long way.

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/27/2017 at 3:11pm

Here's how I go about removing the old spring perch bushings.  They're a little harder to do than the control arm bushings because it takes more force to bust them loose, and like the lower control arm bushings, you have to take steps to prevent the bracket from collapsing as you increase the pressure.

BillD has an excellent sticky on rebuilding the front-end of his Javelin, which I referred to a lot.  Like Bill, I made do with whatever I had around the shop to remove and replace the bushings. Where Bill used a piece of oak and a bolt, I made do with sockets.  I use the same basic method outlined here on the control arms too, just varying the size of the sockets and bolts to fit the job.

First you have to get the rubber bushing out of the sleeve, which I do with a propane torch.  Heat the sleeve, rather than burning the rubber bushing itself, and you can then pound it out with a hammer.  Save the bolts, since you will need to reuse them.  A spline holds the head of the bolt against the bracket, so you have to pound it out too. I just put a socket slightly larger than the head of the bolt underneath, put the nut on the end of the bolt and hit it with a sledge hammer.  Two or three good hits with a big hammer and the bolt will pop right out.



Once you have the rubber bushing out of the metal sleeve, you need to press the sleeve out of the spring perch. I used a 7" long grade-8 bolt, a 1 3/16" socket, and a couple of adapters out of the #67045 Ball Joint/U-Joint rental tool kit from O'Reilly's.  I think Auto Zone also rents the same kit.  Both are free... you just place a deposit that is refunded when you return the kit.  I used some deep well sockets that just happened to be the right length to keep the spring perch from collapsing as I tightened the bolt.  My 1 3/16" socket was the right diameter to push the old sleeve through the hole, but you might need a different size depending on the wall thickness of your sockets.




It takes a lot of tightening, banging on the sleeve with a ball peen hammer and repositioning of the socket, but eventually the bushing sleeve will start to pop out in small increments. Just keep repeating the process, and sooner or later the bracket will give up the sleeve.



From here, I just throw the bracket in a bucket of Evaporust overnight.  Tomorrow it will be ready to paint and then I'll press a new bushing in.



-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/27/2017 at 6:45pm
Originally posted by 304-dude 304-dude wrote:

Camjam, I would advise new flex brake lines to the calipers and rear junction. My 73 originals had wee cracks that showed when flexed, back in 87. My 65 Riviera blew it's front line out at a stop light... about 250 feet from a full service auto repair shop. Lucky me.

A little goes a long way.

Yep, new rubber brake lines will be included for sure.  I had one go bad on my Opel GT too.  Would pull to one side horribly under braking.


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/30/2017 at 10:04am

Back on the ground, with new bushings, springs and shocks.  Definitely rides higher in the front now, but I finally have some suspension travel and no longer need to adjust the headlights! They were only reaching out about ten feet in front of the car before!

Drove the eight miles to town last night to fill up the gas tank.  Even with just an eye-ball alignment she no longer wanders, and I no longer worry about whether I'll return home with all four wheels still on the car!



The interior is nearly finished too.  I still need to repaint the clam shell back on the seats, but otherwise all the interior plastics have been repaired, replaced and/or repainted.  The seats will get new upholstery at some point, but they don't look horrible so they're not a priority.  The foam inside them is either cheap or completely shot though, and I'm not sure how long I'll be able to tolerate the low driving position. If I get a little extra money I might just reupholster them sooner rather than later.

Sure looks better with the new paint, steering wheel and a console lid!



Next up is either fixing the transmission leaks or replacing the windshield.  Still have some driveline vibration too.


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: scott
Date Posted: Aug/30/2017 at 4:40pm
Wow!! The interior looks great!!


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/30/2017 at 6:00pm
Originally posted by scott scott wrote:

Wow!! The interior looks great!!

Thanks, Scott!  Guess where I got those door panels and the A-pillar trim?


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/30/2017 at 6:19pm

So, I have this trait I got from my dad... when something's not working right I cannot stop thinking about it. It's a bit obsessive/compulsive, and I'm sure it drives my family crazy.  In this case, it's a drive line vibration I've been obsessing over.  I had checked pinion angles before and thought everything was great, but I must have got my positive and negative numbers mixed up then, because I kept coming back to the fact that something wasn't right, so I decided to double check my numbers.  Sure enough, the back of the transmission seemed to be pointing down more than it should, so I decided to put some spacers under the transmission mount to raise it up to see what that would do to the angle.  Just one problem:  When I looked there was NO transmission mount!!  

It's one of the style shown in the photo, and only the top right angle bracket was there, resting directly on the transmission cross member!  The rubber portion and bottom bracket were gone entirely!  A previous owner obviously decided it wasn't needed, because it couldn't just fall off!!  As you can see, the missing rubber and bracket would lower the back of the transmission by an inch or two.



The good news is it's an easy fix, and I already got the vibration much better than it was by putting hose clamps on the driveshaft, so it ought to be REALLY good once the transmission mount is back in place! 


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: Scene One
Date Posted: Aug/30/2017 at 7:46pm
Looking good Cam, But you have to slow down your making me feel bad about my progress!!


Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Aug/30/2017 at 8:25pm
Originally posted by Scene One Scene One wrote:

Looking good Cam, But you have to slow down your making me feel bad about my progress!!

Geeze, don't be so hard on yourself. Your cars are like apples and oranges.

The only part to be envious about is Camjam's find, being mostly intact, no rust and original paint.  He saw a good deal that he had to jump on, that did not need a lot done. What needed done he was able to do. Unfortunatley very few old cars come that that way now these days.




-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/31/2017 at 8:36am
Yep, this car is a minor project compared to some of them here. I'm retired too, which gives me time to work on my cars. My BBO AMX was a money pit because of some poor repairs uncovered after media blasting, but I'm more fortunate with this car that I can do most of the work myself.

-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Aug/31/2017 at 1:48pm
$8.99 transmission mount and my driveline vibration is fixed!!!  I could tell even at slow speeds that the driveline was smoother.  In addition to the pinion drive angles being out of whack, I think I was also getting some resonant vibration just from the metal bracket of the old transmission mount resting on the transmission crossmember! 

With that and the new suspension, she drives like a real car now.  Just need some new rear shocks and leaf spring bushings to finish the suspension job.  Oh yes, inner and outer tie rod ends too. 


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: LakesideRamblin
Date Posted: Aug/31/2017 at 2:43pm
$8.99 is always a great fix and puts a pep in your step.  Way to go.

-------------
LakesideRamblin
69 Rambler 360
73 Javelin 360
"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month." T. Roosevelt


Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Sep/06/2017 at 8:29pm

With the front end rebuilt I turned my attention to the back of the car and installed new rear shocks.  The KYB Gas-A-Just fixed the slight amount of rear spring sag I had.  



The stance is just about right now (maybe just a tad high in front until the new springs settle) but the ride is a bit too firm for my taste now. The handling is definitely better, but I'm wishing now I had gone with Bilsteins in the rear instead of KYB, or maybe the cheaper KYB rather than the Gas-A-Just. My experience with Bilsteins has been they improve the handling without adding much harshness.  Of course that was on a different vehicle, so who knows how they would be on the Javelin.  That said, what I have now is not that bad, and Bilsteins are pricey, so I'll probably just learn to live with it.  

Prior to this I ran with just the KYB on the front and old shocks on the rear for a couple weeks and the KYBs were ok on the front, I just don't like them so much on the back.

I also fixed the heater hose routing so that hot water is no longer running through the heater core all the time.  Not sure why the previous owner had bypassed the heater valve... it seems to work fine. Full-time heat is definitely not desirable in Arizona this time of year. I also found a blown fuse as the cause of the blower motor not working.

After that, I just spent some time cleaning under the hood. I've bought paint to repaint the engine (without removing it from the car) but it's going to be a big job and I think I'll wait for the weather to cool down a bit.  We've had the last hurrah of summer here for the last few days, but it's about to break. By end of September here the weather starts getting very nice.

In any case, the car goes in to the transmission shop to have the 998 re-sealed next Monday.  Without a lift, I just don't feel like lying in the driveway to remove the transmission from the car.

I did order some vinyl top material today:



The color is called "buckskin" and it's a GM pattern.  The "boar" grain AMC used seems to only be available in black and white these days.


-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Sep/09/2017 at 10:43am

Well crap!  Decided to start painting the engine, with it still in the car.  First mistake was believing posts I saw on the Internet that said AMC Rampart red was very close to Ford red.  Of course, there are three or four places in town where I can buy Ford red, so I decided to give it a shot.  I started out by painting the intake manifold.  I knew as it was going on that it was way too orange, but "it might darken as it dries" was my hope.  Well, of course it didn't.  You can still see the original color on the valve cover. My Ford red almost looks like Chevy orange to me.  Yuck!



Oh well, I'm just out $30 for the paint and a couple hours time... not the end of the world. Part of me just wants to paint the engine Alamosa Aqua, but then again it is a '72 California car, and the red California engines are part of AMC history.

I'm sort of in the same boat with the body color of the car.  I really don't like Baja Bronze on a Javelin, but that's the factory color it came with and it is "SO" 1972, especially with a vinyl roof. Then again, this is supposed to be a nice driver, not a concourse car.  Costs money to change colors though, and so far the cheapskate me is winning out.  First world problems for sure.

I'm thinking "International Harvester" red is probably a lot closer, but probably best just to have the local paint store will mix me up some Rampart red.  It's only money.



-------------
'73 Javelin 360 (current project)
'72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST
'69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD



Posted By: 73Gremlin401
Date Posted: Sep/09/2017 at 10:52am
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:


With the front end rebuilt I turned my attention to the back of the car and installed new rear shocks.  The KYB Gas-A-Just fixed the slight amount of rear spring sag I had.  



The stance is just about right now (maybe just a tad high in front until the new springs settle) but the ride is a bit too firm for my taste now. The handling is definitely better, but I'm wishing now I had gone with Bilsteins in the rear instead of KYB, or maybe the cheaper KYB rather than the Gas-A-Just. My experience with Bilsteins has been they improve the handling without adding much harshness.  Of course that was on a different vehicle, so who knows how they would be on the Javelin.  That said, what I have now is not that bad, and Bilsteins are pricey, so I'll probably just learn to live with it.  

Prior to this I ran with just the KYB on the front and old shocks on the rear for a couple weeks and the KYBs were ok on the front, I just don't like them so much on the back.


The GR-2 KYBs are probably going to make you happier for the rear of the car - they are a lower pressure shock than the Gas-a-justs, but....if you choose to replace the rear leafs, the gas-a-justs you have now will do a better job of controlling it.  In my experience with Bilstein, which the KYB GAJs are a knock-off of, you'll have the same sharply controlled ride of the KYBs.

Good luck - I'm enjoying reading your thread; great progress you are making!


-------------
73 Gremlin 401/5-spd.
77 Matador Wagon 360/727.
81 Jeep J10 LWB 360/4-spd
83 Concord DL 4-dr 258/auto



Posted By: 304-dude
Date Posted: Sep/09/2017 at 11:02am
Originally posted by CamJam CamJam wrote:





Maybe I am seeing too much red... looks like your fuel filter is dipped down a bit. Both my 71 and 73 Javelins had the filters flat horizontally.

Looks like it is connected directly to a vacuum line to the manifold in front of the carb.

Just letting you know before you find an overly rich condition. Hehehehehehehehehehe

Now on the serious side... I didn't know California cars had big valve cover fasteners and no half moon washers.

If that is not the case I have a complete set.

-------------
71 Javelin SST body
390 69 crank, 70 block & heads
NASCAR SB2 rods & pistons
78 Jeep TH400 w/ 2.76 Low
50/50 Ford-AMC Suspension
79 F150 rear & 8.8 axles
Ford Racing 3.25 gears & 9" /w Detroit locker



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