I was pretty happy to read your thread because at first glance of the title, I was thinking the gas monkey hacks did a Javelin.

It's a great story and good luck with your adventure!

Got the engine to the machine shop! Hoping to hear back about its condition soon!

I’m using the same shop as AZ AMC Restorations—King Balancing. 

Thank you! I got SEM interior paint (Camel). 

It’s a Tanaka racing seat. I actually found it on EBay. One thing I will say though, is if you are much wider than me, you might not fit very well in it. I’m 6’ tall and 190 lbs. 

http://https://youtu.be/I9URZLHTeh0" rel="nofollow - http://https://youtu.be/I9URZLHTeh0

Have a new one coming soon about getting the cowl air cleaner fixed up, too. 

Certainly a big difference. 

Looks 200% better with a little elbow grease!!!!    

It does, doesn’t it??

http://https://youtu.be/eFsBqbNur1A" rel="nofollow - http://https://youtu.be/eFsBqbNur1A

Got some tires for my new wheels!!

  Will you be keeping the original brown exterior?

  I appreciate the updates.  Its starting to get pretty cold here and challenging to spend much time on my car.

Thank you! I think they look great! They are Rota RKR wheels in 15x8 size (all 4). They have 5” backspacing, but the lowering plate we’re making for the front spindles will push it 1/2” towards the outside. The front tires are 235/60-15 and the rears are 275/60-15. 

Thanks! The plan is to make an adapter on the original sliders and use them on the aftermarket seats. If the rivets are tapped out of the original sliders, you can use bolts and washers instead, so that’s the route I’m gonna go. Just need to recondition the sliders and make the adapters. 

I also put together another video of the progress on the front end of the car. It’s effectively stripped and painted!

Aftermarket seat is in with custom brackets. Sound deadening and carpet is in, and the shifter and console are also mocked in for the time being. Have to get everything bolted back in.

Latest video:   http://https://youtu.be/myJvieOiLhU" rel="nofollow - https://youtu.be/myJvieOiLhU

Offenhauser ceramic coated

This is how she currently sits. Front end suspension is loosely in place. Needs to fix some minor mistake we made on the brakes. Wheels are just sitting in place for the picture.

Also recently un-jammed the steering lock rod and got the ignition cylinder moving again. Just got parts in yesterday to put the horn assembly and cover back on. Done doing interior stuff for the time being, but still need to eventually look at the windows and try to get them in better shape before reinstalling the interior panels. Also need to get the Schroth harness setup at some point. 

Want to get the brake system sorted out before diving into the transmission rebuild. Engine is nearing completion!

Putting together a video of the process!

I know—insane!

Got everything back in the car, and it's about 90% working. I have a bulb or two out in the dash I'll have to get fixed (I think I put them in "backwards"). I also don't have turn signals for some reason, so I'll have to look into that as well. Nice long video for the progress coming out tomorrow on my Youtube channel.

Yup, I realized that right after I installed it. 😆

16 months of work comparison picture! Not much longer until it’s roadworthy…

Not sure how to rotate the picture on here, but I did a lot more wiring and got the headers on. Also got the carb on and installed the throttle linkage and kickdown cable. Working on the shifter next!

I keep telling people I got a bad working situation for working on my rambler, and keep telling them how lucky they are, having a indoors work space, with a bench and a place for a vice, and flat ground for safely jacking up the car, and reasonable access to lots of power for welding ect... Buy I'll say it again my freind, your lucky you have that work space, don't know if you could easily do what you did in 16 months with your javelin in a spot like my rambler... I'll tell ya, you gotta have lots of bulldog in ya to spend two years working away at 13 degrees of an angle outdoors! 

There’s been a few parts that took a while or I couldn’t find. I was pretty smart by buying most of the parts I needed earlier on before I was even ready to tackle the individual projects.

There are a lot of things I’ve done to just make things work, like the throttle cable connection to the gas pedal (which will be in an upcoming video on the YouTube channel). 

It’s definitely been a blessing to have a big shop to use for this project, but a 2-car garage would have been sufficient. I’m actually not going to have this shop for a whole lot longer and will be moving all the operations to my back yard. We’re building a 10x12 work shop, and the car will be under a temporary car port of sorts. I’ll definitely be doing my fair share of work outside when that happens. Even at the current shop, I only have a swamp cooler for the 115 degree days here in AZ, which brings it down to an icy 95 degrees. 

Got the wiring for the shifter light sorted out. Now I need to figure out how to run the shifter cable since it comes out of the front of the shifter. I did not account for this when mocking it up in the car with the console. ☹️

As usual, the photo uploader is killing it, but the transmission is officially rebuilt and back at the shop!

Here’s some things I’ve done lately:

-Lowered the front end (cut a coil out of the springs)

-Went through 3 torque converter iterations (I think this one will work)

-Got all my vacuum lines connected

-Filled the power steering pump 

-Got gas in the tank 

-Buffed out the hood

-Installed PCV valve 

-Bypassed heater passage 

-Installed B&M shift cable adapters

-Installed new neutral safety switch

Still need to tighten front suspension, add coolant, install the trans (for the 4th time), connect all the transmission stuff (dipstick, kickdown, neutral safety switch connector, shift cable), and install the starter. I should pretty much be ready to start and drive it at that point. 

It was very sad to hear/see. Wish I could have kept that car and saved it from its imminent death. 

This is me RIGHT before my soul was crushed by the fact that my transmission is inexplicably locked up. Taking it back out completely next week to take it apart and look at it. 

There’s still a few things that need to be done before it’s technically “roadworthy”. We’re swapping out the steering box, power steering pump (replacement failed), and we’re putting in an aftermarket tach. 

Popped into the shop for a minute earlier to see if I have some parts I need tomorrow and snapped this picture on my way out. My security light makes for some dramatic lighting lol. *Hopefully* this will be one of the last pictures of it inside for a while. 

I got it home! Still have a few bugs to work out before it can drive more reliably. It was dying at stops and the trans is starting in 3rd when our in drive for some reason. 

Thanks! 

Been doing a little carb tuning and trying to figure out what’s going on with the trans. I believe I’m having an issue with the governor on the trans, as it’s starting in 3rd gear when put in drive and doesn’t automatically downshift, either. 1st and reverse also feel like they’re slipping, so I think a band adjustment needs to be made. 

You need to bring it out to the AMC show in Glendale on April 8th!  I'll be there with my '72 Baja Bronze beast.  Details here:

https://theamcforum.com/forum/arizona-cactus-classic-xx-phoenix-glendale_topic118898.html" rel="nofollow - Arizona Cactus Classic XX, Phoenix/Glendale - The AMC Forum

I’d love to, but it’s not looking good at the moment lol

The forum likes flipping all my pictures sideways… 🙄 Anyways, I used the hot/cold method to get the input shaft bearing on. Worked great! Still waiting on a few small parts, but I’ll get it back together with the shortened input shaft and Jeep retainer soon. 

Got the new input shaft on. Hoping to rip out the Torqueflite this weekend. 

How so? I only vaguely remember it. 

Today I got the new driveshaft and got to work on assembling almost everything that was left. The strut rod was removed and drilled for the Z bar mount a few days ago, so it was reinstalled along with the rest of the clutch linkage. New fluid was put in, the driver side header was tightened up again (loosened to get strut rod bracket off), and “exhaust” was put back on as well. 

All that’s left is figuring out the backup lights and reinstalling my O2 sensor. Then it’s time to test everything out!

I also had a small oil leak near the back of the oil pan. Tightened it up a bit and I think it’ll be ok. Debating getting a Centerforce clutch for when I put it all back together, but they are pricey. I also had some weird wear patterns on the flywheel (small heat spots on one half of the flywheel?). 

Decided to get the Centerforce clutch while I had everthing back apart. Everything is going pretty smoothly so far!

Thanks for following along! There will definitely be more videos to come. Repairs, upgrades, cruising, etc. I have many plans for this car. 🙂

I did see something about that show! I’m really considering going. Hit me up on Facebook and maybe we can talk about it/do some planning. 

I paid $4,500 for my 304 Javelin, which ran but was very dirty and had no brakes.  Turned out to be a much better deal than I thought at the time as I haven't had to touch the engine in the 10k miles I've put on it since then, but it still t needed new upholstery, some paint and a front suspension rebuild.

Paid $7,800 for my 360 Javelin that looked good at 10 yards, ran and had a decent interior, but at 114k miles, everything mechanical was pretty much worn out.

I'd say you did pretty well.  Of course, as anyone who has tried to bring these cars back to life knows, what you pay for the car is usually a drop in the bucket compared to what you spend fixing it up.