Purchasing a disassembled project car has advantages and disadvantages. The cost is generally lower, and inspecting the body for rust is easy, but other problems may not be evident, and unless you are very familiar with a particular model, missing parts and hardware can cause headaches later on. Reassembling a car is always easier if you are the one who disassembled it.
One final caution involves purchasing a vehicle sight unseen. It is a common practice these days to conduct a nationwide search for a project car and having it delivered is as easy as making a phone call; it’s also fairly inexpensive even if the car isn’t drivable. However, if it can be arranged, always have someone local to the car inspect it for you, because photos usually make a vehicle look much better than it actually is.
Starting with a complete, unaltered project car is preferable to buying one that has been disassembled already, or quickly fixed up for resale. A project that can be driven is even better, although if the car is not roadworthy you may still be able to run the engine and check the transmission. Be sure to test all of the electrical components and accessories before beginning the teardown.
Modified muscle cars, or ones missing a lot of original parts can frequently be found for sale at swap meets and car corrals, often at a bargain price. They can be a great value for building a street machine or race car, but if you want a stock-appearing restored muscle car buy the nicest most complete car that you can find. Once all of the custom or missing parts are replaced you may end up spending more than the cost of a much better car.
AMC offered its 1969½ SC/Rambler in both (right) and (left) paint schemes. Among the cosmetic differences, the “A” cars featured a blue arrow centered on the car “directing” airflow into the hood scoop. (Photo Courtesy Mark Fletcher Collection)
American Motors catapulted itself into the muscle car wars with the debut of the AMC Javelin. Par for the course was adding special paint schemes such as this; Big Bad Green was offered in 1969 and 1970. (Photo Courtesy Mark Fletcher Collection)
Here is one of the rarest color combos found on any AMC. This 1969 Javelin features Big Bad Green paint with parchment bucket seats and GlennGerry fabric. Not pictured is the tan dash and carpet. (Photo Courtesy Mark Fletcher Collection)
Helpful people who frequent the online AMC forums may be willing to check out your potential purchase for free or for expenses only. If this isn’t possible just assume the car will be in worse condition than described. This way you will never be disappointed, and you may even be pleasantly surprised when your new muscle car project arrives in the driveway.
Far too many automotive restoration projects are started and never finished. The unfortunate cars involved are frequently sold in boxes for pennies on the dollar, or parted out then sent to the crusher. Although usually well intentioned, many restorations are doomed from the beginning because of a serious lack of planning. For this reason this chapter may well be the most important one in the entire book!
Now that you have chosen and located a suitable AMC muscle car project, steps should be taken that will affect the final outcome of the restoration, and virtually guarantee its success—before a single bolt is removed. Perhaps the most important part of any large project is to form a game plan. This means that you must decide the scope of the project, plan your level of personal involvement, estimate the amount of time and space that is required, and set up a reasonable budget for completing the restoration to your satisfaction, and (you hope) on schedule.
Driver, Show Car or Street Machine
In the chapters that follow, choices are occasionally provided that correspond to the type of restoration that you have chosen for your particular project. The first category is daily driver, a term that is pretty much obsolete in the AMC world since most of these cars left the daily driver ranks quite some time ago. Increased collectibility and a dwindling supply of replacement body parts have elevated the status of any AMC muscle car to that of a valued collectible used only occasionally.
The 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler proved to be a formidable “swan song” offering from AMC. With a 390-ci, 4-speed transmission and 3.54 posi “Traction Lock” rear end, many a big-block foe was loaded onto the trailer when squaring off against a SC/Rambler. (Photo Courtesy Mark Fletcher Collection)
So, for the purpose of this book, a frequently driven AMC is considered a weekend driver, one you may take to cruise-ins, a local car show, or drive into town with the family to get some ice cream. These cars are generally a lot of fun to own because they are rarely trailered, and you need not consult the local five-day weather forecast before deciding if it will even leave the garage!
Next up is a show car, which, by definition, is one that is reserved for display at car shows and other similar events. These are frequently over-restored to a level that is even better than original; a show car is used sparingly and stored carefully when not being driven, if it is driven at all. These cars generally receive a more thorough restoration with the underside of the car receiving just as much attention as the top. For this reason they are generally trailered to shows because even careful driving would subject the car to stone chips and wear.
Show cars are typically too nice or too valuable to drive regularly. Many are competing to advance in concours judging, so they must be trailered to any event where they will be displayed. In years past some arena-type show cars could not even be started because they had no fluids that could leak. Today most owners and enthusiasts have gotten away from having a complete trailer queen, preferring instead a car that can at least be driven onto the show field.
A street machine can be just as nice as a stock-class show car, but without any concern for originality. Want a blower sticking through the hood? No problem! Non-stock cars are judged for execution and cleanliness only, with no deduction for incorrect parts, so anything goes. Friends who have built an AMC street machine may be a good source for rare original take-off parts that can be used for your restoration.
Restrictions set by classic vehicle insurance companies, as well as limits for use set by individual states when applying for historical or collector license plates may also determine how much you are able to drive your AMC muscle car once it is finished. If you plan to drive your car to work on a regular basis