Despite having a timeless Richard Teague design, TransAm racing cred, and being the car that would break AMC out of its George Romney-era economy-car mold, the AMC Javelin's hi-po AMX version always appeared uncomfortable in its own skin. But will a total, pro-touring makeover solve its issues?
In this episode of Big Muscle, Mike Musto drives a heavily modified 1969 AMX, whose build was comissioned by a longtime Javelin lover who wanted one that drove like a modern sports car, not a wheelbarrow full of severed heads. Actually, outside of the body, glass and grille there's very little AMC content left. Oh, and the sun visors.
The powertrain, for example is a GM-Ford combo, with an LS3 hooked to a Ford 9" rear through a Keisler Engineering 5-speed. For suspension, it's got RideTech triple-adjustable coilovers instead of the original AMX's trunnions and bean dip geometry. So is it still an AMX? Or, like the famous TransAm racers of 40+ years ago, an AMC in name only?