Used sporty coupes seem to fall into one of two categories: they either have been thrashed within an inch of their lives, or have been treated with such kid gloves that you wonder if the owners enjoy them at all – and then second owners sometimes thrash them within an inch of their lives. Today we’re going to look at one from each camp: a ’70s classic that needs more miles on its odometer, and a ’00s factory hot rod that needs some sympathy.
Friday was Halloween, and we celebrated with two home-built jobbies that were enough to scare any gearhead. We had a “Locost” built in the style of a Lotus 7, and a Manta Mirage that was so modified it was barely recognizable. Several of you begged for a “neither” option, but as you know, that’s not how the game is played. When the dust settled, the not-really-a-Lotus took the win, but I don’t think any of you felt good about it.
Personally, that Locost scares the hell out of me. The seller says it was built from “plans” from Lotus, which as far as I know don’t exist. Where did these plans come from? Why deviate from them so much? Why use the engine out of a Chevy S-10 pickup? I don’t feel great about the Manta either, but at least it looks cohesive.
Give a young person a flashy two-door car, and they’re probably going to do some very ill-advised things with it. Give an older person the same car, and they will often coddle it, taking it out only on weekends when the weather is nice, and barely racking up enough miles to keep the juices flowing. Subsequent owners are often much harder on such cars. Today we’re going to look at two coupes from the Denver area, one of which looks like it was babied, then abused, and then left to sit, and another that looks like someone beat the hell out of it before crashing it and repairing it badly. Here they are.
1971 AMC Javelin SST – $3,900
Engine/drivetrain: 258 cubic inch OHV inline 6, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Denver, CO
Odometer reading: 81,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives, but tires are old and cracked
In the late 1960s and early ’70s, pony cars were all the rage. Ford had the Mustang, and Plymouth, Chevy, and Pontiac all countered with the Barracuda, Camaro, and Firebird, respectively. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, AMC introduced the Javelin in 1968. The original Javelin design was a handsome fastback, but pretty tame compared to this 1971 second-generation design, with its bulging fenders. Whether or not the redesign is an improvement is a matter of taste, but I’ve always liked it.
Like other pony cars, the V8-powered Javelins are the best remembered, but the basic six-cylinder ones were probably a lot more common. Both 232 and 258 cubic inch versions of AMC’s inline six were available; this one has the 258, backed by a three-speed automatic. It sat for many years, until the seller revived it a couple months ago. The ignition, fuel, cooling, and brake systems have all been gone through, and the seller has been driving it around their neighborhood, but it needs tires before it’s ready for the open road.
This Javelin has the SST package, which was just an appearance package, despite the fast-sounding name. It’s similar to the RS package available on the Chevy Camaro. The SST has fancier upholstery and a sporty three-spoke steering wheel. This one looks pretty good inside, especially for its age. The dashboard looks like it was taken apart and put back together badly, but it could probably be fixed. You might have to take it apart again anyway, to replace the heater core, which leaks and has been bypassed.
Outside, it was originally blue with a white stripe, but someone spray-painted it flat black at some point. The good news is that the only rust to speak of is in the rear quarter panels behind the wheels, and I’m sure repair panels are available. The bent rear bumper and cracked reverse light lens might be harder to replace, however.
2006 Acura RSX Type S – $3,450
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4, six-speed manual FWD
Location: Denver, CO
Odometer reading: 192,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and “lot drives”
Japanese sports coupes like the Acura RSX, and its predecessor the Integra, could arguably be called pony cars as well. Available in both inexpensive basic versions as well as high-performance versions for a little more money, and marketed to young buyers, they filled the same niche in the market that Mustangs and Camaros and Javelins did decades earlier. This is one of the higher-performance versions, the Type-S, with more horsepower, lower gearing, stiffer suspension, and an extra gear in the transmission.
The RSX Type-S is powered by a 210-horsepower version of Honda’s K-series engine, driving the front wheels through a six-speed manual. This one runs and drives, but it has been in an accident bad enough to set off the airbags, and somewhat haphazardly repaired. The radiator support is a different color from the rest of the sheetmetal, and the ad says there may be further frame damage. It drives around their lot, but you’d probably want to get it checked out by a body shop before trying to drive it anywhere.
The interior is a bit of a mess, and not just the deployed airbags, which look like they’ve been cut away. I get the feeling someone was actually driving this car like this. The airbags will need to be replaced, obviously, and the steering wheel could use re-covering too. And the shift boot and glovebox door are both missing. I could probably keep looking at the photos and finding more wrong, but I’ll stop there.
Whatever happened to this car, it happened to the right front corner. The right front fender looks original, but damaged in the accident and straightened. It also got the windshield; there’s a big spiderweb in the lower right corner. The mismatched hood is also damaged and straightened, which is weird; has it been in two accidents? Needless to say, it’s now rocking a salvage title.
Two sporty coupes from two different eras, but they have one thing in common: they’ve been subjected to some harsh treatment. One probably led an easy life at first, but has been neglected for a long time, and the other has been beaten within an inch of its life, possibly more than once. They both could use a friend. Which one would you help out?
The RSX is only useful for parts…but since I daily a 2006 RSX-S, I’ll need the parts sooner or later.
My first car was a 1968 Javelin bought by myself and 2 brothers for $75. A new battery and it was running and despite the fact only one of us having a license we drove it all over the back roads of Locahatchee Fl. If I close my eyes and think about it I can still smell it. Good memories like going 68 mph down a sandy road and the hood flying up scaring the bejesus out of us. I would try to recover some of those experiences (not the hood flying up memory) but being carefree and fancy feast.
Oh man a choice between an old gutless 6 cyl/slushboxed Javelin that needs a bit of everything and will be shit to drive no matter what… or a wrecked and poorly repaired RSX… that is likely only useful as a 24 hours of lemons racer or maybe a parts car.
Since I prefer manuals, I’ll go with the RSX.
Hell… I’m tempted to say ‘both’ and make one unholy molested vehicle by putting the powertrain of the RSX into the Javelin… thereby converting it to manual and FWD… and doubling the power.
Can you imagine a Javelin converted to FWD with a Honda K series engine?
It could be GLORIOUS!!!
It would need a lot of tire up front to make it work at all. But .. it’s kind of such a heresy, equal opportunity offender of all sensibilities, maybe paint it with peace signs in a camo color pattern?
I love the Javelin and thought it never got its due. Inline six makes it even more unique.
A power train donor vs a restomod starter for something I don’t want? Nope.
Put the powertrain from the powertrain donor into the restomod and make the first FWD/Honda K-series powered AMC Javelin!!!
At almost 200k abusive miles, I’d say the RSX is a block donor at best.
When I was in HS, there was a kid with a Javelin (with a 401, IIRC). He would rev it up in front of the school, then race down the street to the stop sign a half block away. When he’d lift off, there would be a huge backfire. He’d do this every day, like clockwork. Those of us stuck in calculus class would listen for the backfire and cheer every day.
I hadn’t thought of that car in years. Thanks for the trip down memory lane….
Ok, I committed, and it seems my decision to “buy” the car that can be repaired and run without a minimum of five grand at the body shop and suchlike is running away with the vote.
That said, I’ve no real desire to drive anything of that vintage save perhaps for some cool roadster, wherein if I’m going to die at least it’d be in something cool. I don’t really get the love for those American Motors pony cars; I guess the best you can say about them is that it was a pretty sucky time for the ‘Stang as well.
Do I have to pick one?
No, thank God.
Yes, that’s the rules…If you dip the stick, you gotta buy the oil.
If you clicked, YOU MUST PICK!!!!
No you can pick two.
I just can’t with that Acura,holy shit.
Hey now. That particular Acura is anything but holy.
Javelin all the way. From the way the seller describes the original colour, I would suspect it looked like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCbqdoiE3Y0
Repaint it in that colour. Homemade intake with 3 2bbl carbs, and dual exhaust with separate 3 into 1 setup. https://cliffordperformance.net/store/ols/products/57-2300-232258-jeep-amc-dual-outlet-headers.
Interesting. I checked out that website and I’d apply this kit to the engine after fixing that lifter tick
https://cliffordperformance.net/store/ols/products/jeep-258-twin-weber-38-weber-system-w-68-headers
And then I’d look to convert it to a 4 speed manual.
Grateful not to have either of these in my driveway. These later Javelins turn my stomach and this one would be slow and boring to boot. Give me this wreck of a once-delightful RSX and maybe I can make it half-decent again.
This. Every word.
I agree about the Javelin. The earlier ones looked better. And I actually liked the original AMX. It’s a pity what was done to the RSX.
Honda tax is insane, any other brand and that’d RSX would be less than $2000 or straight to the junkyard.
I’ll take the grungy Javelin any day of the week to drive, but the RSX could be parted out at least.
The car that started my journey as a car guy was my aunt’s ’71 Javelin so this was the easiest choice there has been.