1968 AMC Javelin Cold Start, Revs, Idle - 'Bonneville Speed Spectacular’
This car is marketed as having a 304ci V8 with "special heads" built by Joe Mondello, as well as a Vic Edelbrock-designed prototype cross-ram intake manifold mounting a pair of Holley 4-barrel carbs.
Why is it marketed as a 304ci? Unfortunately, I cannot find a definitive answer. Very few online sources have picked up on this discrepancy (assuming it is one), and none of them make an alternative claim. Below I will list five descriptions of the car and let you decide: Is it a 304? Is it a 343? Is it a 373? Is it some other displacement? Be sure to let me know in the comments. Engine pictures and videos are readily available online if you are interested.
“AMX & Javelin Muscle Portfolio” states the following:
“Like the Trans-Am rules, production at Bonneville means the engine block had to come with the car. Breedlove bored the 343-cid engines to the 373 allowed in C-production, and chose the carburetors and manifold that became an option when the road racers discovered they needed more carburetor. … Each of the three project cars will have more tricks after the runs than they have now. The project is a contest.” The portfolio specs are as follows: Engine – AMC 343 V8, Displacement – 373 CI (bored), Camshaft – Crower 310° duration 0.525 lift, Ignition – Grant Flamethrower, Intake Manifold – Edelbrock Aluminum AMC #4486228, Carburetion – two Holly 600 cfm 4-barrel model 4160, Exhaust – Doug’s steel headers
The April 1970 offering via Hot Rod magazine merely says:
“Blueprinted engine by Edelbrock”.
The Car Craft magazine from October of 1998 reads:
“C/Production rules at Bonneville mandated a limit of 384 cubes, so an AMC 390 was too big. Using a 390 crank and custom Venolia piston in a 343 block yielded 374 cubes. A custom Crower cam was also added. On top were Mondello-ported heads using small-block Chevy screw-in studs, an Edelbrock cross-ram intake, and a pair of Holley 600-cfm carbs. Spark was provided by a Grant dual-point Flame-thrower ignition.”
In the magazine, there is a picture of the engine bay which appears identical to the engine in it right now.
2012 auction story:
"In 1968 American Motors sponsored a contest in which 3 1968 Javelins would run at Bonneville to compete for the C Production class record. Dubbed the Bonneville Speed Spectacular, it featured three stock Javelins specially prepared by Craig Breedlove, Edelbrock Engineering and head-porting expert Joe Mondello. Nine entrants, forming three three-man teams, were chosen who met the contest’s selection criteria, which included a small quiz to determine their automotive aptitude. After poor weather delayed the trials, the cars, teams and Breedlove converged on Bonneville in November. Breedlove piloted all three Javelins in the flying mile, achieving a top speed of 161 MPH in this car, number 343-2, and establishing a new record that stood for years afterward."
2022 and current auction story:
"In 1968, AMC teamed up with Bonneville legend Craig Breedlove and Edelbrock Engineering to build three Javelins to attack the Bonneville Salt Flats and set records. This particular 1968 AMC Javelin is one of those three vehicles and was built to compete in the C/Production class, which made the AMC 304 CI V-8 the engine of choice. It features special heads built by Joe Mondello, as well as a Vic Edelbrock-designed prototype cross-ram intake manifold mounting a pair of Holley 4-barrel carbs. The 304 CI V-8 was mated to a 4-speed manual transmission. Other features include a modified chassis and safety upgrades from Breedlove’s shop, as well as a black bucket-seat interior, a Hurst shifter, tachometer, Cragar wheels with Goodyear racing tires, the iconic AMC Racing red, white and blue paint scheme with original livery and, of course, a parachute. This Javelin was the winner of the Car Craft magazine Bonneville Speed Spectacular contest, with Craig Breedlove himself setting the C/Production flying-mile speed record of 161.733 MPH that stood for years after. It was driven only at Bonneville Salt Flats for 19 miles total, and it was trailered before and after the contest. The C/Production record stood for many years afterward. This car has had extensive magazine coverage, including several issues of Car Craft magazine in 1968, the April 1970 issue of Hot Rod magazine, and later in the October 1998 issue of Car Craft."
