Hi, I'm new to the forums... and to restoring

[fessus viator]

Hi,

So, as the title says I am new to the forums so I thought I'd introduce myself. I am currently a Soldier in Afghanistan and when I get home I am buying a '74 Javelin that I've had my eyes on for the past few years.

The body is good, it will need a new paint job though, but the interior is extremely faded and the flooring is torn to hell. The engine is a V8 (I am getting exact info in an email from the current owner) but is needing a good scrubbing and TLC.

I was wondering what advice you all have before begining this project? I am relatively new to restoring a vehicle (read: first timer here), but I have some experience to draw from (the folks and friends) who've done this type of thing before (my dad restored a '59 Edsel multiple times and they all looked great, but he has since passed).

Hey, thanks for the help in advance.

[Big Bad AMX]

Welcome to the Forum fessus! Thank you for your service to our country, we do so greatly appreciate what you all do for us and pray for your safe return.

Not sure how much you plan on doing yourself but IMO I would start with looking at budgeting vs. expectations of what your end goal is for the car along with a reasonable timeline of finishing it. And finding the best candidate to start with is imperative for saving a lot of money in the end. Prices can get pretty spooky on some of this stuff when restoring a car; paint and body work can get into some serious cash especially if you're dealing with rust repair and you won't know until the work gets started. And parts - seat covers, seat buns, carpet, and headliner is no big deal for repro availability but other pieces, if they are needed, you'll have to find used or will need to refurbish. Driveline parts are readily available and body parts for the 71-74s are out there but do keep in mind AMC's aren't like the Big 3 in that you can't just call Year One and order from a parts catalog that's the size of a phone book. You'll need to hunt it down, which is the fun part for some of us.

Something else to keep in mind: In the long run it's almost always cheaper to buy one that has been finished. A restoration is a labor of love, in doing a resto there's definitely the benefit in knowing what was done and how it was done, as well as the satisfaction of seeing it through and having a finished car that is just like you want.