First Sortie - 1969 AMX

Today I knocked out a few maintenance items and then took the 1969 AMX on its first mission that wasn't strictly for its own service maintenance. 

I received a shipment of new radiator caps for our entire service fleet of Javelins. The old caps no longer held pressure. The Stant #10329 (13 psi) allowed the system to build pressure today and it is now an approved model to stock in our service inventory. The Javelins (including this AMX) are all running their original equipment AMC Blackstone radiators.

The AMX has been leaking a lot of oil through a weak gasket at the top of the timing chain cover. I tested for crankcase pressure by test driving with the oil filler cap removed and sure enough, the leak stopped. I figure the 85,000 mile compression rings are creating blow-by and I suspected that the oil filler cap vent is probably clogged - which would all result in the crankcase pressurizing. Crankcase pressure turns all the small oil leaks into large oil leaks. I removed the deteriorated clogged foam, sprayed it out with brake cleaner and then ran compressed air through it. We'll monitor the leaks and see how it goes. 

I received 6 pairs of Trico original equipment style wiper refills to try. It is very hard to determine the correct part number by shopping on the Internet because there is conflicting and erroneous information. I took a shot with these Trico #43-180 and luckily they are absolutely the correct ones and they are generally awesome. This is the correct part number for our entire Javelin fleet (1969-1972) and I believe they are correct for all Javelin and AMX 1968 - 1974. 

I checked the rear end lube and it was full and clean. I must have changed it when I received the AMX in 2006. 

I then checked the manual transmission gear oil and it was also full and fresh looking. Again, I evidently performed this maintenance when I bought the car in 2006. The car has been stored since then for future enjoyment - which is now!

All of the critical maintenance items that can prevent the car from destroying itself have now been completed.

The final maintenance drive was to take the AMX to AMVETS to puchase tapes for the car's factory 8-track tape player.

8-track tapes were 49 cents each at AMVETS.

Now the car was finally ready for its first sortie. I drove it to OldHouseDowntown and I gave the front lawn its annual Spring leaf/litter/booze bottle/cigarette-butt racking. 

And, I discovered that the car is the same color as the house! 

Squawk List:

Alternator idiot light slightly glows. 

A power steering seal is dripping. 

Directional signals don't cancel. 

Instrument lights are dead. 

Rear brakes need final adjustment, or auto adjustment. 

Passenger outer door handle inop.