Words: Tommy Parry
Growing up in Michigan, one gets bitten by the automotive bug quite young. Such was the case for Shawn.
“When I was young, I saw a feature in a magazine on the legendary history of AMC’s run in the Trans-Am racing series with the Javelin. I was fascinated, so I told myself if I was to ever build a classic, it would be a Javelin,” Shawn recounted.
When he came across a mint example that had the potential to run down Porsches, he picked it up without hesitation. This happened roughly 1.5 years ago, after which he immediately started collecting parts for a monumental build. It’s funny how, when high on enthusiasm, spending four hours scouring the internet for strange car parts seems a wiser usage of time than sleeping.
His spirits lifted higher when, after sending his car off for sandblasting, he learned there was no rust anywhere on its aged hide. Aside from some workable dents, it was quite pretty. Besides, his aim was to build a useable track car, so being cosmetically perfect was never too high on his list.
In fact, he kept the interior gutted, but still registered and street legal for the occasional car show. More specifically, he was trying to replicate a classic Trans-Am Javelin, but with modern parts.
Looking to save money where the motor was concerned, he grabbed an aluminum LH6 5.3 block he had lying in his garage, then fitted it with a Champion 3-core radiator with twin fans. Mated to a Tremec Magnum 6-speed with close ratios, the new powertrain promised swift acceleration: simple, straightforward and effective.
Installation wasn’t so simple, though. The gearbox was never an easy fit for the Javelin, which pushed Shawn to eventually scrap the entire transmission tunnel due to the bellhousing’s bolts rubbing the firewall. With a subframe spacer and a lot of guesstimation, he eventually had the powertrain sitting comfortably in its new home.
With the drivetrain largely in place, he could turn his attention to the pile of suspension goodies he’d amassed in the prior months. Control Freaks tubular independent front suspension in a double-wishbone design sharpened the front and gave him the confidence he needed. In the rear, the Control Freaks triangulated four-link suspension, an AMC 20 rear, a Detroit True Trac and 1-piece axles would offer the traction and communication one needs from a track toy. Viking Crusader double adjustable shocks with their “track” valving would keep the heavyweight level and planted. Of course, the suspension is only as good as the tires beneath it, and he wrapped the Doss 18×10.5” flow-formed wheels in a set of Federal RS-RR for roadholding to rival Corvettes.
Within those massive wheels reside Wilwood big brakes; 6-pistons with 14″ rotors up front and 4-pistons with 12” rotors in the rear.
That serious footwork would be bolstered by the rigidity (and safety) of an eight-point cage, subframe connectors and a few other chassis stiffening methods. American Gasser was ready to install the cage before he was, so Shawn put installing the rear end on hold, reinstalled the leaf springs and rolled the car into the shop. That day, he said goodbye to the aging car as he knew it; it would return a strengthened, stiffened, and focused athlete.
Installing the four-link was a chore and a half, and though he was hoarse from the cursing afterwards, he was happy with the resulting stance.
There’s still plenty ahead for this athletic Javelin. Shawn and his father will be fulfilling lifelong dreams, and a coat of red, white and blue paint should make the link to the old racing days of Trans-Am clear to anyone with a drop of oil in their veins.
To keep tabs on the progress of Shawn’s inspiring build, you can visit his thread here.
