Breedlove AMX

[juliosz]

I saw a post in the Musclecar Discussion area about an AMX and it jogged my memory when someone mentioned a Breedlove AMX. About 1981 a guy that was in the local AMX club in the Detroit area told me he saw an ad in the Trading Times about a year earlier for an AMX built by Craig Breedlove. He said he called the guy but he wanted too much for the car so he didn’t even go look at it. Somehow we did some investigation which led us to the grandmother of the owner and got his phone number. We called the guy and set up a meeting. He lived in a suburb of Detroit called Oak Park. We went over there and sure enough, pay dirt, it was indeed the number 2 Breedlove AMX. Just to give you a short background on this Breedlove AMX, AMC in the fall of 1967 hired Craig Breedlove and his wife at that time, Lee to build two AMX’s, the number 1 car being a 390ci with a Borg Warner automatic and the number 2 car being a 290ci with a T10 4spd. The cars were supplied by AMC, shipped to Craig’s shop in Torrence, CA I believe around late fall of 67 and prepped for a run at USSAC records at the Goodyear test track in Texas. The record attempt was pretty successful for Breedlove and AMC as they set a total of 106 records between the two cars. The number 2 car pictured below as we found it (circa 1981), saved the day for AMC as the number 1 car with the 390 auto didn’t hold up (trans failed early into the record run). The number 2 car set 90 + records and endured the 24 hour beating. Now fast forward to 1981, we meet with the owner of the car and it is stunningly complete with the exception of the engine used in the record attempts and the red white and blue paint. The owner had purchased the car from the guy who bought it from AMC and he still had the Blue Streaks that were originally on it. The owner auto-crossed the car at Waterford Hills a few times but it looked like it mostly sat idle. The guy still wanted a lot for the car but we could tell financially he wasn’t doing too well. We made couple of offers but he wouldn’t budge. I was about to get married and the other guy was still in school so neither he or I could truly afford it. We let several months go by and it was now winter. My wife and I drove by the owner’s house to see if the car was still there. The streets were pretty bad due to all of the snow. When we went by, I got really disappointed because the car was nowhere in sight. Then my wife says “hey what’s that big snow mound in the street”. Sure enough, the car was buried under several feet of snow. I knew then that I needed to get this car out of there. A friend of mine had told me if I passed on the car he would be interested. I called him and he struck a deal with the guy pretty quick. He had several hours of digging and he actually used a propane torch to free the headers from the ice that stuck them to the street. He still owns the car today here in Michigan and is currently restoring it. The number 1 car the last I knew was in California but was modified to drag race. I saw some pictures of it not too long ago and it looks like the owner has managed to somewhat restore that car. Oh, as a side note, the 106 USSAC records didn’t stand very long as Ford broke them all a short time later with this new car called a Boss 302 Mustang (at least that’s what I’ve been told). You can go to youtube and search on "Breedlove" and see the AMC promotional film called "Texas Takeover". The car shown below is the car in the film with the name Lee Breedlove on the side.

[budnate]

cool story... good job saving it!
I have always wanted a 390 4spd car but never have come across one.

[John Brown]

Youtube

AMX part 1

AMX part 2

[juliosz]

In retrospect I wish I had gone out on a limb at the time and bought it. I got the next best thing, I'm supposed to be first in line if he ever wants to sell.

[PeteLeathersac]

Great story...thanks for posting it!.

Does anyone remember or know anything on a '63'ish Breedlove front engine rail type drag car...nothing to do with his LSR attempt cars?. I found a chunk of an old newspaper while tearing the floors apart after my house fire a couple months back that had a pic of the car and small article...I saved it but had forgotten it 'til now.. I'll try and get it scanned and posted later but it has enclosed wheels and I think the article said it was made mostly of aluminum?. Online searching when I found the pic yielded zero aside from mention of a wreck that sounded like it could refer to it...anyone remember this car?.

~ Pete

[juliosz]

Here's a link to the whole story of the record run with a picture of the number 1 car: Breedlove story

[jtamx]

Was wondering if the guy with the number 2 car ever finished the restoration?