A one-year-only top-trim-level car for $3,500? Yes, please. This rare 1962 Rambler Classic Custom 2-Door Club Sedan is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and they’re asking $3,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to NW Iowa Kevin for the tip! Hopefully, I can be strong enough to make it through without somehow buying this car. Fingers crossed.
Despite only being about 15 minutes away, this car is $3,500 away from me, given a recent major tax beatdown. It drained my accounts and left me with no “extra” fun money for cheap cars. It’ll be a very long year trying to get back on track again, but I would love to at least take a look at this car. I’ve wanted one since writing about one back in 2017 here on Barn Finds. I believe this color is Algiers Rose Copper.
You can see that this isn’t just any ol’ one-year-only two-door Rambler Classic, it’s a Custom, the top trim level. The only way it could be any better is if it had a factory V8, power steering, and power brakes. Of course, this example has none of those things. The V8 went away after 1961, and power steering and power brakes were options that the original owner didn’t want, or didn’t want to pay for. As has been mentioned many times, American Motors customers were sometimes leery of paying for such “luxuries,” so the cars were often pretty bare-bones equipped. Some of the trim is pretty dinged up, but the seller shows a receipt for $800 worth of NOS trim, very nice!
The first-generation Rambler Classic was made for 1961 and 1962, and they were decidedly outdated compared to the redesigned 1963 cars. You’ll have to check underneath this car and give it a good test drive on bumpy roads and around corners to see if the new-for-’62 ball joint front suspension is up to snuff. It also has a torque tube, and the seller says it vibrates above 40 MPH, so that needs to be checked, too. I’m assuming the seats are in tough shape as they’re covered, both front and rear. There appears to be a third pedal, but that’s the world’s longest brake pedal, as this car has an optional BorgWarner Flash-O-Matic automatic with a push-button selector on the left side of the dash. Here is a 1962 Rambler Classic brochure. You can see the unique Custom trim level steering wheel above, with the two hand grips in white.
Appearing to be wearing a replacement carburetor, this engine should be AMC’s 195.6-cu.in. OHV inline-six with 138 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque. Power rolls through the three-speed automatic and torque tube to the rear wheels. Speaking of that, this car has new tires. It also has a transmission leak, so prepare for that work and expense, plus sorting out the torque tube, and getting a new lock for the trunk lid. The seller reportedly restored the gas tank and put in new spark plugs and wires. Have any of you seen a two-door Rambler Classic?
Darn nice Rambler. Bet you wouldn’t find another one at a car show…
Very nice! The vibration could be a lot of things, but the universal joint would be a prime suspect which unfortunately means pulling back the torque tube and rear axle. (Been there!) At least this car will have a single standard type joint rather than the unobtainium CV joint used in later V8 Ramblers.
Ball joints were adopted on the lower control arms but the uppers still had “Satan’s idea of ball joints” (trunnions). Those would be my main concern in the front suspension.
Mr Gilbertson
Do you really think it’s part of your job to inject politics into barnfinds? The Elon Musk pays no taxes is a myth spread by angry libs. I hope you’re not one of those.
There’s a place for everything and everything in its place.
Point well taken, sir. Although I didn’t really inject politics, I just mentioned Elon Musk not paying taxes, whereas we had to pay more than ever before on an income that was 30% less than normal. You, on the other hand… “angry libs” is certainly political. That being said, I’ll watch that in the future and I deleted that part. Thanks for calling that out.
I have to wonder if AMC lost money on this one year wonder. Same with the ’63 American hardtop.