Look carefully before you leap. That’s the lesson this 1965 AMC Ambassador 990H seems to offer. We got this tip from Pat L, and if you want the car, seen here on craigslist, you’ll have to come up with $3900 and collect it from Franklin Park, in the Chicago, IL area. Sounds like a good deal on an interesting car.
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This is a handsome and desirable ride. Two doors, power windows (which, it turns out, don’t work), chrome accent trim. This thing looks like a nice, slightly smaller, alternative to the 1960s GM and Ford offerings that everyone’s driving. But the more you look at the pictures, the more difficult it becomes to determine what’s what here. In some photos, the car looks blue, though the passenger door seems mismatched. Then there’s a white car—is that the parts car mentioned as also being for sale? Why are the detail shots of that car better than of the blue one? And why are there two interior photos, one of which shows thrashed front seats and the other pristine ones? Oh, almost forgot: what’s that component with straw stuffed in beside it, and how plentiful are mice around Chicago, anyhow?
Only 30,000 miles and ran when parked, the ad tells us. When was that? And why did someone put it on ice? One reason could be a problem that still plagues the car—an electrical short “which means the battery can’t connect.” That’s a bit scary. Most home restorers, even the very mechanically inclined, tend to shy away from electrical problems. More than that, this one is listed as having rust in the fender tops. Makes you think—if up there, where below? At least it has a decent engine, a 4.7-liter V8 with a three-speed manual with OD transmission, as described by the seller. More commonly from back then, this would be called a 272-CID V8.
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In the end, these photos need deciphering. Are these two cars, or one? Is this before and after? Before and after what—a restoration, or the opposite, the difference between what this car was new and what it has fallen to become? That blue Rambler 990 looks darn good. If it’s as good as it looks, then $3900 is more than cheap, and this one will be gone in a day or two. If you want it, and you’re in Chicago, then this is your weekend project. Go look. Heck, even if you’re not buying, go have a gander and report back to the Barn Finds universe in the comments. I, and I’m sure others, want to know: what’s available for under four grand these days?
The white one is a parts car, can be taken for another 800 $…
Seems, it has automatic transmission. Indicator and lever on column, no clutch pedal….
Huh, going to have bring out the big Rambler “guns” for this one, I thought I knew of every Rambler to come down the pike, but I never heard of a “990 H”. While the body is clearly an H, Hs on images show, bucket seats, a console, with floor shift, and I think A/C was standard on these. Reason I never saw’r one, this just wasn’t the kind of car Rambler buyers were looking for in the midwest. In the early 60s, it was a tossup between the Lark or the Rambler. Very few “fancied out” their Rambler purchases. Like a fancy Lark. The folks in Chicago? Maybe, this, I feel, has a snowballs chance in Hades or being restored, it has to be nice to begin with, you know, instant gratification. It may be why nothing has been done so far. I think ’65 was the 1st year for the AMC moniker, but to us, it was always a Rambler, and there was nothing wrong with that.
Oh, btw, to an old fart, it’s always so unusual to hear the specs in “modern” language,,”4.7 liter? 2 valves per cylinder? HP and torque ratings in some goofy language? Just wasn’t so, man. Cool find, for a Rambler nut. Others? I guess well see.
65 was last year as Rambler, 66 was AMC.
A/C not standard in Abos until 1968
I notice in the CL photo of the driver’s door card, above the emergency brake release there appears to be a courtesy light on. Of course, without the battery connected, how is this light on?
I bet the owner could find an online forum and get the answer to the electrical issue. This was the case with my freshly purchased ’67 Newport Custom back in 2019. I found a forum, got a username and password, and posted the topic “No juice at the key”. 5 minutes later I had the answer. I applied the fix and voila! the 383 fired right up.
4.7L is a 287 cid v8. The transmission is a 3 speed flash o matic automatic transmission. Nice car.
That’s much better,,
Hey Adam….’thank you, I knew that ‘272 ci’ didnt sound right & the 990H had the option of the 327/ 4bbl 270hp engine……the 990H was ‘ THE TOP OF THE LINE ‘ AMBASSADOR FOR ’63, 64 & 65. The 990H was a VERY HOT car; both in performance & comfort.
I love these.
“H”: hardtop.
http://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/AMC/1965_AMC/1965_Rambler_Ambassador_Brochure/1965%20Rambler%20Ambassador-12.html
http://oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/AMC/1965_AMC/1965_Rambler_Ambassador_Brochure/1965%20Rambler%20Ambassador-04-05.html
“Weather Eye” heater, standard. AC a ” great optional companion” to it.
Read the text under the photos. “990-H, illustrated, and its smart companion, the 990 Hardtop.” So, there were two 990 hardtop coupes. I believe the primary differences that the “H” had standard bucket seats.
Hey Psychofish2 , Do you remember the 1966 AMC Typhoon that featured AMCs new 232 inline 6 with not 5, not 6 , BUT 7 main bearings in the engine. Back then this was a VERY BIG DEAL !! This made their inline 6 totally indestructable , kind of like Chrysler-Plymouths slant 6 from the same ERA.
My parents had a 68 American that they bought new. The tops of the fenders rusted out as well.. It had a 6 and went close to 200,000 trouble free miles. It did have a lifter tic toward the end of its life. You could hear it long before you saw it.
The unibody was so rusted when we scrapped it that the car was starting to fold in the middle.
I had driver’s training (remember that?) in a ’65 Ambassador. Perhaps that’s why AMCs have such a soft spot in my heart.
I sure do, Steve. In Milwaukee in the early 70s, an AMC dealer named Kuehn and Sons, supplied many of the drivers ed. cars. While most were Gremlins or Hornets, a few Javelins were supplied, but you had to skip out of the previous class to get one. Oh, they took a beating, but somehow survived. They had a great ad campaign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZER63EzKd2c
I grew up in MKE, had my “behind the wheel” training in a Olds and Classroom training at BV HS in 1983.
Living in Neenah WI. now and WDOT dosent evern require a road test to get your license!
I remember the ” drivers training” ad from 67 featuring the Rebel 550 where the lady is ‘driving’ all over the road & sidewalk….HA,HA what a great commercial….
Drivers Training…? Wasn’t that something we took in school 500 years ago ??
It was the only class I got straight As in,,
While walking around our neighborhood a few days ago,
a garage door was opened.Couldn’t help but look inside (not-
going inside).There was a ’65 Ambassador convertible!
I knocked on the door,& had a nice talk with the owner,who’s
a really nice guy.He told me he’d show it to me sometime.
He also asked me if I wanted to buy it,so it’ll be for sale
sometime down the road.
Sleek Black Beauty. Well, if it were black.
When my dad bought his 66, the 990 H had turned into a “DPL” model. This one is a 287, my dad’s was a 327, Borg Warner automatic, torque tube. Yellow with Black vinyl top. black cloth interior. PS/PB, AM, air. He loved the car but it got stoved into the back so he bought a 71 Brougham which a friend still has today.
Hey John, these cars were the epitome of tough. We had two wagons growing up ( 1 ’67 Rebel Cross-Country wagon w/ 232 c.i. 6 cyl & 1 ’70 Rebel Cross-Country without roof rack , but with the 2bbl 304 V8-a very hot engine and the unique; start off in 2nd gear automatic tranny). Too bad most models didnt get ziebarted the way they should have.
Post more pics.
Certainly a unique face.
At least we know it’s a “front positioned engine” (must be from Wikipedia)
So “ran when parked “, can’t be the blue one, it’s in a parking lot! I think the white one is for sale and the parts car isn’t shown in the ad.
Saw one of these on Adam-12 the other day.
Had I not been a fan of barnfinders…..probably wouldn’t have
known it was an Ambassador.
Since i was more hip on the much uglier mid to late 70’s
Ambassadors.
The cars seen on Adam-12, were part of a collection that Webb used the same cars for Dragnet and Emergency. If you look close, during the other shows, the same cars appeared.
Well, it was either the ‘ ugly Ambassadors’ or the coffin-nosed Matadors….take your pick.
Now I wonder if the car for sale is the white car, and the blue car is shown for illustration purposes only, so a buyer could see what the white car could become.
The description is that the “back seat has seen better days”, but this makes no sense in reference to the blue car. One would assume that the blue car’s rear seats would be at least as nice as it’s front seat, which looks perfect.
I emailed the guy, we’ll see if he replies. I can’t imagine the blue car hasn’t sold yet at that price, so I suspect 3900 would buy the white car.
I don’t understand what you missed in the ad, there is a blue car for sale and for an additional $800 you can drag the white one with it
Ooops sorry Joe McCarthy, I forgot that everything (especially cars for sale) on the internet is 100% above board. But, I did catch that the courtesy light was on, yet the seller claims the battery can’t be connected.
I am still waiting for a reply from the seller, because I’d buy this car for 3900 if it isn’t a scam of some sort.
definitely a seller that knows how to diminish interest. Either no cognitive ability for sales or straight out scam? I’d shy away from attempting to discern.
Love the open pic’s grill and straight lines, wish it were a waggy (all 3 said last time one showed up here).
my parents bought a Classic 550 new in 65. Six cylinder, AT and AC were the only options. When I got my license, I discovered the car’s true charm: fully reclining front seats. My gf and I took full advantage of the 5 drive ins in the city. Still driving it 4 years later when I got a low draft number. Lost the girl , then mom traded the car for a 67 AMC something. I bought a Corvair, dreaming of a Crown conversion. But when I had spare time, it was always women over working on the car. Thanks to everyone here for helping me remember some great times.