This 1969 AMC Rebel SST wagon would have been made between the Rambler Rebel and the AMC Matador. The changes that AMC went through the last two decades of its life are a little confusing. This wicked wagon can be found here on eBay in Lompoc, California. The bids are over $4,600 and there is no reserve with over 8 days left on the auction! This wagon is going home with the high bidder.
What a beauty, eh? Any thoughts on the thin whitewalls and wheel covers? The Rebel would go away after 1970 in favor of the AMC Matador and it’s too bad that they didn’t make a Rebel “The Machine” wagon. In 1969, the lower trim levels, the 550 and 770, went away leaving just the base model and the higher SST trim level. They mention that this car appears to have had a repaint at some point over the years and is showing a little bubbling near the rocker panels.
The current owner refers to this beauty as a nine-passenger wagon but from what I understand, the Rebel was a six-seater and the fold-out seat in the rear compartment held two more. I guess maybe three small kids could have fit back there? They don’t show it folded out, but according to the matching VIN, here’s the rear seat of this car from a previous sale listing. Fitting three people of any age on that seat would be a nightmare, I’m sticking with my eight-passenger idea. That avocado green color is fantastic. I know that there are a few (thousand?) of you who are tired of green cars from the ’60s and ’70s, but it brings me back to that era like no other color does.
They mention that the interior is original. It doesn’t seem like this velour-type material would be from 1969, I would have guessed that the non-vinyl seats would look like this? The power tailgate window doesn’t work with the dash switch but they say that it works with the key. The problem with the internet is that things never go away. I found this car for sale previously and it was said that the 24,xxx miles are correct and the original owner basically just parked it when the warranty ran out. There’s no mention of that in this auction. It shows up as being for sale in both Houston, Texas and Vancouver, Washington previously.
Now that’s a great looking engine and engine compartment! Could this 343 cubic-inch V8 have its original paint? That’s awfully clean in there for being 50 years old. This is the 2-barrel version with 235 hp but AMC also offered a 4-barrel 343 with 280 hp and a 315-hp 390 V8. The 2-barrel 343 was good for a 0-to-60 time of 10 seconds, not bad for a 3,900-pound wagon. This car sure looks good but I’d want to check it out to see how bad the rust is and why it was repainted, but that’s just me. This has to be one of the coolest wagons for sale in the U.S. right now, in my opinion. Have any of you owned an AMC Rebel wagon?
My first car was a 1970 Rebel wagon that I inherited from my Dad. It was a plain-Jane (is that allowed?), but it did have the cool two-tone blue paint. The rear gate window was cool, and let down with a button or the key. Mine had a 232 six-cylinder (essentially the same engine I had in my later 1987 Cherokee Laredo). Back in the 70’s, no car was getting 100,000 miles without a major breakdown. The last time I saw mine, it had over 200K on it. Just bulletproof. There were 9 kids in my family, but most of them were grown by the time Dad bought this new – so we never found out just how many it would carry.
A great little wagon but not quite what they wish it was and no that’s not original paint on the engine, overspray on the air cleaner pre heat box and even a plug wire, a good deal if it stays under $8,000.
While still a nice car, I’m not sure about this one. The Hornet clearly is low mileage, but this is just too clean for it to be 123K, but not clean enough to be 23K. Being a Cal. car, it’s entirely possible it has 123K. Typically California, a bit optimistic on the price, if someone can’t even sell a cherry, low mileage Hornet for $5g’s. Wagons are popular, but not this popular, sorry.
I agree, probaly more like 124,000. plus the engine is not the correct color must gave been pulled. I would check this out deeply before purchase.
This is a cool wagon that you wouldn’t see a twin of at too many shows.
I love green. It’s my favorite color & I never get tired of seeing it on old cars. There could be a “Green-Colored Finds” for all I care. Exterior and interior both, especially since we haven’t been able to order the latter in decades.
My take is a NON AMC person put the flim flam incorrect color paint on the engine. If it was correct mileage the original paint would have been fairly presentable. That alone would have sold it for me. That being said if I were a potential buyer and buying for the mileage I would want to look this wagon over in person before the sale ends. Better still is pay for a professional inspection so you know what you will be buying
For what it is worth I know of a one owner 1970’s Mercury that has 240,000 miles on the clock. The guy has kept a diary of the fill ups and maintenance. With my trained eye the car looks like the mileage of 40,000 was original. I am sure when this car is sold the diary will quickly come up missing.
We have a 69 Rebel wagon, but it’s not stock anymore. Love it!
What in the hell is that huge red thing on the right side under the hood?
Looks like either a female urinal, or a male chastity device.
That huge red thing is a cow calling horn–and they do work to call cows! The ones that I have seen have a ~ 6″ lever under the dash that allows modulating the “moo.” (Such horns are likely still available from JC Whitney.) Possibly the black and white buttons in the added under dash panel to the left of the steering wheel are associated with the horn?
Also, from the wear on the steering wheel, I don’t think the mileage is 25K. I would be surprised if the seat upholstery is original. The head rests I have seen from that era on AMCs were vinyl, not cloth covered….
Horn.
I visibly made a Rebel “Machine” clone with my white 1970 wagon in 1981 while in college. Took a base model and added higher level trim from parts car with M500 wheels, sport steering wheel, etc. Wish I had a photo. My Rebel was BASIC…no radio, air, power anything. Three speed column shift. The finishing deceptive touch would have been the decals which I guess would have been unobtainable — even with an AMC dealer in my college town. Not sure I could have completed it on a students budget either.
Gonkulator?
The good old days, when you could buy a car to match you kitchen appliances.
Good one, I never thought about it like that.
If I’m not mistaken, the engine should have been a darker metallic blue/green . The seats have definitely be redone; no way would AMC put out such plain seat covers !
That being said, I would love to have this I my garage , it sure is a reminder of much simpler times. And the green ? I love green cars ! I still have my mist green Duster340 – it will be 40 years this October. I wish they would bring colors back into the auto industry, I’m so tired of silver , black and white cars .
That even looks like the Brady’s driveway.
It is definitely a very sharp car, but I’m not convinced it’s as original as advertised. I don’t know the fabric offerings on that model, but that interior sure looks like 70s velour in a 1960s car.
That’s probably an aftermarket alarm system siren under the hood. And yes, doubt if that’s the original interior & likely the engine was repainted in incorrect colors. Might be worth $5k or $6k as it sits.
The seats have been redone. They are the famous individual reclining seats that are great for teenage dates, well at least for the guys. They should have a cloth insert with vinyl strips on the outer and inner edges.
I like it. It is on the wrong coast…or…I am. Price is a little high for me considering it is 50 years old. About $3,000.00 is my limit. Plus, that avocado green has got to go! Other than that, it’s great!
From the back it looks like my 1973 Ambassador wagon I had in high school. Anyone ever see the funny AMC Rebel commercial from 1969? It was used as a driving school car.
Nice wagon. These big AMCs were pretty much the same under the skin from 1967-1978 in their Rebel, Matador, and Ambassador incarnations. The wagons lacked the styling changes made to the sedans, they kept their ’67 bodies behind the A-pillars until the end. The major changes were to the front clip, and towards the end those were pretty unfortunate.
The major chassis change came in 1970 with the corporate move to full ball-joint front suspension. 1969 was the last year for the old upper trunnions. This car will also have the old Borg-Warner slushbox since the Torqueflite didn’t make it into AMCs until ’72. Also I see a manual drum brake master cylinder on this car as well as the optional electric windshield wipers.
I notice that the thermostatic heater control valve is out of its housing. It’s possible the control cable no longer works – I’ve left the valve exposed like that on AMCs to make it easier to turn the heat on and off from under the hood as needed.
We had a 68 Rebel Wagon and my dad later got a 68 4 door that was a Gov’t car. They both had the 242’s. My Grandfather had Ambassadors and then a 69 4 Rebel. It got wrecked on ice and he bought a 74 Matador that my Grandmother gave to me. It was a cream puff but the NH winters rusted out the frame. I traded it in but someone put the Matador on the road…probably bought a sticker. The oil in the engine was as clean as corn oil…such a shame.
The material on the seats is not factory, and the engine is early to mid 60’s ford blue, AMC had their own unique shade of blue for their engines. The funny horn is not factory correct either.
In 1969, my parents drove me home from kindergarden in a very similar vehicle. Over a decade later, I was at the auto parts store wanting to buy a PH-25 for the oil change. The guy verified upon which engine I would be using the filter (343 V-8, I think) and he said; “PH-25 is right….OR…….a PH-11 will also work”. At which point, I asked him to show me a PH-11………SHAZAAM! After all those years of using an under-sized filter, I found out that we could always have been using a filter that was more than 1/3rd longer and had a more than 30% greater oil capacity.