According to an AMC brochure showing the manufacturers’ 1969 line up: “Ambassador. It will remind you of the days when money really bought something.” AMC was a perennial runner-up for the most part but they did make some great cars. One of those is this 1969 AMC Ambassador SST which can be found here on eBay in Clifton, Colorado and the current bid is $1,525.
Just to get it out of the way, you can see that the right front fender will need some skilled massaging to get it back into shape again but the seller is including another fender so that’s great. And, there is some major rust on this car, some scary rust. Some of you have nut-and-bolt restored cars in much rougher shape than this two-door hardtop blue beauty is in so I may be overemphasizing what bodywork may or may not be needed here. They say that they tossed the original factory wheels in a dumpster (ugh!) because they were rusty. There are in fact no wheels that are included with this car so you have to bring your own, that’s a first for me. If the wheels were a total loss due to rust I have to wonder what the underside looks like.
The seventh-generation AMC Ambassador was made for model years 1969 through 1973 and this car is the top-trim-level SST version. The seller tells us that it’s pretty much loaded with everything or almost everything available on this model in 1969 including the biggest engine available. Cool. I love the woodgrain trim on the bottom, that’s a fantastic era touch.
It has power windows! It’s the little things in my life… As always, check out the seller’s link to see all of the photos. From what they show in some small-sized images, the interior looks good for the most part. As you read the description, too, you’ll see all of the options that this car has and everything that’s wrong with the car, which is not a short list.
There is no engine photo even though this one deserves an engine photo if any online car listing ever did as it was the top option for the model and year. You can see more body rust in the door photo above, which has nothing to do with the 390 cubic-inch V8 under the unopened hood. It would have had 315 horsepower but it isn’t running. It was running, albeit roughly years ago, and the transmission also isn’t working and the brakes are bad. If you add up the restoration work needed, this one may not make financial sense if you were to drop it off at a shop, but if you can do most of the work yourself, this would be one unique car to own when it’s done. Any thoughts on this Ambassador SST?
Wow. I live in Denver and have never heard of Clifton…
And I LOVE the spotlight!
You have now!
I’m near Salida, Clifton is a Grand Junction thing, I see. Being a transplanted farmboy from the “Cow Poop” (Wis) I had always heard of the “vehicles from Colorado”. Cars like this had long rusted and were gone in the north, and I figured, not much could be left even in Colorado by now. I was sure wrong, it’s true, when driving a red Lada, you see all the red Ladas. Older cars and trucks naturally catch my eye, and due to the general lack of junkyards here, peoples back yards are where most of these sit. Sometimes acres worth. I see a different one or 2 everyday,,if I go out, that is.This was obviously grandpas car, the remote spotlight is the clue or grandmas she inherited and due to health limitations, they bumped into something( looks kind of fresh) and that was the end of that.
Rough shape. It would be a labor of love to bring this one back. But it’s good to review something not commonly seen.
This car is very similar to the old mans ex-forestry ranger car, only a 4 door. I can say, gramps wanted to move out here, I believe that’s the same motor as the old mans and right out of the AMX, or vice versa. Said so on the air cleaner. Plenty of power, the choice of all AMC police cars at the time. Good cars, not great. Cheap, tinny lackluster cars, not to say one couldn’t jazz one up considerable, AMC buyers generally didn’t go for glitz. It’s why they bought an AMC to begin with. That, or they were from Wisconsin. It’s an okay find, not sure anyone would restore it, I’m sure there’s nicer ones sitting in a garage somewhere waiting for the estate sale to happen.
Just to get the 390 would be worth it to the right person, try an find one..I like the body style of this car an it would be a shame to break it up but probly be hard to find parts to restore, would have to be labor of love as value wouldnt be good, relatively speaking. Someone with a javelin, amx, or scrambler with missing 390 be a good buy if it sells for this price or close to it….
I’ve spent a whole lot more on a whole lot less.
What surprises me on this is that the interior is not blue, or black. I don’t remember grey interiors in cars of this time period very much at all – even though they are the most common now. Cloth and vinyl I believe, not all vinyl? A little hard to tell from the photos. They threw away the wheels? So having no wheels was better than rusty wheels?
“Clear Virginia title in my name”… but the car is in Colorado… uh, ok!?
That hardtop roofline is one of the best. So pretty.
Front end facelift I always liked but they messed up the rear with the caps where the old tail lights went. Shame. Like Studebaker adding fiberglass dual headlight pods: obvious quick cheap update without changing any sheet metal.
Final Ambassador hardtop was 73. Ambassador went through ’74 in four door sedan and wagon.
That generation went from ’67 to ’74
New front end in 69. New rear quarters in ’70. Still originally introduced in 7
’67.
The interior has held up remarkably well. My parent’s ’72 Ambassador Brougham, [bought new] upholstery was shot by year five, front and back seat and less that 50,000 miles. Rust bubbles under the vinyl top early on.
Carpet worn through by year two. Ball joints gone early.
Such was the decline of AMC quality past 1969 or so.
The Buyer Protection Plan of 1972 was much needed.
“Dammit, who let Aunt Gertrude drive the Ambassador out of the garage?”
based on the current bid price ($1,700), I’m gonna guess that if you wanted to just ‘fix’ the car, you’ll have as much in the hood, grill, fender and bumper as the current bid. Not to mention I know of one also local (in Arvada) thats for sale right now – really low miles and complete/straight but off the road for close to 20 years. $1,500 buys it last time I checked.
Interior color is code 2. According to Tom Benvie, that code is for gray or platinum interiors. He provides information that indicates only 1969 Rebel, Javelin 1969 SST & AMX had this interior code for platinum. It also indicates that 1968 interior code 2 was for tan interior only in Javelin SST & AMX. One might suppose that Ambassadors would have the same trim options that Rebels had & that there is an omission in his table: purpleized.com/AMX/trim.shtml
I would love to buy this & bring it back to South East Wisconsin. I doubt I would restore it, but replace the damaged panels, paint it & drive it. Could be interesting to just own & enjoy.
Auction update: this sweet Ambassador sold for $1,825!