The Rambler Classic was the “bread and butter” car of the American Motors lineup in the 1960s. It was their version of the family sedan and it was offered in three trim levels (770 being at the top). In 1965-66, AMC took the 1963-64 award-winning layout (Motor Trend) and gave it a larger, boxier facelift. This ’66 Classic is a daily driver and not perfect, although the seller has poured a lot of time and money into it to improve reliability. Located in Boise, Idaho, this AMC product is available here on eBay where $2,550 is the number to beat.
AMC sold the Classic in the mid-size market from 1961 to 1966, replacing the Rambler Six and Rebel V8 nameplates. Some identity shuffling took place in 1967 and the line was renamed Rebel and shortly thereafter AMC quit using the Rambler moniker altogether (the 1969 American was the last AMC car to carry that brand). As the last of the independent automakers, they would begin trying different types of products to remain relevant (i.e. the GT-style AMX in 1968 and the subcompact Gremlin in 1970).
The seller is no doubt a meticulous sort and when he/she purchased this ’66 Classic he/she worked to make it better and went beyond what you might think for a daily driver. Recently, two other projects have caught his/her attention and it’s time for Rambler to move on. The seller goes into a lot of detail about the work that has been done to the auto, so we’ll leave that discussion to the listing and just hit the highlights here.
Under the hood resides a replacement motor, a 258 cubic inch inline-6 instead of the original 232. It had all sorts of work done to it before/after being transplanted, including the carburetor, water pump, and starter, and a fresh coat of paint. A reworked 904 automatic transmission was part of the surgery. The seller replaced the rather ineffective factory vacuum wiper system with an electric motor and wiring. Brakes, shocks, and more were also taken care of.
Most of the paint is original, but the seller repaired some rust on the floors and cowl and some sealant was applied to prevent future problems. Much of the interior has been redone, but the dashpad and headliner still need attention. The tires are older, and the buyer may want to consider getting a new set of donuts. If these mid-1960s AMC products have appeal to you, this is likely one of the nicer examples you’ll find.
I gotta say Russ, you just don’t see these. One of my 2 bf’s in hs’s family had a Rambler station wagon. We would take it out into the national forest to get wood for all 3’s families in Northern Michigan. Yep, treated it like a p/u. Never had as much as a flat tire. One tuff machine!
My parents neighbor across the alley had one of these. I think his had reclining seats. 232 motor. Of more interest to me was the Burmese girl they adopted. That black hair, natural tan, and other physical attributes had this 7th grader signing on to cut the grass and wash that Classic so I could check out the other classic! Lol!
I had a 65 Rambler Classic in high school in the early 2000s. There was nothing else like it in the high school parking lot. I always liked that simple, tough little car. This 66 happens to belong to a friend of mine, and he was kind enough to let me daily it for a few weeks for nostalgia’s sake before he listed it for sale. It’s a total sweetheart. Whoever wins this car will have a lot of fun.
This would make a cool sleeper. A worked 401 cu in, a 727, an 8.3/4 rear.
DREAMES !
I think the author and most regular viewers know they will certainly hear from me. Perhaps I bore some with my stories, and am clearly the most emotional one when it comes to these posts, but an image like this ALWAYS transports me back to my childhood, before the weight of the world crushed my spirit. Ramblers were a giant part of growing up. From my grandfather who had nothing but, to watching the trucks go by with the beautiful colors on trucks headed for Kenosha for final assembly, to many folks 1st car, as most adorned back rows and usually $100 bucks took it off the dealers hands. For $100 bucks, you got way more than most beaters, the heater and reclining seats, a big plus. As usual, the price ( $3100 now) is a joke, and like the Pontiac GP a while back, while a different league, just shows, if you have some cash, you can cash in on peoples ignorance as to what they have. This a super deal for this car, for relatively peanuts. Unbelievable.
I grew up in southeastern Wisconsin not far from Kenosha. My father had several friends who worked for American Motors including one guy who was an engineer. He drove company cars attempting to find flaws such as poor winter starting, etc. He had some real beauties like a ‘67 American Rogue convertible with a V8 engine. My uncle drove nothing but Ramblers and had a new ‘66 Classic 770 4 door sedan. It was a great, reliable car.
Howard, always enjoy your nostalgic take on all these cars.
Keep it up!
” Perhaps I bore some with my stories, ” Hold my beer
If that car has had a Torqueflite 904 automatic transmission installed I wonder how the rear suspension was handled? The original Borg-Warner slushbox was equipped with a tailpiece that mated with the torque tube. Installing a different automatic transmission would involve some custom fabrication.
Minor nit in the text, for 1969 the “American” name was dropped and the AMC compact car was simply badged as “Rambler”.
I bought one of these at an estate sale years ago. I drove it and liked it. Mine had a V8 though. A guy that was a diehard AMC fella wanted it.It was a solid clean original. I let him have as I knew it was getting a good home. He had it and about a dozen others until his passing and I don’t know what became of his things. His cars, memorabilia all just vanished. His family showed up and all that was left was a for sale sign from the realtor handling his place. I remember the first time I did a tranny on one of these. Nope not the torque tube but the plugs in the firewall to access the tranny bolts. There is a Marlin right now locally and I am resisting. The guy keeps at me everytime I see him, but I have enough.
Vacuum wipers in ’66. Good old AMC. Keeping the past alive, throughout their history.
My 1st 2 cars had vacuum wipers, a 1963 Rambler Classic in high school and a 1971 Gremlin-X in college. My brother totalled a 1972 Hornet with electric wipers and I pulled out the wiper motor and the dash switch before it went to the junkyard. Somehow, I got the electric switch into the former vacuum switch dashboard hole and attached the wiper rod connectors to the electric motor assembly. Never knew why, but the electric wipers did not do the full window sweep overlapping in the center like the original vacuum wipers but they eliminated the possible vacuum problems.
I’m going to assume you tried adjusting the wiper arms on the knob?
Mom had a 69 Hornet base with 198 six and those vacuum wipers were awful going up a hill Almost as bad as the solid metal glovebox door that fell open on sharp bumps and bang your knees.
Jim–There was no 69 Hornet, they started in 1970. Engine might have been a 199 six, not a 198.
Nobody wanted Ramblers back then and nobody wants them now
You are not far from the truth. There are a few in my area.They want stupid money and one has been “for sale” for years now. Some have a cult following and stir attention but many sit.
UNTRUE, Rick B. Then and now.
I own a 1966 Rambler Classic 770 4 door, along with 14 other AMC cars. My ’66 has a three speed manual transmission with overdrive. Gets 25 mpg. It is comfortable, roomy for its size, easy to work on, and stylish for that era. Yes, vacuum wipers and torque tubes are throwbacks to another time, but they sure generate interest and comments at car shows! Really gets the regular folks involved in seeing a car that they might have had back in the day, as it was affordable. Where else can you get a classic car that is inexpensive to run and fix, is fun to drive, at such little cost? Not everyone has 20-50k to spend on a classic. (Pun intended)!
The ebay information says that with the change to the newer/ 258 cid version of their straight 6, they used a newer AMC/Chrysler Torqueflite transmission and eliminated the torque tube replaced with a fabricated rear suspension, custom cut driveshaft and a Jeep rear end. Electric wipers from an Ambassador were installed. This pretty much eliminated all but 1 of the less desirable aspects of 1966 and older mid-sized Ramblers (vacuum wipers, torque tube, Borg Warner auto trans) The one remaining negative is the use of a trunnions instead of upper ball joints.
Like some of you car guys out there, I too had a Rambler Classic back in the early 70s. It wasn’t much to look at and definitely not the envy of the neighborhood. But it started right up when I turned the key and it ran OK until I turned it off. Three on the tree; it was a reliable car and fun to drive.
I’ll be interested to see where the hammer finally falls on this little baby. I’d be tickled to have it in my driveway for three grand.
Summer of ’04 my BIL asked me to look at a V-8 Vega he wanted to buy. I had been looking for a ’67 Rambler Rogue, so I had immersed myself into all things AMC. We pull up to look at said Vega, and I see a car like this one. Frost White, teal interior ’66 Classic 770 sedan. I see a V emblem on the rear quarter and 3 air vents in the upper middle of the dash. I give the Vega a passing glance and then I’m all over the Classic. 93K miles, 287 V-8, auto, ps, pb, ac, tinted windshield, but didn’t order a radio. BIL and I still laugh about that day as I was there to help him look over the Vega and I’m all giddy about this 4 door car. The next day we load the Vega onto a trailer and I drove the Rambler home for $900. I don’t remember what he paid for the Vega.