We have seen a lot of second-generation Rambler Americans here on Barn Finds over the years, but not many that were as much of a blank slate as this 1963 Rambler American 330 is. This one is listed here on eBay in Valrico, Florida. There is a $2,000 buy-it-now price listed and bids are at $560 as I write this.
We recently saw a really nice red 1963 Rambler American 440-H which was the top-of-the-line for the Rambler American in this era. There was also a 220, a 330 such as this one for sale here, and a 440. 1963 was the last year for the somewhat awkwardly styled Rambler American, the next year they really took a major step into the future. I’ve mentioned it before, most likely too many times, as usual, but the second-generation Rambler American is by far my personal favorite.
The seller mentions that this car has been was painted in 2019. From looking under the hood I would have guessed that it was Corsican Gold Metallic #2. But, in looking at the trunk area, it appears to be the same color as the body is. It looks like a Frost White top and Valencia Ivory body the more that I look at the photos, that has to be about the least amount of contrast in the history of vehicle paint schemes.
The interior looks great in this car, both front and rear. Those rear shades are super cool. They have provided some good photos here so kudos to the seller, it’s nice to see a full range of photos for a change. They have included an underside photo and it looks absolutely rock-solid. Hey, it looks like something is missing under there?!
Here is the roller part of this Rambler, as in, there is no engine but it does come with the original three-speed manual transmission and driveshaft, and related installation parts. It would have had a 195.6 cubic-inch inline-six with 90 hp but I’m guessing that most people would kick it up a notch. How would you power this Rambler American?
That engine bay is really tiny. I’m not even sure an Ecotec would fit. A Renesis rotary would be an off the wall alternative.
Choices are very limited unless you’re willing and able to do a lot of custom fabrication. I believe that even installing the OHV 195.6 in one of these that had the flathead involves having to modify the radiator support. Maybe a fuel-injected Jeep 2.5 4-cylinder would fit?
Slant 6 w 4sp!!
Not a chance. Too wide.
Why wouldn’t a jeep inline 6 be an easy replacement? Is the original ohv 6 in that car the same basic block as the late model jeep 4 liter 6?
Nope. The Jeep 4.0 is based on the Rambler 199/232/258 which was a clean sheet design a couple years later.
No, the ’64-65ish AMC 6 was all-new, the ’63 ohv 6 was a mid ’50s overhead-valve conversion of the ’30s Nash flathead 6 that came standard on these.
Hate me for saying this but stick a SBC/4 spd in the Rambler and melt those tires! At least that’s what I would do for fun. For less than $5G, it would be a cheap thrill.
f this thing brings over $1,200.00, I’d be very, very surprised.
You would need to get some brakes on the car before doing any engine upgrade. The brakes on these were big enough for a small lawn mower or such. My first (and only) car wreck was in one of these. The pathetic brakes did play some role, but there were other factors. Then there is the front suspension. Oh my! These were unibody cars with a great deal of flexing going on.
Pretty limited market with bids going up $10 bucks at a time. To be clear, comparing this to the 440H is slim, this is much more what people bought. When shopping for a no-frills car ( Falcon, Valiant, Lark) this is what people had in mind, not a fancy 440H. These became $100 back lot beaters with heaters, and the next step was the junkyard. Whatever you do, DON’T put that anemic flattie 6 back in. Modern 4 cylinders put out twice the horse and an O/D automatic be the way to go. This car has a snowballs chance in Hades of becoming anything. Now, if it was a running, driving ’63 American, be a big difference.
I remember back when I was a kid (single digits) my dad had a rambler station wagon. When I was 8, he bought a brand new ‘71 Chevy concours station wagon. As kids, we thought that Chevy was HUGE in comparison to the rambler wagon (anyone have ideas on what model that might have been?). Now, years later, I realize that concours was on the smaller size when compared to the BIG family wagons!
Ah well, so much for my trip down memory lane!
These are the “second generation” Rambler Americans, if you ask me. The rounded body style from 1958-1960 was the first generation; maybe the chassis is the same on both, but bodies and styling totally different. 1964 would be the “third generation” in my opinion.
Someone spent a lot of $$ on this one, with brand new upholstery and paint–the original upholstery was never that fancy. Very strange that the engine and transmission are now missing from a car that is otherwise in very nice shape.
I once saw a guy installing a flathead Ford into an early Valiant. I asked him why he was doing that and he replied “”because the Olds engine I had in there blew up” That is the way we used to build things. Use what you got and I have a 500 Cadillac and a 425 Buick nailhead , either of these would be my choice. Do not worry about the room, it is just a little sheet metal work. I wish the border was open and we were not all under lock down, I would own this thing. 2 door sedan light car and big motor–priceless. Morley
Back in high school one kid had one of these with a Buick 430 , it was a terror ( stock brakes ! ) . He and his dad built it over summer vacation. Just right for a 17 year old .
Seriously, the brakes… from 60 to a panic stop, there was such brake fade it was nearly free wheeling close to the end of the stop. I did a good bit of my early driving in one like this, It’s good that the stock flathead 6 with automatic couldn’t do more than about 75-80 top speed.
I worked for a guy that had a Cadillac engine( 472?) in a Studebaker pickup. It didn’t work well.
A neighbor up the street has the ultimate sleeper, it’s a little Rambler just like this one but, it’s red inside and out but, he put an LS engine with an automatic tranny it has nothing special on it ( tires, wheels etc… ) and looks pretty normal till he fires it up and then heads turn.
How about a GM Iron Duke 4 cylinder?
I really like the roof line…don’t know what engine I’d try to stuff in there….
Electric conversion, heh, heh, heh.
God bless America
I saw one in Cuba with a Lada (Russian) engine and 4 speed.
Anyone got one of these forsale?
I had a ’63 330 came in a dove gray/red interior, piston out the oilpan. A person who’s house I passed on the way to work said that if I wanted his ’89 Tbird, ( turbo 4), everything but the paint went into the’63. I rebuilt the engine ( “blue printed”) and upped the turbo to a Clark T4 off of a fork lift. Falcon axle shafts and spindles completed the job. 50.00 for the American, free Third and a little bartering, it doesn’t get much better than that! James.