This car falls into somewhat of a restomod or at least customization category rather than an original car, but when you have a rear end like this, who cares! Thanks to Dave Mc for sending in the tip for this 1965 Rambler Marlin! This one is listed on eBay in Venice, California with bids of over $3,000 and a buy it now price of $6,000 and there is only one day left to catch this fish.
I’m usually a fan of original or original-spec vehicles but I’m also a fan of the Marlin and first things first. The Marlin was known as the Rambler Marlin for the first year of production, 1965. After that, it was the AMC Marlin and production ended in 1967.
The seller mentions that he’s had a 1966 Marlin for 20 years and when his brother moved to California he thought it would be cool if they each had a Marlin so he bought him this 1965 model. Since then, his brother “has decided to ride a bicycle” so now his brother’s car, this one, is for sale. The seller also says that “it’s time for me to part ways with it as I get married, and need to downsize.” I’m not quite sure which reason is the real one, or maybe it’s a combination of the two. The photo above gives a good view of the interior from the exterior if that makes sense. These sure are unique cars.
Speaking of the interior, this one has been redone in teal velour and it’s not often that a person gets to say “redone in teal velour”, is it? It looks pretty good but I’d want to redo it in original material and pattern if it were mine. The dash cover is.. interesting, and I’m assuming that the original dash is cracked under there but there’s no mention of that so I could be wrong. This car has a three-on-the-tree and there are no engine photos but the seller mentions that it’s a “6 cylinder 289”. The 6-cylinder for this car in 1965 would have been a 232 inline-six with 155 hp. There was a 287 cubic-inch V8 and a 327 cubic-inch V8 available. I’m assuming that this one has the 232 inline-six. Any thoughts on this teal Marlin?
Too bad that the owner cheaped out and painted the chrome bumpers.
I agree. Looks so much better with the original chrome. There’s another one on eBay, red with black, with a 327 v8. I really like these.
Over the decades i have seen a few Marlins and they were ALL this color for some reason. It must have been a popular choice.
this color or white.
Normally not a fan of the painted bumpers, but it almost works in this instance.
I can’t help but think how much better it would look if they had done them in the accent color instead though.
Best marlin I have ever seen was on this page, had a factory 327/4speed and power windows.was supposed to have been a show car, and yes the color was similar as I recall. Neat cars but gimme a V8!
in the last picture you can see the distributor on the side. its a 6 .(cap button stuck).
deJa Vu as I heard that line of bicycle listed before 😜
I have a gold and white one. 1966. 327 270 horsepower. Auto trans a/c ps pb. Haven’t gotten it running as I brought it home from West Texas. Even has an 8 track player in it. One interesting fact about these that I read is that all 65’s had disc brakes on the front. When it changed to AMC they were optional
I have a 1966. It has the 270 horsepower 327 AT. Ps pb AC 8 track. Interesting fact I read years ago. All 65’s had front disc. 66 was an option
Yes, my ’65 has the front discs, which were standard for that year. Very unusual for the time. Main problem with the Marlin’s disc/drum system is that AMC used a “non-servo” rear drum setup for which parts are nonexistent. Not even listed in modern catalogs. This was done so a proportioning valve would not be needed. The cure is to install standard type Bendix rear drums along with a suitable proportioning valve. A PITA due to the 2-piece axle design. (It’s on my to-do list.)
Parts for the early 4-piston front discs are expensive but still available.
V8’s from ’63 to ’66 used Delco Remy 10″ drum brakes on the front and rear. I have never seen a disk brake setup but I am interested in seeing a Bendix system on rear brakes with front disk brakes. Why would it be so hard to change the rear drums? Install the appropriate DR backing plate with brakes and drums and it is done. What do you mean by 2-piece axle design? That sounds more like the 6 cyl rear end than the V8’s one. Rambler had totally different running gear, braking systems and wiring harnesses from the 6 to the 8. About the only thing you can interchange from a 6 to an 8 is body and interior parts. The only thing they have in common is the body, two very different cars using only the same body.
If you have a 1965 Classic/Ambassador shop manual you can see the non-servo rear brake on page 15 of the “Brakes and Wheels” section. (Front discs were standard on the Marlin and optional on the Classic and Ambassador for 1965.)
In general, AMC used the AMC-15 axle on six cylinder Ramblers and the AMC-20 on eight cylinder models. Both axles use a two-piece axle shaft and hub assembly which dates back to Nash days.
To change out the backing plates you have to either remove the hub from the axle using a suitable puller, or pull out the axle/hub assembly as a unit and use a shop press to R&R the bearing.
If separating the hub that nut is torqued to 250 ft-lb and it is imperative to match the splines up exactly as they were when disassembled. (New replacements were blank and the splines were cut when torquing down the nut. If you cut a second set in a used hub it’ll be too weak.)
Here’s a video of a guy figuring out how to work on an AMC rear axle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaN7Wv-VgSk&t=2m44s
Oh and by the way, that teal one has dual exhaust. It’s most probably the v-8
It needs a 6 speed and a floor shift with modern console; paint including bumper is fine. Bump it up to a 401 and you have a fabulous, reliable cruiser.
If you want to do that you would have to change the entire drive train including rear axle and redesign the entire rear suspension including springs, shock absorbrt and spring mounting. These had a torque tube driveline and it is not easily modified. It is sad the ignorance of people under 60 today about any car before 1970.
My oldest brother had one new in 65. Red with white , and it was awesome. It had the 327, 4 barrel, and Flash O Matic auto trans on the floor with console and bucket seats. I was only 10 then but when he went in the army, it stayed in the family, until 68. Then it got traded for a new Javelin. Would love to have either of them today.
The subject car with 6 and 3 on the tree, that’s gotta be changed, in my opinion
Always found the proportions on these cars to be off. The story was the President of AMC was a pretty tall guy, & wanted to be able to sit in the back seat with a hat on. Still a neat car. When I was at the dealer back in the early 80’s we had a couple regulars with them. AMC’s answer to the T-Bird, I guess.
Ended at only $3300 & didn’t sell?!? Shame. If he were closer, it’d been worth a look.
I have always liked these…,
but Iam a very poor fisherman,
I could never catch a Stingray, a Barracuda or even a Marlin….
A buddy of mine in SoCal was collecting these when they were worthless. Assuming he still has ’em, his investment might finally pay off…
I always thought that the American-based Tarpon concept car was better proportioned, but my understanding was that it was dropped in favour of the Marlin as the new generation V8s were not ready for production. Rabbit’s correct with his comments about the roofline proportions.
Car Craft magazine did a road test on a 327/Twin-Stick Marlin in 1966 (I think it was in ’66). You AMC fans might like to check it out.
Hot Rod magazine (!) did a road test of the 1965 Marlin that was very favorable.
As this topic about a Rambler which is also an AMC product this moment my 81 Concord DL coupe I bought from USA is on board the container ship with my 72 Buick Skylark coupe on route to Beirut. I was Never an AMC fan but being classic collector I liked have piece of AMC history. Its blue exterior with light blue interior, 2.5 4cylinder, Auto, PS, PB, Factory AC, Factory AM/FM radio, rear defrost. has 50K original miles. I paid 6,500 for it.
Rambler
Nice shirt, You got it where? Thanks GP
Could be an 8 only firing on 6 ! I don’t mind the seats, but not a fan of the dash cover.
I have a ’66. It was the only one I ever saw that was a solid color — which has since been taken care of, with white roof and accents. 327, 4 barrel, 4 speed. Most people assume its a GM 327. One of 4,547.
I like restomods, as long as the mods are mechanical, and was done to improve the performance, reliability, and if possible, the fuel economy of a car.
I used to know someone who had two Rambler/AMC Marlins. One had a 3 on the tree manual gearbox, while the other had an automatic. Sadly, he’s no longer around, but I’m hoping that one of the Marlins are.
I fell in love with these when I was 15, there was a white one in a local lot and I talked my father into looking at it for me. It was priced at $1000 in 1980 and my father said it was way to much for a 15 year old car. The thing was clean and ended up getting bought by a guy that I became friends with years later. I still have a place in my heart for the lines of these beautiful fastbacks, but rarely see one here in Ohio !
Don’t know about the roof line, but i do know that thr Tarpon based on the Ramblet American could not accept a V8. I believe at the start the Tarpon was going to compete with Baracuda, which was based on the Valiant.
My sister’s boyfriend had a 1965 Marlin in this same color, but with white on roof and trunk (and of course chrome bumpers). He traded it for a 1972 Monte Carlo.
I’d be a little concerned that it didn’t leave its parking spot for the photo shoot. Other than that, really unique car – could be fun.
Rear fenders show the 232 engine tag