All Original 43K-Mile 1965 Rambler Marlin
This 1965 Rambler Marlin is maybe the nicest one that you’re going to find if you’re looking for a nice, all-original, low-mile car with a V8 and factory AC. The seller has this fastback time capsule posted here on craigslist in Charlotte, Maine, almost as far east as you can go in the United States, and they’re asking $22,000 for this one. Thanks to T.J. for sending in this tip! Here’s the original listing.
This car appears to be ready for the car show circuit or just for driving, it really looks perfect to me. You can see the resemblance to the Rambler Classic but before the Marlin went to production, it was based on the smaller Rambler American. The smaller car was known as the Tarpon and it was a well-received concept. It moved from a compact platform to the Classic intermediate platform and that may have been the wrong decision as they never really took off, sales-wise.
1965 was the only year that AMC used the Rambler name on the Marlin and the company made this unique line of cars for only three years. The 1965 cars were called the Rambler Marlin but for 1966, they were known as the Marlin. In 1967 they were known as the AMC Marlin and that last year of production brought a new toned-down design with the front end being similar to the AMC Ambassador.
As with the exterior, the interior looks almost as if this car just rolled off of the factory line and right into this garage. The seller says that this car has 43,417 miles on it and it’s a rust-free car from Nevada that has been in a private collection. This one has a three-speed automatic with a column shifter rather than the unique twin-stick manual on the console. The seats look like new both front and rear.
This Marlin has the rarest engine if not the one that most people would want, being the smaller of the two V8s available. It’s an AMC 287 cubic-inch V8 which would have had around 190 horsepower. The bigger V8 was a 327 and I’m guessing that’s what most folks would want if they had a choice. There was also a 232 cubic-inch inline-six. This car has power steering, power brakes with optional front disc brakes, a heavy-duty radiator, and factory air-conditioning. It’s in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition and is reportedly all original. Are there any Marlin fans or owners out there?
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Comments
I always liked these.
Dare to be different! These are under appreciated. This one looks to be a beautiful turn key go out and cruise kind of car. Will certainly get thumbs up and smiles. Like a therapy car for people to look and briefly forget about current life struggles as they are taken back to simpler times.
Go AMC❗👍
Rare Marlin.. never heard of twin stick manual. Have to go look it up 👍
Its not an AMC its a Rambler.
AMC never used the Rambler Badging.
Became a fan after seeing Preston Honea’s A/FX car for the first time.
On my bucket list.
I have a ’65 Marlin, 327 V8 4-barrel engine, automatic, power steering, but no AC.
Power front disc brakes were standard on the 1965 Marlin. (They became optional in 1966.) Front discs use 4-piston Bendix fixed calipers and solid rotors. Parts are available but expensive. The rear drums are an odd “non-servo” design that let AMC get away without using a proportioning valve but parts are no longer available for that setup. Last time I needed rear shoes I had the old ones relined but the best long-term solution would be to retrofit conventional Bendix rear drums and fit a proportioning valve.
Would have been nice to see some underside photos, particularly for a car from Maine. It’s quite possible for it to look good up top but be a disaster area underneath.
dang!
The seller appears to have two of these. In the same color.
Regardless of what the value guides say, compared to what Mustangs, Camaros, GM A-bodies, and B-body Mopars go for, $22K for this is a steal!
And it’s better looking than most, to boot!
The guy in the 2nd photo can’t find the hood latch,,,don’t laugh, I’ve told this before, but at our local car show last summer, there was a blue one,( didn’t care for the wheels) the gals mother bought it brand new, I was the only one who asked if I could see the motor. Sure, she said, with a bit of apprehension. Nice gal, maybe in her 40’s,she looked around, inside, then a search began, NOBODY there knew where the hood latch was. Well, big hero, I stepped up, “it’s right here”( pointing to middle of the grill), VOILA,, and you people have the nerve to say younger people can handle classic cars, she didn’t even know how to open the hood,,
Is that blue color a factory item?
Yes
Body Color is:
Seaside Aqua Code 7A
Top & Trunk is:
Marina Aqua Code 8A
My 1977 Fury had an external hood release too. I took it in for an oil change at one of those quick drive thru places, and the guy argued with me, telling me to pop the hood. He actually reached in like he knew everything and popped my emergency brake release (3 on the tree, I always set the e-brake). I finally got out & showed him after I tried repeatedly to tell him.
After the oil change, he apologized to me, told me he is glad he works on cars now, that if it were 40 years ago, he would never find the hood releases lol.
Loved the way these looked. If my mom sees this it going to be a trip to Maine
Beautiful looking Marlin. Are you sure about the year? Unless I’m mistaken, later Marlins have horizontal headlamps, while earlier Marlins the vertical headlamps.
Gig Harbor – The last one was based on the Ambassador which had the vertical scheme. I think. Every time I use absolutes in my language I am proven wrong.
There were no “earlier” Marlins. Introduced in mid-65, this is the first. The 67s were based on the Ambassador, not the Classic. THOSE had vertical h/lights.
Nope, I believe it’s the right year.
This is for Howard. I worked in service stations early in life and for a car dealer for 10 years. I now have two cars with oil change intervals of 6 & 10k miles. It is such a long time between changes that I don’t always remember where the hood release is.
Have a great day.
I have the same problem HOMER, most of the time the trunk pops open! Dang German cars, LOL!
Nice car. While I appreciate AMC having the courage to put forth their best effort, it is disappointing that the Rambler Marlin was it. Don’t get me wrong, I’d happily drive this car because it’s odd. I owned 3 ‘64 Ramblers. Everybody thought I loved them. They were awful cars; but there were cheap “desperation transportation”. One of them was an Ambassador with the 327. Ran great, and was pretty fast; but the front end was junk. It shimmied at any speed between 30 and 65-sometimes violently. The brakes were downright dangerous – the vacuum booster worked on some sort of variable scale- not comprehended by humans. I admire the plucky attitude of AMC, and appreciate their quirky contributions, like the Gremlin and Eagle 4×4, but eventually the market place voted them out. GLWTS
I had a ‘64 Rambler too. Worked fine as I remember. Like any car they need maintenance
My grandfather drove Ramblers. They were bullet proof. He “ordered” a black 4 door, totally bare bones, nothing power, black walls, dog dish hub caps, radio delete and proceeded to go straight to the upholstery shop to have clear plastic seats covers installed. Go figure.
Only car with a smaller trunk was the Monte Carlo and Grand Prix aero coupes.
What? He has two identical turquoise Marlins? Lucky man.
Seaside Aqua Code 7A
This thing looks like an absolute bargain, couldn’t restore one for that price! This one’s ready-to-go and a low-mile original! Beautiful Marlin from Nevada and the A/C still works I guess. Nice!
43,000+ miles is low mileage, but I still don’t understand how this car can look like it just came from the factory with all those miles on it. Even the engine is absolutely spotless, and not just from a recent steam cleaning. The car was obviously driven regularly, but only when the weather was perfect, with clouds to protect everything from fading in the sunlight. It’s almost as if the car was driven only indoors.
This is a 65. The 65 and 66 had horizontal headlights. The 65 had individual headlight bezels, the 66 had a single bezel that surrounded both lights. The 67 had the verticle headlights. Plus the Rambler lettering above the rear bumper was only on the 65’s.
@Bunky haha the brake servo, yes, that’s how it is. You press the pedal and nothing much happens and then wham! on come the brakes and everything loose inside the car is heading for the windscreen. My 63 Ambo… great (drum) brakes but they take some getting used to.
My car also has an immaculate interior, after near 70,000 miles. AMC just did a good job with their interiors in that era.