Solid Survivor: 1965 Rambler Classic 770
American Motors’ Rambler Classics and Ambassadors were all-new for 1963 and were considered good enough to win Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award that year. 24 months later, the same basic car got a heavy facelift yet continued to be solid transportation offered by an “independent” U.S. automaker. This 1965 Classic 770 station wagon looks like a solid survivor that may only need a bit of TLC. Wearing its original paint, the car is in Sandpoint, Washington, and is available here on craigslist for $10,500. Thanks for the great tip, Matt H.!
The Classics looked bigger in 1965 thanks to restyled front and rear fascia, including new rear end sheet metal. Said rear was squared off and had rectangular tail lamps that wrapped around to be visible from the sides of the car. Unlike 1963-64, the Classics and Ambassadors no longer rode on the same wheelbase, with the latter gaining four inches and stacked headlights upfront. In the Classic series, three trim levels continued: 550 (basic), 660 (middle-of-the-road), and 770 (more upscale). The seller’s wagon is the latter and is as nice a Classic as you could have ordered that year (without A/C, however).
This ’65 770 Cross Country has 88,000 miles on it and – given its overall condition – could be accurate though no claim is made either way. The original white-over-red paint looks decent, and we wonder how well it would clean up with a good detailing. The seller says there is no rust on or in the machine and that certainly could be the case. It comes with a 327 cubic inch V8 which would have been a step up from the basic 287 V8 offered in the Classic (in addition to an inline-six, of course). We get the impression the car runs well and has been treated to quite a few new parts, including brakes, bearings, shocks, radiator, battery, and a tune-up.
The only ding in a car that was called the “Sensible Spectacular” in AMC marketing that year is the driver’s side seat cushion. It’s been worn to the point it needs replacing and, hopefully, the material can be found to match as the rest of the interior looks stand-up. The changes in the Classics for ’65 resulted in overall flat sales, however, nearly 40% more people migrated to the 770 models that year compared to 1964. It looked as though AMC’s decision to move away from an economy car image was beginning to work.
I’ve always been partial to underdog cars like the Rambler and Studebaker. My first car as a teenager was a Classic 770 station wagon, though from the 1964 model year. It was worn out by the time I got it, but it was still a ball to drive and I’ve been fond of AMC products ever since. Mid-60s Ramblers don’t command high resale values by today’s standards unless it’s something unusual like a convertible, a Typhoon, or a Marlin, all three of which could be found in the Classic catalog. How does $10,500 sound for one of these in wagon form?
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Comments
The price is a bit high to me, seeing as it’s a mid 60s unrestored Rambler. And I like AMC’s too. A couple thousand less might pique my interest.
Sellers reason that if a car is from a manufacturer no longer around, and a body style that’s no longer around, it’s worth big bucks. I wouldn’t be surprised if this sells for close to the asking price. (I LOVE AMC’s too!)
The price seems fair for a generic mid-60’s wagon in this condition. If it was a popular brand it sell almost immediately at this price.
Steve R
Aw,,,everytime a Rambler comes up, it tugs at my heart strings ( whatever those are) I know I pixx and moan about every 5 figure vehicle that comes down the pike,, but in a case like this, considering the choices that’s out there today, $10g’s just might be in line for what you are getting here. Considering the appeal of vintage station wagons, and the fact some may not even know what a Rambler is( except maybe stories of their grandpa who roamed from town to town), it’s a great find. Mid-60’s Ramblers were just the best cars, they had to be. With Studebaker out of the picture, Rambler was on it’s own agin the Big 3. Like Excalibur, this was a local company and folks were proud of what they did. Thank Milwaukee’s multi-cultural background for that. We all have memories of $100 Ramblers ( beater with a heater, and a GOOD heater) so $10g’s sounds outrageous, and I doubt will sell for that, but for whatever it sells for, you can’t go wrong here.
Nice looking car. It looks like a daily driver, judging by the condition of the front seat. Given its condition, I’d be willing to pay close to the $10,000 asking price.
FYI: Sandpoint is a neighborhood in Seattle. Or this is in Idaho. Lol
Sandpoint IS in Idaho (to match the plates!).
208 area code. Idaho
A beautiful little town that was lauded for the pretty girls in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s. Kaniksu Forest Service office was there for fire fighting jobs and Arvid was famous for building an A-frame outside of town. Riccardo’s Pizza had the $1 “Drink and Drown” on Tuesday(?) night. I should call them and buy it just so I can re-visit old stomping grounds. Considering what cars are bringing can’t we agree that this deserves this price? Especially in light of the V8 and Torqueflight to go with an original paint station wagon.
In 65, AMC was still using the BW auto (Shift Command in AMC speak). They didn’t go to Torqueflite until the 70s.
A 1963 rambler wagon would be hard to get parts for and they would be sky high in price.
Hi mike, not necessarily. While body parts are surely going to be a chore, Rambler/AMC used a lot of “off the shelf” mechanical parts, that were common to most 60’s cars, of which, there are still a ton. Whether or not $150 bucks for a NOS brake cylinder is too much depends on what you consider “a lot of money” is today. You simply can’t go into the classic car hobby today expecting someone to give you a deal, like 20 years ago.
We have a number of these cars and are very easy to get parts for if you know where to look.
Idaho plates … Sandpoint, ID. Though … Spokane, WA is right around the bend (if it really needs to be in Washington). Loved my ’56 and ’59 Rambler wagons.
I looked at this on CL for $2700 before this guy bought it. Apparently it needed some work after sitting for many years, but definitely a cool car. So many of these were six cylinder three speeds, much prefer the V8/auto.
This would look great parked next to my Red/Black 65 Marlin. I paid $2,000 for my Marlin, and drove it home. Hhhmmm
I have an original radiator cap and washer bag for this. The air cleaner is wrong. This one is for a 287 2bbl. Voltage regulator needs replacing with Motorola unit. And what’s up with the fuel filter and pressure regulator? Plus the rubber fuel line under the hood is a no-no!
My Grandfathervhad a 65-66 wagin in the pibkish bronze color. I remember riding in the back but not much else. It was the replacement for his 48 Chevy. He then had a 69 Rebel, then a 74 Matador. We had a 68 Rebel wagon and then a 74 Hornet. These just bring back fond memories. This being so clean is definitely worth $10k.