Revel In This Ragtop Rambler Classic
If you think the collector car hobby is only for the well-to-do, check out this show-worthy 1965 Rambler Classic convertible. It’s located in Alto, Texas and listed here on Craigslist for only $17,500. When I spotted this unrestored original beauty, my socks were knocked clean off! 25,750 miles and it looks like fewer than that! This would be a really fun car to take to shows and your local cruise night. I can appreciate the Camaros, Mustangs, and ’57 Chevys, but it is very refreshing to see something out of the ordinary like this every once in a while.
This car is sporting its factory original paint and it looks great from every angle. I find the styling quite attractive for the era. The size and shape remind me a lot of a 1964 Chevelle. Isn’t white with red interior a great color combination? It looks good on any car but even better on a convertible with the top down. Note the original 3-bar spinner type wheel covers. The sellers states that the tires are new radials.
The interior is also in outstanding unrestored original condition. The red rubber floor mat with the Rambler logo is still in place and looks like new. There are virtually no parts reproduced for 1965 Ramblers, so you know what you’re seeing here is OEM.
The convertible top is power operated. The top and top boot have recently been replaced. That is understandable. After 53 years the fabric could have easily become discolored or worn.
No surprises here. The trunk is complete with the original mat and looks as good as the rest of the car. I wonder if the spare has ever been used. The seller doesn’t say.
Under the hood is this ground pounding torque monster (well, not so much) of a 232 cu.in. 6-cylinder engine. The transmission is a 3-speed on the column. Rambler did build a few muscle cars but they were much better known for producing economy cars. The seller reports that this car has never leaked a drop of oil onto the garage floor.
If this car needs anything, I don’t know what it would be. It seems to be ready to show and go. How about it? Are there any “orphan” car fans out there?
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Comments
While I’ve been accused of being a “contrarian”, you won’t hear a bad word come out of my mouth when a Rambler or any AMC, for that matter, is posted. I grew up in Milwaukee, and had neighbors that built this car. They were very proud of what they did( until the end, of course). Not many convertibles came out of Kenosha, however, still a good car, as good as any at the time. This one is extra sharp.
Beauty, and already gone. I too, love ramblers…my mom had an American that took us everywhere, and one of our neighbors had an aqua and white marlin.
Didn’t we see this earlier this year?
I was thinking the same thing. I could have sworn it was exactly this car (same initial pic at least) and it was based in Milwaukee. My parents live near Milwaukee and had owned a rambler so I believe that I forwarded the reference…
Re-run. Just about a year ago as you stated.
The first car I ever drove was a 1965 Rambler American Classic, silver 4 door. I remember that thing being a tank! Where my Dad got that car I have no idea but it had the plastic “bubble” wrap on the seats and was clean as a whistle. I hated the car then for being so slow and huge. Would love to have that car now! Funny how that happens as you get older!!!
What a beautiful car. The 770 trim was top of the line and the 232 6 is a workhorse. I had many Americans with the 196 6 What always stood out to me was that they had 7 main bearings…bulletproof engines.
The first pic says nothing, if not for the times in which these cars were built. The Asian Conflict for one. Carefree ads with four souls aboard waving as they toured American roads let us know that good times could still be had. And yet, the picture says everything. Truly a time machine. It also says, ” if you get your chocolate malt on the car seats, I’ll beat your butt!”
When I lived in Las Vegas from 1998 to 2015, there were lots of car shows during the year, until it got to be about May 1. Then we didn’t see many until Labor Day (and even then it was HOT)
At least once a year there’d be an all AMC show, or at least a big section of a show, sometimes 50+ AMC cars. One guy had 3-4 of the convertibles like this and they were just so cool. There was also a guy who’d imported several AMC products from Argentina, and not very similar to US built models. Very Cool Cars.
Do I have any pictures? Of course not.
I truly grew up in an AMC family—at one time or another, my folks have owned a ‘77 Hornet hatch, ‘77 Pacer wagon, and a ‘78 Concord hatch (which is still in the family). Mom’s father owned an early ‘70s Hornet sedan which he traded in for an ‘80-81 Concord sedan (with the burgundy crushed velour interior), and her stepsister owned an early ‘80s LeCar…if you can call it an AMC.
I wanted this car the first time it ran and nothing has changed ,I still want it and apparently, its already gone ! Damn it, I hate it when that happens!
My Mom had a 65 Rambler Classic like this one but in dark blue with blue interior. That 6 cylinder was a reliable motor and never let us down. Not sure why we sold it. I just remember it was fun to ride around with the top down as kid.
Three on the tree, or automatic? I had both. A ‘60 with a push button automatic on the left side of dash, and a three speed column shifter ‘65 sedan. My father loved the brand. Easy to work on. Made to last. (when that meant something)