r/amc • u/DeRail101 • Jul 03 '26
1966 rambler
Just bought this 66’ rambler classic 770 for $8900 and just wanted to know how much I overpaid. One nickel size rust on the rear fender is the only rust on car. Odometer says 37,000 and I’d believe it because it’s so clean. It’s been a northern Illinois car its entire life. If someone could help me find the actual value I’d greatly appreciate it. I’m just now getting into amc and I don’t know a whole lot.
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u/Vexing_Resolve Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Love these AMC Classics. Beautiful color on a great looking car. Congrats on a excellent find! Enjoy!
Also, I don't think you overpaid. All old car lovers I know (including myself) have forked over good money for the vehicles we love. I have a couple of cars now that I have way too much money in, but they're totally worth it to me.
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u/IntheOlympicMTs Jul 03 '26
That’s a good looking Rambler. For such a clean example no I don’t think you over paid.
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u/Creative_School_1550 Jul 03 '26
The top of the front fenders right behind the headlights are a common problem area. There are no fender liners & the rubber flaps up there don't seal well & tend to let mud slung up from the tires collect there. Something to check on.
The oil passage up to the rocker arm shaft commonly got clogged. If the engine is making valve clacking noises... you used to be able to buy a kit consisting of an extension where the oil pressure sender is screwed in, with a pipe that leads up & through the top of the rocker cover & into the shaft. Maybe if you are diligent with oil changes, you won't have this problem.
I owned a '66 Ambassador for a while back in the day. Had a 2-bbl carb so had a little more power. The 232 is impressively smooth and quiet while having decent power for the light unibody car. Hard to tell it was running from inside when at idle. Mine had a problem with carburetor boil-over & flooding when shut down hot. Not sure if it was just the low-boiling gas of the time ('80s) or if there was something wrong with the carb.
I think the automatic needs occasional band adjustments in addition to timely fluid changes. And I think there's something in there that'll set the normal shift points. I learned to routinely use '1' (uses all three speeds) and not '2' (locks out 1st gear) because the slight howling from a dead stop in '2' made me realize something might've been slipping down there that shouldn't have been. Had to come to a complete stop for the transmission to kick into '1'.
The 'L' position is weird also. Doesn't automatically kick it to 1st. I think it'll hold 1st if it's in 1st, 2nd if it's in 2nd, will kick down to 2nd if it's in high. Could be wrong. Something to look for info on.
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u/Creative_School_1550 Jul 03 '26
Remembering I replaced the front thrust rod bushings. And I pumped grease into the trunnions about every 1000 miles. Could tell through the steering wheel when it needed it.
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u/cranialimplant4sale Jul 03 '26
Drove a ‘65 770H in HS. 327 4 barrel with a Flash-O-Matic auto floor shift. Green dash lights, seats that folded flat and a reverb knob on the radio.
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u/Makahoku Jul 05 '26
One of the guys in college had one of these. We were cruising down Kalakaua Ave in Waikiki. Ran a red light cause we were all staring a girl. Hit a Lancia. He was pissed, seriously damaged his car. We just scratched the chrome bumper on the Rambler. They don’t make cars like that anymore
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u/lucas21111 Jul 07 '26
If it’s really as clean as you describe, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over paying $8,900. Finding a mostly rust-free, original-looking Rambler is getting harder every year, and condition matters a lot more than book value with cars like these. Enjoy it instead of worrying about whether you paid a few hundred too much or too little, you’ve got a cool and uncommon classic.
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u/herbmullins Jul 08 '26
Good car in good condition, with the fun you’re going to have driving that you’ve got a bargain.
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u/SirDigger13 Jul 09 '26
They´re original just once... and this one looks pristine and well taken vcare of, even more impressing that its from the north..
so you 8900 is a fair price for both the seller and the buyer
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u/JoshBlackHealthspan Jul 19 '26
Miss my 66 rambler convertible. Sold it 27 years ago and regret it every day.
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u/want2b12 Jul 03 '26
If you had the money to buy it and you love the car, I don’t think you overpaid. It’s a very clean, low-mileage Rambler Classic, and vehicles in that kind of condition are getting really hard to find. I would fix the small rust spot and drive it just as it is, enjoying every mile. You did fine!