1963 AMC

770 Sedan

8 - Cyl.

Manual

Z109893

Gasoline

PLEASE READ. As many of you may know, I listed this Rambler back in June. It was bid up to $6523, but the reserve wasn’t met. There are two VERY important differences this time around. First, The Overdrive is now working! When I listed this car back in June the Overdrive was inoperative. After buying a new overdrive solenoid, the Overdrive is now functional! Secondly, This time around, there is NO RESERVE!! Bid it to win it! High bidder will be the proud new owner of this super rare and beautiful Rambler! Selling my 1963 AMC Rambler Classic V8 770 2 Door. Motor Trend Magazine’s “CAR OF THE YEAR” in 1963. This one equipped with the AMC 287 cid V8 and the rare & unique “Twin-Stick” transmission (a little bit more on that later). This Rambler had a fairly thorough restoration by a previous owner about 10 years ago now. Body was refinished/repainted. The bumpers were both re-chromed. The interior was re-done with new carpet, seats re-upholstered, door panels re-covered, visors re-covered, and dash pad re-covered. Engine was removed and gone through, and the engine compartment was painted. The trunk was/is solid and was pretty much left alone. I purchased the car from a Classic car dealership near Chicago. The dealership claimed that the restoration costs to the previous owner were over 12 thousand dollars, and they claimed they had the receipts/paperwork to prove it. Well, I never got those receipts/paperwork so I don’t have them. But by the looks of the car, it’s certainly realistic that the restoration did in fact cost over 12K dollars. Just knowing the cost of painting, re-chroming, re-upholstering, rebuilding, etc, it’s easy to see where the costs would have easily exceeded that amount. Keep in mind though; this was not a “Concours Restoration”. This is NOT a 100 point, #1 condition, and perfect trailer queen. It’s a driver, and has been driven a good amount since its restoration. It’s an overall great looking car that gets LOTS of attention at car shows. It is show ready, and it does well at the local cruise-ins and car shows. It has won multiple trophies, including a recent Sponsor’s Choice trophy at a local car show I took it to. It’s amazing the amount of attention and positive comments that the car receives at car shows. That said; don’t expect an invite to the next Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance. It’s very nice, but it’s not perfect. It’s an older restoration that’s holding up nicely. Looks good, runs good, and shows very well. The pictures should tell the story pretty well, there are lots more pictures available for viewing on my photobucket page here (you may have to copy and paste the link): http://s582.photobucket.com/albums/ss265/amc4evr/1963%20Rambler%20Classic/ I tried to cover all the bases with the photos, but if you are a serious buyer, and you’d like an additional picture of a particular area, let me know and I’ll see what I can do to get you the photo(s) you want. The following is a quick breakdown of how I would rate the condition of the various areas of the car. These are obviously subjective “ratings”, my opinions. Your rating may be better or worse depending on your opinions and expectations. BODY: 8 In very good shape. No rust. Paint still showing nicely with a few little rock chips that have been touched-up. Some might call it a “20-footer”, looks great from 20 feet, but if you get up close, you can see some minor flaws. INTERIOR: 8.5 It’s in great shape. And has been holding up great since the restoration. I’m not the biggest fan of the darker red color that the previous owner chose to re-upholster the seats and door panels in, but they’re in great shape. Steering wheel has same age cracking but it’s holding up fine and is sporting a “Necker” or “Brodie” knob with the American Motor’s Logo. MECHANICAL: 9.0 Runs like a top. Starts right up. Engine Purrs like a kitten. Tranny shifts as it should, all gears working well. This Rambler Starts, Runs, Shifts, Drives, Steers, and Stops good. Ready to cruise. What’s a “Twin Stick”? Well, it was a rather unique transmission option offered only on “Top-Line” Rambler models and only for 3 years (1963 to 1965). Not a very popular option partly due to the large expense involved. If you wanted a Twin Stick tranny in your 63-65 Rambler you not only had to purchase the “top-of-the-line” trim level (440 for American, 770 for Classic, and 990 for Ambassador), you also had to order the Slim Bucket Seats with Console. So, not only did you pay the roughly $141 for the Twin Stick, you had to fork out another $99.50 or so for the Slim Buckets/Console. That 240 dollars was a lot of extra money to pay for a car that had a base price around $2400. Basically, the Twin Stick was a floor mounted Three Speed Manual Transmission with Overdrive. The “Stick” on the left controlled the Three Speed. The “Stick” on the right was an Overdrive Control with IN and OUT as the two options. It was a little different than the typical 3 speed manual of the day because it was geared to give the driver five “progressive” forward speeds. In most three speed with overdrive trannies of the day, the Driver didn’t typically use OD in 2nd gear because the gearing would make the result too close to 3rd gear without overdrive. “Twin Stick” was geared to be driven from 1st, to 2nd, to 2nd w/OD, to 3rd, to 3rd w/OD. Five “speeds” were achieved by doing this. There is a web page out there that talks in a little more detail about this rare transmission. It is referencing the use of the Twin Stick in the 1965 Rambler Marlin, but the info applies to all uses of the rambler Twin Stick. Check it out! http://www.marlinautoclub.com/marlin-guy/twin.html Known Problems: Unlike the car dealership I bought the car from, I will disclose what I know is wrong with the car. First, the clock doesn’t work. Included with the car is several boxes of parts (which I’ll expand upon more later) and in these boxes are two clocks in unknown condition. They may work, or they may not work, I don’t know. Next, The speedometer/Odometer do not work. I do not know the actual mileage on this car because of this. I have NO idea when they quit working; it’s been like that as long as I’ve had the car. Ebay requires that I list a mileage reading, so that’s what I did. Again, I have no idea of what the actual mileage is. There are two gauge clusters/instrument clusters included in the parts boxes both of which were said to be good working units when I bought them. I have not however gotten around to installing them and seeing if they do work. Temp gauge in the gauge cluster doesn’t work; the temperature has never been an issue though. Right turn signal isn’t working, left side is working fine. I may actually have this fixed by the time the auction ends as I think it’s just a bulb. Also, and this isn’t really a problem as much as it is a dislike of mine. The previous owner installed a dual exhaust with side pipe outlets (visible in the pics). I like the dual exhaust, but the mufflers that were used were of the “Cherry-Bomb” variety. They aren’t very quiet. It’s not obnoxious loud, but it has a pretty healthy rumble to the exhaust, and I’d prefer if it had quieter mufflers installed. To each their own, I just wanted everyone to be aware of it. I just put newer tires all-around on the car because the previous owner had raised white letter tires on it. I went out and picked up new white-stripe tires for it (they have maybe 1000 miles on them), and I even picked up a near new white stripe tire for the spare (again, less than 1000 miles on it). No need to worry about the tires for a LONG time. I encourage anyone who is seriously interested to come out and see the car. We can even take it for a spin and you can see for yourself the number of “thumbs-up” and positive reactions that the car receives. I can’t stop and get gas without somebody coming over and commenting on the car, you’d swear that everyone in the world either had a parent/grandparent who owned a Rambler when they were young (or they owned one themselves). I remember the “quick” trip to the post office I took with the Rambler. That quick trip turned into a 45 minute parking lot conversation with a guy whose dad worked at the old Kenosha plant in the 50’s and 60’s and grew up with Rambler’s. This is not the kind of car to drive if you don’t like receiving attention, and if you’d prefer to go un-noticed. What’s Included: A LOT. I’ve got boxes of extra/spare/replacement parts. Many of these parts came with the car when I bought it, and some parts I’ve acquired along the way. It’s too many parts to list but includes: Previously mentioned Overdrive resistors, Overdrive Relay, (2) Gauge Clusters, 2 Clocks, Radio, Emblems, Lenses, Headlight Bezels, Front-End Parts, and more. Please note: some of the parts are for a 1963 Ambassador (the “Big brother” to the Rambler Classic so to speak) See the included picture of some of the parts. Also, see the picture of the vast assortment of literature that I’ve collected. I’m including all that stuff as well. Brochures, Advertisements, a poster, two owner’s manuals, I have two reproduction window stickers (which are a great conversation piece at shows), I have (2) Technical Service Manuals, 2 copies of the Motor Trend Magazine that awarded “Car of the Year” to the 1963 Rambler, and more. And I’m also including the custom made 2’x4’ Car Show display board which features a 9” Screen Portable DVD Player, and an 8 minute DVD that is a copy of a film that AMC created for its dealers touting the “Motor Trend Car of the Year Award” winning Ramblers. It plays on a continuous “loop” so you just hit play when you set-up at a car show and it runs by itself. People Love It! The display also has the Motor Trend article in 3 ring Binder form so people can flip through the article, and Advertisements, and other information. If for some reason the winning bidder does NOT want the custom display board, I will subtract 100 dollars from the winning bid price and I will keep the display board for myself. All in all this is a beautiful, very rare, classic car that gets attention wherever it goes. No, it’s not perfect, but it’s very nice, and when you take it to a car show you’re almost certain to be the only one there with a ’63 Rambler Classic (You may even be the only one at the show with an AMC product). It’s an entirely different experience than bringing a “BIG-3” car to a show. I know, because I’ve done that too. I know there are many people who see a car like this Rambler for sale and think: Why buy this one, when I can buy a “project” Rambler for a thousand bucks and fix it up myself? The answer is simple: You’ll have FAR more money into that “project” than what it would take to buy and enjoy this car right now. Not to mention the hundreds of hours you’d spend on it. Buy a “project” and sink 10-15K dollars into a restoration, that is if it ever even gets completed. Or buy a nice one like this, and enjoy it NOW. Take it to your local shows, win some trophies with it, and meet some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet with endless Rambler stories. Someone out there in the eBay world may get a steal on this very rare, beautiful Rambler with this NO RESERVE auction. Don’t miss the opportunity to BID/WIN this car. It may be years before you see another 1963 Rambler Classic V8 2 door with the Twin Stick Transmission up for auction. See the blue section below and read just how “rare” this car is. The Unit Body Data/Number Plate Info: BODY R054436 MODEL 6316-5 TRIM 345V PAINT 30 W134231 Before you ask: YES, I might be able to help with shipping. I have access to a car trailer and I could possibly deliver the car. Contact me with your location for a quote. YES, I do have a “Buy It Now” price, but I didn’t include it with the listing due to all the bogus bidders/scammers out there who like to ruin auctions by hitting the “BIN” when they have no intention of buying the car. Please contact me for more info if you are seriously interested in a Buy It Now on my Rambler. YES, I’d consider possible trades, but for the most part I would be interested in other AMC’s. Cars that would possibly interest me as far as a trade goes (including but not limited to): 1974-78 AMC Matador Coupe 1981-1983 AMC Eagle SX/4 1973-1977 AMC Hornet Hatchback 1979-83 AMC Spirit AMX/Spirit GT 1978-1979 AMC Concord Hatchback Other “Independent” make car (Studebaker, Hudson, Kaiser, Willys, etc.) Please keep in mind that there is the possibility of a trade deal being worked out or a Buy It Now purchase, and the car is listed elsewhere, so it is possible that the listing may end early due to sale. ALSO, If you have less than 10 for a feedback rating, please contact me PRIOR to bidding. Thanks! I realize that the term “rare” is quite possibly the most over-used term in the old car hobby, but in this case it definitely applies. This Rambler is one rare little beast. For starters, the vast majority of Rambler’s produced were either 4 Door Sedans or Station Wagons. In 1963, there were 320,019 Rambler Classic’s made. Of those, only 34,679 were the 2 door, or 10.8% (the other 89.2% were 4 door sedans or wagons). Additionally, the majority of Rambler’s were equipped with an inline six, whereas this one has the “new for 1963” 287 V8. Of the 1963 Rambler Classic’s, there were 41,186 V8’s, and 278, 833 Inline Sixes (That’s 12.9% that were V8 equipped, and 87.1% that had the inline six. There were a grand total of 3,702 Classic 2 door’s made with the V8 Engine (or just over 1% of total Rambler Classic Production). If you’re still with me, we now break-down by series. The 1963 Rambler Classic was available in 3 different trim lines or “levels”; The base level was the 550, then there was the mid-level 660, and the top-of-the-line 770 (which is what this Rambler is). There were only 1,341 Rambler Classic 2 Door Sedans with the V8 in the top line 770 level produced (less than one-half of 1% of Rambler Classic Production). And finally (thanks for your patience), there’s the Twin Stick Transmission, Installed in approximately 5% of Rambler’s in 1963. There isn’t any rock solid number available as to how many of these Classic 770 V8 2 door sedans came with the Twin Stick, but the best estimates show that there were between 60 and 70 produced. Most likely less than 10 remain, and you’re looking at one of them.