1959 AMC Other

Rambler American Super Coupe

196 cu. in (3.2 liter) 6 cylinder

3-speed manual with overdrive

87835

Clear

Gasoline

Thank you for your interest in this fun and quirky little car. The basic Pinin Farina design from 1950 was so good that American Motors reprised it, tweaked it slightly, and reproduced it nearly a decade later. The super-rare factory Continental kit really finshes what was already a pretty fancy compact car.General: The car is very charming and practical. The factory continental kit gives it even more character and trunk space than standard Rambler Americans. The “Super” sub-model gives it a higher trim level. I bought it out of Southern California several years ago. It doesn’t appear to have been abused though it has not been properly maintained. It has tremendous potential but it is a restoration project. It is too solid, original, and complete to part out or rod. It’s pretty much complete (exceptions noted below). It runs and stops very well. It is registered, insured, and driven regularly on extended highway trips. It cruises comfortably at 70 in overdrive. Mileage: Odometer works. It reads approximately 18,000 but it’s clear that it has more than that on it.Exterior Body: The exterior is fairly clean and straight. Some slight dents on the roof, some minor rust repair in the front fenders, a spot of rust on the rear valence, and a few bubbles on the driver’s door; otherwise it is remarkably clean and straight. Paint is a close approximation to the original color of Aqua Mist Metallic but it’s badly faded. Front left fender is in primer. Underbody: Remarkably clean. Left rear floorboard rusted through with a hole the size of your fist but it has been nicely repaired with fiberglass. Other floors are solid when viewed from above or below. There’s some suface rust starting in the trunk along the seams though it has not perforated. The cowl and pillars appear to be in pretty good shape though there’s a small hole at the base of the wheel well on the passenger side. It’s too small to take a picture of. It’s about the size of a screw hole.Exterior Chrome: It’s all there and in fair condition. Bumpers and trim will need to be replated but there is very little pitting. The grille surround has a small dent in it. All trim is present and accounted for. Bumpers and bumper guards have a few tweaks in them but nothing that can’t be fixed when they get rechromed.Glass: It’s all there and fairly clear. The windshield has some normal pitting but nothing is scratched, cracked, fogged, or delaminated. Weather Sealing: All rubber is hard, dried, and cracked. All of it will need to be replaced along with the window channel and felt. All windows wind up and down as designed. The rear window seal has a big gap in the bottom but it doesn’t seem to let water into the cabin.Electrical: Every light on the car works. Battery is brand new and strong. Taillight lenses appear to be brand new. Wiring seems to be okay. There are no back-up lamps on this car. Heater fan works on one speed. There is a problem with the OD kick-down switch but I’ll get to that when I cover the drivetrain. Dashboard: All gauges and indicator lamps work as designed. The heater and defroster work perfectly. There is no A/C. The radio does not work. The parking brake handle is missing though the cable is there. The defroster knob is broken off but can still be actuated easily. No key for the glove box, though it’s not locked. Doors do not lock or unlock from the outside. Steering wheel is cracked. Vacuum wipers work excellently. The face of the gauge is reasonably clear. Speedometer and odometer both work. The speedometer reads 3 MPH fast. Turn signals work and cancel as designed. Cigarette lighter works.Interior: This is the weakest part of this car. There’s no headliner though all of the bows and grip strips are there. The side panels and package shelf are warped, torn, and misfit. Front kick panels are missing. Seat upholstery is torn on the driver’s side and the stuffing is coming out. It appears to be the original material. Both front seatbacks recline fully. Black carpet is not original. It does not fit well and it is not secured to the floors. The interior will need to be completely redone. Brakes: It appears to have four new wheel cylinders and a new master cylinder. Shoes appear to be new. They stop the car straight and strong. Front brake hoses appear to be original and should be replaced. New ones come with the car. Rear brake hose is brand new. Steel lines look okay. As stated above, the parking brake handle is missing so there’s no e-brake. All wheel bearings have recently been serviced or replaced. Brake lights work as designed.Engine: Carburetor and dual-action fuel pump were recently rebuilt to tolerate modern fuels. It starts easily hot or cold and runs very well. I’m pretty sure the engine has been rebuilt. Oil pressure light goes out and stays out once it’s running – even after being driven hard in hot southern weather. It does not overheat even on the hottest days -- though like most carbureted cars from the era, it will vapor lock in the summertime. It seems to have pretty good power and gets excellent gas mileage. The radiator is brand new (re-cored).Clutch: The clutch chatters at start up. Apparently the pedal linkage broke at some point in the past and somebody rigged it but it actuates just fine. It’s quite drivable as is but you’ll want to install a new clutch to smooth it out.Transmission: It whines a bit in first gear. The first to second synchro probably needs to be replaced. The shifter is a bit sloppy but it goes easily into all gears. It does not jump out of gear.Overdrive: This is a robust Borg-Warner unit. It engages and disengages according to the speed of the car as it should. However, the kick-down switch on the throttle linkage is disconnected. Consequently, it will not kick down out of OD when the accelerator is fully depressed as it was designed to do. With OD engaged, it cruises easily and reasonably quietly at 70 MPH.Driveshaft: Front U-joint and yoke are brand new. Driveshaft has been professionally balanced.Rear axle: Wheel seals appear to be okay. I don’t hear any noise coming from the rear end. Exhaust: Tiny leak at manifold but otherwise quiet and complete. Has some sloppy welding on it but it does its job.Steering: Steering feels a bit loose but not dangerously so. I think it’s more a function of the oversized bias-ply tires. I cannot detect any looseness in the linkage. Suspension: Upper control arm bushings are brand new. Right lower control arm bushing is new; lower left bushings come with the car. At some point in the past one of the mounting points for the right lower control arm rusted off. It was repaired with 1” x 1” square stock welded onto the car and then the control arm was bolted to the stock. Inelegant but apparently effective. Shocks look really old. It’s a bit bouncy but it sits level and it appears to be at normal height. Tires: They are old and probably need to be replaced with modern radials of the correct size. There’s plenty of tread on the biased-ply wide whites but they are starting to dry rot and there is some minor blistering on the sidewalls. There is a spare in the continental kit but it doesn’t hold air.Work that I have performed:Replaced all fluids and filtersReplaced brake light switchReplaced temperature sending unitPurchased shop manual CD and printed a hard copyReplaced driveshaft slip yokeReplaced forward universal jointReplaced left rear spring shackleReplaced rubber bushings for front of rear springsRebuilt carburetorBoiled and coated fuel tankReplaced fuel filler rubber hoseRebuilt fuel pumpReplaced fuel sending unitReplaced dash voltage regulatorRepaired fuel gaugeRepaired temperature gaugeReplaced rear axle sealsReplaced rear axle bearings and racesReplaced right lower control arm bushingsReplaced right and left upper control arm bushingsLeft lower control arm bushings (uninstalled but come with car)Battery (still under warranty)Radiator re-core Title: I have a California title. It is insured and registered and driven periodically between Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA. Warranty: If you discover that the car is not as represented, I will buy it back for the selling price less the listing fee; however, any transportation costs will be yours. Shipping: Buyer is responsible. I will make the car available to a carrier. I am experienced with shipping overseas. I will work with the buyer/broker. It can be driven moderate distances as is but you’ll probably want new tires on it first.Payment: $500 deposit within 48 hours of closing of the auction. Balance to be paid within seven days of closing of the auction. PayPal, wire transfer, cash at time of pick up, certified check, or personal check (as long as it has cleared prior to pick up) or any combination of the above are all acceptable methods of payment.Pricing: Please remember that this is a no-reserve listing. This means if you are the high bidder, you have bought the car. Starting price is fair and reasonable. I paid way too much for this car. Add in shipping from the West coast and repairs that I’ve made and I’m badly upside-down. Consider my loss your gain – though I have had fun with it over the past several years.Additional information: I encourage you to ask question but I respectfully request that you do so through e-bay. Reason: For both of our protection we need to have the exchange of information documented. I will make the car available for inspections by appointment only. There are more photos available at:http://s1377.photobucket.com/user/jwm2352/slideshow/1959%20Rambler%20American%20SuperSpecial Request: Please don’t bid if you’re not serious. I’m an individual of limited means. Please respect the process. Let’s keep it fair, honest, and fun, okay?Thank you for your interest. Good luck to you!