Comments: 1-15, 16-18
I just bought a Red with black top 1965 AMC Rambler Marlin with the red 327 V8
equipped with the original Holley 4 bbl and the Borg Warner Flash-o-Matic 3 speed automatic and the floor. The car has been sitting in a garage since 1975, the front disc backs are rusted tight and the disc. Original Atlas tire took and are holding air! I am planning to transport the car back to the North side of Chicago in April 2005.Can't wait to wash the dust-off.
Before I attend to fire it up, I want to locate a modern Holley to replace the original Holley and remove the fuel tank which smells like paint thinner.
You bought a 40 year old junkbox that's been standing for
30 years???!!!
I wish you luck!!! In fact, I wish you a LOT of luck!!!
You'll need every last bit of it!!!
This car comes with a floor?
Well, that's good, usually the floor on these old Ramblers has rusted away.
Along with everything else.
This site is supposed to be for REVIEWS of cars.
Not to announce that you have just bought some 40 year old, undrivable heap that makes you feel all tingly between your legs.
Why don't you report back here on how this car performs on the road, if and when you ever get it drivable again?
The Chevy Impala wears the fastback design much better than the mis-proportioned Marlin. I will say that the redesigned '67 Marlin looks much better though.
Hello again ~ after paying $100 and flatbed towing bill for $200, the original 1965 AMC Rambler Marlin is in the my shop. Un-touch since 1975, all original, even the Motorola alt. and Holley 4 bbl look new. The big red 327 I learned came out in 1959 (GEN 1) which look's like a big block in the small rambler front end. During the 102 mile tow back, got lots of "thumb up" as the dust and cob webs flew-off on our way back to Chicagoland. My mechanic's are loving the simple set-up. Marlin is 40 this year, my best man is 32 years old.
Links. MarlinAutoClub. org ~ AMONational.com.
I been told the engine will start in 2 more days.
Hmm, apparently it didn't...
Its funny I worked at AMC from 1960 to 1967 worked on the final line on many thousands of ramblers and many Marlins when I was there I didn't like the looks of the Marlin, but know after looking at all these ugly look alike cars of today with no class I think they are extra sharp!!!
Jim.
I think it is great you are restoring your Marlin. I have a 1964 Ambassador 990 w/327 V8 as well and it is an amazing car. Fast on the highway and always turns heads. Don't be discouraged by those negative comments from guys who don't get the buzz on the Ramblers. Those of us who have them wouldn't part with them!!!Good Luck and enjoy.
Well I see after trying to send you an encouraging message you gave up and decided to sell your Marlin on ebay. Too Bad. In your ebay comments on the Marlin you say you haven't "messed" with the engine, but in your description here you say your mechanics were trying to start it. What happened? I hope you aren't misrepresenting the car in the description!
Can you say: "frozen engine"?
Re the above comment, I think it would be safe to assume this is the case. I looked at this car on ebay. High bid is $1851 with auction ending in less than an hour. Someone actually asked the seller whether the engine would turn over at all, and the seller's response was that he "hadn't tried" (yeah right, but you took the spark plugs out and put liquid wrench down the cylinders, draw your own conclusions). The car has not been run in over 30 years, also the seller does not have any title.
Oh well, like P.T. Barnum once said, there's one born every minute!
While I agree that a review of a non-functional car is somewhat inappropriate, I do think that if the car has been garaged kept it could be resurrected. I think if that was a 69 Dodge Charger, Camero, or other muscle car of similar vintage there would be no snickers. I have resurrected a few cars that many would have said would be a lost cause. Just because the few naysayers have neither the ambition or the skills to do such a resurrection of an older car does not mean that this person who wrote the review also shares their same low skill level and perhaps and equally low bank account balance along with the attendant lack of a proper shop and tools. It seems obvious to me that these people are not Rambler fans, but I would be wiling to make a bet that they would jump all over the previously mentioned big three muscle cars in the same condition and they would be telling everyone how great of a find it was and blah blah blah. Sometimes the challenge to get there is just as rewarding as the end result. But then again, if you have a bad case of ADD and no skills, maybe not.
Those comments were not a slam on Ramblers.
The original reviewer dumped the car after discovering the engine was frozen. It happened to be a Rambler, but it could have been any car that sat for 25 years without being run...
This AMC Rambler Marlin forum verifies most people tend not to like things they are not familiar with, moreover it helps to prove they have been affected by disinformation not to like AMC products. A sad fact of the US auto industry, certain sub-entities of the "big three" did use disinformation to put their competition out of business. As for ugly, it is probable that uncultured observers would say Van Gogh was not a good artist. The Marlin's artful body work and profile do mimic the actual fish.
The original name of the Rambler Marlin was the Tarpon. Neither one resembles the other, and the Marlin car styling mimics the fish about as much as a Mustang resembles a horse.
The choice of Marlin as the name was due to the penchant for "animal" names for cars in the '60's (Barracuda, Mustang, Sting-Ray, Cougar, Impala, Wildcat, etc.)