This Ambassador has been registered, insured, and on the road in MA since 2006. Never seen MA winter. Garage stored. Clean MA title.
THE GOOD--
The engine and transmission were replaced with professionally rebuilt units 12 years and 12,000 miles ago. Runs and shifts well. The axles were rebuilt, and many belts and hoses were replaced at the same time. The ride is super smooth.
While this is not a "numbers matching" car, the engine and transmission are the correct types. This was a 343, auto, dual-exhaust car from the factory.
The body is very clean overall and looks good. Paint is in good condition. It is an older repaint in the original factory "Scarab Gold." The seats are VERY comfy, I will miss them.
The car is mostly stock, with a few exceptions:
* I replaced the breaker points with a maintenance free Pertronix Ignitor II module. This is an improvement. You never need to adjust or change breaker points. It adjusts the dwell based on RPM which allows easier starting.
* Wheels are not stock. They are factory AMC alloy wheels from the '70s. They'd look right at home on a Pacer, they look sharp here too.
* Car had factory A/C originally. Sadly the A/C equipment has been removed. The heater works great.
* The suspension has been lowered mildly by heating and shrinking the springs. Whoever did this knew what they were doing: the car is level, caster and camber check out OK, and I have never bottomed it out.
The car always starts. It can sit for three weeks and it'll start right up; the electrical system is solid.
The tires are probably at 50%.
Never had trouble with the brakes, the car stops straight and quickly when you need it to. As 4-wheel drum brakes go, they do alright.
Good instrument cluster, all lights and gauges work (except one, see below.) Factory AM radio works.
Includes spare parts and extras: spare instrument cluster from a '69. Factory service manual. Owner's manual. Fuel pump. Custom fit car cover. Extra trim pieces, taillight lenses, etc.
THE NOT SO GOOD--
While this car is 90% sorted, it must be considered a project, as would any 30+ year old vehicle.
The ball joints are gone. NOS and reman units are available.
Battery is 8 years old, time for a new one this year.
The speedometer is flaky, it reads 0 half the time. I believe that the speedometer itself is fine, and that the cable is either broken or not being driven consistently from the transmission end. I swapped the instrument cluster with the spare and got exactly the same behavior. So I think I have two perfectly good instrument clusters, and the problem lies elsewhere.
Interior is fair. Seats have some tears in the vinyl. Dash vinyl has some sun damage. The headliner has been repaired, it looks like it won't ever droop again, but the repair looks a little amateur.
Passenger seat adjustment linkage is borked. This just started a couple weeks ago, and it looks like an easy fix, I just haven't gotten to it yet.
The weatherstripping should be replaced, if you wanted to drive it daily and not just in nice weather.
Sometimes the driver side tailpipe contacts the shock absorber on a bump in the road and makes noise. An exhaust shop could bend the tailpipe and fix it.
This car would make a great restoration candidate. It's all there-- solid body, healthy mechanicals. Or just fix a couple things and enjoy it. Asking $3800.
THE GOOD--
The engine and transmission were replaced with professionally rebuilt units 12 years and 12,000 miles ago. Runs and shifts well. The axles were rebuilt, and many belts and hoses were replaced at the same time. The ride is super smooth.
While this is not a "numbers matching" car, the engine and transmission are the correct types. This was a 343, auto, dual-exhaust car from the factory.
The body is very clean overall and looks good. Paint is in good condition. It is an older repaint in the original factory "Scarab Gold." The seats are VERY comfy, I will miss them.
The car is mostly stock, with a few exceptions:
* I replaced the breaker points with a maintenance free Pertronix Ignitor II module. This is an improvement. You never need to adjust or change breaker points. It adjusts the dwell based on RPM which allows easier starting.
* Wheels are not stock. They are factory AMC alloy wheels from the '70s. They'd look right at home on a Pacer, they look sharp here too.
* Car had factory A/C originally. Sadly the A/C equipment has been removed. The heater works great.
* The suspension has been lowered mildly by heating and shrinking the springs. Whoever did this knew what they were doing: the car is level, caster and camber check out OK, and I have never bottomed it out.
The car always starts. It can sit for three weeks and it'll start right up; the electrical system is solid.
The tires are probably at 50%.
Never had trouble with the brakes, the car stops straight and quickly when you need it to. As 4-wheel drum brakes go, they do alright.
Good instrument cluster, all lights and gauges work (except one, see below.) Factory AM radio works.
Includes spare parts and extras: spare instrument cluster from a '69. Factory service manual. Owner's manual. Fuel pump. Custom fit car cover. Extra trim pieces, taillight lenses, etc.
THE NOT SO GOOD--
While this car is 90% sorted, it must be considered a project, as would any 30+ year old vehicle.
The ball joints are gone. NOS and reman units are available.
Battery is 8 years old, time for a new one this year.
The speedometer is flaky, it reads 0 half the time. I believe that the speedometer itself is fine, and that the cable is either broken or not being driven consistently from the transmission end. I swapped the instrument cluster with the spare and got exactly the same behavior. So I think I have two perfectly good instrument clusters, and the problem lies elsewhere.
Interior is fair. Seats have some tears in the vinyl. Dash vinyl has some sun damage. The headliner has been repaired, it looks like it won't ever droop again, but the repair looks a little amateur.
Passenger seat adjustment linkage is borked. This just started a couple weeks ago, and it looks like an easy fix, I just haven't gotten to it yet.
The weatherstripping should be replaced, if you wanted to drive it daily and not just in nice weather.
Sometimes the driver side tailpipe contacts the shock absorber on a bump in the road and makes noise. An exhaust shop could bend the tailpipe and fix it.
This car would make a great restoration candidate. It's all there-- solid body, healthy mechanicals. Or just fix a couple things and enjoy it. Asking $3800.
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