@@robk9685 That is exactly what is good about them, they don't freeze shut. Today's cars, of course... the entire DOOR freezes shut because there is no rain gutters on the roof lines anymore.
My first car was a 1972, it was rusted to hell. From outside the rear quarter panels you could reach up inside the trunk. Small items left in the trunk could easily fall out while driving. While driving I could see the road beneath whizzing by. It was a POS but it was mine. I paid $200 for it in 1984.
The vent window latch was designed for easy, one hand operation. You unlock it and pull it open in one easy motion. The headliner is one piece molded fiberglass for sound and heat insulation. The heater supply hose is supposed to be on that bracket. Yours has been cut and a shut off valve installed and is hanging perilously close to the exhaust manifold.
Daniel, I had to rewatch at 8:16 to see what you were referring to, and now that makes perfect sense. Adam says heater core tube, but it is for the heater hose to be routed to lay in that bracket to provide heat to the choke. An easy fix.
I learned to drive on a 1970 Ambassador with the 360 engine when I was 15. It was mom's car and she loved it and I did too. Always liked AMC cars, grew up around Nash's Ramblers and AMC's, dad played cards and was friends with the local Rambler dealer owners. AMC vehicles I've owned were a 72 purple AMX and several CJ5's and CJ7s. I use to play in the dead Nash by the barn pretending to drive it smoking my candy cigarettes when I was 6, it had the seats that folded down to bed like.
The contrast between John Manoogian and Dick Teague in terms of working conditions must've been enormous. Mr. Teague was a master at making something out of almost nothing!
Note that this car would bring tears of joy to a mechanic if it were brought in for a heater core or blower motor. The interior of the car doesn't have to be disassembled to get to these items... raise the hood on the Ambassador and you are looking at them on the firewall. If doing AC work the York AC compressor has shut-off valves to isolate it during service. If you ever do fuel system service work on one of the AMC cars remember that there is a roll-over valve at the gas tank to shut off the fuel if the car goes over and there is an overflow line under the car. If you keep trying to pump more fuel into the tank it will seem to never get filled. That is because you're making a big puddle of gasoline under the car as you keep trying to overfill the tank. The use of everyone's parts bins to build the car make keeping one up pretty easy with lots of common parts that are still available.
Beautiful car! The alternator on those is actually a Motorola. Amc didn't start using Delco alternators til about 77 or 78. And that heater core hose is actually supposed to be routed up on that choke bracket like others have said. I like seeing all these cars that were every day cars back in the day that you don't see much of any more. You do a great job showcasing them.
I remember my friend's Javelin had a Motorola alternator, Autolite Motorcraft carburetor, Delco ignition and Chrysler automatic transmission. I also remember Phillips screws falling out of the trim while going down the road. 304 2bbl.
I live in California where we don't need to salt the roads. I see some very old American cars and trucks all the time. Not in huge numbers, but all the time. There always are some local people who still use them as their daily drivers. There also are a bunch of Toyotas from the 80s and early 90s still on the road. Old trucks are not unusual, of course. In a travel video, I saw some still pictures of the Little America travel stop in Wyoming taken in the early 1960s. It is a chance in thousands that even one of the cars still exists, but one or more of the several pickup truck might still be on the road and driven regularly.
The Ambassador was a nice riding car. When A.M.C. said they gave it the "Red Carpet Ride", they weren't kidding. It was every bit as nice riding as any Cadillac or Lincoln of the period.
Thanks Adam. The '70 Rebel "Machine" is probably my most coveted car. You are a great preserver of these rare, underappreciated full-sized auto's. Nice find, and great post.
Kenosha Cadillac. I lived in South Jersey and always enjoyed seeing the AMC cars being delivered to the dealers in my area on the big KAT car carriers. KAT stood for Kenosha Auto Transport, driven all the way from the plant in Wisconsin. We had lots of cars in my family, but the AMC products were always special. I miss AMC and I miss seeing the big KAT car haulers laden with new "Nashes."
Funny how some of the quirks that you mention on this 71 also applied to my 79 AMC Concord. The old York air conditioner would freeze up the evaporator because it never cycled on and off, so if you left it on Max too long, you would get supercharged ice chunks from the vents. Mine had a Carter BBD carb, Ford igntion system, saginaw steering, GM alternator, Chrysler transmission. Definitely all makes combined, but I looked at it this way, you got the best of everything!
Especially the Chrysler automatic transmissions after AMC started using those. My '72 Hornet had the Chrysler Automatic and it was very well suited for that application.
@@albertcarello619 there was no holley carb that was compatible with the 258 6-cylinder. There was a weber, but I don't know of any holley's that worked (at least without mods) and honestly the Carter carb was pretty good once rebuilt.
@@MichaelAStanhope I thought you had the 304 cubic inch V8. That engine I believe has a 2 barrel HOLLEY carburetor. Ford and Holley carburetors are very similar in design.
@@MichaelAStanhope Those Carter Carbs especially the 4 barrel AFB used on many high performance V8s on Cadillacs, Imperials, Chrysler 300s and New Yorkers, Dodges, DeSotos, Plymouths, and the high performance GM cars would frequently require rebuilds or even replacements. My Dad had a 58 Cadillac and there was endless carburetor troubles with that CARTER AFB 4 BARREL CARBURETOR.
I was a student at a Vo-Tech school studying auto mechanics in 1974. We were doing an AC service and charging unit in the early summer. We were recharging an AC system on an Ambassador. There were about 5 guys inside the car acting as "testers" because it was a 90 degree plus day. Everything was charging up fine so we decided to try the Desert Only setting. Our thermometer stuck in the center vent read an output temp of 41 degrees. I could see where your evaporator would freeze up quick in a humid environment.
Torqueflight Transmissions have a kickdown band I believe. This transmission really brought these AMC engines to life and made them star performers. No need to change to a shorter final drive ratio( higher numerically) for more performance. I know years ago the kickdown band had to be readjusted from time to time on the Torqueflight Transmissions. I think in later years much less so.
Hey Adam, you really have to give American Motors credit for creating cars on such limited budgets, creating a hodge podge of parts from various manufacturers!!!! Ramblers Rule!!! 👍👍🙂
They were a small company, so it was cheaper for them to buy components from the other manufactures. I do not know why everyone makes such a big deal about it. When you went to the parts store and asked for a whatever for your AMC car, they sold you the part, and you went home, installed it and was back on the road, just like any other brand. My parents bought a 1973 Ambassador new, Silver, with a silver vinyl top and blue interior. It was a wonderful car, never a problem in 12 years of ownership. Many long trips to relatives, some many states away we went there and back no problem.
@@scrambler69-xk3kv Same here, my dad bought a new 63 Rambler Classic Cross Country station wagon & several of his brothers drove Ramblers. My grandparents drove a1953 Nash Statesman!!
I was a kid in the '60s and a teen in the '70s when herds of AMCs still roamed the Earth and were very common. "Quirky" was synonymous with AMC. I think it's a safe bet that this is the nicest '71 Ambassador on the planet. A true survivor and time capsule of that era. As for full size cars from around that time, I had '71 and ' 74 Impalas with 350s, a '72 Fury 360. and a '76 Fury 440. In fact, I owned many models from all of the Big Three over the years, but never an AMC. It's interesting to see their different approach to things.
I’m gonna say that in almost 30,000 miles that heater hose may have been replaced and you could probably just make the longer section a little longer and run it beside the carb in the holder. Looked online and seen a 72 and it was run up in the carb holder. Really enjoy your cars and vids. 👍
My family had one of those when I was a kid. It was green inside and out... We called it the "Green Machine." Mom backed into a 70's Toyota and smashed the heck out of it. No damage to ol' green... That thing was a tank. It wore the blue paint transfer on the back corner with pride!
I drove past Mt. Pleasant Motors a hundred times in the day. A higher class area of the city then. I was driving a 66 Ambassador back then. Yours is a time capsule Adam. I demand you return it to our country immediately! 🤣 Cheers 🇨🇦
Love the video. I very nearly bought one of these in 2013 when I was 22, same year. Alas, it needed more in reconditioning than I could afford then and I had to walk away, but I sometimes wonder, "what if?"
This is a truly cool car, and a rare specimen in amazing condition at that! I’d have had a really tough time not driving this home had I come across it! Quirky is the correct word to describe AMC products for sure.
Just a bit of relevant trivia. It was mentioned that the Ambassador is a 'uni-body'. American Motors developed this design, not Chrysler as most people think. I had a 1963 Rambler Class 550 wagon with curved glass and unibody construction. I also owned a 1977 Hornet Levis with a heavy-duty Gabriel suspension and twin grip diff. It was one the tightest rides I ever had. The American car buyer was more interested in outward appearance than practical and highly functional design. AMC took some of its design cues from European cars in the context of clean lines and form that followed function.
I'm glad you got your Ambassador. Your observation about the rear of the car being so similar to the LTD. That made me smile and remember something that Tom McCahill, who was the automotive writer for Mechanix Illustrated. He wrote, "there are no pirates like Detroit pirates."
Look at the rear of the ‘70 Ambassador and you’ll see that this was a just a minor variation on that theme, moving the reverse lights outboard like they were on the 68-69 Javelin.
If memory serves, the Ambassador only had the coffin nose front end in '73 and '74, the final year for the Ambassador. There were lots of coffin nose Matadors sold, though, as they were made right up through '78. When I was a kid, my Grandfather had a '78 Matador Barcelona. Very plush and comfortable car😁
I find the dash a little Art Decoish with the sharp crease running all across the full width, dividing the faux wood into two angled sections. Interestingly the crease is also present in the air vent lamellas, the air vent chrome surrounds, as well as around the instruments. 1:32 The door handles are reminiscent of certain Italian manufacturers.
That kickdown switch is just like the GM 400 kickdown switches from 1968 and later. They were also located inside the car and could be adjusted by sliding them past the stop.
Beautiful car Adam! A friend of mine had a 71 Ambassador Brougham virtually identical except it had the 401 4 bbl engine. He called it the flying brick lol, but those cars would move.
The rocker panel molding really adds to the looks of this car. Also the black interior really adds to this car (versus having green or gold interior). Never thought AMC had more than basic looking dashes but the wood grain in this car makes it look very good. With the trophies in the trunk it looks like there were a number of other people who really liked this car. Looks like there was a box of pictures also in the trunk. If any of you cars ever came with pictures from the prior owner/owners of the car new or throughout the years I would enjoy seeing those pictures in addition to any other things that came with your car purchase (as this car seems to have a lot of things in the trunk that came with the car). Really do love that color. Thanks
Adam, another great video. My parents bought a '72 Matador (Grasshopper Green) when I was a teen so your video brought back lots of memories. I would point out there is a little more to those engine compartment rails than AMC running various models down the same line. With the exception of the Pacer, all of AMC's cars right up to the Renault "merger" were evolved from the 1963 redesign. If you get a chance to look at the engine compartment of any AMC from the '63 Classic, to a '66 Ambassador, a '69 American, a '70 Javelin, even a Matador Coupe, you'll see the basic architecture is the same. As the cars grew over the years features like the under hood rails were employed to make the senior cars bigger, wider and longer. (The American had to make do with its aging 1950s chassis until it was blessed with the new, common platform in 1964.) AMC's designers and engineers were able to keep the cars fairly relevant despite the aging platforms but a reckoning was bound to come sooner or later. See also: Studebaker.
Another great presentation Adam. For most I life I snubbed AMC products. At the age of 60 I am finally recognizing their contribution to domestic automotive history. Thank you once again.
I'm 62 and Mom had a '69 Ambassador SST wagon in my high school days which I used on early dates. My first car was also a wagon (1956 Ford Customline Ranch Wagon (2 door)). Imagine that.
To some degree I prefer the cable-operated HVAC. I had 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass in my early 20's which had vacuum-operated HVAC, and any vacuum leak would cause the HVAC to go full defrost if I gave it a lot of throttle (which I did a lot; that car was REALLY underpowered). Never gave a lot of thought to AMC's, but now you hardly ever see them. Not sure I like the color of this car, but it is definitely unique - and the sort of color that could have only existed in the '70s. EDIT: I'll be darned! First suggested video after this one is review of a '72 Ambassador Brougham on Regular Car Reviews. Going there next.
As usual, a top quality video. You will treasure your 1971 Ambassador and learn to appreciate its idiosyncrasies (you call them quirks). Designed to be a different choice in automotive pleasures. While GM and Ford were tripping over each other to copy what the other offered, AMC prided itself on being different. As a side note, a vinyl roof was an OPTION on the Ambassador brougham. A little known fact regarding AMC was they would often accept special requests that were not listed as regular options. For example, the Ambassador wagon came STANDARD with "wood grain" side panels. But they would delete it if you did not want it. They would paint your car a non-offered color if you desired. Please make more videos of the Ambassador. I can't wait to take a ride.
My very first new car was a 1971 Hornet SST with the 304 V-8. It was the same color as your Ambassador, Golden Lime Metallic. This is still my favorite car I have ever owned.
I remember thinking when these cars were new that they suffered in comparison to the offerings from The Big 3. In retrospect, I think I did them a disservice. They really had the best mechanical parts from the other manufacturers. IMHO Dick Teague was a styling genius who could make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. If this identical car was available new, at this moment in time, I wouldn't hesitate. I would buy one. Beautiful simplicity.
The AMC stylists and engineers have my respect for what they accomplished on such tight budgets. The Ambassador was ahead of its time; in most trims V8, automatic, power steering and brakes and A/C were standard. It seemed at first glance to be a marketing thing to one-up the Big 3, but in reality it made for a limited options list and saved costs. I still miss my '68 Ambassador with the 343.
Really impressed with the quality of that car, the dash is sharp, and the fit and finish appears to be on par with, or even better than some of the offerings from the big 3. Talk about a time capsule! Super cool and obscure ride, thanks for sharing with us, Adam. 👍🏾👍🏾
Kenosha native here, we called them Detroit leftovers at the plant. The alternator is a Motorola. Despite replacement parts being free I never drove AMC’s my son once asked me why and my respond was simple, once you see how they are built you don’t want one. Beautiful time capsule Adam
AM changed the heater controls and greatly improved their convenience the following year. They usually had to wait to update their cars because of a tight budget, as you have pointed out in another video. The A/C never froze on my Ambassador even though the compressor ran constantly because a dumb teenager (me) cranked the knob in the opposite direction and busted it permanently on. The air was so cold it blew ice on trips. lol The kick down switch was an exclusive feature that provided down shifting earlier than other brands. The lock buttons were designed not to have to twist the torso around in front to activate. AM had a lot of senior citizens as customers. Did you notice the three speed wipers, the full coil seats? The reclining mechanism dates back to the fifties when Nash put features on their cars that made them usable for overnight camping and long trips (and drive-in movies lol). "The worlds finest travel cars" was the slogan for years and on Disneyland commercials as Nash was a sponsor. AM used a molded ceiling that I would not call cheap. Chevy for instance, frequently used just a sheet of cloth over metal. The molded ceiling looked clean and fitted and probably helped with noise. AM always chose quality parts that were commonly available and never used cheap ones. That help make the cars reliable and low cost for the consumer, as well as the company. AM could not afford to make as many parts as the big three did as they only had about 2-3 percent of the market compared to GM's 51 percent. The big three bought quite a number of parts from suppliers, did they not? Didn't Ford use Borg Warner transmissions on most of its cars? The 'hodgepodge" was of the best quality. I am a little bit sorry for the rant, but AM has aways been short changed by the general public because it did not have the money to build a desirable image. The word of mouth was all they had. It pains me that they are no more.
You are absolutely correct. AMC had so many firsts: ceramic mufflers, reclining seats, dual braking system, roll down tail gate window (yes, Chrysler and DeSoto wagons had that feature starting in 1950, but all others did mot), soundproof perforated headliners, standard AC on Ambassadors beginning in 1968, flush door handles beginning in 1968, hinged door gate on 3-seat wagons beginning in 1960, standard roof racks on wagons. They indeed designed outside the box.
Regarding the 'unique' exterior door handles found on the AMC vehicles, a similar design was also fitted on the doors of British Leyland's, Austin (Morris) Marina, Ital and others.
OMG! This is my grandparent's car! Same color, same weird fabric. As my grandma said, "Wears like iron, water-spots like crazy". They both smoked like chimneys so that smell is part of the memory with the car.
The good thing about that style headliner is that it would not sag with age. The Shift Command transmission had another interesting feature - if you put it in 2 It would not shift between 1&2 - it was full-time 2. Actually, it was useful in snow.
In my younger years I preferred AMC products. They were usually trouble free and very well made. I owned Hornets and Gremlins (4 and 6 cylinders) The Hurst Rambler Scrambler with 390 engine was a souped up AMC Amercian. Limited production. They would run 1/4 Mile at 9.0 secs at over 120mph. This car is highly desirable to collectors. One sold at Auction Medium for $100,000 .
This car is in amazing shape. I'd bet its one of the best preserved Ambassadors in existence. As a kid of the 60's and 70s I remember these being the most anonymous car around in Kenosha, WI. They were literally everywhere. If you didn't have one your neighbor did
I’m from Wisconsin. The Kenosha AMC plant was about 20 miles from me. Many strange cars came out of that plant including Matadors with Ambassador front clips. A guy that owned one said AMC had leftover Ambassador clips and decided to put them on Matadors. I guess AMC didn’t waste anything 😂
The 1971 AMC V8s were the best for performance. They used a 1971-only head design that breathed better than anything previous; the next year they'd reduce compression to accommodate unleaded fuel.
In the mid 70's someone loaned me an Ambassador like that for 4 of us to go on a cross country 2 week trip. It was a good running and comfortable car, and even though it was a V8, we were happy with the fuel mileage. It was a better car than most will give it credit.
I had a 71 Ambassador Brougham also. Bought it from Wright Patterson Air base Captain. it was a 2dr 401 high back buckets, console pistol type shifter. this was back in 1980 and I have never seen another one like it. It was Dark Blue with a white hard top. I miss that car more than any car I've owned since. The interior was a cloudy Blue. It was luxury with a crap load of power. Your is beautiful also.
Adam, good list of Ambassador quirks. I enjoyed it. Here's a couple more that you might want to see if they are applicable to yours. * The heat control is actually a thermostat. It controls a valve that regulates water to the heater core just as you would expect except that, in addition, it senses the temperature of the heater core. It will regulate water flow based on control position and heater core temperature. Note that it does not do this from sensed cabin temperature. Odd huh? In addition, as they get age on them, they are a bit prone to leak. They're a bit hard to find. They were sourced from Ranco which I believe was English? I understand they have been out of business for some time. There is a rebuild kit, but it only fixes some of their ills. * I'd bet that if you pull the head rests from the front seat, pull the seat all the way forward and then lower the back that it will make down into the infamous AMC "bed." * You may find that you have a Motorla alternator. I believe a lot of these cars hat them. I hope you enjoy your Ambassador as much as my wife and I have enjoyed our pair. Best of luck.
1:07. Interesting feature of this AMC Ambassador 71: similar taillights to the ones shown in a Ford Ltd of the same year, blended with the red stop and marking light. You got it, Adam
My college had some plain white ones that I got to drive occasionally. 360 so could have had a suspension package. Ran pretty well, with the typical feel of a V-8 US sedan. The handling was superb. Top shelf.
Not the most luxurious or desirable but surely that has to be one of the most 'mint' cars you've covered on your channel? It's truly an attractive, rare and classy looking car! I remember my dad's first new car, a 1967 two-door Rambler Rebel which followed after his 1960 Rambler Ambassador Wagon.
Always liked the clean and flush look to those AMC exterior door handles. They look surprisingly modern even today.
Copied by British Leyland, Peugeot and others.
Those door handles didnt fly in the midwest winters when the doors were frozen shut. You could not grip those.
@@robk9685 I could see that. Buddy in high school had a Javelin.
@@robk9685 well stop freezing them shut- turn left and go 2500 miles- oops forgot it was an amc...
@@robk9685 That is exactly what is good about them, they don't freeze shut. Today's cars, of course... the entire DOOR freezes shut because there is no rain gutters on the roof lines anymore.
Previous owner must have loved this thing. I can’t believe how nice it is!
Looks like a garage queen and never seen any salty roads in the winter
My first car was a 1972, it was rusted to hell. From outside the rear quarter panels you could reach up inside the trunk. Small items left in the trunk could easily fall out while driving. While driving I could see the road beneath whizzing by. It was a POS but it was mine. I paid $200 for it in 1984.
@Bobby got damn mane. 350 cars lol
@@ThekiBoran It's all about the salt. I don't drive in the snow, and cars never rust, even a little bit.
Gorgeous car. As a child in the 70s, I wanted an AMC soley because of the door handle design. I used to seek these handles out in traffic.
🤣
I loved how they were the same on everything.
I think the reason they used them was for brand recognition from a side view. And in your case, it worked! lol
They could and did sometimes freeze up in the winter.
@@djszabo418 Mine never froze up. Ever.
Adam, If the Ambassador needed an ambassador to reintroduce it to the wider world, it could not have found a better one. 😁
The vent window latch was designed for easy, one hand operation. You unlock it and pull it open in one easy motion. The headliner is one piece molded fiberglass for sound and heat insulation. The heater supply hose is supposed to be on that bracket. Yours has been cut and a shut off valve installed and is hanging perilously close to the exhaust manifold.
yeah the old prestone flush tap
I agree, Daniel. If that isn't addressed, he's going to burn right through that hose & be on the side of the road.
Daniel, I had to rewatch at 8:16 to see what you were referring to, and now that makes perfect sense. Adam says heater core tube, but it is for the heater hose to be routed to lay in that bracket to provide heat to the choke. An easy fix.
The heater supply hose looks long enough that it might be able to be lifted up and placed in the bracket by the choke where it belongs.
I was saying the same thing... someone has cut the hose.
The more advanced & complicated new cars get to work on. The simplicity of older cars is definitely to be admired.
I learned to drive on a 1970 Ambassador with the 360 engine when I was 15. It was mom's car and she loved it and I did too. Always liked AMC cars, grew up around Nash's Ramblers and AMC's, dad played cards and was friends with the local Rambler dealer owners. AMC vehicles I've owned were a 72 purple AMX and several CJ5's and CJ7s. I use to play in the dead Nash by the barn pretending to drive it smoking my candy cigarettes when I was 6, it had the seats that folded down to bed like.
As Mr. Spock would say, "Fascinating!".
The contrast between John Manoogian and Dick Teague in terms of working conditions must've been enormous. Mr. Teague was a master at making something out of almost nothing!
John Manoogian had to work under great restraints, hence the Cadillac Cimarron.
I loved the look of those door handles as a kid!
Note that this car would bring tears of joy to a mechanic if it were brought in for a heater core or blower motor. The interior of the car doesn't have to be disassembled to get to these items... raise the hood on the Ambassador and you are looking at them on the firewall. If doing AC work the York AC compressor has shut-off valves to isolate it during service.
If you ever do fuel system service work on one of the AMC cars remember that there is a roll-over valve at the gas tank to shut off the fuel if the car goes over and there is an overflow line under the car. If you keep trying to pump more fuel into the tank it will seem to never get filled. That is because you're making a big puddle of gasoline under the car as you keep trying to overfill the tank.
The use of everyone's parts bins to build the car make keeping one up pretty easy with lots of common parts that are still available.
Great to see a Toronto car still around given our weather conditions!
I want to see it with all the lights on. I love old cars just like anyone of my era does.
Owned three amc's two classics, one was Canadian built,a 63 ambassador with a AMC 327 engine. Yours is outta sight!!
I learned more vehicle vocabulary listening to this person than a dozen Scotty videos.
Congratulations Adam, Beautiful Car!
Beautiful car! The alternator on those is actually a Motorola. Amc didn't start using Delco alternators til about 77 or 78. And that heater core hose is actually supposed to be routed up on that choke bracket like others have said. I like seeing all these cars that were every day cars back in the day that you don't see much of any more. You do a great job showcasing them.
I remember my friend's Javelin had a Motorola alternator, Autolite Motorcraft carburetor, Delco ignition and Chrysler automatic transmission. I also remember Phillips screws falling out of the trim while going down the road. 304 2bbl.
I live in California where we don't need to salt the roads. I see some very old American cars and trucks all the time. Not in huge numbers, but all the time. There always are some local people who still use them as their daily drivers. There also are a bunch of Toyotas from the 80s and early 90s still on the road.
Old trucks are not unusual, of course. In a travel video, I saw some still pictures of the Little America travel stop in Wyoming taken in the early 1960s. It is a chance in thousands that even one of the cars still exists, but one or more of the several pickup truck might still be on the road and driven regularly.
When Adam says bright lights, he actually means the high beams on the headlights : )
The Ambassador was a nice riding car. When A.M.C. said they gave it the "Red Carpet Ride", they weren't kidding. It was every bit as nice riding as any Cadillac or Lincoln of the period.
Thanks Adam. The '70 Rebel "Machine" is probably my most coveted car. You are a great preserver of these rare, underappreciated full-sized auto's. Nice find, and great post.
My first car was a '67 Rebel. Just Plain Jane but I loved that ride.
Mine, as well. The only one I have owned is sitting on top of my dresser.
But now Adam has me craving another Ambassador.
Kenosha Cadillac. I lived in South Jersey and always enjoyed seeing the AMC cars being delivered to the dealers in my area on the big KAT car carriers. KAT stood for Kenosha Auto Transport, driven all the way from the plant in Wisconsin. We had lots of cars in my family, but the AMC products were always special. I miss AMC and I miss seeing the big KAT car haulers laden with new "Nashes."
Funny how some of the quirks that you mention on this 71 also applied to my 79 AMC Concord. The old York air conditioner would freeze up the evaporator because it never cycled on and off, so if you left it on Max too long, you would get supercharged ice chunks from the vents. Mine had a Carter BBD carb, Ford igntion system, saginaw steering, GM alternator, Chrysler transmission. Definitely all makes combined, but I looked at it this way, you got the best of everything!
Especially the Chrysler automatic transmissions after AMC started using those. My '72 Hornet had the Chrysler Automatic and it was very well suited for that application.
Mike's Mac Shack: I'm surprised your car didn't have a HOLLEY 2 barrel carburetor.
@@albertcarello619 there was no holley carb that was compatible with the 258 6-cylinder. There was a weber, but I don't know of any holley's that worked (at least without mods) and honestly the Carter carb was pretty good once rebuilt.
@@MichaelAStanhope I thought you had the 304 cubic inch V8. That engine I believe has a 2 barrel HOLLEY carburetor. Ford and Holley carburetors are very similar in design.
@@MichaelAStanhope Those Carter Carbs especially the 4 barrel AFB used on many high performance V8s on Cadillacs, Imperials, Chrysler 300s and New Yorkers, Dodges, DeSotos, Plymouths, and the high performance GM cars would frequently require rebuilds or even replacements. My Dad had a 58 Cadillac and there was endless carburetor troubles with that CARTER AFB 4 BARREL CARBURETOR.
"Handy if you want to take a nap" 😂 Very nice car, Adam. Love the typical AMC stuff.
I was a student at a Vo-Tech school studying auto mechanics in 1974. We were doing an AC service and charging unit in the early summer. We were recharging an AC system on an Ambassador. There were about 5 guys inside the car acting as "testers" because it was a 90 degree plus day. Everything was charging up fine so we decided to try the Desert Only setting. Our thermometer stuck in the center vent read an output temp of 41 degrees. I could see where your evaporator would freeze up quick in a humid environment.
This AMC and the Caprice police car are my favourites of all the cars you've presented up to now. Many AMC's in my family during the 70s and 80s.
Every new collector should subscribe to this channel this man is very knowledgeable he probably forgot more then I’ll ever know about cars ✅💯🏁
Nice car. A friend of mine had a 68 Javelin which was a cool car and I still have a 1974 Gremlin X with the 304 V8.
That's a really beautiful Car.... what a find !
And that is why AMC stands for All Makes Combined....or Almost a Car....Lol Beauty none the less....
Beautiful car.
Torqueflight Transmissions have a kickdown band I believe. This transmission really brought these AMC engines to life and made them star performers. No need to change to a shorter final drive ratio( higher numerically) for more performance. I know years ago the kickdown band had to be readjusted from time to time on the Torqueflight Transmissions. I think in later years much less so.
As a Canadian, I can say that the most amazing thing about your car is that it came from Ontario. Toronto none the less.
Ikr I am in Windsor that car would not look like that
Hey Adam, you really have to give American Motors credit for creating cars on such limited budgets, creating a hodge podge of parts from various manufacturers!!!!
Ramblers Rule!!! 👍👍🙂
They were a small company, so it was cheaper for them to buy components from the other manufactures. I do not know why everyone makes such a big deal about it. When you went to the parts store and asked for a whatever for your AMC car, they sold you the part, and you went home, installed it and was back on the road, just like any other brand. My parents bought a 1973 Ambassador new, Silver, with a silver vinyl top and blue interior. It was a wonderful car, never a problem in 12 years of ownership. Many long trips to relatives, some many states away we went there and back no problem.
@@scrambler69-xk3kv Same here, my dad bought a new 63 Rambler Classic Cross Country station wagon & several of his brothers drove Ramblers. My grandparents drove a1953 Nash Statesman!!
My father had a '71 Matador wagon...Brings back memories, I remember the button on the butterfly window...
I was a kid in the '60s and a teen in the '70s when herds of AMCs still roamed the Earth and were very common. "Quirky" was synonymous with AMC. I think it's a safe bet that this is the nicest '71 Ambassador on the planet. A true survivor and time capsule of that era. As for full size cars from around that time, I had '71 and ' 74 Impalas with 350s, a '72 Fury 360. and a '76 Fury 440. In fact, I owned many models from all of the Big Three over the years, but never an AMC. It's interesting to see their different approach to things.
I’m gonna say that in almost 30,000 miles that heater hose may have been replaced and you could probably just make the longer section a little longer and run it beside the carb in the holder. Looked online and seen a 72 and it was run up in the carb holder. Really enjoy your cars and vids. 👍
This is a really neat car in amazing shape. It looks like a museum piece.
This is a really classy understated elegant car.
My family had one of those when I was a kid.
It was green inside and out... We called it the "Green Machine."
Mom backed into a 70's Toyota and smashed the heck out of it.
No damage to ol' green... That thing was a tank. It wore the blue paint transfer on the back corner with pride!
Adam I absolutely LOVE this car!!! The color is stunning! Incredible! So glad you got it!!
I drove past Mt. Pleasant Motors a hundred times in the day. A higher class area of the city then. I was driving a 66 Ambassador back then. Yours is a time capsule Adam.
I demand you return it to our country immediately! 🤣 Cheers 🇨🇦
Love the video. I very nearly bought one of these in 2013 when I was 22, same year. Alas, it needed more in reconditioning than I could afford then and I had to walk away, but I sometimes wonder, "what if?"
This is a truly cool car, and a rare specimen in amazing condition at that! I’d have had a really tough time not driving this home had I come across it! Quirky is the correct word to describe AMC products for sure.
I always LOVED AMC cars. They were a quirky company that did their own thing.
Just a bit of relevant trivia. It was mentioned that the Ambassador is a 'uni-body'. American Motors developed this design, not Chrysler as most people think. I had a 1963 Rambler Class 550 wagon with curved glass and unibody construction. I also owned a 1977 Hornet Levis with a heavy-duty Gabriel suspension and twin grip diff. It was one the tightest rides I ever had. The American car buyer was more interested in outward appearance than practical and highly functional design. AMC took some of its design cues from European cars in the context of clean lines and form that followed function.
I'm glad you got your Ambassador. Your observation about the rear of the car being so similar to the LTD. That made me smile and remember something that Tom McCahill, who was the automotive writer for Mechanix Illustrated. He wrote, "there are no pirates like Detroit pirates."
Yes, it is amazing that you would see the same features introduced by different companies for the same model year.
Look at the rear of the ‘70 Ambassador and you’ll see that this was a just a minor variation on that theme, moving the reverse lights outboard like they were on the 68-69 Javelin.
What a beautifully kept car. There is something compelling about AMCs. Thanks for posting this video!
Fantastic! I'm glad it's not the later model with the goofy beak. The color... Everything. Just beautiful.
If memory serves, the Ambassador only had the coffin nose front end in '73 and '74, the final year for the Ambassador. There were lots of coffin nose Matadors sold, though, as they were made right up through '78. When I was a kid, my Grandfather had a '78 Matador Barcelona. Very plush and comfortable car😁
@@ohioalphornmusicalsawman2474 That's what I was thinking of. Yeah. Last year for these. I was thinking of Adam 12. 😆
@@ohioalphornmusicalsawman2474 The coffin nose only appeared in 1974, the Ambassador's final season.
This is simply beautiful, but then I love (though I have never once have had) the 1969-1973 Ambassadors (and some of even the earlier ones, too).
I find the dash a little Art Decoish with the sharp crease running all across the full width, dividing the faux wood into two angled sections. Interestingly the crease is also present in the air vent lamellas, the air vent chrome surrounds, as well as around the instruments. 1:32 The door handles are reminiscent of certain Italian manufacturers.
she's sure clean. love the paint color too. those were cool door handles,they made the ambassador and matador look sporty.
That kickdown switch is just like the GM 400 kickdown switches from 1968 and later. They were also located inside the car and could be adjusted by sliding them past the stop.
...luv the car, Adam...I'd pedal that to the grocery store proudly......that might just be the best one still in existence.....
Beautiful car Adam! A friend of mine had a 71 Ambassador Brougham virtually identical except it had the 401 4 bbl engine. He called it the flying brick lol, but those cars would move.
Sure would! Friend's dad had the Brougham wagon with the 401 and delighted in flooring it in Low 1 all the way to 60 mph!
Thats one of the reasons the L.A.P.D. used them in the early 70s.
The rocker panel molding really adds to the looks of this car. Also the black interior really adds to this car (versus having green or gold interior). Never thought AMC had more than basic looking dashes but the wood grain in this car makes it look very good. With the trophies in the trunk it looks like there were a number of other people who really liked this car. Looks like there was a box of pictures also in the trunk. If any of you cars ever came with pictures from the prior owner/owners of the car new or throughout the years I would enjoy seeing those pictures in addition to any other things that came with your car purchase (as this car seems to have a lot of things in the trunk that came with the car). Really do love that color. Thanks
Adam, another great video. My parents bought a '72 Matador (Grasshopper Green) when I was a teen so your video brought back lots of memories. I would point out there is a little more to those engine compartment rails than AMC running various models down the same line. With the exception of the Pacer, all of AMC's cars right up to the Renault "merger" were evolved from the 1963 redesign. If you get a chance to look at the engine compartment of any AMC from the '63 Classic, to a '66 Ambassador, a '69 American, a '70 Javelin, even a Matador Coupe, you'll see the basic architecture is the same. As the cars grew over the years features like the under hood rails were employed to make the senior cars bigger, wider and longer. (The American had to make do with its aging 1950s chassis until it was blessed with the new, common platform in 1964.) AMC's designers and engineers were able to keep the cars fairly relevant despite the aging platforms but a reckoning was bound to come sooner or later. See also: Studebaker.
It's pretty cool, nice green! This seems like something we might of described back in the day as a "Nerd Mobile"
Another great presentation Adam. For most I life I snubbed AMC products. At the age of 60 I am finally recognizing their contribution to domestic automotive history. Thank you once again.
Those reclining seats in the Ambassador harken back to the Nash days!
@@DanEBoyd Yes, indeed.
I'm 62 and Mom had a '69 Ambassador SST wagon in my high school days which I used on early dates.
My first car was also a wagon (1956 Ford Customline Ranch Wagon (2 door)). Imagine that.
@@-oiiio-3993 I'll take the Ranch Wagon
@@wyo1446 I liked it.
Had the 312 'Thunderbird' Y block V8 with Ford O Matic. She was my 'poor man's Nomad'.
Nice rain guards.
that's my marlin seats shown fully folded down! -AMC made air pillows to fill/level the seat gap... thanks for showing
To some degree I prefer the cable-operated HVAC. I had 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass in my early 20's which had vacuum-operated HVAC, and any vacuum leak would cause the HVAC to go full defrost if I gave it a lot of throttle (which I did a lot; that car was REALLY underpowered).
Never gave a lot of thought to AMC's, but now you hardly ever see them. Not sure I like the color of this car, but it is definitely unique - and the sort of color that could have only existed in the '70s.
EDIT: I'll be darned! First suggested video after this one is review of a '72 Ambassador Brougham on Regular Car Reviews. Going there next.
As usual, a top quality video. You will treasure your 1971 Ambassador and learn to appreciate its idiosyncrasies (you call them quirks). Designed to be a different choice in automotive pleasures. While GM and Ford were tripping over each other to copy what the other offered, AMC prided itself on being different.
As a side note, a vinyl roof was an OPTION on the Ambassador brougham.
A little known fact regarding AMC was they would often accept special requests that were not listed as regular options. For example, the Ambassador wagon came STANDARD with "wood grain" side panels. But they would delete it if you did not want it. They would paint your car a non-offered color if you desired.
Please make more videos of the Ambassador. I can't wait to take a ride.
AMC prided itself into the automotive graveyard
My very first new car was a 1971 Hornet SST with the 304 V-8. It was the same color as your Ambassador, Golden Lime Metallic. This is still my favorite car I have ever owned.
I remember thinking when these cars were new that they suffered in comparison to the offerings from The Big 3. In retrospect, I think I did them a disservice. They really had the best mechanical parts from the other manufacturers. IMHO Dick Teague was a styling genius who could make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. If this identical car was available new, at this moment in time, I wouldn't hesitate. I would buy one. Beautiful simplicity.
The AMC stylists and engineers have my respect for what they accomplished on such tight budgets. The Ambassador was ahead of its time; in most trims V8, automatic, power steering and brakes and A/C were standard. It seemed at first glance to be a marketing thing to one-up the Big 3, but in reality it made for a limited options list and saved costs. I still miss my '68 Ambassador with the 343.
Ambassadors are so unassuming and comfy. I regularly wish they were still around, the Eagle had so much potential.
being Canadian and seeing a Marina for the first time in 1983 I thought it was an AMC based solely on door handles
Love that color, very neat car.
Some AMC's of the period had some wild upholstery...even the sedans. This one is quite reserved compared to the paisley's and block prints some had
Great video. Brought back my childhood memories. What a strange color.
That buzzer is hilarious. Sounds like it’s being strangled.😂
Really impressed with the quality of that car, the dash is sharp, and the fit and finish appears to be on par with, or even better than some of the offerings from the big 3.
Talk about a time capsule! Super cool and obscure ride, thanks for sharing with us, Adam. 👍🏾👍🏾
Kenosha native here, we called them Detroit leftovers at the plant.
The alternator is a Motorola.
Despite replacement parts being free I never drove AMC’s my son once asked me why and my respond was simple, once you see how they are built you don’t want one.
Beautiful time capsule Adam
Kinda like hot dogs and bologna, if you saw how they were made, you wouldn't eat'em
Cool gauges; nice door handles, ahead of its time, improving aerodynamics. Solid car.
Had a TH400 in my 1972 Pontiac LeMans. The kick down switch was under the dash, just like this Ambassador.
My 69 firebird 400 had the kickdown on the carburetor as did my 67 caddy.
Looking forward to the drive. What a find!
One of my favorites in your collection, the ones you never see and so well keep, congrats
This car is such a "peach" like brand new, meticulously cared for. I wish vehicles today still had kick panel vents and "wing windows"
Fantastic looking car design , style and color
AM changed the heater controls and greatly improved their convenience the following year. They usually had to wait to update their cars because of a tight budget, as you have pointed out in another video. The A/C never froze on my Ambassador even though the compressor ran constantly because a dumb teenager (me) cranked the knob in the opposite direction and busted it permanently on. The air was so cold it blew ice on trips. lol
The kick down switch was an exclusive feature that provided down shifting earlier than other brands. The lock buttons were designed not to have to twist the torso around in front to activate. AM had a lot of senior citizens as customers. Did you notice the three speed wipers, the full coil seats? The reclining mechanism dates back to the fifties when Nash put features on their cars that made them usable for overnight camping and long trips (and drive-in movies lol). "The worlds finest travel cars" was the slogan for years and on Disneyland commercials as Nash was a sponsor. AM used a molded ceiling that I would not call cheap. Chevy for instance, frequently used just a sheet of cloth over metal. The molded ceiling looked clean and fitted and probably helped with noise.
AM always chose quality parts that were commonly available and never used cheap ones. That help make the cars reliable and low cost for the consumer, as well as the company. AM could not afford to make as many parts as the big three did as they only had about 2-3 percent of the market compared to GM's 51 percent. The big three bought quite a number of parts from suppliers, did they not? Didn't Ford use Borg Warner transmissions on most of its cars? The 'hodgepodge" was of the best quality.
I am a little bit sorry for the rant, but AM has aways been short changed by the general public because it did not have the money to build a desirable image. The word of mouth was all they had. It pains me that they are no more.
You are absolutely correct. AMC had so many firsts: ceramic mufflers, reclining seats, dual braking system, roll down tail gate window (yes, Chrysler and DeSoto wagons had that feature starting in 1950, but all others did mot), soundproof perforated headliners, standard AC on Ambassadors beginning in 1968, flush door handles beginning in 1968, hinged door gate on 3-seat wagons beginning in 1960, standard roof racks on wagons. They indeed designed outside the box.
@@Al-thecarhistorian Thank you. You must be another satisfied customer.
Uh no, Ford did not use Borg Warner transmissions in most of its cars lol
@@wyo1446 The original Ford-O-Matic beginning in 1951 was a Borg Warner. I believe the original Cruise-O-Matic in 1958 was also a Borg Warner design.
@@Al-thecarhistorian Agreed. My point is, all manufacturer's used Borg Warner components of some sort
Regarding the 'unique' exterior door handles found on the AMC vehicles, a similar design was also fitted on the doors of British Leyland's, Austin (Morris) Marina, Ital and others.
OMG! This is my grandparent's car! Same color, same weird fabric. As my grandma said, "Wears like iron, water-spots like crazy". They both smoked like chimneys so that smell is part of the memory with the car.
The president of Argentina had an Ambassador for official use in the 90’s!
Loved the "Desert Only" setting on my friend's dad's 1971 Ambassador Brougham wagon. It had the 401 and really hauled, too!
I love this. We had one when I was a kid. Same engine. The car was very fast. Mom drove it like a bat out of Hell. Not bad for an old Rambler.
The good thing about that style headliner is that it would not sag with age.
The Shift Command transmission had another interesting feature - if you put it in 2 It would not shift between 1&2 - it was full-time 2. Actually, it was useful in snow.
In my younger years I preferred AMC products. They were usually trouble free and very well made. I owned Hornets and Gremlins (4 and 6 cylinders) The Hurst Rambler Scrambler with 390 engine was a souped up AMC Amercian. Limited production. They would run 1/4 Mile at 9.0 secs at over 120mph. This car is highly desirable to collectors. One sold at Auction Medium for $100,000 .
My Dad bought a new 68 Ambassador spend many years riding in that car.
This car is in amazing shape. I'd bet its one of the best preserved Ambassadors in existence. As a kid of the 60's and 70s I remember these being the most anonymous car around in Kenosha, WI. They were literally everywhere. If you didn't have one your neighbor did
I’m from Wisconsin. The Kenosha AMC plant was about 20 miles from me. Many strange cars came out of that plant including Matadors with Ambassador front clips. A guy that owned one said AMC had leftover Ambassador clips and decided to put them on Matadors. I guess AMC didn’t waste anything 😂
Adam, please drive this car for us! I wanna see what that lil’ 360 can do. I watched both videos so far and it’s killing me!!!
The 1971 AMC V8s were the best for performance. They used a 1971-only head design that breathed better than anything previous; the next year they'd reduce compression to accommodate unleaded fuel.
In the mid 70's someone loaned me an Ambassador like that for 4 of us to go on a cross country 2 week trip. It was a good running and comfortable car, and even though it was a V8, we were happy with the fuel mileage. It was a better car than most will give it credit.
Steve your heater hose is laying on your manafold
You are correct, I saw that also.
Yikes! Thx for pointing out. Hadn’t noticed. Will correct it.
In those days all I liked were the muscle cars, but today the family sedans are much more stunning to me!
The seats folding flat was a feature on the old Nashs, they used it as a feature to sell to traveling salesman back in the day starting in 1949.
Willy Loman, and his part-time companions, would have saved a fortune.
And here come the "traveling salesman" jokes!..lol
"Dad says i have the Vacuum salesmens eyes" He drove a nash.
I had a 71 Ambassador Brougham also. Bought it from Wright Patterson Air base Captain. it was a 2dr 401 high back buckets, console pistol type shifter. this was back in 1980 and I have never seen another one like it. It was Dark Blue with a white hard top. I miss that car more than any car I've owned since. The interior was a cloudy Blue. It was luxury with a crap load of power. Your is beautiful also.
Adam, good list of Ambassador quirks. I enjoyed it. Here's a couple more that you might want to see if they are applicable to yours.
* The heat control is actually a thermostat. It controls a valve that regulates water to the heater core just as you would expect except that, in addition, it senses the temperature of the heater core. It will regulate water flow based on control position and heater core temperature. Note that it does not do this from sensed cabin temperature. Odd huh? In addition, as they get age on them, they are a bit prone to leak. They're a bit hard to find. They were sourced from Ranco which I believe was English? I understand they have been out of business for some time. There is a rebuild kit, but it only fixes some of their ills.
* I'd bet that if you pull the head rests from the front seat, pull the seat all the way forward and then lower the back that it will make down into the infamous AMC "bed."
* You may find that you have a Motorla alternator. I believe a lot of these cars hat them.
I hope you enjoy your Ambassador as much as my wife and I have enjoyed our pair. Best of luck.
Awesome
I remember the windshield wiper washer bag instead of the tank under the hood,
1:07. Interesting feature of this AMC Ambassador 71: similar taillights to the ones shown in a Ford Ltd of the same year, blended with the red stop and marking light. You got it, Adam
My college had some plain white ones that I got to drive occasionally. 360 so could have had a suspension package. Ran pretty well, with the typical feel of a V-8 US sedan. The handling was superb. Top shelf.
Not the most luxurious or desirable but surely that has to be one of the most 'mint' cars you've covered on your channel? It's truly an attractive, rare and classy looking car! I remember my dad's first new car, a 1967 two-door Rambler Rebel which followed after his 1960 Rambler Ambassador Wagon.
same story here. I still have the original pillows that came with my dad's first new car a 1967 rebel sst 2 dr hardtop.
I had a 67 Rebel as well. It was a 3/4 size Plymouth Road Runner. A really good looking car.
Thanks, I learned several interesting facts about how AMC built its cars.