Hemmings Find of the Day – 1959 Rambler Custom

Published by Mike on April 15, 2015

More impressive than the unrestored-and-yet-nearly-immaculate condition of this 1959 Rambler Custom four-door sedan for sale on Hemmings.com is the ultra-low mileage reading on the odometer. Did the little old lady who owned the car only need to take it to the corner store once a week? Or did she simply refuse to drive it once the AM radio went kaput? Either way—and as long as the lack of a working AM radio isn’t a dealbreaker—it looks to be ready to go back into service and resume spinning that odometer. From the seller’s description:

Amazing time capsule. Turns heads! Under 11,000 original miles. Yes, it was actually driven by a little old lady and it shows. The interior is 99.9 percent perfect, thanks to the original plastic seat covers being removed for the first time in 55 years. Carpets excellent. Dash is like new. Original AM radio looks cool, but does not work. I have not attempted to address that yet.
Straight six runs beautifully. It’s all gone through. Fresh brake work all around. New master cylinder. All new “old” wide white wall two ply tires. Beautiful NOS Rambler logo left side mirror just installed to replace broken one. She starts right up, accelerates nicely and stops! Frame is rock solid, with undercoating present. No body rust. Trunk is as new and dry.
The car has some ‘character marks’ – a few little bumps and nicks. The right rear door has a minor crease a few inches long. This car was apparently parked near others and has a number of those little door dings all along the same height. These were touched up and are barely noticeable from a few feet away. Paint has a few thin spots and small stain (sap?). Not serious at all. More character. Rear bumper has a very minor indentation. Right front chrome trim and body have been slightly dinged. Very minor. Chrome is very good to excellent in most areas. Vintage pitting on some pieces does not detract at all from the car. Hey, she’s 56 years old.