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The Rambler had been selling since 1958, and it was a simple, cheap, and dependable sedan. From the first Rambler sold in 1958 and the last one to roll off the assembly line in June 1969, more than 4.2 million Ramblers were built. By 1969, the Rambler wasn't selling like it used to, and the car was to be cancelled. In the middle of the 1969 model year, AMC decided to team with Hurst Performance Research, Inc. (George Hurst was already on the payroll for racing and production consultation) and build 500 of the SC/Rambler's, dubbed 'Scrambler' by many fans. Interest in the vehicle forced 1,512 to be manufactured.
Performance
The SC Rambler was built for the NHRA F-Stock drag racing class. In stock form, performance times in the low 14 seconds could be attained in the quarter mile. Low 12 second times could be achieved with a few additional modifications. A very popular and effective add-on was the Cross-Ram intake, which brought the times down to the low 12 second area. The original SC Rambler ad quoted that this car could make life miserable for any GTO, Roadrunner, Cobra Jet, or Mach 1 owner.
Unique Paint Scheme
Two exterior paint schemes were available, "A" trim and "B" trim. The first 500 SC Ramblers produced had the "A" trim, consisting of red center body side panels, with thick blue racing stripes on the hood, roof, and back deck. The hood had large blue letters spelling “390 CU. IN”, with an arrow pointing towards the scoop, telling the air where it’s supposed to go. The word “AIR” was on both sides of the air scoop.
SC Ramblers created so much attention to the showrooms, that some dealers refused to carry them. They brought in crowds, but they were mostly young gawkers, and kept away the customers that would actually be buying. The unique color scheme attracted police, and also the big block street racers. Although this was a lightweight with power, it was hard to beat a big block with only 315 horsepower under the SC Rambler hood.
Once the first 500 SC Rambler’s sold, another batch was made with the “B” trim. This was toned down, consisting of a mostly white exterior, with thin red and blue stripes, and the “390 CU. IN” label on the hood was removed. After these, a 3rd batch was made, reverting back to the “A” trim. Around 1,200 of the 1,512 SC Ramblers built had the “A” trim.
Where's the options?
What was standard on the SC Rambler, was all you got. There was no power steering, no air conditioning, no bucket seats, and no floor console available. The only option available was the AM radio. The idea behind this was to keep the weight down. The standard features included...
# 315 hp 390 cid engine
# Borg-Warner 4 speed transmission with a Hurst "T handle" shifter
# 3.54:1 limited slip differential
# Two tone mag wheels
# Functional ram air hood scoop
# Heavy duty shocks
# Anti-sway bar
# Anti-hop rear links
# Bendix front disks
The Bendix front disk brakes gave the SC Rambler a very considerable advantage to other street racers of the time. Most vehicles did not have this feature, which helped this small car stop very quickly.
Collectibility
Not many of the 1,512 SC Ramblers built exist today. They were raced hard, and took extensive abuse from this. There are stories of SC Ramblers being sold, and the old time slips passing along with the vehicle. That has to be a unique selling point!
