by 1969 was a great year for muscle cars. Ford introduced the Mach 1 package and launched the Boss 302 and Boss 429 homologation specials. Chevrolet rolled out the COPO Camaro in addition to the big-block rigs it already had in showrooms. Chrysler was offering the mighty 426 HEMI in every B-body midsize available at the time.
But we often forget about American Motors. Sure, AMC muscle cars weren’t quite as potent as its competitors from the Big Three, but the company was selling a few cool ponies at the time. I’m talking about the Javelin and the AMX. AMC also had a rather nasty compact in showrooms in 1969.
It was based on the Rambler American, it was designed in cooperation with Hurst, and sported a patriotic livery in red, white, and blue. And much like most hot muscle cars from the era, it was created with homologation purposes in mind. The rig in question broke cover as the SC/Rambler.
Unlike the Boss Mustang twins, which were aimed at SCCA road racing and NASCAR, the SC/Rambler was developed for the NHRA F/Stock class. It was a road-legal dragster that covered the quarter-mile in the low 14-second range completely stock. But a few simple bolt-on modifications supplied by AMC turned it into a 12-second racer. Needless to say, the SC/Rambler was one hot machine.
It was also short-lived. The Rambler American didn’t make it past the 1969 model year, so the Hurst-designed muscle car spent only a few months in production. AMC’s initial plans included 500 units, but the company built and sold 1,512 examples. All told, it’s a pretty rare classic, especially since many were raced and wrecked or heavily modified back in the day.
The example you see here is not an original SC/Rambler, but it’s a cool take on the factory version. It’s spotless inside and out, it packs way more oomph, and it’s fitted with modern components that make it a more comfortable and reliable street car. It’s a fitting tribute to one of the greatest golden-era muscle cars ever produced.
Styling-wise, this restomod is not significantly different from the factory SC/Rambler. It’s also pretty accurate as far as the livery goes. The builder went with the “A scheme” version, which is the most colorful of the two. AMC also produced a “B scheme” variant that was almost entirely white and with thin red and blue stripes on the lower side body panels.
This creation is actually a hybrid between the two. While it sports the thick red stripe of the “A scheme” car on the sides, it also features the “B scheme” blue line to the bottom. And if you look close enough, you’ll also notice there’s a lot of silver flake in the paint. The interior is also far from stock, but it’s still pretty close to the real deal.
The drivetrain, on the other hand, shares almost nothing with the original SC/Rambler. While the latter came with a 390-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) V8 good for 315 horsepower, this beast packs a 401-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) powerplant loaded with modern tech. Put together by famous engine builder Ken Maisano, the lump was dynoed at 657 horsepower to the crank and currently sends 562 horses to the rear wheels. All while revving up to 7,300 rpm, something no AMC engine was capable of.
The car becomes extremely loud when the V8 fires up, which is more than fitting for its “Super Scrambler” nickname. If you’re a fan of AMC classics, you’ll definitely love this restomod, so go ahead and hit the play button below
