Any Rambler owners?

[NutmegCT]

A few days ago I was looking at a friend's 1958 Rambler American. Nice condition.

I asked what the two big round black knobs on the dash are - and he said radio volume and tuning.

But then he said it never had a radio.

Any idea what those two knobs are for? Seems like over-kill to put the knobs in just in case the owner got the optional radio. Especially for an economy car.

Thanks.
Tom

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[SaxMan]

Here's a link to a 1960 dash with the radio installed: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Rambler-American-dash-1960.jpg

It looks like the dashboards came with the knobs whether you ordered the radio or not.

 

[NutmegCT]

Thanks David. That's what surprises me - the "economy car" included those big plastic knobs (instead of two simple small plugs) whether the radio was installed or not. Wonder how the AMC accountants reacted to the waste of all that plastic!

The Rambler American was the first car I remember - a new one my parents bought back in the early 1950s. Like many Nash cars of the 40s and 50s, it looked like a bathtub. We called ours "doodlebug".

hmmmm

 

[PAUL161]

I bought one of those in a convertible for one of my baby sisters when she was a senior in high school. It had the radio, but I think the plugs were just ornamental hole plugs looking like the radio knobs to give an empty dash a complete look. She "improved" ??, the look of the car by sticking flowers of all colors all over it! If the car was Pink, the flowers would probably have been polka dots! :highly_amused: No, dad didn't put her away, we still love her! PJ

 

[billspit]

I've wanted a Rambler American wagon for years. NOBODY wanted a Rambler. Now the hot rodder's have gotten into them and guess what has happened to the prices?