Hello all,
I'm a greenhorn jumping into this headfirst. A local friend of a friend was selling their vintage Ambassador and mutual friend shared it on social media. My wife and I weren't really looking at living full time on the road but we were very anxious to relocate. Something sparked and we took the plunge (or rather, were the highest bidders on the ebay auction). We're going to go look at it for the first time but I was curious about the consensus of the crowd here.
I realize there is only so much these photos will be able to tell, but they're representative of the exterior condition at least. Obviously the owner/seller's description is likely to be fluffed but here are some details they've listed. We're purchasing from the second owner who garage kept it since they purchased in 2012.
The following are said to be in 100% working order:
Mostly original bathroom (updates are for claimed for functionality)
Original oven
Three burner stove range
Original fridge/freezer (claims freezer runs good and cold)
Original light fixtures
Original walnut cabinets
Original plastic bins that fit storage spaces perfectly.
Original sugar, tea, and flour metal canisters.
Original plastic cutting board.
Original sink covers.
Original salad drawers in fridge.
Original gas lamp.
Original thermostats.
Sofa reupholstered to match original
Replica curtain hardware
Updated systems (copy/pasted from the listing):
Newly replaced electrical systems
Newly replaced plumbing systems - PEX water lines replaced the old copper.
Propane stove system pressure tested to check that it has no leaks
New tires and hubs (2012)
New smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
New working lock with key on original entry door
Most of the steel frame has been de-rusted and sealed including hitch and underbelly -- this was a HUGE job, but essential to preserve this unit to ride highway-worthy for years to come
Upgraded speakers were a departure from the 1969 aesthetic but we will give you the original speakers if you would prefer to have them
Door seals removed and replaced
New rock guard installed on large front window
All windows and latches restored to fully functioning
All incandescent light bulbs replaced with LED's -- shell of lights matched on exterior nearly perfectly to preserve the original look of the exterior. Interior light shells remain in tact but light bulbs updated to be LED
Two new marine deep cycle batteries (2012)
New lightweight aluminum 20# propane canisters
Removed and replaced old air conditioner with new air conditioner and heater dual unit
Issues:
The hot water heater is broken. We wanted to replace with a hot water on demand unit but never got around to it.
There was a leaky window when we got this. We fixed the problem but some of the evidence of that still remains but isn't too bad. We did completely replace the floor under the forward sofa and removed any (minor) rust and sealed the steel frame from within when we replaced the floor.
They wanted to replace the carpet back to original but never go around to it. They have original carpet swatch.
Now assuming this all checks out and there aren't big surprises lurking, is this something that should fetch $25k? We're very excited but I'm hoping that isn't clouding my judgement. I'd usually wait and research a little more before something like this. The timing, location and everything just seemed to be too much to ignore on this one.
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