Hot Rods Give me your two cents!

Oh it will stay a wagon for sure I did a search and found that they made less than 4000 two door wagons so it is some what rare. It is on the so ugly its sort of kool side.

Ha I knew I would get that one.

 

Make that 3.
The gas thing has been done to death and unless you are going balls to the walls it is really kind of lame. But you could put a healthy street motor in one that was left with a basically stock appearance and make 'em cry from light to light.

 

I think I saw a gasser version of one of these in the pictures from this years Torque Fest.
With the goofy front suspension and small engine compartment, I think i would go for the smooth & low version. Make it nice. Gene

 

HA! Thats my buddy's 60..... he got it from a life long friend with a junk yard. Didn't have a floor, so he was faced with the same question. He went gasser.

O.P, have you ever looked at the riddler winner from a few years back that was more 360 Ferrari than rambler? Think it was called the Ferambo?

 

I like the stealth cruiser idea for this; a small Chevy or Ford V6, maybe a GM 4.3 w/ a mid size 4 barrel, auto, discs up front, 3.5-3.75:1 rear, shave some of the extra bright work to show of the lines. Go back w/ red & white, maybe a cool aqua blue w/ white roof, black wall tires, steel wheels to match body color, dog dish caps. An el cheapo commuter car for a daily driver - its a two door, I'd cruise in that. K6


Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

Rusty Rocket; You could just sell it to me. I have a '61 Cross country 4dr. wagon and this would make a nice driver for my wife. And you're not far from me. I live in Winnipeg.

 

If you aren't sure what to do with it, and you really don't need another project....why are you bothering with it? Sell it and think about what you really want (or if you really want something at this time), and do what you really want to do with a car that you really want.

You don't have to build every car that you find.

 

Here's a crude photo shop job of my 61 American two door. I think the sedan B-pillar is more fitting for a Rambino but you could still pull it off.
BTW, my 61 was extremely fast! In my mind

 

Amc 401 power.

 

Sedan delivery here too.Those two doors have that funky post in the rear window that kills any kinda coolness about it .photoshop it.

 

Low, with a later straight six - blower or turbo to give it some pep.
The dog-dishes and sleeper look sound good.
Go for it.

 

I did see that Kool and Funky

You know I might entertain that thought. I would like to get it running and putt around this summer but It could find its way north after that.

Because Im a car nut. A guy cant pass on a good deal. Im neck deep in a 32 sedan project right now but after it is finished I would have another car to monkey around with.

Ha talked with an old friend of mine that is an amc nut and he said the same thing.

 

Sedan delivery....258 I-6.......4 bbl and turbo....5 speed.......sleeper.....

 

I can. I've learned my lesson.

 

Love the old Ramblers but before you invest any money in it check for structural rust. They will totally dissolve under the front fender up into the cowl and the only way to see it is remove the fender. As others said the engine bay is small. The heater takes up the firewall and the shock towers fill up the sides. You need to fabricate a front subframe if you want a V-8. I have seen a few with Thunderbird Turbo fours that looked like factory installs and ran good.
Wagons are indeed cool.

 

They didn't make many because nobody wanted one. There are cars that are so ugly that they become cute and it's OK to be ugly, but Ramblers abused that privilege. Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes to the bone.

At least if you're driving it, you don't have to look at it and standing next to a Rambler will make anybody look good by comparison.

 

After pondering over night, I still like the idea of turning it into a sedan delivery shop truck. I'd pull the rear seats, then use one of those wood truck bed kits to finish off the back. I'd lower it, but not so much that there are clearance issues.

For power I like to keep it in the family if at all possible...AMC owned Jeep, and Jeep had a pretty good 2.5 litre 4. The 4cyl should fit the engine bay on the Rambler with no to minimal surgery. Like the inline 6s that the 4s are based on, there are stroker kits to take them to 2.9 litre. There are off the shelf ported heads and various intake intake options.

That would give you a novel daily-driver/parts-go-for ride with minimal distraction from your other projects.

Then I have a totally off the wall idea for the sedan delivery configuration, instead of a shop truck theme. To hide the weird positioning of the rear wheels in the openings, I'd get a set of cruiser skirts. The style where the leading edge slopes down and back to mimic the door window frame...and the top edge slope down to mimic the side accent lines.

From there, a set of lake pipes, spinner wheel covers, etc..

 

Post a side view picture on our photoshop thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-photoshop-thread-to-end-all-photoshop-threads.300531/
You will get some good ideas there.

 

I will have to do that when we get it off the trailer.

 

Low is cool.

 

Yeah.....sedan delivery, maybe swap the old 232 for a 258, ever so slightly lower it, and add something like this;
http://www.paxtonauto.com/

Roger

 

It would be great if it did have a 232 in it...that would mean there would be a lot more engine options without major surgery. What it has is a 195ci that goes back to automotive antiquity...one of the shortest large production inline 6s ever.

 

Someone already built your car.....with a Ferrari engine in the rear. I saw it at Goofguys in Puyallup.....not my cup o tea but top notch work.
http://archive.deathspraycustom.com/?p=185

 

I'd pass it along and spend the profit on the '32.

 

A 401 AMC engine would turn that rig into an animal. Not all that wide either.

 

A sleeper .
Super Charged Stude V8 would be cool!
Too bad they are so hard to find.

 

Back in the 80's I pulled up to a red light with my hoped up 1984 Camaro, and to my right this little old lady pulled up next to me in a 1956 Chevy wagon. I looked over to check out the classic car, The lady barely could be seen over the steering wheel, she had to be in here late 70's. The lite turned green and that Chevy left me and the Camaro in a cloud of dust as she burned away, and I swore I herd a super charge come to life as she left me with my jaw dropped.. True story, I was schooled from a little old lady and her sleeper, shock value!

 

You are correct good old flathead I 6. Could'nt belive it when I popped the hood and saw a flatty.

 

Go gasser baby!

 

Sleeper: Gasser fad has run its course.