Customs Route 66, my family, and a 63 wagon

Great thread..........thanks for sharing your adventure. I have dreamed of traveling Route 66 in a vintage car with my family. What an experience for your kids!

 

Not long... we joined AAA and they helped us plan our Disneyland stay... after that the wife and I came up with a plan on how many miles each day we wanted to drive and still have time for seeing everything. We booked the motels for the way there... then planned the way home from Disneyland. We just made sure not to drive at night so we didn’t miss anything. Worked out really well.

 

I gave the old girl a little badge of honer... she has definitely earned it.

 

Just found your thread and finished reading it. Outstanding job on your part and great time for you and your family. It’s truly a trip of a lifetime.

My wife and I did a trip back in 2015, 27 days, 24 states, 8500 miles in my OT minivan and we still talk about it all the time.

My only question is after all the time on the road did the car get a name?

Thanks for taking the time to post so we could all enjoy the trip and sights you got to see.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

Not really... My wife would say “c’mon little Rambler” while we were struggling to climb some of the mountains. We also would say “ good job little Rambler” and pat the dash every time she would start after the carb would boil out the fuel on our frequent stops. So, I guess it’s “Little Rambler”???
Not a lot of imagination I’ll admit, but it is what it is. lol

 

It earned the name, so say it loud and say it proud!

 

Awesome trip, awesome story.
I my opinion if Ramblers had been marketed as an exclusive high quality car with a much higher price , without any changes to the vehicle itself, they would have survived and indeed become an aspirational icon vehicle sought after by upper middle class families and would be far more sought after today.
I have never owned one , but my cousin does, I have driven her cars for many miles . By default I have sort of become the local go to guy for parts and service , having repaired and serviced them for years . They are an awesome car with huge strength , reliability and endurance.
Remember Barney Navarro took a basically stock Rambler motor , modified and turbo charged and ran with some success at the Indianapolis 500.It was not the Rambler part of the equation that let him down.

I watched your trip with interest and was confident that you would make it there and back.
just remember ,at constant 65 miles an hour , with 5 up and a load of luggage you were pushing Lil Rambler past 1963 design limits, both for road and vehicle.....Three cheers for you, your family and Lil Rambler.

 

Thank you sir... very cool article, I had never heard about that car. I actually have a spare motor and trans... I picked it up for next to nothing Incase I grenaded this one on the long trip. Now you got me thinking of a build using it. It’s just sitting there in my barn. You know... you’re starting trouble. Lol

 

I am known as a troublemaker when it comes to plans for other peoples cars.
There is one in a SDRA/HAMB dragster in Tulsa, I believe it can run in the nines , naturally aspirated.
Pretty easy to take them to 300 cu inches with mostly stock parts and some chevy pistons. Makes big torque and will take turbo or supercharger , I have seen one that dynoed at over 700hp at the wheels, in a light Rambler American coupe. BUT you need bigger trans , axle and brakes from a late 60s Rambler .....or just adapt stronger stuff from elsewhere... T5 and Explorer or " Ford axle etc.

 

700 horses in that wagon would be an awesome “Sleeper” for sure. But that’s what I always do to my cars... make them faster and wreck the fact that they are comfortable and reliable. Ever single time!

 

This is my son's '54 Stude wagon on one of our several trips between northern Nevada and Lubbock, Texas during his college years. This was near Santa Rosa, New Mexico.. It has a supercharged 289 Stude V8. At that time it was all Studebaker. Since it got a T-5 and 9" Ford rear end.
There was some discussion on the Inliners International site some years ago about building a Rambler 6. I'll see if I can dig it up. They are impressing stout engines. I never could understand why the first thing guys do is to yank the stock engine.

 

I wasn't thinking you would build a 700 hp engine for Lil Ramler, If you were going to build a high HP one I would think it would be for another project.'
That car deserves to be an economical daily driver , or at least the back up to the daily, a class act that you just know will turn key and get you there, and with a whole lot of style. Perfect for hitting the cruise nights and hot rod shows etc. AND it can only go up in value. It's awesome, but I am probably biased.

 

Did you have one of these? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0...as2&tag=drivrout66-20&linkId=DTOUDEA7DRHCSM6W

 

Yes.... that book really helped out. Also we had the “Here it is maps”. All a definite buy if your planning a trip on 66. A lot of the really cool sights were just off the route and would easily be missed.

 

I was kidding.... like I said I want that car to stay reliable. But that extra motor would be cool for some kind of boat tail speedster build someday for sure.

 

I followed 4 street rods down I40 for about 40 miles this morning headed east. a '65 Mustang fastback, 2 '57 chevs, and something else I can't remember. Wonder where they were from and where they were headed on a Tuesday morning. If I was in my '57 (<---), I would have followed them and found out.

 

Very kool...

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A cool up grade would be a 270 hp 327 a surprisingly stout combo. A friend mine folks had 64 classic that he street raced won most of the time. Compared to a 327 chevelle it was much lighter. But as clean as your wagon is Id just drive it.

 

Good luck finding a Rambler 327. And you'd be in for a real project. A better V8 choice would be the 290 (started in '66) through 401 (to '91)...but I wouldn't do that either. The original 196 ohv six has proven it's reliability.

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Was there any pushback on the concept to begin with? Did the kids toll their eyes and say "Ewwwwww!"? I mean it is almost 60 years old.

 

Kids were pretty cool about the whole trip... I purposely started in the winter showing them pics of different places we were going to see and them being big fans of the movie “Cars” helped. Also my sons are only 7 and 9... do they were stoked to find out they could spray paint on old Cadillacs. The biggest critic was the wifey... a lot of lying, saying everything would be fine. Which surprisingly worked out... she loved the whole trip. We all already miss it and are talking about another trip... this time to Disneyworld in Florida. That’s only 16 hours from me... should be easy compared to what we just did. Now we just have to start saving again. Maybe next year?

 

Sitting in the El Vado motel in Albuquerque, NM tonight. A really great restored old motel. Sort of modernized but right next to Old Town. Last night in Kingman. Went through Seligman this morning and as Driveway builders photos showed there in a lot going on there, some Cars movie influence which isn't all bad. Drove through Williams and plan to stay there next trip. Be in Amarillo tomorrow for a family reunion hope to get out to the old family places to show the young'uns how it was. I love this old road even the new part is getting old.
Link: https://elvadoabq.com

 

If you ever head west again on a northern route, here's the place to stay in International Falls, MN.
Yesterday:


Today:

Still pretty decent. (Images from http://lileks.com/motels/2019/19.html)

 

quote Six Ball: "Be in Amarillo tomorrow for a family reunion hope to get out to the old family places to show the young'uns how it was. I love this old road even the new part is getting old. "
Six Ball:You obviously have family in Amarillo, so won't need any help from me. If you're still in Amarillo saturday night about 8 or later, cruise down 6th street between Georgia and Western. Weather permitting, a group of us meet there on Saturday nights. My avatar will be there. Nex Generation(?) Church parking lot on the south side of 6th

 

To tell the truth, it looks like your wife almost had MORE fun than the rest of you. It WAS fine and anyway it's not lying if it all works out how it was supposed to, actually when things go wrong and a solution is found on a road trip, it only adds to the experience. You become the hero when the problem is solved.

 

The 287/327 mid-block was ok but old technology compared to the new 290 in '66 then 304,343,360,390,401. More plentiful, better design engine. It amounts to a butcher job in my opinion. It came with that six and it worked well. Put a V8 in now you're into another tranny, rear end, custom driveshaft, radiator, linkages, suspension, clearances...cutting...welding...list goes on.
For what purpose?
I would sell it and then buy a 67-69 American or 70+ Hornet wagon V8. So much easier.

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Gotta love AMC's...thanks for posting...

 

Thanks again for taking us along! You have inspired a trip in our wagon down route 66.
Any tips or tricks for tying the luggage to the roof rack with rope?

 

Texas57, I think it was at that cruse several years ago that my son met a bunch of guys from Wellington. Flat Top Bob was one of them. They ended up at a paint shop late that nignt and a guy striped his Stude wagon and taught him how to do it. That was 2001 or 2002. He was going to TT. I've still got a pile of Stude v-8s at Owen Auto Salvage. I'm driving a rental but we may show up to watch. Our reunion is Saturday.
A 66 note: Del's in Tucumcari has the best chicken fried steak I've had in a long time. Made it to Amarillo this afternoon.