Event Coverage The Rambler Adventure-Up The River

Many years ago I met Les Scott, an area midget racer who attempted to qualify Barney Navarro's twin-turbo Rambler 6 cylinder Indy car in '69. At the time, I didn't know of Les' Indy 500 background. Scott passed his rookie test and pushed the car to 150+ mph but it still ended up as a DNQ.

 

A little more on the Navarro engines....

https://www.ramblerlore.com/AMC/Navarro-turbo-motor/

I know the guy who wrote this web page.

 

Very interesting.

 

Thanks for the additional info on the Rambler 6 Indy engines. It seems surprising that a complete engine and parts for maybe two others are out there and still accounted for. It sounds like AMC and Navarro had about three years of R&D invested in the program. Also saw a mention that driver Les Scott had a connection with AMC as a fuel mileage test driver prior to the Indy car project.

 

Navarro was an incredible innovator. I've been reading about him for years. At the time of his Rambler exploits, the Offenhauser was still winning big races. That engine had its roots in 1930's technology. Once they figured how to lay the engine in its side (lower hoods) it had a resurgence. It last ran at Indy in 1983.

 

That's exciting info on the Navarro / Rambler engine. Fascinating to me really. It is always amazing that these "thinkers" combine, engineer, and produce these creations. Thanks for sharing, so we can all learn.

 

This was all accomplished without a computer, CNC equipment, no CAD for drawings.

 

I honestly thought everyone knew this. Barney was a bad ass.

 

Oh, yeah, I agree and that is exactly my point. No credit card speed equipment here. Just pure ingenuity. Figure it out and build it.

 

We also do not see his oops pile. The learning curve is steeper when you do the "cut and try" method.

 

The engine that Tom got was part of his oops pile.

 

If you haven't built parts from an oops pile you haven't really lived the life.

 

A report on the Rambler ring job....

I've been driving the car around since working on the engine, took a trip up to Phoenix yesterday. Over 500 miles on it, the oil level has gone down about 1/4 of a quart or less on the dipstick. I guess that's a success.

I'll change the oil now that it's broken in, and see how it does. I think it's all better now.

I also added an oxygen sensor, just because I had one. Most of time the AFR reading is between 14.5 and 15.2, it's about 13 at idle, and when I floor the pedal. I guess that's ok, although I might richen it just a bit more. It started with a 59 get (1904 carb that uses normal Holley jets), I put a 62 in it because it just always seemed lean. I could try a 63 and see what happens, if the numbers look ok after that, I'll remove the sensor/gauge. It runs pretty good most of the time.

also it still leaks a bit of oil, much less than before, although it seems to lose as much out the draft tube as comes out anywhere else. So that's an improvement also.

 

So, overall, worth the time and money spent.

 

yeah, big bang for the bucks. And I got to see the inside of the engine, which is always fun, and change the clutch, and some other stuff.

 

Leave it to Jim to make working on a 59 Rambler fun to watch!

 

Jim, I hope you know if it were anyone else talking about rebuilding a Rambler we wouldn't be following along?

 

heh...yeah, I know. If I weren't doing it myself, I wouldn't be following along either

 

I had a pretty good pile going with my hydraulic clutch conversion. And a few trips to the speed shop for heim joints, links. Good times.

 

To be honest, if you were just making a post to get an old Rambler running, I’d have not been following along, but, making an old Rambler up to run the Lemons , kinda hooked my ass. So ofcourse I have to stick around and see the end result.
Kinda like when I turn a movie on late before bed, I can’t give it up till I see how it ends

 

How many miles will go on it for the next rally ?

 

maybe 5000 if I go on that trip in November....up to Minnesota, along the river.

 

Packing chains in the tool box on that one?

 

I don't know. I drove around Minnesota in late October a couple years ago, and there was snow on the ground...but I didn't encounter serious problems until I was in Amarillo a few days later....

I do need to keep my eye out for some chains that fit smaller 15" tires, they don't seem to be too common these days.

 

What size tires? I have some cable chains I picked many years ago for an 85 Escort, never used them. I’ll give a look for them and if they work out for you, send them your way.

 

205/75R15 are on the car. Thanks. Escort is probably too small, though.

 

They show up at garage sales around here. Thats where I got the ones for my 52 Willys CJ3A.

 

yeah, I don't live in Minnesota any more

 

Used to be everybody had a set of chains for the wintertime AND knew how to put them on!

 

https://www.amazon.com/Peerless-023...1661863398&s=automotive&sprefix=tire+chains,a