Customs CUSTOM NASH WAGON?! open to ideas!

just bought a 51 nash rambler wagon, im opening the front wheel wells and putting a mustang 2 up front. eventually putting it on bags and running radirs and white walls up front skirts in the rear. otherwise what else what would you guys like to see done to a nash? lets hear some ideas!

 

Anyone? Does everyone hate nashs that much? Lol

 

put some pics up, hell i cant even picture what a 51 nash wagon looks like.
*edit- just looked it up and its the one i was thinking of. radius all 4 wheelwells, astros or radirs on skinny whites and dark paint-maybe green

 

I will give my 2 cents. doing skirts in the rear with radirs and whitewalls in the front is wrong (skirts are 50's, mags are 60's). I love wagons, skirts rarely look good on a wagon due to the roof length but in my opinion (not worth much) if you run skirts you need to run hubcaps on the front. if you go with a 60's look (i.e. radirs) then you need to stick with it and not run rear skirts and put the mags all the way around. I am generally not a fan of big whitewalls with mags (I have seen it pulled off with Radirs). with the factory fender openings so low, opening them up might work, something like those on a 55 Nash in front and just raise the rear a few inches.

I like wagons and prefer them in a two tone paint scheme. (either the roof a different color or the roof and body one color and the area between the beltline and driprails a different color. I also prefer a slight rake (even when on air) if going with a 60's style.

you asked.... either way, welcome to the longroof club..

If it were mine and I was set on radirs

I would keep a somewhat factory image to it. radirs at all 4 corners, rear tires one size taller to give a slight rubber rake. bagged all 4 corners. a stock appearing interior (does not have to be the factory interior but maybe material from a different car) with a two tone paint (maybe like the factory).. rear tonneau cover to high the rear package area (high airride tanks and stereo box).

 

I've always thought the "bathtub" Nashes were tres cool. Especially the wagons.
The blue one that Boones posted above is gorgeous!

Personally, I wouldn't screw with any of the wheel openings, that's part of what makes 'em unique.
(Then again, I wouldn't bag it either ... but I've given up on bitchin' about that ... I guess all the cool kids are doin' it!)

 

Definitely would not cut the wheelwells, and like Boones said, do a little more research, don't mix parts/styles from different eras.

 

no ideas but good luck with it!

 

Doesn't matter what you do to it. It's still a Nash. They were weird back in the day and they are weird today. To each their own I guess. Good luck.

 

I recommend building an elcamino / ranchero hauler out of it!

 

Thanks for some input guys, im most definatly not cutting off the roof. I like wagons, I was for sure going for the front wheel well like a fifty five and keeping the rear stock I never thought about skirts and mags. I like your idea of no rear skirt if I run the mags. I think this car could for sure pull off radirs and whites. for paint im thinking silver with a white flake top starting right at the bodyline below the glass.

On a side note, im going to the hot rod institute and my teacher jamie recomended filling the rear windows making it a sedan delivery. I like the idea alot, mostly because the never made it.

 

if ya run any kind of a mag, no white walls.

if ya run steel wheels painted black or body color with baby moons, then the white walls may look OK.

l agree with retromotors, leave the fender openings how they are.

Later

 

Make it a drag car

 

Shave it, drop it, fill in the rear quarter glass to make it a panel delivery. Put another make/model front fender wells to take the Nash look out. Change the headlights, grille, taillights, etc. Some 14" wheels with custom hubcaps and wide whitewalls, maybe an aluminum 215ci Buick V8 under the hood. Nobody will know what the hell it is, nobody will have another like it.

Not the best, but a quickie...

 

I have always kind of liked the Nash.Those bath tub years have allot to offer.They are nice and round and look low already.I wonder how it would look with the back skirted so when you dump it on the ground you only see the bottoms of the tires both front and rear.I m sure it will a nice project no matter what you chose to do.

 

I think it´d look good with the arches opened up. Sort of a mini-Nomad, if you squint a bit...



Looks a lot less "bathtub" for sure.

 

No matter what you do--if you lower it a little, it'll be cool.. Narrow the front control arms and put skirts on the front and back--- put it on bags, and make it lay on the ground... It'll truly be an inverted bathtub!!! I've always thought these little Nash/Rambler wagons were cool looking.. Most valuable? Sexiest? Popular? nah--but cool looking when a little 'custom' is turned on them..

 

I like bot AAFD's and James D's ideas- raising the wells makes a HUGE difference!!!

 

Damn -- beat me to it -- skirts front and back.

 

those are cool little cars. I always figure the more you change them the less cool they are.

close to stock on the outside, and HOT ROD underneath.

 

Well, it pretty much comes stock with skirts front and back ... or close enough, anyway!

Yet another of my unpopular opinions, to be sure, but I never could warm up to those Radir wheels. I've seen a few cars they looked OK on, but for the most part they strike me as being cheap and cheezoid lookin'.

 

Exactly.....

 

Let me know if you need any parts, I have access to a fairly solid 4-door parts car.

 

Okay, I'll be blunt....Radir wheels look like crap on that car, ESPECIALLY with ww's.

 

The WW's are too much IMO

 

hack hack hack

 

<fieldset class="fieldset"><legend>Attached Thumbnails</legend>
</fieldset> I love the wagons, but I gotta admit, that's pretty damn neat!

 

Leave the wheel openings stock, except shave the names off and put Impala S/S badges on it, just for fun.
Put same size wheels and tires all around. Unless you are making a Hemi powered altered out of it it needs to be a nice low sleeper/cruiser.
Chop the top sort of like a Dodge Magnum, or even a little more, but do the raked rear, BUT those wheel openings don't even work on the Magnum, they just cut the body profile up in pieces and insert ugly wheels, so leave the wheel openings stock on the Nash.


picture borrowed from: http://www.dodge-club.net/gallery_detail.php?id=140&ddlb_model=7

On this one I think I do know what I'm talking about....

 

Jeeze. Are Radirs and WWWs the HAMB's favorite combo? '50s tires on cheap ass '60s wheels? Next, someone will suggest that you "gasserize" it. Sheeesh.

 

lmao, I'm also against WWW and mags, skinny whites sure for a 60's vibe.

 

I like the look with actual wheel wells the best, but not digging the radirs. I never liked the lack of wheelwells on those cars. Sure it makes them unique, but in more of a pseudo-hovercraft look than a cool look.

I say hack it up with some open wheel wells from another 50's make. Then take advantage of the newfound tire space and widen the wheel track with the MII front and get better handling and a sweet stance out of the deal. It sounds like fun.