How would this look as gasser? It's on Craig'sList for $800. with claims that it is very solid. You probably wouldn't see another one of these coming the other way.
I think it would look cool as hell .Straight axle and some halibrands in rear . Some flames ,or scallops and color
Shifty, that's just the standard Rambler sedan roof. The 61-63 Rambler is just a reskinned 58-60. They look way different, but only the firewall, dash, and all outside sheetmetal was changed. Floor pan, mechanicals, glass (except back glass), and all unit body shell panels (except rear quarters) are identical to the 58-60 models, which are a slightly revised 1955 model Nash Rambler. The window frames on the sides were retained and the new roof panel was given a squared off look and new "bubbled" back glass. This is probably the most radical "face lift" a car has ever seen just to give it a few more years service until the 63 big Rambler/64 American was ready to come out. In 63 AMC took the entire roof off and made a hardtop version of the American. Sort of odd that it was one year only, and the last year, but the hardtop DOES look a lot better than the sedan. Those cars have full rails running bumper to bumper. Put a good roll cage in it (at least six point) to stiffen it up and hang the springs directly on the unit body rails. Just cut the lower suspension mounts off to gain some clearance, and make a stronger K brace to take the place of the old one. The old K brace bolts to the lower suspension mounts, and it definitely needed! Well, come to think of it, it would be less needed with a straight axle. A Monte Carlo bar and some extra bracing under the hood wouldn't be a bad idea though.
if ya do it, ya gotta put moon tank up front in the grille opening and then sell me that grille, deal?
Everyone likes to say "put a 401 in it" because the 401 was the biggest AMC V-8. Second popular choice is the 390. People tend to forget that a 401 hasn't been made since 1979, and they were never what you'd call common. Only made from 71-79, used 71-74 in cars, 75-79 only in the big Jeeps, and not often. So finding one is a big problem! The 360, however, is common as dirt. Open the hood of a V-8 AMC car or big Jeep and there's an 80% chance it's a 360. Not a bad engine at all, a bit more power potential than a 350 Chevy. Same big valve heads and high-flow ports as the 401... EXACTLY the same heads. Roughly equivalent to LS-1 Chevy heads, or the lower to mid range aftermarket heads. 400 hp 360 is easy enough with a bump in compression and the right cam/intake/etc. Over that and you'll want aftermarket rods too. I'm a Rambler guy. It would be cool to keep an AMC engine in the thing, way cooler than anything else, but it takes as much work to put anything other than the stock engine in one of those. A Ford 200/250 I-6 is the only other engine that easily fits in the bay, and it requires custom mounts. Stock manual trans will bolt up to an early 200, otherwise trans has to be changed too, and a custom driveshaft. In cases like this run what you have. If an AMC V-8 would easily drop/bolt in I'd say different.
I've got two of these the second will be a gasser, it was supposed to be a parts car, but can't bare to crush it. The only problem with going gasser that I've seen is front spring mounts and engine bay size, causing the calculator to speed up. Pictures are of the first one.
It would not take much effort to make this car look more radical than it really is. The 'forward look' is preety tough already. Some really 'narra rim's up ft, and a little raise in the nose...........
Laun, if you're going gasser you'll be using leaf springs, not the original mounts. What I'd do in that case is cut the original suspension mounts off in the bottom flush with the "frame" rails. The rails will support leaf springs well enough. You could leave the upper sheet metal (inner fenders), but as you noted, it gets in the way of a big engine. I think I posted some pics of a SBC in one of these earlier in this thread, maybe it was another. If you can't find it I'll post again, or send me a PM and I'll e-mail you a PDF of the article on the car. The inner fenders and front suspension were left alone, but a big section above the rail between the firewall and spring towers was cut out to allow Chevy II "over the rail" headers to be installed. A little extra bracing was added in the engine compartment, and there was a full roll cage inside; car was also back halved for a narrowed Ford 9". You could cut the inner fenders away with leaf springs, or just the spring towers. I'd cut the fenders away, leaving about a 3/4" flange on the top of the rail. Then brace it up with tubing tied into a roll cage. To complete the gasser look either make a tilt or lift off front end.
We were thinking straight axle with a 4 bar and coil overs, so it might have some sort of a decent ride. I can only guaranty one thing, we will get stupid with the dollars.
48ford, the one I know of was owned by a guy in FL... John Ferree. He sold it in 2003 right before I printed an article on the car, could be the guy you know. Pic below. Laun, look at a Jeep Cherokee 2WD then. Well, could look at a 4x4 too -- they just "forgot" to put a hog head and axles in the middle of the axle tube when making a 2WD only version. Suspension and axle ends (knuckles) are the same for 4x4 and 2WD, just a stub axle in the end. Could use coil overs instead of the coil spring, still cut everything above the rail away and make a mounting point for the coilover on the tube section bracing the frame. Hey, I got an idea... use a strut! Connect the bottoms of the strut with a straight "axle" and use a pair of locating bars parallel with the rails and a panhard bar for sideways control. Now THAT would be pretty easy and unique, and still have a bit of the straight axle "gasser" look!! Gassers never did ride or handle good, but that wasn't the point... 61 Wheel stander from FL -- STOCK front suspension... Bracing under hood, and note the headers!
How common was the Jeep 327?I had an old Forestry Wagoneer that had one seemed like a very strong motor.
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