Yep that Euro HAMBers cheap, kind of wanna-be, will never-be, rather vague sort of Merc styled, though a totally different cl*** of car. However that said, in the UK they have always been a fairly decent car to play with and do have some nice lines on them. From 56 in 2/4/wagons, the cars have always been potential cruisers, hence me being on my 4th right now!!. Cheap fun if nothing else! The earlier 544's are IMO even nicer and my next choice if a 49-54 Chevy doesn't get there first. Amazon stuff drops in them which is the reason i'm keeping a hot GT motor/box/axle/ brakes to one side if needed and an option. With the majority of HAMBers being in the US i'm not expecting a huge rush of replies due to the cl***y tin you have there. However have seen a few and heard the "Amazon" word so thought it safe to mention them. Personally i love them, okay not V8 or even a 6 but fit my budget right now and a good B20 motor can be not only an awesome workhorse but a punched out 2.4 hot motor and you're looking at a seriously quick car. I'm still getting my head around US cl***es of cars but i think most of my cars have followed the same look and thats, i think, a bombed cruiser with a few traditional kustom style mods, kind of style. Either way, whatever its called, it's getting some HAMB friendly loving over winter and should see the car transform to another level hopefully. Mainly a major suspension slamming and total overhaul. Series 1 rims and new WW's, new carpet set and a handfull of body mods and paint trickery. The caravan in the pics will also get the same treatment as it goes everywhere i do come show season. So ........anyone else want to admit to owning one? If your not a fan all well and good ,this post probably isn't for you. My circus rolling into town
gotta use what ya got but, it ain't no Merc. Best save your $$ and go American. the caravan trailer is cool.
From wiki.... "The Amazon sedan's ponton genre, three-box styling was inspired by American cars of the early 1950s, strongly resembling the Chrysler New Yorker sedan and the Chrysler 300C hardtop Coupe. According to designer Jan Wilsgaard, the Amazon's styling was inspired by a Kaiser automobile he saw at the Gothenburg harbour.<SUP id=cite_ref-aftonbladet.se_4-0 cl***=reference>[5]"</SUP>
I've got a 64 544 sport that is in various stages of fixing up. More like a rust bucket, but it runs and drives, so I can't complain.
Building my wife's '64 122s wagon now. It was here dad's first car so it a family thing. I will say that before we started the teardown I drove the living **** out of it! It's an absolute blast to drive, though the 4 speed needs a OD.
Guy that worked for me years ago had a 122 sedan. Neat car - he used it to tow a friend's 69 Biscayne/427 from the SIR Dragstrip in Puyalup to Madison Park in Seattle. Did a fine job, didn't even smoke the clutch. Very dependable and handsome. Wouldn't really want to hot rod one, but I liked my '57 444 I had for awhile, considered sliding a 260/289 in there, but traded it for something else.
My last winter beater in the background in the first photo have owned about 20 of them When i was young everyone had one. Most with a souped up engine. 2 weber 45s or 48s a hot cam and ported head and you have 150-170 hp check the licence plate on the wite one in second pic
i got one, not started as yet but its a longroof to be converted to two door with modern runing gear comences january
OK , I'll chime in . I've had a couple , but here's my latest that I owned ... a '66 sedan . It was my daily driver for a few years - 100% of the time in all weather . It got tons of attention . It had a B-20 engine , dual SU's , 4 speed and a full IPD (performance) ... Bilsteins & all . It handled like it was on rails (for an old car , lol) . I sold it to buy my '49 Ford project , and it now lives in Kentucky . Still seems weird not to see it in my garage .
look under hot rod volvo, there are some killer ones on there, if the video is still up, one that is very much the definition of a hot rod, just a Swedish one is all , it's very traditional other then being made there. I think thats what to search under
Here's the video, this thing is bad ***, if it had an American name instead of Swedish, there would be no argument it was a hot rod. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMMvAzr9N1o&feature=related
I always liked these and wanted to play up the "Baby 300" look. Seems like a Red Ram Hemi and a four-speed would be a lot of fun in one. I looked for one, once, and they all seemed to be in the Pacific Northwest.
Sadly both are gone now I'm taking a year or so out of doing the shows and owning a old car to concentraite on my career. The Amazon fetched in very good money and went overseas, so I put what i made on it towards a new airbrush set up, my new hobby until i get another car. It may be an Amazon but i want something with a V8 as standard next and leaning towards a Falcon or similar early 60's car for my next ride. See what happens but was sad to see the Amazon go.
I'm a 2-seater kind of guy. Back in '69, when I couldn't afford the insurance on my E-Type anymore, I bought a P-1800S. With the money I saved on insurance, I road raced it in FP on weekends. Then I towed my D/SR to races all over the country before selling it after buying a Chrysler 300G. Never broke anything during the 3-4 years I had it.
This was my sons post high school surf mobile. He learned alot driving this 122 - and he drove it hard. He's now a mechanical engineer in the oil business. An engineer who knows how to use tools - which seems rare these days. We still have it.