Does anyone have any pics of a 59 Rambler Cross Country Wagon thats been somewhat rodded or made to look better than what the factory put out. I think they're kinda ugly but someone wants to sell me one real cheap so was just kinda wondering. Also wondering if someone could do a photoshop where the roof line was level all the way back, without the funky dip. More like chopping the back, wagon, portion and leaving the rest stock.
Argh! Wish I could show you now... I've done this very thing with the roof in photoshop plus made it into a two-door sedan delivery, along with using the longer front end from an Ambassador... looks real nice and not so humpbacked. Let me get back to my home computer in a week and I'll post it.
This is a 61, but it's very similar to your 59 -- the 59 fins are different. http://www.rgkustoms.com/rambler/index.html
You could reshape the side windows and surrounds at the back, and smooth of the roof skin, rather than actually chop it.
Yeah, the rear roof resculpting does give it a more modern appearance, but... Damn, that's one good looking wagon!! I think it looks too good with just the slight lowering and wheels to mess with the body. The 58-59 Ambo were some of the better looking wagons of their day. The longer wheelbase (than the 58-59 Rambler Six and Rebel) just made the proportions look right. I don't think I'd do anything but change the stance (with air bags, at least in the rear so you can keep the stance as load changes) and wheels, and maybe alter the side trim. You'd really confuse someone with 57 Chevy style trim on the side! It would look good with no trim, but I'd keep the two toning around the window to break it up. Well, on second thought.... it needs the trim. It was an elegant car, needs to look like it! Just my opinion of course... it's yours, to do with as you please!
Here's rendering of the wife's '60 we're doing for a Daily. FatMan M-II/4bar suspension front and rear, LS/4L65E, a/c, etc. I wouldn't chop the top, it already looks low enough to me.
Note how the Ambo is longer between the rear edge of the fender (front edge of door) and the wheel well. The Ambo is 9" longer in that area! Same body from firewall back, just a longer nose, but it makes the car more proportionally pleasing and gives the impression of being a much larger car even though interior space is the same.
Note how the Ambo is longer between the rear edge of the fender (front edge of door) and the wheel well. The Ambo is 9" longer in that area! Same body from firewall back, just a longer nose, but it makes the car more proportionally pleasing and gives the impression of being a much larger car even though interior space is the same.
Wow, I might have changed my mind about selling it. That looks sweet!! Was thinking about fixing it up for my daughter to drive someday. She's only 6 right now so I have some time.
Fix it up for my daughter but she's only 6 now. Yeah, I've used that excuse before! No matter how she likes it now odds are good she won't want "that" old car 10 years from now, been there and done that! My brother drives a semi-restored stock 59 Cross Country wagon, I thought he was nuts when he got it. I'm amazed at the attention it gets at shows and cruise nights, lots of fun on the cheap. The photoshop above looks way cool but reworking that roof would be a job.
There is no way to make a Rambler station wagon cool but a blown hemi and a nice set of wheels won't hurt.
I am going to use that excuse as much as I can in order to play with old cars. I may need more kids so I can have more excuses.
Funny Rusty!! I get a lot of "cool car" comments about my Rambler wagon though -- more than my brother does for his 65 Mustang coupe (which he doesn't like... that I get more comments than he does, he like the Mustang just fine!)
Hi again Frank - that was a longer "week" than it should have been. Let's try this on for size: The longer Ambassador front end really helps the lines of the car - makes it look even longer than it really is, I think.
Yes, the longer front does help the lines a lot! AMC realized it made the car look bigger without really making it bigger, and took advantage of that! Cheap to make new front rails and side filler panels, front fenders, and hood -- much cheaper than making everything behind the firewall longer! I like the panel concept, but wouldn't change the roofline -- maybe even leave the roof rack on (not real sure about that though...). That "Rambler Dip" was a trademark on AMC wagons. Even my 63 has a slight dip! It didn't go away entirely until the 67 models rolled out.
It just looses a lot of the Rambler "look" like that! Looks too much like a modern car, namely the Dodge Magnum (at least in the back). If that's the look you're going for though... or just want it to look different...
The longer wheelbase on the Ambassador certainly does make the car look a lot bigger -- exactly why AMC did it! The Rambler 6 and Rebel (all 58-60 Rambler V-8 cars were called Rebel) and later the Classic/Rebel/Matador are exactly the same as their Ambassador counterparts from the firewall back, with the exception of some trim. All Ambos had the wheelbase stretched in front of the firewall (except for 62-64 -- same wheelbase as the Classic those three years) for a cheap way to make the car look bigger.
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