Customs 1940 Nash engine swap- what works?

I found a pretty little 40 Nash. Bone stock with a soft flat 6.

Is there an engine swap for that stock ****** or am I looking at doing everything from motor to 3rd member... anyone know?

thanks in advance

 

I've seen a 440 Chrysler/Torqueflite stuffed into one.

 

Depends on the model of the car. Is it an Amb***ador or Lafayette?

Im running a built SBC with a saginaw 3 speed in my 41 Amb***ador, but i also mounted it to a frame and a whole lot of other work

To be honest, their such a neat car, have you thought about keeping it stock? Theres not very many left. I wish mine was stock sometimes.

 

Have a look at '50s-early '60s Nash/Rambler overheads. As the flathead six was used into the '60s you might find that the OHV models could be a straight swap.

Otherwise, I agree with Dynaflash_8 and keep the stock mill in it with perhaps a bit of minor tweaking to improve performance.

 

Well, having had the Amb***ador I can tell you his is not, as they had an OHV straight eight.

I was only under it once, so I couldn't tell you if it had a torque tube or not.. I think, not.

They kept the six after the war and dumped the eight, figure that one out... you might look at the later Rambler OHV six, it's possible there may be a way to make one of those work.

As an alternative, a friend here has a parts car that the motor has a rebuild tag on - done back in the day and apparently never driven - that he'd part with, if you don't mind coming 3000 miles for it. I suspect it's not worth the trouble.

 

This one is bone sock and frame off'ed about 10 years ago.
I've always thought they would make a cool sled. I havent been over to see it face to face yet but will be soon.

Its a 2 door Lafayette sedan. I dont know if they're modern undersided or not.. anyone know? Are they coils and drive shaft like plymouth of the time or leaf and tube like ford?

I'll post some pix today. I wonder what one would be worth?

 

Well, here she is. She's a beautiful bone stock car. I know tht if i buy it and leave it stock, I'll get boared of it very quickly.

Maybe some simple custom work to start like Sombraro caps, lowering (old school, no bags) and shave the trim. Further along, maybe some 38 ford headlights.








It's a pretty thing.. I'm torn. What do you guys think?

 

Nice Nash but get rid of the door mirrors. Yuk! Here is one my dad had. It was stock then but has been rodded since. 350/350 installed by new owner.

 

Is there and AMC motor that would be a bolt in for this gal???
Does anyone know?

Maybe some soft customizing like this?

 

I really hate rodding a cherry car like that! But it's not mine...

So, you're stuck. The L-head six means it's a Lafayette. The Amb***ador Six had an OHV six. That is a 234.8 CID L-head six. The new small L-head didn't come out until 1941. That's the one that the later Rambler L-head and OHV were based on (195.6 was largest). I don't know if the bell housing pattern is the same for the small six or not. You will have to contact the Nash club and see if anyone knows.

You could get a 234.8 or 252.6 OHV Nash Six engine for it, that would five a bit more power and will bolt right up. They were used through 1956 in the Amb***ador Six. The Statesman used the smaller six (Rambler six). There was a dual carb version of the 252.6 for 55 and 56 only. The dual carb only produced 140 hp @ 4000 rpm, but was used in the Nash-Healey sports car that did well at LeMans 1951-53 (best was a third place overall finish). Lots of low end torque!

The Nash straight 8 won't fit -- the eight cylinder cars had a longer front frame and snout.

 

They do run leafs out back like a Chevy would have. I forget what's under the front. Dash plastic is a big issue on these cars, usually gone on them.

 

That's a beautiful car. Rare ones like that are so cool.
All the AMC V8s are based on the same engine. From the 287 up to the 401. Same block. Pretty comact engines. The 390 and 401 make some pretty good power and torque. Use a lot of GM parts(******'s, Dist). A little rare but they are out there. They make a 258 straight 6 that's pretty common. Used in a lot of Jeeps.

 

Front end is coil springs with springs between frame and lower arm, king pins in steering knuckles. Similar to 50s Chevys in layout.

Seesko, you're wrong about the V-8s! The first generation of V-8s is totally different from the second and third. The only thing they have in common is bore centers. The GEN-2 and 3 are ALMOST the same block -- the GEN-3 block has a slight deck height increase, around 1/16" going from memory, and the exhaust port design was changed from rectangular to a "dog-leg" port that flows a bit better. "50% better" is commonly heard, but an exaggeration. The port size increased no more than 20%.

Many people don't consider the GEN-1 an AMC design, they call it the "Rambler V-8" because that's mostly what it was used in, but technically it's an AMC engine -- AMC was formed in May 1954. So you probably heard that "all AMC engines used the same block" but know that the GEN-1 is an AMC engine too. Easy to get confused there!

GEN-1 = 1956-66 250/287/327 -- also called the "Rambler V-8"
GEN-2 = 1966-69 290/343/390 -- sometimes referred to as "early AMC V-8"
GEN-3 = 1970-91 304/360/401 (and 70 only 390... one year only piston) -- sometimes referred to as "late AMC V-8"

 

My Dad built a 41 amb***ador back in the late 70's/early 80's. He put a 302/c4 in it. He also put a 9 inch out of a 63 galaxie in it. It bolted to the stock springs, and was the perfect width. Not a traditional combo, but easily installed,and it made it a very nice road car.
In The profile shot of your 40, it sure has a 40 ford/merc look to it!

 

Thanks you guy.
This is torment. I want to jump on it but I know I cant keep it stock, its in my nature. I know nothing about Nash other than I love the look of them.

this kind of customizing is pretty soft. I mean if I guy wanted to, he could always put it back to stock if Leno pulled in the yard... Ah gawd, my heads spinning.

 

Doesn't this kind say, "this was my dads sled back in '59" ?



There will be no sleep in the Lono home tonight.....

 

My 41 Amb***ador came stock with a 177 flathead. They also came with what was called the Aero-power, twin plug overhead valve 6 which is a bit more rare.


I think the trim looks awesome.

Go buy a 40 ford and slam.

 

I would not touch it. A car in that condition diserves to be left stock untill it really starts to fall apart or rust.

 

Id leave it and drive the piss out of it.

And when you get bored, sell it!

 

Mine before



After

 

I'm the same way -- leave it stock! Or better yet.... put something like a turbo on it! Won't be a lot of power, but a modest 6-7 psi will give a 40% or so power increase and be relatively easy to do. Keep the stock exhaust manifold, just run the exhaust under the pan and up on the other side of the engine. Make a bracket to bolt the turbo to the engine and run the oil drain back line back down to the pan, blow through the carb. Minimal "invasion", cool power adder!

Otherwise, I'd do it like you mentioned -- "soft" mods that could be easily changed back.

Bottom line though is that it's your car, and no matter what *I* think you should do what makes *you* happy. I wouldn't change one like that, but I won't throw rotten tomatoes at you because you think differently. I spent 24 years in the USAF so you could have your choice, not gonna knock you for it!

A modern I-6 would be a better attention getter than a V-8 though. Maybe one of those OHC Chevy I-6s. Or keep it in the family and get a Jeep 4.0L.

 

Well, if you can't keep it stock... loose the running boards. And the top, some trim, the door edges... like this:



Then I could see leaving the engine stock. But I'd swap it anyway.

 

Pre-K, that is a Count Alexis de Sahknovsky 1940 Nash Carbriolet. The Count was a noted designer in the late 30s. I don't know if Nash had anything to do with it directly or it just came from his studio. 20 were ordered but only 11 were built - five with copper plated brightwork instead of chrome. It IS a good looker!

Removing the running boards on the car in question wouldn't be a big deal -- just keep them. I'm still in the "don't do anything not relatively easy to reverse" camp. I'm not opposed to changing the running gear, just make it as bolt-in as possible, with minimal welding, and store the original.

I had another wagon before the one pictured as my avatar. It needed lots of work, so I didn't mind sticking an Jeep EFI 4.0L in it. Everything but the running gear was pretty much stock or bolt-in. The engine and trans were wasted, but I did sell them as rebuildable cores to other AMC guys. A guy in a Nissan Extera t-boned it in 2002. I'd spent two years getting it the way I wanted it, only had a couple more things to do and this "I didn't see you" idiot turns right into it and totals it. If I hadn't seen him coming and floored it I might be dead too.

Thought briefly about some other AMC to replace it, maybe and early Javelin, but I LIKED my wagon, and almost had it where I wanted it, so I looked for another. I p***ed on several reasonably priced cars that were either good running survivors that needed just a little work to be great restorations as I wanted to use the EFI six again. Took me longer to find a car that was solid but in need of an engine and trans and interior work (and paint), but I didn't want to mess up an easily restorable car or one that didn't need much to be a good stock car as it was. I'd have considered a "plain Jane" model, but with old cars most of the survivors are the more gussied up ones, at least those are the ones you find advertised most. A friend accidentally stumbled over the aborted Chevy swap car I bought. The PO started to take the engine out then got sidetracked. At least he realized if he took the engine all the way out he couldn't move the car (torque tube locates rear axle, no engine holding trans/torque tube in place, body can "fall off" rear axle!) and stopped after disconnecting everything but the engine mounts.

 

I had an uncle who drove a 46 Nash coupe in the early fifties. It had an overhead six with seven mains, and it was fast. If that engine would bolt in to that fantastic car you found in your yard, you would be happy for years! Put on some wheel covers and drive it for a year. Insure the hell out of it, finding a grille may be imposible. Check out the brakes and tires very carefully. Have fun!

 

Deposit sent today. I've got 10 days to come up with the cash. I'm waiting for a wire transfer for my 31 Roadster so with luck things will fall into place.

Once she's here in front of me I'll know better what to do with it.
...is this how people fall pray to becoming coneheads?

​

 

As I remember dads 40 Nash had an orginal overdrive trany in it. It had no problem doing 70 on the freeways.

 

it's your car, but my opinion is don't change a thing. drive the hell out of it.

 

The '40 six and the '46 six are basically the same engine.

 

Yes, it's a Count Alexis de Sahknovsky 1940 Nash Playcar. Offered as a Nash model that year. I've never seen a brochure, either. Production was slow, and it did't sell well. Several that were started were returned to coupes, I heard.

I actually think the '40 Nash is extremely sharp looking. Especially if you chop it!

The Playcar pictured belongs to Reggie Nash.

 

The info I sent earlier is all I have on it. That came from an AMC published book "The American Motors Family Album" (1974 edition -- there was one printed in 69 also) compiled by John Conde. He was AMC's head or PR through the 60s an 70s, and the only one who cared much about the history of the company. Got to meet him before he p***ed away a few years ago (met him in 98 at the first big AMC meet in Kenosha, now every four years, next in 2011).

The 40 and 46 Nash OHV engines are almost identical. Sometime in the mid 40s it was made bigger. 40 was 234, later was 252 or something like that. They were rather powerful, torquey sixes, one reason the straight eights weren't produced after WWII. No need for them!