Cheap gasser project???

1964 - 1965 the front end is shorter than the 66 and up but with home made motor mounts I got a 232ci in mine. I know lots of other options are available. Farna can chime in, he has all the rambler stuff covered...

 

A 4.0L or the older 232/258 will fit in a 64-65 American. All you really need to do is swap the radiator mounting brackets on the radiator side to side. That moves the radiator forward a little over an inch. Then you need either a 65 American or 71-83 CJ-5 (NOT CJ-7!!) water pump and pulley. Pump is easy, pulley might be hard to find. With those two things and either built mounts or a 66-69 American six or 70-83 Hornet/Concord/Gremlin/Spirit six crossmember (yes, they interchange!) the later six will bolt right in. You just can't have AC as there isn't room for a condenser between the radiator and grille. The car was face lifted in 66 and 2-3" was added to the front so an AC condenser could be added with the longer engine. Under the skin the 66-69 is just about the same as the 64-65. A few changes, but nothing major.

 

Thanks for the info. My first car was a Barcelona Taupe (how can you forget a paint color with a name like that?) 65 Rambler Classic 660 wagon with a 232 that was a hand-me-down from my mom after I graduated from high school. I really liked the size and general layout of that car, but the Americans were a little smaller and (in my view) a little better looking during that same period.

Actually, the compact cars from all of the American automakers were darn good looking during the mid to late 60s. The Falcons, Chevy IIs/Novas and slightly later Valiants were all handsome and practical cars that could accept V8 engines and (as I understand it) performed well at the track when so equipped.

Having said that, however, I still have a soft spot for the old inline sixes out of nostalgia for that old Rambler's engine which never once let me down provided I had the sense to replace the plug wires now and then so it wouldn't stall out during rainy weather.

 

I like in-line sixes too. My 63 Classic wagon has a stroker 4.0L (4.0L w/4.2L crank and rods, bored -.030", = 4.6L or 280 inches). Kept the EFI and all!

 

A buddy of mine is building a 64' American for me. I've done a lot of the work but now the hard part has come and I work about 75 hours a week so he has took over the hard part.
I will post some pictures as soon as I figure out how to do it ?
Not the same model as your's....but still a Bad lookin' Rambler.

 

Hey Tricky Hickey, what do you mean the hard parts,are you talking body/paint or
suspension work and welding.. if you make a profile on yourself you can post pics
there and then just copy and paste the little code it puts on you pics, you'll see it's not to hard...
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Cheap...(not any-more)

 

I always thought about an early period Gasser built from a mid 50's Rambler with a 304 Hudson Twin-H Power flat head six and a hydro would be fun

 

This was a cheap gasser in 1978 when i put a axel under it.

 

Tricky Hickey ..... I digz da HELL outta dat!!! Something dat iz gonna "bad as all HELL" when you reach DRIVEABILTY!! Can't waitz to see it completed!!!! Straight outta da mindz of a likez of ROTH/NEWTON!!!! I extend da wishes of the others way I say BUY THE RAMBLER!! Your gonna regret it if ya don't!!!

 

Definitely cool, Gasser it up!

 

Would make a nice gasser

 

Do it!!

 

i'm building the same car with the same idea in mind. hopefully i can get cracking on it in a month or so when it warms up, and i get some extra $ to spend. here's a link to a thread i started.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=411803

 

Farna

I've heard that some of those Ramblers came with a Chevy 327. Truth or urban legend? My high school buddy claimed his did. Was a real thrill ride, especially when watching the asphalt go by through the rotted out floorboards!

 

Have to agree. I think it is unique and cool.

DO IT!

 

ThirdDodge, it's an urban legend. AMC (Rambler) made a 327 long before Chevy did. Cubic inches is the only thing the two have in common. AMC made theirs from 1957-66, Chevy didn't start making their small block 327 until 1963 or 4. The AMC looks more like a big block, but the biggest displacement was 327. Same block with smaller bores was used to make the 1956-61 250 and 64-66 287. It's like people thinking the Studebaker 289 was a Ford, and the AMC 390 was a Ford, AMC 360 a Dodge, etc. Anyone who had actually seen an AMC 327 and Chevy 327 more than once would immediately know they were totally different engines. Both have the distributor in the rear center, but that's about the only physical similarity. The Delco supplied AMC dizzy has the same internals and cap/rotor/points as any Delco dizzy, but the body was custom made to fit the AMC, as well as curving and such.

Oh, wait a minute... AMC bought the electrical system from GM (Delco-Remy) from 63-66 (starter, distributor, generator -- alternators were Motorola). The earlier 57-62 models used Ford (Autolite) electrics. AMC didn't buy parts from all over and assemble a car like a lot of people still think. They didn't waste money reinventing the wheel though. They purchased parts from outside suppliers when they could get a better deal than making it themselves -- like all auto makers do now. AMC had to economize a lot earlier just to stay in business, and send bids out for parts as well as getting the in-house estimate is the cheapest way. Like I said, everyone does it now! AMC also made a few parts for the others. AMC had a wire harness plant that supplied some other manufacturers, for example.

 

Finally somebody else with a hate for normality.

 

Yeah, almost anything other than an SBC!! I know, go pull one of those new EFI hemis out of a wrecked Dodge truck! A fellow with a Javelin did just that, but it wasn't an easy fit.

 

This is what my car looked like in 1978.cheap!

 

BOB...there are 2 words that just don't go together, CHEEP GASER!...POP.

 

Well...It started out cheap.