Projects Mish-Mash Nash -'52 Rambler Wagon

The 2" x 3" rectangular tube I have is 1/8" wall, which will work fine for this project.

Today I cut both rails to length, leaving a bit extra for now, then beveled the ends. I knew the distance between the rails was going to be the same along their entire length, so I welded some s**** angle iron between and on top of the rails after getting them square and level to each other. Once that was done, I ****ed the ends up to the cleaned up old frame rails, adjusted and measured until I was satisfied, then tack welded the new rails to the old. After checking and measuring again, I fully welded three sides, leaving the outside face alone for now:





Right rail mostly cleaned up:



Left rail:



The outside faces of the rails didn't quite match up, but I needed to figure out something to transition between the unibody structure, new rails, and remains of the outer wheel wells anyway, so I came up with a two-layer transition, to which I will add a fish plate later. This is a tricky area with the wavy stamped factory panels, double- and triple-layer spot welded pieces, and old frame rail sections transitioning to the firewall and wheel wells-- there's a lot going on. Shown below is the 1/8" gap/step between the old and new rails:



I tackled the left side first, and after trying out a few solutions, settled on a trimmed dado blade insert which was the right thickness and had a shape close to what I was looking for. Cut, shape, drill a few holes for plug welds and...I ended up with a Schmoo looking piece. Good thing this area will be out of sight once everything is back together.



I will add a fish plate on the inner face of each rail joint, just for piece of mind, and the forward 16" of the new rails still need to be curled downward as they p*** the Corvair crossmember, too, so more frame work awaits.

 

I trimmed the crossmember (the bracing for the UCAs, to be specific) on both sides to allow it to slip up into position under the frame rails. Once positioned, I confirmed the interference between the upper control arms and frame rails, so I will notch the crossmember to fit around the frame rails. This will drop the ride height three inches or so, bring the strut rod mounts much closer to the frame, and allow for full range adjustment of the upper control arms.

Below you can see where the the upper control arm contacts the frame:






A test fit with a wheel in position indicates there are no other major issues, but I want to get the crossmember mounted as high as reasonably possible while I have the opportunity.

 

Frame rails, finished:



Corvair crossmember, after much t*******, grinding, and fitting, followed by a trip to the media blaster, installed:



I held off on welding the upper control arm bases to the frame rails until engine mount location is decided, so, to that end...:







I have 1.5" I can move the engine rearward until the valve covers contact the firewall, and that will allow just enough room up front at the water pump...maybe. Hard to say where the radiator will be located when the entire front end is still TBD.

The firewall needs some major redesigning below the main bend (which is also half of the main structural "beam" running side-to-side), so I'll have to cut most of it away and make a new lower section once the engine/trans position is set. There's also some room to lower the engine a bit, though a rear sump oil pan is going to be needed no matter what.

Rear of engine block and firewall are not a great match:





The firewall section above the main bend can remain, and the funky HVAC system, too, but I will need to re-route the air intake if I end up using the louvered Corvair hood. I have to figure out a way to lower the cowl section, too, so the stock air scoop will not be reused, at least not in the original location.

 

Plenty of space now:



Floorpans up front were rusty and crusty, so they had to come out at some point.

Engine space is still tight front-to-back, but it fits with room to spare on both sides:





I have the engine sitting level now, and tilting it back positions the valve covers ever closer to the firewall, so I will keep it level, or close to it.

Both engine mounts align well with the cross member, and there's enough space for frame side mounts, as well as room to work:







I need to bolt up the trans case and figure out how things should be covered on the interior side yet, and the LH exhaust manifold's outlet angle is an issue, but I can work with this.

 

carb should be close to level at ride heigth

(edit)if you think about this, when kids bought 68 and newer Novas, they put Hi-jacker air shocks on em to raise the rear up so they could put bigger, wider wheels n tires on em,, they all still ran good.

 

True, but NBD, all he'll have to do is mill the manifold carb surface back to read level.
Marcus...

 

Considering that this still doesn't have the wheel/tire package selected (sitting rake), carb
(s) selected and roads can have up to 25 degrees of tilt, a carb mount isn't the absolute to use. A guide, sure but not the set in stone requirement.
NRG, I wouldn't like an angle mill, simply because I've dealt with BB mopar valve covers where the threads are at an angle to the surface. Not my choice for a carb seal, even if it's not as drastic.
https://store.440source.com/Valve-Covers-Accessories/products/21/#:~:text=Installation Note: Most aftermarket aluminum cylinder heads (including,degrees or "straight") to the valve cover rail.
Note: Most aftermarket aluminum cylinder heads (including our Stealth heads, Edelbrock Performer RPM heads and others) drill the valve cover bolt holes at an angle which is perpendicular (90 degrees or "straight") to the valve cover rail. Factory Chrysler heads drilled the valve cover bolt holes at approximately a 15 degree angle so they are slightly "tilted" relative to the valve cover rail. We have designed these valve covers with the bolt holes drilled "straight", so they will fit aftermarket heads without any modifications. When using these covers on factory heads, it will be necessary to install your valve cover studs, then bend them slightly after installation until they are perpendicular (straight up and down) in relation to the valve cover rail.

 

Just reading right through your thread, finding it very interesting. With reference to your post #83 here is how one guy got over the shift tower being to far rearward problem

 

I can always resort to using a carb wedge plate between the carb and manifold if necessary, as the Edelbrock 2198 intake manifold I plan to use has a built in angle at the carb mount face.

I installed the shorter water pump and finagled the engine around a bit this afternoon, tilting it back to 2.75 degrees or so, then adding the trans main case and top cover to see how it all aligns with the existing trans tunnel:



The F-body shifter boss is going to fall squarely on the main crossmember, so I will need a different tail housing for sure, but no big deal. I forgot about the 1" factory offset, too, so moving the engine over 1" to the right still leaves plenty of clearance on that side for the exhaust manifold and starter motor. Valve cover clearance is still good, too, with a little room to spare:



I'm using a thermostatic fan clutch and fan for mock up which is 3" deep, so I have just enough clearance up front, but can go with a shorter/less deep option if needed:

Thanks. I think with the S-10 and M-van options I won't need to go that far to move the shifter position forward, but sometimes you've gotta get creative. I would like to avoid cutting into the existing crossmember at all costs, as it's a complicated shape/contour, and is the main thing tying the right and left sides of the car together. I think I can add in another .5 degree of tilt and clear it with the tail housing.

 

Four degrees of tilt is much better for clearance above the trans tail housing, but worse for right valve cover to firewall clearance-- I don't think I could remove the valve cover with the valvetrain in place:



The '67-'72 trans hump looks like it'll work after it's narrowed a few inches, and the flare at the forward end should be workable, too:

 

Hey, RSR;
You are right.
I should've added: "*if* he wants it level after all is said & done, & the car is on its' wheels". While it isn't a big deal, everything(aka: doing this/that/or-the-other-thing modification) comes w/some level of cost - some get you those multiples-of-costs at the same time... .
Marcus...

 

I had a piece of metal with a quarter roll on one long edge, so I test fit it in the rough firewall opening:







I'm going to lose about 2" of leg room, but that is acceptable. I can keep the same 30 degree angle on the footboard section, and once I roll the bottom edge and get a better fit, I can see what else needs to be done. The firewall on the cabin side is funky, with multiple peaks and angles, so I will make the new section as flat as possible, and blend it into the existing outer firewall ends, retaining the spotwelds between the firewall and outer wheel wells.

Inside, the panel looks like a decent rough fit, and matches (or will, once the angle is corrected) the trans hump, too:





There's an area on both sides of the firewall where the tops of the framerails come together with the wheel wells and firewall which needs to be addressed, too, as the framerails tilt downward right into this joint, which is not ideal when water reaches that area. I'll make a diverter piece which will double as a brace and cover for the empty area behind it... one of those oddball unibody areas, I guess. Not a great pic of the LH side, but I plan to continue the little flange on the outer edge of the framerail vertically, blending the diverter/brace into that:

 

I started t******* and fitting the new lower firewall, but noticed some light shining through the 90 degree flange between the upper and lower sections, so I have to address that first. The recess in this upper area previously held the battery, so yeah, rust. Plus, the space between the inner and outer wheel wells was never painted, so bare metal + acidic battery runoff = corrosion. I am going to try to keep the recessed panel in place-- it looks like I can mount the brake master cylinder there.





A modern two-bolt Chevy master cylinder I had on hand, set roughly in place:



There's room to mount the battery to the opposite side of the firewall, but I may need to add a larger recess, as the old battery was a smaller six volt.

 

I drilled out the spotwelds retaining the recessed panel on the LH side of the firewall, and the metal underneath was rusty, too, so I've decided to replace the 20" on each side of the heater core flange. I will cut in any new recesses or mounts as needed in the future-- all of the one-off, unique items (cable operated wiper drive, etc.) are long gone and won't be reused, so no sense in leaving their bolt holes nor mounts.

One thing I wanted to retain was the firewall mounted heater core/HVAC air intake, but it's not going to happen, at least not as it came from the factory. I want to lower the center of the cowl a few inches, and the HVAC stuff would eliminate that possibility, due to its mounted height:





I might try moving the heater core to the cabin side of the firewall, which would mostly clear off the engine compartment side of the upper firewall, though there's really nothing else which could be placed there. I'd still like to use it as the warm air intake, but need to figure out something for fresh air. I think fender mounted fresh air intakes would work with kick panel vents...another thing for the 'later' list.

I tried out two slightly recessed firewall panels-- each panel is one half the inner door of a vintage fridge-- this evening, to see how they looked and fit. Both were a decent fit, and I think the slightly flatter topped panel looked better, but I didn't love either one. With the slightly wider Olds heads and valve covers in place, clearance was no better behind the RH cylinder head, either:





Back in went the earlier panel, which I cleaned up this weekend. With the firewall bend removed, I have enough engine setback to clear the RH cylinder head and just enough room up front for the fan and radiator:





The rear flange on the block touches the firewall, but I will add in another panel to cover at least the top half of the bellhousing, then see how it looks on the cabin side and go from there:



The Chevy truck trans tunnel will need to modified, too, as the flare at the front is too far forward and overall the panel is too wide:



I purchased an S-10 WC T5 tail housing and shift fork rod this weekend, so once that arrives I will be able see exactly where things line up and where clearance is needed around the transmission.

 

The used S10 tail housing I purchased arrived this afternoon, so I wasted no time getting it in position for a test fit:



Clearance is good where the top of the tail housing meets the crossmember:



Looks good from underneath, too:



The floorpan rib directly above the two bosses/holes is the centerline of the crossmember, and I had the engine and trans a bit too far back, so properly positioned, the holes line up with the crossmember's centerline. Not critical, but it makes it easy to remember for alignment purposes. I need to make a new, more traditional style bolt-in crossmember to support the trans, but that should be relatively straight forward once the engine mounts are finished. Here are what the two main crossmembers (really just spot welded, flanged u-channel) look like, spanning the floorpan from rocker panel to rocker panel:





Ground clearance looks good, and will be even better once the support brace boss that hangs down is cut off:



The engine and trans are currently at a four degree angle, and that seems to be about the best I can do, allowing room for oil pan clearance up front and room between the tail housing and crossmember/floorpan at the rear.

Shifter position feels just about right, and the shift tower is about the only thing which will poke through the trans tunnel. I should be able to significantly trim down the Chevy truck piece and make it all work together.

I have been busy cutting the firewall out, drilling out spot welds, removing heavy surface rust, and generally prepping the firewall and panels surrounding it for new metal, so hopefully I can get some of it installed this weekend and start making forward progress again.

 

With most of the firewall removed, save for the slightly raised, square area where the heater core previously mounted, I had to decide on something different for heat supply before I could move forward. I like the idea of a fresh versus recirculated air supply through the heater core, so I am leaving the center of the firewall as is, retaining the air intake, or at least what is left of it. The square opening measures 8.25" square, so I looked for something close in size, shape, and function to the stock fan and heater core, and found this Tropic Aire(!!) heater for sale locally:



It's well used and will need a fair amount of refurbishing (12V motor, straightening and a repaint, etc.), but the heater core holds water and everything is solid. It's not a perfect fit in the existing firewall hole, but at 9" diameter I can make it work. I have to reconfigure the stock defroster ducts to connect to the new heater, but there's plenty of space now to do that.

It appears the previous owner added a defrost outlet delete plate, so once removed that outlet will probably once again be used for defrost air:









I was a bit concerned this heater might be too small and wouldn't put out enough heat, but there should be plenty for spring and autumn driving. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for a vintage heater valve and control cables, too, now...good excuse to hit the swap meets.

 

I have the battery recess mostly squared away, and test fit the battery from my DD which happens to be the same size. I left room on all sides to add a hold down bracket or two, and to allow me to use a slightly larger battery if needed, too:





Hood clearance shouldn't be an issue as the Optima battery can be mounted in any orientation.

I would like to add a matching recess on the left (driver's) side of the firewall, too, and though I am planning to run manual front disc/rear drum brakes, a symmetrical recess would provide space for adding a decent sized brake booster in the future. So, after looking at brake master cylinders online and comparing specs (7/8" or 1" bore), I needed to acquire a clutch and brake pedal ***embly from something with hanging pedals to give myself a starting point. FB marketplace turned up a set of mostly complete '56 Chevy pedals, which turned out to be '57 pedals. They need some TLC and various missing pieces replaced, but a quick test fit in the car showed they can probably be made to work. The Nash dash is very short (vertically), so I will have to figure out how to mount the rearmost end of the pedal bracket, and finding a steering column soon would be helpful, too.

 

I wanted a slightly taller dashboard, or at least one with a drop style steering column mount, so I picked up this '52 Willys Aero dash today. After some work unbolting everything, it came out fairly easily, no spotweld drilling out required. It needs to be narrowed 6", so 3" will be taken off each end, and I'm sure it will need to be contour matched where it meets the cowl, too. I'll figure that out and make it all fit once the original dash is removed.

 

What is the diameter of the gauge hole?

 

5" exactly, so I could use a 5" speedo and mount the tach elsewhere, too.



I'll have to play around with some cut out circles of the various gauge diameters and see what fits and looks best, but I have to straighten the lower and right hand edges of the dash before doing anything else.

 

Or a speedo/tach combo gauge?
Or a rebuilt, original Rambler gauge cluster?

 

With a V8 in that Nash you could legitimatly call it a Rumbler!

 

I still have the stock gauge, but have an electric speedo sensor on the transmission end, so I'll probably use something newer and electric. My eyes aren't getting better with age, so maybe a 5" speedo is a good idea.

Ha! It should be peppy, enough to keep up with modern traffic, at least.

 

Even though you said you want a fresh-air htr, I'd make allowance for the recirculating air option. Does come in handy sometimes.
Marcus...

 

I haven't figured out the air intake quite yet, but there will be a flap/door of some sort to switch between fresh and recirculated.

Speaking of the HVAC system, these defroster ducts will need to go, as they prevent the new, lower cowl from dropping any further down. They are stamped as part of the top 10" of the inner cowl/firewall piece, so once I remove the dashboard I will size things up again. I am leaning toward just replacing all of the metal, as it never received any paint and there's waviness and distortion above the air intake, too...and this area is a bit ugly, so it should be replaced with clean, straight metal while I have full access.

Here's what remains of the existing defroster ductwork:







The good news is the cowl panel looks much better lowered a bit IMHO, though I could only drop it one inch because of the ductwork interference:







Still a few things to work out (slight understatement ), but seeing the new lower cowl height means things are headed in the right direction.

I also straightened the lower edge of the Willys dash, which was pushed upwards to the right if the steering column area, and placed the Studebaker four gauge panel I bought a few weeks ago in place... looks like that could work, too:

 

I removed the original dashboard last night after grinding off the tack welds and drilling out the spotwelds along the windshield frame:



I need to remove 1.5" from each end of the Willys dash, but the contour along the forward edge, where it meets the windshield, is very close to the Nash. The Willys defroster vents are not all that close to the Nash vents in size nor location, so I'll eliminate the Nash ducting and make the Willys vents work.

I trimmed more metal off the ends of the loose cowl panel, then placed it position with the fenders to see where everything lines up:



The cowl dropped 2" and rests even with the '60 hood/fender location, which would simplify making a new hood. The fender to cowl transitions will require some creative thinking to blend them together, but I have a few ideas to try out.

I was hoping to keep the stock HVAC air intake base in the firewall, but it will be cleaner and neater to use new metal across the entire firewall. With the new battery recess, there's not much firewall metal visible on the right side anyway, and the HVAC air intake will remain in the center, so it's mainly the left side which will be seen. The brake master cylinder will occupy some space on the left side, but I still have to work out how much of a recess I need to mount that.

I loosely placed the battery recess, faux battery, and new HVAC housing (a Eureka vacuum housing) in place to see how they look and fit together in the available space:



That should work. I don't plan on using the original scoop/air intake, but will make or use something similar which better fits that space. The louvered Corvair hood and how it exhausts engine compartment air could be a problem, though, so that may get nixed in favor of a solid hood.

 

love watching your progress! Thanks for sharing.

 

I spent a few hours today fitting the Willys Aero dash, and after a few inches were trimmed off each end, it was getting close:



I ended up removing the front flange from the dashboard, as it was a bit rusty toward the extreme ends and the overall contour wasn't as close as I had hoped. It all worked out, though, as now I have a full flange to mount the dash to the body under the windshield opening, and have enough space to put the defroster vents wherever they work out best.

Once I was happy with the fit of the new flange, I tack welded it to the dash every few inches, then back in place on the body again:





That should work. I still need to cap the outer ends of the dash, as well as add some brackets to allow the bottom edge to bolt to the body on both sides, too:





With the dash in place, I was able to see how well the '57 Chevy pedal ***embly fits, and it looks like it'll work out fine. Pedal pad height is good and the master cylinder needs only a 3" recess, so I can work with that.

 

Relying on a 50+ year old oddball heater with a circular heater core is a bit of a risk, so I decided to improve my odds and picked up another TropicAire heater today. This one is a bit more presentable, but the price was fair, and having an exact, drop-in replacement ready to go in case the first one leaks is a good thing.

 

Road trip to Frankfort, IL, to pick up a '62 Olds F-85 steering column. I should be able to figure out a way to make the column shift collar work, by removing the cast-in pointer and or making the lever ribs a tach holder or...? TBD.













Not all that keen on the welded on u-joint, but that can be changed. The turn signal cancel cam works properly, always a good thing not to need to replace that.