Projects 59 rambler wagon with Chevy motor and ford rear end

I'll get some more pics as well when I get the air ride installed. No one makes the brackets but being a 4 corner coil spring car it should be easy to fab all it up. Going to keep the rambler front suspension and put the air bag on top of the vertical link just like the spring.

 

That's basically what Greg Greganti did. See the link I posted earlier to see what he did.

 

Whoops must have missed that post link. Very nice Thanks frank!

 

Lookin good Dan!

 

I noticed in my old Motors manuals that some cover the Rambler auto trans in the same section as 57-58 Ford auto trans, plus a couple oddball Jeep and Studebaker applications. Apparently save the pushbutton control and torque tube they're the same inside.

So presumably you might be able to play around and put a Ford motor in one, or convert the stock trans to open drive, if that does any good.


I have a '58 sedan and the unibody rails show some rot under it. I considered maybe using a 1980s Monte Carlo frame and floorpan under it; wheelbase and track are the same, would have to measure to see if the rockers would fit over the side rails. But it's hard to find one of those up here that's not also rotted out. So it sits. If you grafted a '57 Buick/Olds top onto it, the whole look of the car changes.

 

I am GLAD you got rid of the torque line drive.I love the old Buicks but hated that sealed drive shaft. Bruce.

 

In the lat 40s Studebaker in partnership with Borg-Warner (the Detroit Gear division of Borg-Warner) developed an automatic transmission to compete with the Hydramatic. The Borg-Warner Gear division made a separate automatic in collaboration with Ford that had some similarities to the DG auto, but cheaper to produce. The deal with Ford was that BW would make 50% of Ford's auto trans needs for five years, Ford license built the other 50%. By the mid 50s Stude's business was going down-hill and they started using the BW/Ford collaboration unit. BW also sold to others. Ford continued making the BW licensed units after the five years. Ford called it a Ford-O-Matic (sometimes known as a model F), The Cruise-O-Matic (model M) came next, then the best features of the F and M were combined to make the FMX. All are based on the Borg-Warner design/license. The Ford trannys are all most similar to the Borg-Warner M-8 and M-10.

 

Progress
Motor done completely and installed. Ready to test fire. Hopefully tomorrow. New master cylinder and brake lines ran.

Front air bags in and disk brake conversion started


Exhaust all made. Lake pipes in.

Progress. Progress. Progress

 

Looking good!!

 

Any updates?

 

Yeah actually project came together pretty good and I had it on the road in June 2019
Motor fired and ran great. Ended up changed out the dizzy to an msd due to some issues with the accel.

Got the interior done and in. In a very much AMC style red, white and blue.

Wiring I did an all new painless style hot rod kit

Painted the roof red metal flake but want to redo it so it's better.



Overall still have some things to do this winter but it's on the road and driving. Something the car hadn't done since the early 90s so I would call it successful.

 

Painted and pin stripped dash.
Engine final with rad install and all wiring done.

 

An original AC car! I don't see a compressor and condensor though... Can still use the dash vents for ventilation. The fan won't care which way you turn the switch (assuming it's original) as there is no compressor to turn on. That's why the switch turned one way for the heater fan and the other for AC ("refrig") -- the compressor was turned on with the fan.

 

The dash came out great, by the way... heck, whole car did!!

 

Excellent!!

 

Love the build, on the fence about buying a '59 wagon myself, but it's missing some misc trim, grille parts, and has significant floor rust, so not sure. LOVE these wagons, just so different, and funky!

 

Yep factory AC car. Was originally a southern cali car (apparently it's hot there lol) kinda funny they added factory AC but didnt pick an oil filter option on the original engine Priorities right? Yeah no compressor or condenser anymore.

Thanks on the kind words. had alot of people tell me I'm nuts, like I don't already know that, for doing a rambler wagon. But I have enjoyed it so far.

Just ordered all the control arm bushings and trunion thrust bearings yesterday so I can tighten up the front end. Also started fabrication on new lower shock mounts for the front so I can use regular shocks instead of special rambler, aka fairly expensive shocks.

If your on the fence about a rambler just do it! You won't regret it... well you might but what the hell do it anyway

 

very cool. Dad had a 1957 cross-country wagon when I was young, wish he kept it and didn't scrap it