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History Did you have a Rambler?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Greenblade, Jan 22, 2022.

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  1. SpeedyAtkins
    Joined: Feb 8, 2022
    Posts: 17

    SpeedyAtkins
    Member

    I had a ‘66 770 Classic. Bought it in 1998 for $800. Drove it as my only car for about 5 years. Delivered pizzas in it. Finally let it go when the front end got too loose, and the one year only parts were too pricey to justify.
     

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  2. farna
    Joined: Jul 8, 2005
    Posts: 1,282

    farna
    Member

    The Kenosha Homecoming show is worth going to even if you don't take your car! The only place you will see 1200-1500 AMC related vehicles at once, covering all AMC history from 1902 (first production Rambler... first prototype made in 1897) to 1983. There will also be a few Renaults built at Kenosha (the Alliance/Encore), and some Chryslers. AMC contracted with Chrysler to build the last Diplomats and IIRC Omni/Horizon, and Chrysler built them and the Gran Fury/Fifth Avenue at Kenosha after the 1988 buy-out of AMC until the plant was closed in 1989. Jeeps will be represented as well, mostly due to the engines being built in Kenosha after 1970 when AMC bought Kaiser Jeep. But there will mostly be Nash/Rambler/AMC cars!!
     
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  3. 100+ MPH down a long and undulating blacktop suburban street in a 390 Rebel. Puny drum brakes , it did not want to stop at the bottom. We were young, but even then, I remember thinking, that's one of your nine down. You got away with it. I was a passenger.
     
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  4. Bullit68
    Joined: Sep 16, 2009
    Posts: 171

    Bullit68
    Member
    from Verona, PA

    Had this ‘60 American last year, did some work to make it a better driver. 350 w/700r4 and a later 10 bolt rear end. Did some engine work and added disc brakes up front to make it stop. Added some nice wheels and tires.

    72377E7F-8E81-4391-9265-69CB65D7FA9D.jpeg 6C47E938-BEFC-4259-98A5-D89D8A3D373E.jpeg
     
  5. lostmind
    Joined: Aug 21, 2011
    Posts: 3,309

    lostmind
    Member

    1959, 63 ,66,67,68 ,71 -6 total
     
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  6. Roothawg
    Joined: Mar 14, 2001
    Posts: 24,523

    Roothawg
    Member

    My mom had an AMC Concord while I was in high school. Worst car ever.
     
  7. theman440
    Joined: Jun 28, 2012
    Posts: 347

    theman440
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    Way cool!
     
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  8. blue 49
    Joined: Dec 24, 2006
    Posts: 1,820

    blue 49
    Member
    from Iowa

    Remember when Lee Iacocca ran Chrysler and told us if we could find a better car, buy it? He did.

    Gary
     
  9. Greenblade
    Joined: Sep 28, 2020
    Posts: 554

    Greenblade
    Member

    There was a '59 Rambler wagon at the counts car show this year. Cool hot rod 20220217_144401.jpg 20220217_144457.jpg 20220217_144520.jpg 20220217_181334.jpg 20220217_181352.jpg
     
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  10. Had an OT 68 AMX and a 69 Rambler Scrambler. Two of the best cars I ever owned. A lot of Camaros, Mustangs, Firebirds, and Cudas got a great view of my taillights. Lot of stop light races won just by showing up. Only thing I did to them was headers and Motor Flys on all four corners. They didn't need anything else.
     
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  11. upload_2022-3-10_16-17-41.jpeg
    65 wagon I owned a couple years ago...
     
  12. Greenblade
    Joined: Sep 28, 2020
    Posts: 554

    Greenblade
    Member

    I was talking with my manager the other day about her old Rambler. She believes she had a 62. She said the remembered the push button gearshift fondly.
    I thought it was neat that a thing like that existed back in the day. I wonder what most people thought of it.
     
  13. farna
    Joined: Jul 8, 2005
    Posts: 1,282

    farna
    Member

    Chrysler and Edsel also used a push-button shifter for auto trannys in the late 50s. It was a fad that lasted 3-4 years. Edsel was the only one with the shifter in the center of the steering wheel. Talk about overly complicated!
     
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  14. jetnow1
    Joined: Jan 30, 2008
    Posts: 2,152

    jetnow1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from CT
    1. A-D Truckers

    While in high school was working at an Esso Service Station. Asked the mechanic for his advice on what first car to get. He said a Rambler 6 cyl was the toughest 6 made due to the number on main bearings. Thought about getting one
    then his sisters 59 got towed in with the front suspension hanging off. No Rambler for me!
     
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  15. farna
    Joined: Jul 8, 2005
    Posts: 1,282

    farna
    Member

    The front suspension troubles are mostly a myth. I've had one pull the steering knuckle out of the lower trunnion, which is generally what happens when a wheel collapses, but it's extremely rare! Not only that, but it's not a design issue -- it's maintenance, or rather lack thereof. Only happens to pre 63 big cars, pre 64 Americans (63 and 64 AMCs replaced the lower trunnion with a ball joint, just kept the upper trunnion until 1970). The steering knuckle rides on a threaded pin at the bottom that screws into the trunnion body. Standard 5/8" coarse threads. There's no weight carried by the lower trunnion, spring is up on top of the steering knuckle. Just grease it once a year and it will last virtually forever! DON'T grease it for 4-5+ years/40-50K+ miles and you might be able to wear the threads down to the point the knuckle will pull out on a big bump. How long do you have to turn a dry 5/8" nut on a bolt before it wears to the point the nut will pull off? THAT'S what happens! It's plain abuse. From the mid 60s to the 70s late 50s and early to mid 60s Ramblers were cheap used cars with little value. So people neglected them and drove them until something fell off... Even ball joints don't take that kind of abuse!!
     
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  16. I am not sure I have ever owned a Rambler. I asked the *missus and she does not remember me owning one.

    My Aunt Lila owned a '59 wagon about forever. 6 cylinder 3 on the tree. Not sure I can tell the story on the HAMB as we are a family message board but I was 12 and the young lady had red hair.
     
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  17. wheeldog57
    Joined: Dec 6, 2013
    Posts: 3,181

    wheeldog57
    Member

    Shit, even Joe Dirt's parents had one!!!
     
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  18. rusty rocket
    Joined: Oct 30, 2011
    Posts: 5,053

    rusty rocket
    Member

    Ohhh you man man whore!
     
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  19. Super88
    Joined: Nov 21, 2001
    Posts: 395

    Super88
    Member

  20. Hells ya Beaner, nothin like gettin a red head bedded down in a bed in a bathtub !!! YOUDAMAN. Mitch
     
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  21. My first car was a 65 Rambler I bought for $1. I scrimped and saved and did the brakes, put coilover shocks in it, and replaced the wimpy control arms that ran from the rear end to the tranny collar with thick wall boiler tubing. I subjected that poor car to hell. I think 17 was the record for people stuffed in it. I learned a bit about body work and patched up the holes and dents and got an old fellow here to spray it. He painted it and had it sitting out in the sun behind his shop to cure in the sun. Bad thing was, thiugh, this was the day after Mt. St. Helens blew her top, and about halfway through the sunbake was when the ash cloud blew through. I never could get a good shine on any of the flat surfaces. After that I had a 67 Rebel convertible, and a couple of newer ones. I still wouldn't hesitate to own another..
     
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  22. Greenblade
    Joined: Sep 28, 2020
    Posts: 554

    Greenblade
    Member

    Having a craving for some more Rambler stories if you got em.
    I had to put away my Rambler for the season and I miss it already.
     
  23. farna
    Joined: Jul 8, 2005
    Posts: 1,282

    farna
    Member

    Best thing about the south east is we don't really have a "season"! Just had mine out for the last cruise-in of the year though. The club that sponsors the local cruise-in runs them March (or is it April?) through October, ending with the time change. The one that sponsors a morning cars-n-coffee goes through November, not sure if they do a December show. Once a month, both on 2nd Saturday. If the afternoon cruise-in has a November showing they do it earlier (due to time change) -- I went to both this past Saturday (Nov 12) but no one was at the afternoon show at the regular time. It was already dark about 5:30, so they may have done it earlier. I drive my car in the rain and dark... everything works, and I'm not scared to drive it!!
     
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  24. 62rebel
    Joined: Sep 1, 2008
    Posts: 3,232

    62rebel
    Member

    Had a '65 Classic with the 238; paid $600 for it, it had a stuck valve and one door hanging off the hinge. Pulled the head, replaced the valve, put Duraspark ignition on it and rebuilt the door. Patched up a leaky cowl and replaced the fuel tank; she would fire right up and yard drive, but never could get the missus convinced to ride in it. Eventually gave up on the car and sold it on. Should have given up on the missus and KEPT the Rambler.
     
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  25. coilover
    Joined: Apr 19, 2007
    Posts: 696

    coilover
    Member
    from Texas

    Wife had a 60 Ambassador that drove good and rode good but did not have a-c which is a deal killer in Texas. The elderly couple that managed the apartments In lived in gave me a 401ci AMX for helping them with heavy chores but I never moved it with me when I moved from that apartment. DUMB!
     
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  26. Greenblade
    Joined: Sep 28, 2020
    Posts: 554

    Greenblade
    Member

    Must be nice to be able to drive year round. We get too much snow and ice up here. It gives us a good handful of months to work on stuff in the garage though, so at least it's not time wasted.
     
  27. Greenblade
    Joined: Sep 28, 2020
    Posts: 554

    Greenblade
    Member

    Aw man, AMXs are cool. One of my dream cars for sure
     
  28. Illustrious Hector
    Joined: Jun 15, 2020
    Posts: 452

    Illustrious Hector
    Member

    My father was a cheapskate, so used 6 cyl. Ramblers for under a hundred bucks in the early '60s was the bill of fare in our house. The '62 we had was stolen from in front of the house as he would leave the keys in everything. The thief only made it 2 blocks as it had a worn shift mechanism preventing him from hitting 2nd. Dad bought a new 770 4dr in '68. 7 main bearings! and a radio. The trans cratered just outside Kalispell, stuck for 3 days.He wound it out once in Eastern Montana, 0 to 100 mph in 16 minutes on flat or down hill terrain. They were ugly and slow, fold down seats were their only redeeming feature
     
  29. Los_Control
    Joined: Oct 7, 2016
    Posts: 1,125

    Los_Control
    Member
    from TX

    1963 4 door bathtub. I was 15 & bought it from a lady on my paper route for $65.
    The clutch was completely worn out & would not drive.
    Enclosed drive line, was a real pita for a 15 year old to do their first clutch swap.

    I had problems understanding how to change the throw out bearing .... I left the old one in place.
    Was the first car I could legally drive, it was a great running car with a noisy throw out bearing.
     
  30. Cosmo49
    Joined: Jan 15, 2007
    Posts: 1,551

    Cosmo49
    Member

    Well I never took to ramblin' 'til I turned 21
    Then I took a notion to make it on the run
    Feelin' the blues in the bottom of my shoes
    Didn't I know this 'ol ramblin's good news

    Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2022

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