Event Coverage The Rambler Adventure-Up The River

Cool job Jim!! That ugly bastard is really growing on me. Wouldn’t mind owning owning it one of these days.

 

Hey @41 GMC K-18 ... thanks for the flashback! We sold a ton that same brand of 'reclaimed' oil in my Parent's Mom & Pop grocery store/gas station '50s and '60s. Also had it in the island bulk tank for single quarts. That's back in the day when the middle of all roads (and parking spaces) had a 1/4" thick black trail from drips and draft tubes!

 

Attitude is everything. "don't worry, be happy!"

 

4 jugs of oil...... now THAT'S traditional!!!

 

Great job bud! Thanks for the ride.

 

Well done, how very well done!

 

What will happen to the Rambler now?

 

@squirrel
I too am wondering what, the fate of this cool " SUPER RAMBLER " will be ?
I had to go back a few pages to zoom in and look the car over.

Sure its rusty, and only you know just how rusty or rotten the rocker panels are and the entire car in general, but it appears to have all of the glass, the body seems to be straight, and overall, it doesn't seem to be beat all to hell.

I would love to see it sold to some kid, like Silas who has a cool mechanically minded dad like
@guthriesmith , that they as a team, could put a bit of money and time into the car and keep it alive and rolling down the road.

I mean, really, its a cool tail fin car, that is a 4 door, that has demonstrated, that it wants to live !
Everyone's mileage and results may vary !

 

Congratulations Jim , your trips are an inspiration to all of us !

 

thanks guys!

The car is pretty nice, but has a few problems. The big one is the rust. It's a unibody, and the floor/frame structure in the "drivers foot" area (but on both sides) is pretty bad. It's still solid enough, but needs metal replaced. I put in one piece just to keep the rain water from soaking my feet on the trip. The back of the car is still pretty good, there's some rust at the back of the rocker, it's a bit crunchy when you set it on jack stands back there.

If I hang on to it, I'll replace the rings, and anything else in the engine that looks worn out. But it runs great and is quiet, so it might not need any bearings, etc.

I need to replace the other rear wheel bearing, as well as new seals on both sides.

But if you're serious about buying it, let me know, I'll sell it. Just not sure how much money I want to lose on it, yet.

There's another Rally in November that looks really fun, starts in New Orleans, follows the river up to it's start north of St. Paul. Very close to where I was born, my aunts/uncles/cousins live up there still.

 

@squirrel
Now that is truly amazing, at just how rusty that rambler, really is !
I will say that my appreciation level, of what you accomplished on this particular LEMONS rally, has gone up a few points indeed !
The car is still very cool, but you were not kidding when you stated that the car is a rust bucket !
Still, with all things considered, that old RAMBLER performed very well, but who ever buys it, if its sold, definitely has their work cut out for them, to deal with the rust !

 

This was a fun thread to read through. I always love to see ramblers kicking around. Despite the rust I'm sure someone want to save it.

 

Here's a 59 wagon I saw at a car show awhile back;

 

In the Midwest we call that "seasoned" not rusty !

 

Yeah, it's a nice solid car in Michigan or Wisconsin.

 

Back in the 1960s we had a neighbor that only owned Ramblers.. I was young , but remember dad saying "yeah he has a shat load of them to keep one that may run".

 

numbers...20 mpg, 40:1 fuel to oil ratio. The Saab was running 60:1

 

Well done and sounded fun. That early oil consumption just means that you finally bedded in the original rings so it used less later on.

 

Had a 59 sta wag same color, automatic. Family car in 63.

Thanks,

jim

 

Car may be rusty but I'll bet the oil is clean.

 

It's getting dark now....this is the drippings after I got home and it sat for a day or so

 

Is that oil coming from the road draft tube? If so you need to re-route it so the oil mist sprays back on the undercarriage and slows down the rust.

 

Back in the early 70' s we were heading back to SoCal after visiting relatives in Indy. Going thru Missouri at a gas stop this old early 60' s Rambler American pulled in. He got out and opened the hood, steam coming from radiator. He set the pump to fill up with gas, opened the trunk and got 3 qts. of oil out and dumped it in the motor.... Never pulled the dip stick. Pulled the radiator cap and added water. He closed the hood, payed for his gas, got in the car and left.

Somewhere in Oklahoma, same deal. Not sure where we passed him but we did. He added oil, gas and water and left again.

Same thing in New Mexico. Last we saw him was in Needles. Still plugging away! Funniest thing I ever remember on a long trip.

 

The oil dipstick is attached to the breather cap...pull out the cap to add oil, and the dipstick tells you how much you need. It has two quarts of LOW, like a lot of older cars, so you could run it down to the second quart line and add two quarts, and all was well. I've had a few like that, the LaSalle, Hudson, and Wedge all had the same feature, and I often added two quarts at a time to all of them.

It's leaking out the front of the engine, and it's blowing all over the right side of the "frame", but not where the rust is concentrated behind the front wheels, unfortunately.

 

That ought to get you on Exxon/Mobile's Christmas card list!

 

I'm thinking about pulling the motor and taking it apart soon, to change the rings and gaskets....

 

So burning that much oil and holes in the floor were you breathing fumes? How was the exhaust smoke?

 

No fume issue. I did notice a "hot" smell when climbing hills, my guess is the exhaust manifold gets pretty hot and I smelled that. I had the windows closed some mornings when it was cold out, and all open most of the time.

 

Very cool @squirrel , that the intrepid " RAMBLER SUPER " is going to live and possibly find a new home and new adventures!

 

Interesting... I just sorta figured the Rambler would roll out the door to Craigs List. Will be curious if you take the engine out and see what it looks like for wear inside. Twin carbs... Split exhaust manifold ?