just got this thing for pretty cheap yesterday. 1962 Rambler American. plans are straight axle and healthy dose of V8. the floors are rotten but everything else is very solid. if anyone is interested in the drivetrain, let me know. this thing purrs like a kitten and 3 on the tree shifts smooth. would be great for a small rod or a modified. it won't be yanked out anytime soon, so you'll even be able to hear it run. found these photo shop hacks here on the HAMB.
Just weld in subframe connectors before you replace the floor, makes them very strong, did that to my rambler and it doesent twist, anymore.
Here was a similar "look" at a show in South Dakota, looks like it was set to run fast with evil intentions towards the bowtie and oval crowd.
hahaha! everyone keeps telling me to leave it pink! you got any extra gasser type parts laying around for me Ron?
Nothin brother. I'm all tapped out with that 35 Ford, my van, and the Model T. Leave it pink. We'll call it the pink missile.
Irritant, the 58-63 Americans are mechanically the same, most of the body structure is too. Only difference in the stripped unit body is the firewall and dash. All the exterior sheetmetal, including the roof, are different and it's hard to tell that the 61-63 are just a re-skinned 58-60, but it's true! Look at the side glass area real close and you can tell the window frames are the same. Rear glass is different due to the different roof, but windshields and side glass will interchange. You don't need subframe connectors on pre 64 Ramblers because they don't use subframes. There is a continuous bumper to bumper rail on each side welded into the floor structure. The little Rambler body is one stiff puppy! You might want to add a crossmember or two, but if you use a six point roll cage that's all you need. The rails will be strong enough to hold a leaf spring or coil over suspended straight axle if you add an under engine crossmember. You'll need that to mount a late model V-8 anyway. The rails are only 27" apart in front. One of the universal crossmember engine mounts for an early model car/truck should fit. I'd cut everything above the frame rails off and weld in tubular bracing to the firewall, maybe tie it in with the roll cage. That will give you plenty of room for a V-8 and plenty strength too. That little flat-head six weighs just over 500 lbs -- about 40 pounds shy of a small block Chevy!
after a day of splitting wood, trimming trees and hauling off branches and twigs, i decided to head into the garage for a short bit. i removed the hood, then the hinges, then the headlights and rings. not much, but at least i got a little start. as you can see, space is at a premium in my garage. if anyone needs a good running inline six drivetrain for a modified or track roadster or whatever, i have one! it's for sale. here's a little video of it running.
i noticed that rail tonight when i was under the car. it definitely changes the plans undeneath the car. i'm still going to weld cross bracing under the car as well as some bracing front to rear.
What you need is the convertible bracing. It was a pair of straight sections from where the rails spread out under the floor and X bracing from corner to corner of the passenger floor area. It was just sheet metal U channels about 2" wide with about a 1/4" lip at the tops of the U bent outward so it could be spot welded underneath. The X stopped short of the dirveshaft tunnel (makes a great driveshaft loop!). The ends were reinforced (and boxed over) with a flat metal plate joining them over the driveshaft. A picture is worth 1000 words:
I like the raked look. It doesn't look right to me with the roof lower in the back. The roofline and pillars suggest it being hunkered down in front. Pink Flamingo.
I had a red one [63] at the 1st HAMB drags....photo shopped it to see what it'd look like as a Ramb-chero...I think it'd be cool.
so i decided to resurrect this thread from the dead. after sitting on this thing for about a year and doing absolutely nothing to it, i think we may finally be underway. with the fact that i don't have the room, skills or equipment to actually build this car, not to mention i'm going in for shoulder surgery on the 14th of this month, i struck a deal with a friend who builds cars for a living. i gave him my motorcycle in trade for doing all the work on the car. it's at his shop right now waiting for him to finish some other stuff up so he can get the car in and get started on it. in the meantime i've been collecting parts for the build. i still have the smooth as silk running drivetrain from this car. i fired it up less than a month ago to drive it up onto the car trailer to take it to the shop. if nobody buys it from me, i guess i'll use it for a HAMB drags rail project or something. it will be getting a 460/C6 and 8.8 trac-loc rear from a Mustang GT. rear end..... some wheels and tires.... seats. don't know what they are out of. general consensus seems to be MG..... the wheels i'll be running 99% of the time.... still need to get my front axle, but i should have that squared away this week. i'll try to keep this somewhat updated.....
picked this up the other day. 2001 cherokee axle. complete with good rotors, calipers and steering crap for $150. rotors will need to be cleaned up, but they aren't gouged or anything.
Hmm... the 2WD Jeep axle will be interesting! Keeps it AMC related too. Trade that 460 boat anchor for a nice AMC 360... make it real interesting!
i'd love to put an AMC engine int it, but the 460 is what i have, and what little $ i have needs to buy other things besides an engine. find someone to swap me a good running 360 or 401 and trans for this 460 and i'll put an AMC in it! who knows maybe down the road somewhere i'll find one to drop in it.
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