MY Dad is an Engineer. Mom was a banker until she got into real estate. Grand-dad was a plumbing salesman. I can't think of anyone in my family who has ever owned a car more than five years old, or even owns a full set of wrenches. I, on the other hand, have always owned cars NO NEWER than '71. I'd pick them up for a few hundred bucks, dump in a few thousand, and spend every waking hour removing that pesky layer of skin from my hands. Bought my first classic shortly before my 15th birthday. I don't know where I got my love of classic cars, or how my obsession grew, but just once I wish MY Dad would have said, "Hey we should go find a (insert make/model) and see how fast we can make it go..." Instead, I got to catch the looks my Dad would shoot me on the way from the driveway to the front door, almost as if he was saying "I wish you would get that piece of shit out of my driveway..." Count yourself lucky. I don't give a flying fuck if your old man wants to wrap the car in whale skin and upholster it in baby seal, and strap a JATO rocket to the rear deck lid. He's a car guy, and he's invited you to be a part of the project. If he tells you he wants to add a third axle and make it steer with a joystick from your old Nintendo, you smile and say "OK Dad. I'l go get the torch filled. Need a beer?" You have something not everyone gets to have. Support. And a knowledgeable set of hands to help YOU do whatever YOU want, too. So cut him a break. Put your opinions in check, and go spend some QT with your Dad, and if you're lucky, your son will think YOU'RE crazy someday, too.
I like it. We need more "Nashs" here. My old man was a mechanic and taught me most of what I know. Unfortunally he didnt share my passion for hot rods or classic cars. He berated and ignored everyone I ever had. Didnt want anything to do with them. Hes gone now. I wish he were still here to ignore & berate my cars.
I think the crazy one....is me, I spent another morning reading this and your model A build and video's. Good job on your build though, no your dad isn't crazy, I'm the same age and I do the same crap....oh wait I just said I was crazy
Since it's your old man's car he can do anything he wants to it. If his goal is to make as much money as possible on it he should probably just leave it like it is, or concentrate on the interior.
I like everything bu the scoop, but the scoop isn't bad. Reminds me of the old Mopar scoops. Something more rounded would suit the body better, maybe just a big blister like the early 60s Ford drag cars. The wheels need some more inset so the tires will squat in the wheel wells too. The Twin-Stick was a three speed with OD, and was fun, but not a real fast shifter like a modern three speed. The trans wasn't a "standard" three speed. It was in a sense, but there was a huge gap between 2nd and 3rd. Lock OD out (with the second shifter -- OD is either "in" or "out", you don't shift into/out of OD with that lever, the OD was automatic, shifted with an electric solenoid) and shift normally from 2nd to 3rd and the car would seem to almost die -- like skipping 3rd gear with a four speed. You didn't really need to use the kick-down button to down-shift all the time, there was a vacuum switch that dropped it out of OD under certain conditions. I was mistaken in saying the button had to be used before -- I recently had to look over the control circuits helping someone get theirs working again and "found" the vacuum switch in the kick-down circuit. Shifting was like this -- start in 1st, normal shift to 2nd, momentarily let off gas so it would go into OD -- 2+OD is 3rd. Once up to shifting speed again shift normally into 3rd. The OD will drop out while you shift (vacuum switch does this!), and 3rd is the 4th forward speed. Momentarily let off the gas and the OD will slip in for 5th gear. For drag racing you'd want to lock the OD out. If you let the gas pedal up and tromp on it just as the OD is slipping in (do it TOO fast) and you could blow the planetary gearset (one of the small planetary shafts would break and jam the gearset inside the drum gear -- no OD, just a plain old three speed after that, until the drum and planetary set were replaced). With the TS that's a problem unless you've done all you're going to do in second gear, as the car would fall flat when shifting into regular third gear due to the bug jump. Might be great for today's 1/8 mile strip though. The standard OD as better for drag racing. Lock it out with the under dash handle for drag raing, push handle in for the cruise home and better gas mileage. Dell-Kraft Rambler was a big California dealer, and one of the first to promote performance with Ramblers. In the early 60s Rambler was touted more as a practical car, and performance was down-played (though there was some there if you ordered the right car!). Kraft may be the main force that sold AMC on the fact that performance could help them sell cars. Kraft even bored and stroked an AMC 327 (made well before Chevy's!) out to 418 inches, and even installed it in the smaller American body (http://jubileejeeps.org/327/418.htm). They ran a Marlin in later years, but stuck a hemi in it with a fiberglass flip-up front end.
Hey, NotNuRods; I think a slightly later AMC scoop would look better - like, say - the ~66 S/CRambler. I'm also less-than-impressed (enthused) w/the tail-draggin look. I get why, just don't like it, as it reminds me of a dog draggin' his butt, trying to get rid of worms. I'd also like to see the TwinStick retained. I passed up a ~65 American, w/that option. It turned out to be a Hurst Spl. I wish I hadn't. Nothing spl on the engine or suspension. But, like yours, bucket seats, console + TwinStick, + a very small emblem. Very neat car. If you don't want that TwinStick pkg stuff, PM me. I think it's neat. I do like the car, & think it looks good in white. Won't see yourself on every street corner in that. The 327 is a very good engine, & you could make some $$ on betting the Chevy dupes that don't have a clue, as to when the 1st 327 came out - & whos'. . Marcus...
Not a "Hurst" special. The "440H" was the top of the line American model before the Rogue came out, but the "H" didn't stand for "Hurst". The Hurst specials didn't come out in any make until the later 60s, for AMC it was the SC/Rambler, which had Hurst badges, but no "H" in the model name. Other makes used an "H" in the model name in the late 60s/early 70s to indicate Hurst equipment, AMC didn't. It's a common misconception because people like Olds used the H to indicate Hurst. To make the Twin-Stick work you need the special relay and vacuum switch. Well, it CAN be made to work without those, but you have to be careful how you shift (like use the kick-down button between 2+OD and 3rd). The shifter can be used with the standard three speed OD as well. Best thing to do if doing that is not to use the shifter mounted kick-down button, just use the standard accelerator linkage button. Then you have a standard three speed shifter and replace the under dash handle with the floor mounted OD handle. I know a guy who used it with a T-10 four speed. He used the three speed shifter for the four forward gears. Would put it in neutral to back up -- had reverse connected to the OD shift lever! It worked, but most wouldn't know how to back up in that car! That only works with an old style side shift four speed (three shift levers on the trans).
I dig it the way it is, just fix the rust/paint-clean and drive. should haul butt with a 327- AMC or otherwise.
Bingo! My Dad, along with a few other carefully placed major influences, combined to make me the car junkie I am now. But your right, your wheels and tires look waaayyyyy better than Weld wheels and a bunch of lettering might.
Heck , I like it ! I have owned some AMC's over the years and were some pretty peppy cars to say the least . As far as that console set up goes , I don't think there were too many of those made . Actually when I was a teen getting my drivers license I drove a 65 Mustang with 289 and 3 on the floor . It was my best friends car so we went to get my license . I passed the written test with 100% and now went in line to take my driving test . I went to pull up for the State Trooper to get into the car and the damn brake peddle hit the floor ! What happened was the exhaust pipe came loose and melted the rear brake lone . I was pissed . The Trooper said he would wait till 5pm when they closed in case I found a car to use . So my Grandmother lived across the road about a mile away . We ran over and asked to borrow her car because of what happened . She said yes and off we went . I couldn't even drive the car back over because the DMV had my learners permit . So we got there about 10 mins till 5pm . The Trooper was waiting for us like he said he would be . I was the only one there because of how late it was . Well I got into the car and off we went . I did everything just fine and parallel park and did it perfect on the first try ! Well I got around to the end and the Trooper said congratulations , you got your license ! I said thank you so very much for waiting for me . BTW , the car was a 1964 Rambler Ambassador , gray 4 door . What a way to get your license during the muscle car years ! That was in 1973 . I though it was a kool story to tell about the Ramblers , Ambassadress and AMC cars that was always Grandma's cars ! Retro Jim
Hell's bells- I'd give anything to spend another 10 minutes with my dad- he died 3 years ago. So enjoy your dad's coolness and creativity while you have have him!!
Hey, Farna; Just going by what I saw & was told. I only spent a half a day w/the car, trying to decide if it was going to be my next daily driver. Too many things too do yet on it, so I passed. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't. Still, from what I remember, it was the late-model American, middleish-later type. Anyways, it had a little six, w/the 3sdOD. Oddly enough, it had a Hurst shifter, & I seem to remember being amazed at the 2nd shifter being a Hurts shifter, also. At the time, I didn't know about any Hurst spls @ AMC, but not would've surprised me then, or now. Either way, it was just a very neat deal. Well thought out & executed nicely. + attractive. If you have some more info on how to create the TS, I'd appreciate it. I'm familiar w/the 3sdOD from my Studes. TIA. Marcus...
I wasn't intending to rag on ya, hope ya didn't take it that way! I'm just a real knowledgeable Rambler guy and like to correct those little things because they get spread around so much people believe them. I know nothing is meant by repeating what was told, fuzzy memory, etc. -- it even happens to me sometimes when I try to quote some little detail from memory and don't check my books first. I got all kinds of Rambler/AMC books, even written a couple myself! Someone stuck those Hurst shifters in there, or they just put Hurst knobs on the originals. Happens all the time, hope I didn't offend with the corrections! The Twin-Stick was rather creative and nicely executed, just took a little getting used to. No one wants to learn specific... quirks?... of a car anymore, they just want to get in and drive! The only ones willing to tolerate any little idiosyncrasies are the ones who spend $100K+ on things like Lamborghini's, Ferrari's and the like.
leave the rust put a 4 barrel carb on it dual porters or cherry bomb glass packs... no flow masters letter it up for some defunct rambler dealer hang some ladder bars under it raise the front lower the rear and HAVE A BLAST WITH IT!!!
My son didn't see what I saw when I started my '46 Austin project either. He said "It looks like a London cab!" Now that it's done he gets it.
Call me weird but i LOVE the look of that car. Nothin like having an obscure ride to dust the followers with. : )
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