Bought a 1964 Rambler American 330. I need another project like a hole in the head, but I thought this was to cool to pass up. In fact I tried buying this car two other times and the seller backed out both times. As they say the third time is the charm and it came home with me. Luckily the guys brother in law drives a tow truck so he pulled it onto the tow truck where it was in the back yard. Drove it around front and slid it from the tow truck onto my car trailer. Made things very easy.
I can’t believe how solid this car is underneath for how long it has been sitting. It needs no floor pan repair at all, worst areas are passenger front door and the lowers behind the rear wheel. It has some dents but they should be pretty easy to straighten out. Motor is gone but transmission and driveshaft are there but it is all getting replaced anyway. My tentative plan is a 3800 supercharged engine with an auto transmission and air conditioning to make a cruiser.
Here are some pictures of the night I got it and how it looked from sitting outside so long. Spent today with the pressure washer and got it cleaned up. Interior needs to be pulled and a good cleaning inside but ran out of steam today.
-- Edited by 67ss on Saturday 26th of September 2020 08:21:27 PM
-- Edited by 67ss on Saturday 26th of September 2020 08:22:02 PM
-- Edited by 67ss on Saturday 26th of September 2020 08:24:14 PM
Many people would walk by a solid car because it wasn't a Chevelle or GTO, etc. You are the one that is going to put the time into it and if that is the one that appeals to you I say go for it! I hope you can find the parts that may be needed during the restoration journey but I am sure you have that all planned out or you would not have pulled the trigger on it.
OscarZ said
Sep 27, 2020
Very cool! Cleaned up nicely!
Larry Lucast said
Sep 27, 2020
I like it! That will turn into a great driver.
67ss said
Sep 27, 2020
Jon H wrote:
Many people would walk by a solid car because it wasn't a Chevelle or GTO, etc. You are the one that is going to put the time into it and if that is the one that appeals to you I say go for it! I hope you can find the parts that may be needed during the restoration journey but I am sure you have that all planned out or you would not have pulled the trigger on it.
I like that fact that it is different and not something you see at every car show. You are correct some parts are going to be tough to find but I‘m not in a hurry. Plus with the internet it Is easier to put the word out if you are looking for something. Though my wife will still probably give me an eye roll every time she sees it come out of the shed.
Lost in the 60s said
Sep 27, 2020
Wow, that really did clean up good !!
The blower 3800 will make a good engine and fit in the bay well too.
What models had that with rear wheel drive, or are you going to convert it fwd too ??
67ss said
Sep 27, 2020
Lost in the 60s wrote:
Wow, that really did clean up good !!
The blower 3800 will make a good engine and fit in the bay well too. What models had that with rear wheel drive, or are you going to convert it fwd too ??
Using a FWD engine and making it RWD. I have a few things to figure out with it but I have seen it done on other cars. I have the engine sitting under a bench and also have a 700r4 out of a v6 camaro that should bolt to the 3800.
more ambition than brains said
Sep 27, 2020
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Rambler American wagon was pretty limited in production.
Kind of a box with the corners shaved off, and some scallops to make it interesting.
Does the Unit Body make it easier or more difficult to freshen the drivetrain? The parts difficulties just add to the joy of the HUNT!
Interesting drivetrain choice, should be fun.
Back "in the day" I always thought they looked like a Chevy Nova and a Dodge Polara were allowed to mate.
Glad you have the "vision" otherwise it would just disappear.
Karl
BLyke said
Sep 28, 2020
Looks like good project and shows how much a good clean up can do for the looks
67ss said
Sep 28, 2020
more ambition than brains wrote:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Rambler American wagon was pretty limited in production.
Kind of a box with the corners shaved off, and some scallops to make it interesting.
Does the Unit Body make it easier or more difficult to freshen the drivetrain? The parts difficulties just add to the joy of the HUNT!
Interesting drivetrain choice, should be fun.
Back "in the day" I always thought they looked like a Chevy Nova and a Dodge Polara were allowed to mate.
Glad you have the "vision" otherwise it would just disappear.
Karl
I Agree on the polara/nova look, I also think the front end is similar to a dart of the same vintage.
It has a bolt in cross member that holds the lower control arm mounts and is what the engine mounts bolt to as well. I don’t think it should be any big deal to make mounts to sit on that crossmember.
It just seemed to clean and complete to not do something with it.
jim larson said
Sep 28, 2020
Nice find. I think there is a MN Rambler Club, I always run into a former student at the fairgrounds who lives up near fargo that has a pretty nice original rambler; but its not a wagon. If I recall I think I saw about 8 of those ramblers from different years sitting out in a pasture behind a grove of trees that I use to hunt near Redfield, SD only visible from the air or if your on foot.
Lost in the 60s said
Sep 28, 2020
67ss wrote:
Using a FWD engine and making it RWD. I have a few things to figure out with it but I have seen it done on other cars. I have the engine sitting under a bench and also have a 700r4 out of a v6 camaro that should bolt to the 3800.
Hmmm... seems it may be easier to use a RWD engine and put the huffer parts on it ?? Or are the internals too different too ?
-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Monday 28th of September 2020 08:26:06 PM
67ss said
Sep 29, 2020
Lost in the 60s wrote:
67ss wrote:
Using a FWD engine and making it RWD. I have a few things to figure out with it but I have seen it done on other cars. I have the engine sitting under a bench and also have a 700r4 out of a v6 camaro that should bolt to the 3800.
Hmmm... seems it may be easier to use a RWD engine and put the huffer parts on it ?? Or are the internals too different too ?
-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Monday 28th of September 2020 08:26:06 PM
Everything I have read seems to indicate the Fwd and Rwe blocks are the same on the later 3800. I know the heads are different on the supercharged motors and I need all the front drive from the Fwd motor to run the supercharger. The couple things I need to work out is the upper radiator hose will be at the back of the engine and getting some kind of 90 degree turn off the supercharger as it will also be pointing at the firewall.
Lost in the 60s said
Oct 1, 2020
Yup, you made a lot more work for yourself... welcome to the multi-car project club...
Bought a 1964 Rambler American 330. I need another project like a hole in the head, but I thought this was to cool to pass up. In fact I tried buying this car two other times and the seller backed out both times. As they say the third time is the charm and it came home with me. Luckily the guys brother in law drives a tow truck so he pulled it onto the tow truck where it was in the back yard. Drove it around front and slid it from the tow truck onto my car trailer. Made things very easy.
I can’t believe how solid this car is underneath for how long it has been sitting. It needs no floor pan repair at all, worst areas are passenger front door and the lowers behind the rear wheel. It has some dents but they should be pretty easy to straighten out. Motor is gone but transmission and driveshaft are there but it is all getting replaced anyway. My tentative plan is a 3800 supercharged engine with an auto transmission and air conditioning to make a cruiser.
Here are some pictures of the night I got it and how it looked from sitting outside so long. Spent today with the pressure washer and got it cleaned up. Interior needs to be pulled and a good cleaning inside but ran out of steam today.
-- Edited by 67ss on Saturday 26th of September 2020 08:21:27 PM
-- Edited by 67ss on Saturday 26th of September 2020 08:22:02 PM
-- Edited by 67ss on Saturday 26th of September 2020 08:24:14 PM
Very cool! Cleaned up nicely!
I like that fact that it is different and not something you see at every car show. You are correct some parts are going to be tough to find but I‘m not in a hurry. Plus with the internet it Is easier to put the word out if you are looking for something. Though my wife will still probably give me an eye roll every time she sees it come out of the shed.
The blower 3800 will make a good engine and fit in the bay well too.
What models had that with rear wheel drive, or are you going to convert it fwd too ??
Using a FWD engine and making it RWD. I have a few things to figure out with it but I have seen it done on other cars. I have the engine sitting under a bench and also have a 700r4 out of a v6 camaro that should bolt to the 3800.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The Rambler American wagon was pretty limited in production.
Kind of a box with the corners shaved off, and some scallops to make it interesting.
Does the Unit Body make it easier or more difficult to freshen the drivetrain?
The parts difficulties just add to the joy of the HUNT!
Interesting drivetrain choice, should be fun.
Back "in the day" I always thought they looked like a Chevy Nova and a Dodge Polara were allowed to mate.
Glad you have the "vision" otherwise it would just disappear.
Karl
I Agree on the polara/nova look, I also think the front end is similar to a dart of the same vintage.
It has a bolt in cross member that holds the lower control arm mounts and is what the engine mounts bolt to as well. I don’t think it should be any big deal to make mounts to sit on that crossmember.
It just seemed to clean and complete to not do something with it.
Nice find. I think there is a MN Rambler Club, I always run into a former student at the fairgrounds who lives up near fargo that has a pretty nice original rambler; but its not a wagon. If I recall I think I saw about 8 of those ramblers from different years sitting out in a pasture behind a grove of trees that I use to hunt near Redfield, SD only visible from the air or if your on foot.
Hmmm... seems it may be easier to use a RWD engine and put the huffer parts on it ?? Or are the internals too different too ?
-- Edited by Lost in the 60s on Monday 28th of September 2020 08:26:06 PM
Everything I have read seems to indicate the Fwd and Rwe blocks are the same on the later 3800. I know the heads are different on the supercharged motors and I need all the front drive from the Fwd motor to run the supercharger. The couple things I need to work out is the upper radiator hose will be at the back of the engine and getting some kind of 90 degree turn off the supercharger as it will also be pointing at the firewall.
Yup, you made a lot more work for yourself... welcome to the multi-car project club...
Hey, maybe can start a new acronym.. MCPC Club...