1963 Rambler gets a new... Everything

In reply to stuart in mn :

I never would have guessed that was factory. It’s kind of cool

If I repaint the car and tone down the exterior, I’m definitely going to do accents like that. I’ll do some plaid inserts in the seats too. If I don’t repaint I’m not going to do these accents. I don’t want to make it overwhelming. Although I may have crossed that line already.

Hey!  Just joined the site after running across your post linked elsewhere.  Your car looks really familiar... I'm wondering if we've talked about it before.  Especially since we went down a similar path with the C4 suspension and new EVERYTHING. Though mine is a 1964 and went more the route of a drag car.  I really want to put a Rambler deep into the 8s

Here's a pic showing the c4 suspension in mine.  I have tons more, and a couple build threads on FB, YouTube, AMCForums, etc if you get interested.  Looking forward to following yours!  My Rambler is a bit dormant at the moment due to weather and half a dozen other more pressing projects.

In reply to timberwolffxdl :

Hell yea! I read your whole thread on the AMCforum. I saw how you did the C4 front suspension. Your car made me decide to do the C4 front and rear. I've been watching your thread on the rambler forum waiting for an update. From the picture you just posted it looks like your cage is coming along. 

You're going for LS power right?

aselmike said:

In reply to timberwolffxdl :

Hell yea! I read your whole thread on the AMCforum. I saw how you did the C4 front suspension. Your car made me decide to do the C4 front and rear. I've been watching your thread on the rambler forum waiting for an update. From the picture you just posted it looks like your cage is coming along. 

 

You're going for LS power right?

Yes sir, at least that's been the plan from the beginning.  Anything is still possible at this point though :)

The cage is 80% complete at this point.  Just needs the rear X bars and some provisions for mounting seats and steering column mainly.

Not the greatest shot but gives an idea I suppose:

The car has actually been sitting since mid summer.  A few short turnaround projects came through, and I think I have 5 others in progress that are all a big closer to being finished than the Rambler.  It's in cold storage at the moment while my 77 K20 shortbox is about to come back from paint, the 56 F100 is getting  Crown Vic front end (after already having received an SBC and T56, backed by an explorer 8.8 rear. The 65 Chevy G10 van just got an axle over spring conversion in the front and I'm looking for another 8.8 to put in the rear of that one, I think the square body GMC dump truck is actually finished now, but I still have a 69 Ford F750 grain truck that needs a top end refresh.

Maybe THEN I'll get back to the Rambler :D

In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on your build and maybe it will inspire me to get back to work sooner!

timberwolffxdl said:

When I think of an early 1960s AMC product, in my mind they are always this turquoise color.    AMC must have had a lot of that paint on hand, I can hardly remember ever seeing one that was painted anything else.

In reply to timberwolffxdl :

I like the color of your cage. It looks great. Have they not put the base plates in yet where it ties into the floor pan?

That's a long project list! I bet that van is awesome. You made me think of this hotrod build with your F100

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/swap-cop-car-frame-f-100-pickup/

aselmike said:

In reply to timberwolffxdl :

I like the color of your cage. It looks great. Have they not put the base plates in yet where it ties into the floor pan?

That's a long project list! I bet that van is awesome. You made me think of this hotrod build with your F100

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/swap-cop-car-frame-f-100-pickup/

I followed that build on Hot Rod Garage on the Motor Trend on Demand channel.  I kind of prefer this one...same year as mine and has the stance I'm going for.  He's gotten a lot fancier in certain areas than I will, but the muscle truck thing is where I'm headed.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/ultimate-sleeper-1956-ford-f-100-small-block-v-8-power/

In the pics, the cage was dropped through the floor in order to better weld the halo and diagonal brace.  Then it was slid up, plate put underneath and all welded up nice and tidy.  Then the rocker tubes went in, door bars, etc.  I don't know if I got any more pics, but all that was down before the front tubes went in (in the pic with the c4 suspension)

Found these:

you can see the floor plates in that second picture

The one you posted is ridiculously clean. It’s really well put together! I’m kind of jealous of your cage. I want to put one in my car, but I don’t want to lose my back seat. I wish mine was a coupe like yours so I wouldn’t question it

Technically it's a sedan since it has the B pillar :)  There were very few (900?) 64 Rambler 2 door sedans made.  I've owned 2.  The other dead giveaway is the flat back glass.  The hardtop was rounded.

But I know what you meant ;) 

Semantics! Either way, I’m jealous 

aselmike said:

No, It will be vortec 4200 (4.2L inline six) out of a chevy trailblazer. The LS was very tempting, but the call of the inline six has won me over.

I just happened across this story about how to mate a Vortec 4200 to a ZF six speed manual transmission out of a Corvette ZR-1:    https://autoweek.com/article/diy/joining-trailblazer-6-banger-zr-1-6-speed-150-not-so-easy-steps

In reply to stuart in mn :

He definitely did it the hard way. 

The 5 speed trans out of a chevy colorado will bolt up using an h3 bellhousing. All it requires is a custom flywheel, rather than all the work he did. 

Are you in the 4200 swap group on Facebook?  I've been lurking there for a year or more.  I've built a couple oddball trailblazers.  One v8, one I6

In reply to timberwolffxdl :

Yea, I’m lurking there too. I just contacted the guy about the group buy of flywheels. I’m hoping it gets traction. Then I won’t have to have one made myself.

I was planning on going to the salvage yard and finding a transmission this weekend. I had everything ready in my car, but we had a pretty major breakdown at work. I was the on call man, so I ended up working all weekend.

However, last week I ordered most of the parts I need to finish my gas tank. They showed up over the weekend while I was working so I got to open a pile of packages when I got home!

I got:

tank vent

Waldron gss342 fuel pump

Bosch fuel sender

teflon

nylon insulators to help transfer power through the tank access panel

The last thing I need is my filler neck and I think the tank can be painted and eventually plumbed.

I worked out in the garage today. 

I started by putting together this little welding table thing I can set on top of my wood work bench.

I made up a gasket for my fuel pump access plate. 

I made a hanger for the pump to mount to. Then I set up my wiring penetrations through the access plate. Then I realized my sending unit had no-where to go. So i cut a hole for the sending unit and got it all mounted up.

I installed everything in the tank. I don't think I will have to remove the access again. All that's left for the tank is the filler neck now and a paint job.

I made it to the salvage yard this weekend and pulled a transmission out of a 2006 2wd chevy colorado. 

Its a 5 spd MA5 trans. Its supposed to mount up to the 4.2 using a H3 bellhousing. It will need a custom flywheel to mate up. I was planning on drawing up and having one made. However, it sounds like one of the guys on the vortec 4200 swap facebook page will sell me one! That will save me some serious effort.

I did some rough measuring, and everything looks good. It remains to be seen how much cutting I'll have to do in order to get the trans and engine in. 

I'll probably continue to work on pulling parts a little at a time.

Atlas Rambler = win

Are you hoping to keep other ancillaries too, like the AC?

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

At first I won’t do AC, but long term I want to have it in the car. No AC in Houston is tough sometimes. 

I’ve been stagnant on the rambler since I made the gas tank. I’ve been working on my house and waiting for a really good deal on an engine. 

Yesterday I found a good donor vehicle on Craigslist. They’re willing to sell me the engine, harness, ecu, and auxiliaries for $500. The engine has 110k miles and it’s still in the trailblazer. That means I’ll be able to see it run before I pull it.

I would like everybody’s help in making sure I get everything I need off of this truck. I’d like to avoid having to go get parts off another truck later on. Here’s the parts i’m Thinking so far.

engine

ecu

harness

header

o2 sensor and wires

radiator

Alternator

ac compressor

fuze box

gas pedal assembly

intake including MAF

let me know what else you guys think I should grab. I’m really excited to go get this engine next weekend and get this project moving again.

Exhaust header as well? Sounds like you've got most of what you need.

In reply to GIRTHQUAKE :

yea I’ll be grabbing it

Finally some movement on this project!

Yesterday I went to Louisiana to pull an engine out of a trailblazer. 

The owner told me they couldn't get a title for it, and that's why they were parting it out. When I got there it looked like the truck had been sitting for a long time. However the owner told me it ran great when parked. So I hooked up jumper cables to it, and it started after cranking for about 15 seconds! 

I let it run and it built about 40-50 psi oil pressure and 13-14 volts. The car had something like 120k miles on it. $500 bought the engine and accessories. 

I started pulling parts, taking the hood, radiator, headlights, fluid tanks, and all the AC system. I dropped the transmission crossmember, and fought the exhaust manifold bolts out. Finally I got all the bell housing and torque converter bolts out. I couldnt get the damn transmission to break loose from the engine under the car. So I finally hooked up the engine hoist and started lifting. 

Pulling the engine was really difficult. My engine hoist broke a wheel on the way to Louisiana in my trailer. Also, I was pulling the engine on a gravel driveway. This made getting the engine out terrible. I had to use a prybar to slowly nudge the engine hoist backwards. 

I started the job at 1:30PM, and finally got the engine in the trailer at 9:30PM. I wanted more parts off the car, but I was so worn out from working in the heat I didnt have it in me to keep going. I still had a 2 hour return drive to make. So I chopped off the wiring harness at the fire wall, loaded up my tools and parts, and finally left at 10PM. I went and got a huge gatorade to recover from all the sweating I did, and drove home. 

For those who havent done it, avoid pulling an engine on gravel. It sucked so much. The heat made it even worse. If you have to do it, do what I did and be sure to bring some moving blankets or cardboard to lay on. That made it so much better. 

After all that, here she is in all her glory!

I'm too whooped to even unload the trailer today. I'll probably get everything out next weekend. Then I'll be able to start on some more fun projects!  I'll start by fitting it to the trans and figuring out what modifications need to be made to fit them in the car. (Oil pan, intake, engine mounts, trans tunnel, etc.)

I'm pumped!

Ugh, that heat and humidity is tough.  I love this project, so thanks for the update!