tom from LA: rambler roadster....

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tomicdesu

Active member
Joined
Feb 19, 2016
Messages
36
hi, new to this forum but not weirdo car-making. not sure if you'd call it a rat rod exactly but i think i'm in the right place? my current project -- been driving it hard for over a year -- is a roadster (roofless, doorless, bare bones but meant to be driven at speed) made from a 1961 Rambler American. powered by the (un)venerable Nash-Rambler 195.6 OHV six, reasonably warmed-over (EDIS ignition with MegaJolt Lite Jr, Weber 32/36, balanced, ported, closed-loop software cooling system, ...) in front of the truly horrible T96 with overdrive trans.

it's a unibody roadster, i haven't seen another example. DOM tube mini-frame tying the A, B pillars, etc. air spring suspension, rear rigid wishbone.

Rambler folk hate me cuz i chopped up a rambler. hot rod folk disdain me because it's a rambler. got a thread on the H.A.M.B. deleted when i tried to talk about problems i was having with my homemade electronic cooling system ("computer stuff doesn't belong on HAMB" even though i wrote the code and made the electronics -- but it's their board, i respect their rules). the inliners.org crowd welcomes me, but they're off doing Chevy inliner stuff (pretty neat) but a bit specialized for me.

so! i hope i'm welcome here? lol. i tend to solve problems from First Principles since i have to make literally everything that's not dead stock (this engine has never had EVER EVEN ONE SINGLE PERFORMANCE PART EVER made for it) (that's because the motor actually does suck, but that's just a challenge to me :)

but i'm not argumentative, i try to be brand-agnostic, try to be helpful, and not pee in the pool. i've been making things (cars and otherwise) a long time.

my project and other work can be seen at sensitiveresearch.com/1961-Rambler-Roadster/index.html nope, no ads there, i'm not selling anything.
 
The only problem I see at this time is posting a link and no pics,,,,, [P other than that I think you`ll fit right in :D
 
welcome

welcome home:D

we love weird around here, heck they let me here l am about as weird as it gets with my builds.

we gotta have pics, we is a visual bunch[P[P[P

very knowledgeable base of talent to draw on, just ask and almost everyone will help ya.

don't feel bad, we don't bad mouth other sites, BUT sometimes l wonder how some sites stay around the way they treat people and have such narrow views on hot rods. been kicked off a few myself for not conforming, some must think as the Borg put it "you will be assimilated, resistance is futile":eek:

Later :cool:
 
rambler roadster pics....

The only problem I see at this time is posting a link and no pics,,,,, [P other than that I think you`ll fit right in :D

FIXABLE PROBLEM! but... krap, the pics are all too large; they have to be at a URL, so i can't resize them without resizing the whole website. not sure what to do about that. if there's a way to enter size info in the IMG tag i will go back and edit... i am gonna submit reply and hope the forum software rescales ...

Tom_A5T3000.jpg


Tom_A5T2761.jpg


its unlikely y'all have followed nashcan/rambler styling events, so this kinda hints at the mods the sheet metal has gone through...
fq13.jpg

indent4.jpg

cockpit13.JPG


(2014, before i stuck da motor inna hole)
engine03.jpg


engine2.jpg


suspension is air springs all four corners; haven't uploaded pics of the rear yet, but it's a rigid wishbone with a big heim slightly forward of the front U-joint, with panhard. but the front suspension is like Grandpa Nash designed for airbags. nobrainer drop-in. front brakes are drums, but severely ventilated including the drums, so they pump air through them, dry off super fast and are as good as small discs -- i can say that because i had a Scarebird disc setup (ford Ranger discs). these are as good -- and 15 lbs per wheel lighter. they're Gremlin brakes (9x2.5). car weighs 2200 lbs now so they're more than adequate.

frontsusp34.jpg
 
thanks! it's a huge relief to hear that, and i feel like i've already made a mess with the huge pics. not sure what do do about that.

yeah, i stumbled on ratRodsRule from some google search, and the posts look pretty knowledgeable, friendly and open and broad.

i plan on running this thing in the 24 Hours of Lemons Rally this august. paid already. i broke the synchros in the undersized transmission -- again -- and i may have bearing metal in the oil (waiting to hear from Blackstone Labs' oil analysis) and might have to freshen the bottom end... ran it dry for a brief spell in '09 with a severely modified oil pump (sheared shaft). fixed but i think may have ran dry... pump fixed, but i think damage done. that's what i get for not sticking a tree-fitty innit huh.
 
Rambler folk hate me cuz i chopped up a rambler. hot rod folk disdain me because it's a rambler. got a thread on the H.A.M.B. deleted when i tried to talk about problems i was having with my homemade electronic cooling system ("computer stuff doesn't belong on HAMB".

Welcome from the big pond and this ain't the hambone! Nearly anything goes here except drama!

Toad
 
tomicdesu '' that's what i get for not sticking a tree-fitty innit huh.''


maybe that darn lockness monster can help with that tree-fitty install: :;)

Later :cool:
 
Last edited:
welcome to rrr, from bama. i got two ramblers (67 and 69) for the future i hope. i'll be cutting one up if i can find a station wagon to make a two door wagon.
 
thanks all! it suuuure sounds like my kinda place! OK got some transmission issues, will poke around, see if i can find, if not, i'll post. T-96+OD woes!
 

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