1956 Ambassador special leadsled build

Hello all,
Around a year ago i picked up a '56 Nash Ambassador special "super" with the intent of getting it going as a family cruiser. Due to a little procrastination, it has more or less sat till a few weeks ago.
When I got the car it drove Ok, with a slight miss, a lower radiator hose that looked like it would burst at any second and a leaky heater valve. The brakes had been redone with new hardlines in places, but need going back over. The upholstery is trashed and the paint not far behind. The rear subframe is rotted.
After a few weeks of owning it, a valve stuck and bent a pushrod.
The plan so far is:
Pull engine and trans. Rebuild heads, port match and de-bugger. Clean oil pan and evaluate short block. Most likely install new timing set, mild reground cam and lifters. Install small 4 barrel carb on '60s intake. Install dual exhaust, xpipe, dual glass packs (leftovers from another project) Adjust transmission bands and reseal. Replace many of the old hard and soft underhood lines that have seen better days. Paint engine, underhood areas and crossmembers. Insulate firewall and make a polished aluminum cover for it. Drain, clean, paint gas tank, look at relocating filler neck to inside trunk. Flush rear diff. Reassemble engine and trans and install.
Strip interior, repair heater valve and replace speedo cable. Take front seat to upholstery shop. Make door panels at home. Drive for a few weeks to let funding catch up.
Phase two will include rear subframe replacement, suspension rebuild and lowering, and power disc brakes.


Edited by 8ton - Jan/30/2018 at 5:45am

I'm a big fan of the 250 Rambler V8. Post as many photos as possible!

Cool! I love the old bathtub sleds.

I have made a little progress. Cam is chosen and about to get mailed to Oregon cam for a 250/260 grind. Timing gear is all iron and almost no wear, but chain is a bit loose.
When pulling lifters and push rods i found 1 lifter had been swapped for a 'vL13' from a 59 dodge v8 and that a random amount of the push rods were slightly longer than the rest.
Porting is coming along slowly, I need to order better abrasives and cutters. This week I plan to get a belt sander and sand blaster from Harbor freight.