1965 Marlin

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   Today is the 1st day of an adventure that will take a minimum of 2 years to arrive at the destination. We're putting our 1965 Rambler Marlin into the garage and will start the disassembly. Our goal is not a restoration to original, but a resto-mod that has a factory look and feel whilst offering a more modern driving experience (in terms of safety, fuel economy and emissions). This makes sense in a jurisdiction where 100 octane petrol costs 190,0 centimes a litre ! Multiply that by 3.8 and divide by 100 to get a USD price/American gallon.
My apologies to purists, in advance.

Let me share my plans with you in advance. I welcome comments and advice from those who choose to follow my build. From time to time, I'll be shopping for parts but I'll also have parts that I'm happy to sell.

There is a photo of a clay with a reverse rake rear side window that I'd like to adapt to my Marlin. I find it to be quite nice and would make my Marlin different. It's another matter whether it will work, so I'll use cardboard to test the look before cutting and welding metal.

I also believe the front-end design needs some work, but have yet to develop a clear idea of the look I want. Most AMC publicity for the Marlin focused on the rear 3/4 view for a reason. Cardboard will help refine the result I want. I'll keep the 4 x 5-1/4" headlamps and add some sculpture to the front to balance the dramatic styling of the rear. Since Abernathy is dead, I may opt for a sleeker roof profile as well and fit a roll-over bar for 3-point seat belts.

As you may imagine, I'm counting on you, gentle reader, for feedback and ideas. I'll publish photos as soon as I'm eligible to do so.

One thing I intend to change is the vacuum-powered windscreen wipers to electric. Vacuum works well at idle, when wipers are not needed and badly whilst on the move. I have other plans to upgrade the drive train for better braking, road-holding, economy and performance, in the same spirit as I did with my 1975 Plymouth.

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Zuluman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Apprentice Joined: Aug/31/2019 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 50	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zuluman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: 1965 Marlin Posted: Nov/02/2019 at 2:33am
	Today is the 1st day of an adventure that will take a minimum of 2 years to arrive at the destination. We're putting our 1965 Rambler Marlin into the garage and will start the disassembly. Our goal is not a restoration to original, but a resto-mod that has a factory look and feel whilst offering a more modern driving experience (in terms of safety, fuel economy and emissions). This makes sense in a jurisdiction where 100 octane petrol costs 190,0 centimes a litre ! Multiply that by 3.8 and divide by 100 to get a USD price/American gallon. My apologies to purists, in advance. Let me share my plans with you in advance. I welcome comments and advice from those who choose to follow my build. From time to time, I'll be shopping for parts but I'll also have parts that I'm happy to sell. There is a photo of a clay with a reverse rake rear side window that I'd like to adapt to my Marlin. I find it to be quite nice and would make my Marlin different. It's another matter whether it will work, so I'll use cardboard to test the look before cutting and welding metal. I also believe the front-end design needs some work, but have yet to develop a clear idea of the look I want. Most AMC publicity for the Marlin focused on the rear 3/4 view for a reason. Cardboard will help refine the result I want. I'll keep the 4 x 5-1/4" headlamps and add some sculpture to the front to balance the dramatic styling of the rear. Since Abernathy is dead, I may opt for a sleeker roof profile as well and fit a roll-over bar for 3-point seat belts. As you may imagine, I'm counting on you, gentle reader, for feedback and ideas. I'll publish photos as soon as I'm eligible to do so. One thing I intend to change is the vacuum-powered windscreen wipers to electric. Vacuum works well at idle, when wipers are not needed and badly whilst on the move. I have other plans to upgrade the drive train for better braking, road-holding, economy and performance, in the same spirit as I did with my 1975 Plymouth.

farna Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19692	Post Options Post Reply Quote farna Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Nov/15/2019 at 6:55am
	Best fix for the vacuum wipers is a new wiper motor and booster fuel pump. Even though the wipers work well at high vacuum the motor might not be up to moving a lot of water or snow -- it could be weak. The fuel pump can be hard to locate, but all vac booster pumps are rebuildable (at least that I have seen). If you don't want to use the booster fuel pump you can use a large vac storage can if it seldom gets driven in bad weather, or an electric vacuum pump. If you can source 64-66 Ambassador/Classic/Marlin used electric wiper parts (no electrics for 63!) it's not a hard swap. The universal cable drive kits that mount the motor to one side are easy enough to mount, but cost will be about the same as fixing the vac wipers. Vac wipers work very well when new components are used, they just get weak as the engine and wiper parts wear and age. Newer materials mean any new vac motor will be good for 30-40 years though... the originals usually lasted 20-30 easily.
	Frank Swygert

Zuluman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Apprentice Joined: Aug/31/2019 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 50	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zuluman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Dec/30/2019 at 2:27am
	My grandmother had a 1967 Rambler American. I loved that car, despite it having an automatic transmission as the only option. I would have recommended front servo-assisted disc brakes and servo assisted steering, but who listens to a 5-year old ? Decades later I would have also recommended electric wipers. Even when her car was new the wipers did not work that well in low-vacuum conditions and then went back and forth furiously when she stopped. I live in a mountainous region, between the Alps and the Jura. When you buy a bottle of Côtes du Rhone, think of me. I'm there. I want and I need reliable windscreen wiping when driving on serpentine mountain passes. I've had the good fortune of purchasing an electric wiper motor. Now I must find and/or fabricate the rest.

Zuluman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Apprentice Joined: Aug/31/2019 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 50	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zuluman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Dec/30/2019 at 4:15am
	Gentlemen (and any ladies present), I share with you my recent progress, which is mostly at the design and planning stage. I've purchasaed new instruments and heater controls from Dakota Digital https://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=726/category_id=69/mode=prod/prd726.htm and https://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=821/category_id=337/mode=prod/prd821.htm I've chosen metric instruments with blue back-lighting against a white background. I'll send the instrument panel to the same American vendor who did the work on my 1978 Moskvitch 412, which now looks like a 408. This time they won't have to work in cyrillic ! The ashtrays will go. Neither my wife nor I smoke. I plan to relocate rectangular hvac vents at this point for a more factory look. I did something similar with my 1975 Plymouth and it worked well. The heater control will go where the AM radio is located. In my part of the world, we have only FM and DAB. I want to put various switches where the radio station preselector buttons are now. I'm converting the windscreen wipers from vacuum to electric. I live in a mountainous area between the Alps and the Jura and need full windscreen wiper power on the serpentine passes near my home. If anyone has a spare electric wiper switch, I'd be happy to buy it ! I have yet to decide what to do with the "Weather Eye" climate controls on the left side of the steering wheel. If these become entirely redundant, I'll remove them and weld a steel plate in their place. My wife wants to keep the analog clock. I may modify it for a dual purpose device - an analog clock during normal times and a rear-view screen for reversing. I have a trio of electronic geniuses in my family who can help with this. The most ambitious idea is to take advantage of the blank space where the Marlin text and logo are located. Normally, the factor air-conditioning vents are found here, so there is lots of space. My car does have a Ford air-conditioning unit in the cabin that I'd like to get rid of. I want to put a tablet computer here for sound, GPS, engine data/diagnostics, etc. When I start the car, I want it to launch a Marlin logo splash screen, like my Talisman and my wife's DS3. I firmly believe all of this is doable. More information in my next instalment, no 4.

farna Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19692	Post Options Post Reply Quote farna Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Dec/30/2019 at 6:39am
	You probably have access to some Jaguar XJs in salvage yards? If so I'd rob one of those of a wiper motor, pivots, and cable. I don't recall the exact location of the motor, so you may need some extra cable, but it will convert to the Marlin without too much work.
	Frank Swygert

Mopar_guy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Joined: Jun/07/2009 Location: Ohio Status: Offline Points: 4837	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mopar_guy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Dec/30/2019 at 8:27am
	One of these cable driven kits will do the trick. They work well and there's several options available. http://www.specialtypowerwindows.com/products/2
	"Hemilina" My 1973, 5.7 Hemi swapped Javelin

farna Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Supporter of TheAMCForum Moderator Lost Dealership Project Joined: Jul/08/2007 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 19692	Post Options Post Reply Quote farna Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Dec/30/2019 at 11:39am
	That's pretty much what the Jag XJ setup is.
	Frank Swygert

Heavy 488 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Addicted Joined: Apr/27/2019 Location: In the Status: Offline Points: 3557	Post Options Post Reply Quote Heavy 488 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Dec/30/2019 at 11:42am
	Restomod away and enjoy. Using whatever is readily available in your part of the globe is always the best choice. You purchased it. You're doing the work. And you get to enjoy when you're done.

Zuluman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Apprentice Joined: Aug/31/2019 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 50	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zuluman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jan/01/2020 at 5:00am
	Thank you for the lead. I would never have thought of Jaguar. The last time I checked, there were no Jaguar XJs in my local breaker's yard but I can phone some places in Swiss Romande and ask.

Zuluman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List AMC Apprentice Joined: Aug/31/2019 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 50	Post Options Post Reply Quote Zuluman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jan/01/2020 at 5:03am
	Thank you, mon ami ! I'll study it further and put it on my list. This would make screen wiping a much safer and more reliable operation.