59 Rambler American SW rebuild

Oh ended up putting all the fueses relays in the engine compartment where the fan used to be. I installed a eveporator the has the heater core installed. I just have to make a enclosure for the panel.  I'll be documenting my trip to Florida and then maybe to N.C. and the Blueridge mountains if all goes well. 

Yup. never got a cover with the car so I'll ebay it ir probably build my own. 4 days before road trip. I'll be passing S.C in about three weeks, going to N.C. to the Blueridge.

Well so far so good . no major concerns on the trip. I've been in Florida for almost two weeks and have attended a few Hot Rod meets. The one in Orlando at OLD TOWN is huge and everything was there, it's open every Saturday for all makes and models 78 and older I think but don't quote me. At least 500+ cars. I went to one in Sarasota and actually won a trophy.  There are a lot of retires in that area and many just reminists about driving an old Rambler or one there dad had.  Sad that at all the events I was the only AMC there. Re-jetted my carb before I left and got a lot more power out of her but mileage took a dive to around 22mpg so in San Antonio I changed them again. Found a Fairmont in a pick and pull with a Holley/Weber progressive carb and it cost me 30 bucks but was worth it. I'm averaging around 28 now. did get up to 34 but she was running way to lean and you know what happens then. leaving Friday for N.C. and the Blue Ridge parkway. Took a pic in Mississippi. but all Florida signs are over water.

Stick would be nice but stroke in 2009 left my left side a bit week so auto it is. at least I now have the overdrive and the lock up working. I will be trying a fuel injection system in the near future. So far the secondary is staying closed except when I'm passing. Even going up a steep incline I don't need the secondary. The 3.73 help in the correct torque/RPM range for were the engine doesn't strain. May go to 4.10 Ratio in the future. At around 75mph and in lockup she cruises just fine. Not sure of rpm since I have no gauge but she purrs and is in the torque band she likes. Top speed so far has been rate at 98 mph but I am loaded up, Tools and clothing, spare parts ect ect. She does sound like a rice burning Honda at WOT and high RPMs.  Went through a tunnel and she sounded wicked.

Well finally got back from my very long road trip. Put over 4000 miles on my American in 5 weeks, and it did better then expected. average for most of the trip was around 28 since I was taking alot of cloths and tools it weighed me down. keeping up with traffic was effortless. I did win an award in Sarasota Florida and that was a suprise. Lots of weekend car events and the one at Old Town near Orlando is massive. Had a little suspension problem in florida but remedied that by having the 73 Mustang spring perches welded so they don't swivel. American spring is not wide enough to keep the spring perch in it's place and it kept wanting to twist towards the tire, hard to believe how bad the spring twisted without coming off the mount.  Everything was good untill I went to North Carolina to help my brother inlaw get the rest of his things down to Tx. He had a lot more things then I thought, I had to buy a small trailer, had to buy air shocks. bolt up some type of hitch and a 2 inch ball. No welder in sight. Bearings and all with trailer was good but repacked to make sure and replaced u bolts around axle since they were pretty rusty. reasembled and took for a test drive, 5 miles down the road I heard an abby - normal sound, pulled over in a church lot were a photogragher was taking pics of the church. He came over and said if he could take pics of my car and ofcourse I said yes but asked him if there was something wrong with this picture. He noted that there were no lug nuts on my trailer wheel. How the wheel stayed on I have no idea, just got lucky. My side was nice and tight, Inlaws not so much, I told him to make sure the tire was not touching the ground when impacting the lugs but he thought he new better. So that cost me a hub and tire and wheel assy + the lugs. knocked the wheel crowns to pieces. yes very mad. had a good spare and used two lugs from the other wheel to get back to base. Oh when impacting a lug nut if the tire is touching the ground then all the impact force is muffled. It's like holding the impact socket with your hand, your hand absorbes the shock of the impact and lugs tend to fall off. Inlaw still thinks the impact was week and not his fault, but all the others stayed on and I had him confirm the torque after I repaired the mess. Anyways after loaded we went up to Blue Ridge mountains and thats were the American really proved herself. No power. straining to climb the mountain. Had to rejet carb again. better but not by much. Did climb to the peak which is a bit above 6000 feat, I was so happy and so was Franky (Rambler) to start the slow glide down. Stopped in at (Wheels through time). It's a motorcycle museum and a great place to visit even if your not into death machines.  Met with the curator/owner Dale and watched him make a video for his YouTube channel  (Dales channel) wheels through time. Awesome place. Death Machines may be a little harch but I have sean alot of deaths by bike in my life, and my inlaw that was with me died 2 times in surgery after he made a slight mistake. Anyways gas mileage went down to 24mpg and I was into the secondary quit often. Made up my mind to go Fuel injection because I will be turboing the beast in the neer future. I guess the none functioning hood scoop that I got from a 54 Nash Rambler will be for the intercooler. I'll post some picks of the trip for all to see but I'm still wiped out from the trip since I drove the entire way. Troghy winner and last pick is Tunnel thru Blue Ridge mountains

Edited by WARBED - May/31/2017 at 5:25pm