Resurrecting the Rambler

[Pinballer]

I'm humping on this paint job as hard as I can go...I want this thing done!

Driver door is back on the car and all refinished, nice to look at one whole side of the car and see it shine after all these years. Passenger door and some window trim gets the treatment this coming weekend if it doesn't rain, and that should just about finish all the painting. I'll turn my attention back to mechanical stuff after that. (brake system, fuel lines.)

It amazes me how many suppers I can miss and not really care when I get into these frantic work modes every night and weekend when the weather is good. I'm taking weight out of the car on a daily basis purely by working it off! But that's a good thing, I have to stay ahead of those Fords somehow.

[Pinballer]

...and the passenger side door gets it's turn. It rained most of last weekend and held up the show some, but this weekend was fabulous.
After this all that's left on paint are the window surround trim front and back. Those get done tomorrow. Finished!!

There are some sub-par areas that I'll eventually re-do, maybe in a couple years, but it's time to turn attention to other things under the car, like brake lines and fuel system, and get this thing to a track. I can get by with it looking like it is for now.

[Bob Emery]

Nice job, I love following this build!

[Pinballer]

Paint is DONE. (big sigh of relief). Car is pretty much assembled and painted into the proper AMX model it needed to be to get it into T and is now going back to the auto shop in town for new fuel and brake lines and some finish work underneath. It's getting to be time to make this thing RUN. I truly hope to get some runs on this car this year so I have some data to munch on over the winter.

Been a long haul to this point, but I'm not anywhere close to laying down on this project!

[Pinballer]

I weighed the car today on the way into town.

Extremely close to 2800 lbs at the grain elevator scale, 2795 is what I came up with which includes me, but don't know how exact they get those grain scales. Plus there's a few objects still sitting in the back hatch area to change out or install underneath the car, so they'll affect the weight a little more. Chances are it will lose another 20 lbs when done.

Looks like I can start eating again. Do they allow passengers to ride along?
3020 lbs to make T is a long ways off...

Now I have to start figuring out how to add weight into a race car. This will be a real "first" for me!

[Bobby DiDomenico]

Looks good, keep the updates coming.

[Shadylane]

I love this build! Cool 'Lightning Rod' type shifter too.

What is your NHRA adjusted HP? 3020 seems heavy for that little car.

Kelly

[Ed Fernandez]

That shelf behind the rear seat is a perfect place for weight. When I had the gremlin I had a 150# bar there secured by two 9/16" studs. BTW they have to be tack welded on both ends.

[Pinballer]

Originally Posted by Shadylane

I love this build! Cool 'Lightning Rod' type shifter too.

What is your NHRA adjusted HP? 3020 seems heavy for that little car.

Kelly

Adjusted HP is 150, up from the factory rating of 110 on the 2 bbl engine. Quite a bit for that "wicked" Rambler 258 six with it's lofty 8.2 compression.

Somebody must have absolutely wailed on this combo long ago to get it to that rating. I can't see it ever becoming a record-setter because it has to go up in R thru V classes against various proven and well-flogged old-school V8 engine cars that offer more carburetion, camshaft, and in some instances happen to weigh very close to the same amount my car has to, but it should still be a combo good enough to get you into the show just about everywhere but Indy maybe.
I don't feel the need to set records, I just want to play.

[Pinballer]

Originally Posted by Ed Fernandez

That shelf behind the rear seat is a perfect place for weight. When I had the gremlin I had a 150# bar there secured by two 9/16" studs. BTW they have to be tack welded on both ends.

Appreciate the tip Ed, thanks. Trying to visualize this---are you saying once the weighted bar is set in place behind the rear seat that I need to tack weld the stud heads that would be underneath the car directly to the floor pan and then tack weld the top side stud/nut assembly directly to the bar after bolting it down? That would make it difficult to change.
I guess I need to go back and review the rulebook on 'weight and how to attach'...didn't think I'd be spending much time there.