Thanks for the words, Bruce. I'm slowly moving in the direction of a
non-wagon. I think a 65 (earlyish) American is the way to go. There's far
more of them than wagons. I honestly don't care 2 or 4 doors, both have
their advantages. I imagine 4 doors are easier to find. A sedan will be
better as a daily driver (though the dogs love the station wagon most of all
-- they hang out in it when I leave the doors open parked in the yard).
There's only one hardtop, 67? Unlikely to find one. Wouldn't rule it out
though if I did!
I should have enough money to buy someone's full restoration. I'm not saying
I will keep it totally stock, but a clean intact car with good paint and the
right setup, I doubt I'd do more than bolt-on changes (wheels, tires,
Pertronix, etc). Speakers in the door and rear shelf would be the biggest
atrocities. Probably remove any stereo, return the AM radio, these days, I
do a brick amp under the seat with the 1/8" stereo plug to an iPod clone.
Nothing to steal!
I know the feeling about "cheating", and it not being *my* project, but
buying someone's resto is a hell of a lot better than buying some stock 90's
used plastic car! And the one thing I can't do for the next year or so is a
full ground-up project.
It's gotta be a six, and I strongly prefer no power steering nor power
brakes. Prefer manual, but auto would not be a deal killer on the right car.
I honestly think the 199 or 232 would be better; mileage matters more than
power for daily use.
I don't know the details in the 64 - 69 models (I like the earlier body
styles better), I know some years (69?) there's a good selection of front
suspension and such aftermarket. Not sure about the early stuff, but
trunnions are not one of my worries.
I probably wouldn't even do a disc swap; I'd do what I did to my little
American. The fully ventilated brakes are GREAT.
Yeah, it will tow the little trailer just fine. Like I do now, just slow
down for the tough stuff, crawling a long hill with a trailer is like .001%
of my driving time, saving that extra hour on a long trip isn't worth the
cost of a bigger car that other 99.999% of the time. We've found that the
camper negates the need to cram the wagon full of crap.
On Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 11:54 AM, Bruce Griffis <bruce.griffis@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:
That sounds like a great driving/camping/cruising project!
Tom, I've taken my '65 American sedan camping - and while it is not a
wagon, it is a nice little car. It did well with the 600 pound or so
popup. It's fun to drive. I love draping an arm on the bench seat, or
hanging a hand on the open vent window. But when I give it thought -
the idea of a Rebel or Matador wagon keep popping up.
I know you don't like the newer cars with plastic and all that. But I
wonder if a Rebel wagon with a 232 and 3 speed manual would make a
good every day car? Easier parts, still a Rambler.
But on the other hand, an American with a 232 and 3 speed manual would
be pretty cool, too. Especially a wagon. Have fun searching and
deciding!
On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 2:14 PM, Joe Fulton <piper_pa20@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Tom if you wanted a project I have a 63 Classic wagon, less than 80,000
miles (I forget exactly), sat in Nevada for over 20 years.. 195.6
aluminum (stuck) BW/auto. The interior is cooked but I have an NOS dash
pad, extra 195.6, or I have a 232 freshly rebuilt, Ambassador seats
(somewhat matching the tan Classic interior). All fairly cheap. Wagon
needs paint and all the mechanicals gone through. The underside looks
factory new though, unbelievably clean. Brake lines and fuel lines are
still bright. Oh and I have a windsheld for it. Lower tail gate is rusty,
but I have still another one if you don't use the spare I sold you. This
thing is a time machine.
Joe Fulton
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