1963 Rambler "Sugar" Resto-Track-Travel-AutoX-Mod

[Suzy-Homemaker]

Sugar is a 1963 Rambler American 220 Wagon.
I started out looking for a small wagon to build a pro-touring/Autocross car; I ended up with a numbers-matching, few-of-a-kind cutie.
Shug was rescued from a storage yard at a trailer park after sitting for about ten years mostly taken apart. The flat head six cylinder was sitting on a furniture dolley covered with the equivalent of a dry cleaner bag.
The guy selling the car was the second owner and had owned it since the early seventies - he seemed to really care about the car and know all the ins and outs.
As you can see, the body was mostly straight and rust appeared to be mostly superficial.


A few weeks later, we pushed Shug onto a trailer and hauled her home across the Bay.

[Protour_Pinto]

I'll be watching this for sure!

[wellis77]

Some really different projects going on lately and I'm loving it! This will be great. What are your plans for it?

[Suzy-Homemaker]

I plan to AutoCross it and show it once in a while, just because it's unique.

[Suzy-Homemaker]

We got Sugar home and immediately started the dismantle process. Out went the green(ish) shag carpet, seats covered in t-shirts, beehives that had taken up residence in the door jambs and pretty much anything that wasn't needed for the immediate future.








And last but not least, prepare the flat head six to go to the famous race engine builder Bruno Gianoli

[r.a.w.rods]

Man there are a lot of wagon's popping up, this looks like another good one.

[RS_Customs]

Cool to see another Rambler. I have a 62 2 door sedan I'll build at some point. There was another wagon that was being built on here a while back, do a search, maybe it will give you some ideas.

Robert

[Suzy-Homemaker]

Get that Rambler going so I can be part of a trend! ;)

[Suzy-Homemaker]

Take down of a flat-head six isn't exactly complicated.


The entire engine apart from the block and heads is here:


Post-hot tank:

Meanwhile the cam was sent out to be resurfaced and found to be in remarkably excellent condition (as I was informed by the guy doing the resurfacing.


We had some concern about whether or not we would be able to bore the cylinders any more since markings on the block showed that it had been rebuilt and honed twice before. but some careful boring and measurement (ability to get the proper-sized cylinders, etc.) proved successful so on we went with the complete restoration.

Bruno (engine builder and speed forefather) found one cylinder with a pin hole so a re-bore and sleeve was necessary for one cylinder.

The parts start arriving. Thank God for Egge, proof that some hoarders are good hoarders...



I love the NOS packaging, some with original price tags


Back from being sterilized: So gorgeous!


Here's a peek into Bruno's organized chaos:


One thing I will say is that this car's working parts have all been taken care of, on and off of the car. Fluid levels were high and clear/clean and every attempt to preserve the working parts was made. I'm grateful since it's allowing for more of our time and money to fix the stuff that was unexpectedly worse than we expected (e.g. rust).

[SRD art]

Fantastic project! I can't wait to see this come together!

[Suzy-Homemaker]

As the takedown was in progress we've learned some things about Sugar and Ramblers in general.
While AMC 'built' my '63 Rambler, it was technically a Nash car because AMC purchased Nash in 1962 and they had not converted the manufacturing over to AMC when Sugar was built.
The entire AMC lineup received the Motor Trend Car of the Year award in 1963.
The four-door wagon has a 100 inch wheel base and bumper to bumper is three inches longer than my Porsche 944.
The original factory exhaust (from the muffler backwards) is still in tact, ceramic coated a deep blue color.
The original factory exhaust in the engine compartment might be the most crude and oversimplified exhaust ever manufactured.
Note the three horizontal rectangles on the side of the engine: the exhaust (about 1") clamps onto the side of the engine with three matching holes in it. That's it. I've seen lawnmowers with more complex exhaust than this thing.


All this being said, I can't wait to ceramic coat the new exhaust to match the old.


Another discovery was (as it always is) a little more than 'some' rust. Floors were full Fred Flintstone on both sides; the result of being stored with the drain plugs left in. Thanks to some welding skillz (not mine, although I did learn how.) there's no holes in the floor and everything has been coated (including patches of my arms up to the elbows) with a thick layer of POR15. I love POR15 and I have a feeling we will be married before this car is done.

[MuscleRodz]

All this being said, I can't wait to ceramic coat the new exhaust to match the old.

That is actually porcelin coated. I have some aircraft exhaust with the same purple coating.

[SRD art]

everything has been coated (including patches of my arms up to the elbows) with a thick layer of POR15. I love POR15 and I have a feeling we will be married before this car is done.

This whole post was funny! I feel your pain, I had Por15 all over my arms when I did my chassis. It was mostly worn off after 4-5 days, everybody was acting like it would be 2-3 weeks. Too funny.

Glad to see some progress, and neat facts about the car.

[Suzy-Homemaker]

I'm going on a week and it's mostly gone but I've got weird blisters wherever the paint is still stuck. Good to know it will be gone before I have to attend a wedding next week. (not my wedding to POR15, in case you're wondering.)

[linkstar69]

Neat little wagon. I like the fact you're giving the flathead some love

[Suzy-Homemaker]

Had no choice really...it's numbers matching and I felt like it was too rare of a car to start splitting it up. I'm anxious to see how it does since I am not looking for top-end speed (since I'm autocrossing) and the 3-speed combined with the bored out flat 6 should be a nice set up for the small track.

[SRD art]

Had no choice really...it's numbers matching and I felt like it was too rare of a car to start splitting it up. I'm anxious to see how it does since I am not looking for top-end speed (since I'm autocrossing) and the 3-speed combined with the bored out flat 6 should be a nice set up for the small track.

I had one area of paint on the back of my upper arm that got all funky, like slightly swollen and bumpy. Then I realized if I would just stop scratching it it went away, lol! It's been about 2 weeks and I still have it on my fingernails. I wore nitrile gloves but I decided to use foam brushes instead of paint brushes. As the foam would wear off the stick I'd apply it by holding the foam like a sponge. It blew through several gloves and got on my fingers. At least for you if you wear long sleeves no one will know the better.

I wonder if you can throw a little bit of boost at it, maybe 5-10 lbs? Those old motors seemed pretty beefy if nothing else. Still not sure that it could handle it but something to consider. Inline 6 torque with some low gears should do well in pulling around corners and such. I've seen plenty of videos that prove power isn't what wins autocross.

[Wesley J]

Factory speed holes in the structure of the car!!!!! You know I love it...

My very first car (at 13 yrs old) was a 3rd gen Rambler (don't recall the year) that I fixed up to runnin condition. I never drove it though, a couple of friends took it for a joy ride and blew the motor. Come to think of it, I no longer consider them friends...

[Suzy-Homemaker]

Factory speed holes in the structure of the car!!!!! You know I love it...

My very first car (at 13 yrs old) was a 3rd gen Rambler (don't recall the year) that I fixed up to runnin condition. I never drove it though, a couple of friends took it for a joy ride and blew the motor. Come to think of it, I no longer consider them friends...

Isn't it crazy that the frame is pre-designed for weight control?? another thing we discovered in the take-down that was truly amazing. Boxed frame with speed holes from the factory. AMC was really ahead of it's time on many fronts.

[goofybowler277]

my dad gave me this car when I was 13. it was a fun driver. can't wait too see it when it's done