Vintage car advice?

I had 2 '74 Gremlins, one had the 232 & the other had the 258. The 232 was adequate, but the 258 was fairly peppy, as I remember. Of course, you must remember Gremlins were in NO way "performance" cars. I never had the litany of woes w/my AMC products others have, but I got a Cutlass in '76, maybe I didn't have 'em long enuff for the "gremlins" to manifest themselves.
 
Bigerik said:
If nothing else, do not buy a rebuilt carb from Parts America/Advance/Napa, etc. Take the one you have and have it sent to a quality carb rebuilder. The way the major rebuilders do it just eats up the cores. Probably had more returns on bad carbs than anything else we sold.
Click to expand...

Rebuild it yourself! It's fun and not hard. Costs next to nothing and it's really satisfying when you bolt that bad boy on and the thing actually starts!

Ed
 
I rebuilt a two-barrel carb once. Eddie's right, it's kinda fun! Just get yourself a rebuild kit and save big, big bucks!
About the Rambler: don't forget, they're all unit bodies; no separate frame! Any structural damage thanks to tinworm will have to be done right, by a good welder.
Seriously, Ian, best of luck on this project. If you decide to go ahead and do it, please post pix.
Tom
 
Piece of advice.....if you're looking to buy an old car as a daily driver, check out a Ford Falcon. I drive my ratty '67 Sports Coupe all over hell and back, she's got 191,000 miles and doesn't miss a beat. I was going to sell it because the rear quarters are nonexistent, but my family loves the car so damn much that I just invested $230 in a '68 parts car. The parts are interchangeable mechanically from most 1960's fords (except the full size cars), and you can plunk damn near any motor in there if you like.

Parts for them are everywhere too, and dirt cheap, especially for the '60-'62 models. Check them out, and I'll even gladly help you with parts if you need any.
 
Bigerik said:
If nothing else, do not buy a rebuilt carb from Parts America/Advance/Napa, etc. Take the one you have and have it sent to a quality carb rebuilder. The way the major rebuilders do it just eats up the cores. Probably had more returns on bad carbs than anything else we sold.
Click to expand...

Or send it to me with a carb kit and I'll redo it for ya :)
 
Bigerik said:
If nothing else, do not buy a rebuilt carb from Parts America/Advance/Napa, etc. Take the one you have and have it sent to a quality carb rebuilder. The way the major rebuilders do it just eats up the cores. Probably had more returns on bad carbs than anything else we sold.
Click to expand...

That is sage advice. :yes: and if you decide to do it anyway, dont turn your old carb for a core. If It is original, you will need it to rebuild after you have been through about ten of those "quality remanufactured" carbs. If it already has one of those on it, I wouldnt buy the car!

John
 
theodoric said:
Sunbeam Tiger.

But I've also had such craziness as a Renault Gordini Alpine, Lancia Zagato, Datsun 1600 Roadster, Morgan Plus 4, Saab Sonnet, Jensen Interceptor, etc. I likes 'em weird.
Click to expand...

Interesting. My first car was a right-hand drive Hillman Imp.

Doc
 
That is a really cool car - but I still like that Rambler better. Here's the auction
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/AMC-...Z5357QQitemZ4614762803QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
It ends in like two hours with no bids, I'm thinking about calling the number and talking to the guy directly, see if I can learn more and maybe work out something on when I can pick it up or whatnot. I haven't decided. I really, really like the looks of the Rambler, and I definitely want a sedan or a wagon, preferably a wagon.
As nice as that Fairlane is, I just don't know if it's what I'm looking for. I don't know what to do here - I'm torn - I like the 65 Rambler, I've looked at pictures of the other wagons they made, and I think I like the way the 65 looks compared to the 63-64. I know what I don't want - I don't want a hot rod, a Mustang, a Camaro or anything like that - I'm looking for the 'family car', the car of suburbia. Call me crazy, but I like station wagons.
I'm doing a little searching on eBay, and found this - a little more beat up than I'm looking for (I want to avoid body work) but it's right next to that Fairlane. Literally. You can see the front corner of it in that photo. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD...oryZ6232QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I still really like the Rambler. But I'm going to have to figure out a lot if I want that car - the storage garage in Pittsburgh is a great idea - but how to get it there. I't have to drive all the way out there and tow it a short distance, then come back again and tow it a long distance. Ideally, I could pay some service to move it for me, then come out and get it in the summer, but I don't see how I could set that up from here economically.

There's also a nice 68 Chevy Bisquaine wagon on eBay now, that already runs and the seller can even deliver, and it's close by. Nice looking, but I still like the Rambler better - might be a thought though.

Next minor problem - I can't drive stick... The Rambler is manual and so is that Chevy. It can't be hard at all to learn, but I've just never driven a manual car, and nobody I know has one. Not that I never wanted to learn, the opportunity just never came up. Shouldn't be hard though. I understand the concept....

-Ian
 
Stick isn't that hard to learn for basic concepts; what takes time is learning coordination and smoothness. I was totally green with a stick and I learned it in two and a half months of driver ed., two days a week. Once you learn it, you never forget how to do it again. (comes in handy when you need to rent a big U-Haul truck, lemme tell ya!)
Might not be evident, but the '63 and '64's were compact-sized; the '65 and up were mid-sized, so that '65 is the first year of a whole new larger unit body... with first-year teething pains.
Myself personally, Ian? I'd far more recommend the Chevy. WAY easier to fix and get parts for than the AMC... especially if you plan on using it as a daily driver.
Best of luck with your decision. :thmbsp:
Tom
PS Take my advice with a grain of salt: I like Corvairs! :smoke:
 
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You need to lear how to drive a stick regardless. You can't call yourself a man if you can't drive a stick. You sure can't grow up to be a "car guy" if you can't drive a stick. You can't drive the Richard Petty Experience if you can't drive a stick.

It's not hard to lear, and I think it makes driving a lot more fun. Besides, all the good Capris have a stick. You'll all realize how much you want a Capri when I get my red one finished.

Take care,

Ed
 
Okay, he didn't buy it. Bidding ended with no takers.
Ian? Please tell us why you didn't pull the trigger?
Tom
 
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Chances are that's gonna have an unsynchronized first gear. Learning to double clutch is a bitch. I saw that Rambler in my travels, but I didn't want a stick as my wife has no interest in learning to drive one. May not seem like a big hurdle, but it's a pain in the ass having to pull the car out of the driveway every time if I'm last in and she needs to go out.

That Falcon wagon has no title and looks like it won't be driving home under its own power. For a few hundred more and a little patience, you can have a much better car if you wait. But, if you like wagons, just get this and drive it home:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1968...4615362035QQcategoryZ6232QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This is the parts car I just bought to redo mine:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...=8041471470&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1
 
If you want a cool wagon, might I suggest an Olds Vista Cruiser, a Buick SportWagon, a Chevy II Nova, a Chrysler Town & Country, a Dodge 880 or Coronet, a Ford Falcon Squire, a Pontiac Tempest wagon, or a 1963 Studebaker Wagonaire with the sliding roof?
 
Kamakiri said:
Chances are that's gonna have an unsynchronized first gear. Learning to double clutch is a bitch.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but the old Rambler engines are absolute stump-puller torque-monsters. Only time you NEED first gear, is from a dead stop. If you're rolling AT ALL, they'll pull themselves nearly STRAIGHT UP from near IDLE on up, in second gear.

Heck, my dad used to regularly start off in second gear in his '62 American (196ci 6-cylinder). It'd just breeze right on off the line... no lugging, no lurching, no problem...

Regards,
Gordon.
 
'Call me crazy, but I like station wagons.'

RetroHacker, you have no need to apologize for liking Station Wagons. They were THE Family-mover before Minivans (cue prolonged, fading scream). I think they had more style than the fashy convertible versions of their marque. I spent my growing up years with the fam's '64 Ford Galaxie Country Sedan in Guardsman Blue with a luggage rack. Give me a '56 Pontiac Safari, or a '58 Olds Fiesta, or a '59 Ford Country Squire any day. I knew a guy that had a gorgeous white '65 Mercury Colony Park (Mercury's Country Squire), Never found out where it went when he died. If you get a wagon, you can join the ASWOA:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/collector_cars/1267741.html?page=5&c=y

IMHO, the Rambler was too much of a gamble. The pic of the holed front fender right above the wheel was particularly worrying.

Scott

Sitting in my shop waiting:
1967 Triumph 2000 Saloon (Sedan)
1969 Triumph GT6+
1973 Citroen SM (talk about insanity)
 
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