Crew cab hot rod

Well,
It seems I only have 2 projects mid-build so a 3rd to take my motivation off the others just made sense.
I think her name will be "Ramble"
Been wanting to build a car for a couple years.
Wanted something weird or not very common and it took a while to find the right one.
More to come once it hits the street (hopefully soon) but the cliff notes so far..

1965 Rambler American crew cab.
LS2 all aluminum 6.0 / 4l60
Holley Terminator ECM
Narrowed Ford 8.8 rear
4 wheel discs
Hydroboost
Super cheap "nascar" steel wheels with questionable tires (preliminary "testing" shows it will need new rear tires soon).
Old rusty looking paint and various dings and dents.

NYCEGUY01 said:

Well,
It seems I only have 2 projects mid-build so a 3rd to take my motivation off the others just made sense.
I think her name will be "Ramble"
Been wanting to build a car for a couple years.
Wanted something weird or not very common and it took a while to find the right one.
More to come once it hits the street (hopefully soon) but the cliff notes so far..

1965 Rambler American crew cab.
LS2 all aluminum 6.0 / 4l60
Holley Terminator ECM
Narrowed Ford 8.8 rear
4 wheel discs
Hydroboost
Super cheap "nascar" steel wheels with questionable tires (preliminary "testing" shows it will need new rear tires soon).
Old rusty looking paint and various dings and dents.

View attachment 160744


View attachment 160745

Click to expand...

I always liked Ramblers. Good looking, but understated cars.

I always forget to take pics while Im wrenching..lol

Anyway, had a couple days off work so Ive been working on getting this one done.

I have removed every inch of sketch wiring from the car, Im gonna install a cheap 10 circuit harness for my needs.
I also removed all of the Brake lines and fuel lines from the car.
The long rear brake line had 4 compression unions in it, like from the hardware store...

The car had a GM hydroboost "installed" in it, thy hacked the firewall and mounting and then hacked a big hole on the shock tower to clear the lines. But to make up for all that it leaked everywhere..lol
SO, that was trashed as well.
I cut a 3/16 plate to re-inforce the firewall and cover the big hole that was cut for the hydroboost.

I put in a new Wilwood master cylinder (Non-power), adjustable prop valve, and of course line lock.
Then had to spend most of a day bending and flaring brake lines for the entire car.
I finished off the day but installing the nut backwards 2 times in a row on my second to last flare.. UGH...

A few years ago I bought the Eastwood flare tool and if you ever need to do flares, I highly recommend it..

Next on the list was a little sheet metal work. The only pics I took..lol

The previous owner had really butchered the trans tunnel to install the shifter and also access the trans cooler fittings.
The car had to have the firewall opened up and a tunnel literally built around the trans and then all the way to the back of the car for a driveshaft.
Then he chopped big jagged holes in it..
I had 3 big holes to patch and it went fairly well. I have a Stag portaband table and it makes cutting little pieces like these super easy.

Gonna cover the tunnel and firewall in killmat once its ready to go.

This car is a car I helped out on and knew pretty well when it left a few years ago. All the work since then was less than ideal though.

The last project Im still waiting for the amazon truck today to finish up.

I wanted to install a new set of injectors, Went with new Holley 42lb to replace the old 36lb that were in it.
No big deal right, 30 min job...lol

When the car was last tuned at sea level it was maxing out the injectors.
2 issues really.
The fuel pressure wasnt up to par and the injectors are right at the edge of thier usefulness.
It had a corvette regulator setup and 20' of rubber hose zip tied under the car...

I installed all braided line and put in a Holley return regulator after the fuel rails to make sure the pressure stays right at 60.
The corvette regulator was hovering around 50-52 psi for some reason.
It has a Holley tank and pump designed for a 65 Mustang that has been cut into the Rambler trunk, it fits damn well actually..lol


Once I unbolted the 1st fuel rail I found a problem, the bolts unthreaded easily but the threaded inserts in the intake fell out the bottom somehow...
Basically, I couldnt put the rails back on the intake.

That lead to removing the intake and I found the problem.
The stock LS2 injectors are pretty long, the 36lb injectors are a little shorter and instead of buying spacers they just cut the stands on the intake shorter, and that took out the threaded inserts.

The new injectors I bought are actually a bit shorter yet again.
I ordered some spacers that will get here today but Im gonna have to just use a bolt and nut to secure the rails to the intake.
Not a big issue but future injector removal will include pulling the intake.
At least on an LS that isnt a big deal.

NYCEGUY01 said:

Well,
It seems I only have 2 projects mid-build so a 3rd to take my motivation off the others just made sense.
I think her name will be "Ramble"
Been wanting to build a car for a couple years.
Wanted something weird or not very common and it took a while to find the right one.
More to come once it hits the street (hopefully soon) but the cliff notes so far..

1965 Rambler American crew cab.
LS2 all aluminum 6.0 / 4l60
Holley Terminator ECM
Narrowed Ford 8.8 rear
4 wheel discs
Hydroboost
Super cheap "nascar" steel wheels with questionable tires (preliminary "testing" shows it will need new rear tires soon).
Old rusty looking paint and various dings and dents.

View attachment 160744


View attachment 160745

Click to expand...

My 4yr old self used to ride around in the back seat of a Rambler Ambassador......then Dad sold it when I was 6 and bought a 69 Camaro. This will be a cool build!

This is the worst part of any build for me. I hate doing the wiring...lol

So far the Holley harness is back in and the ECM is mounted.
I also have all the headlights and taillights wired up.
Everything under the hood and in the trunk is done after today.

Tomorrow I just have to mount the fuse block and wire up everything under the dash, by far the worst part..lol

At least all the wires are pulled and ready to be terminated...
Thankfully this car is pretty damn simple besides the actual engine harness...

This is bitchin. You son of bitch, Im in. 👌

Saw this and thought of yours.

No new pics today but I drove it.

This little car will do burnouts for days..lol.

I took it up on the highway and the looks on other drivers faces while getting passed at speed by this old shitbox it priceless...

Getting on the freeway it laid rubber in the 1st 3 gears while still pulling hard the whole way.


Everything worked well but the front end had a pretty good shake below 55.
Noticeable, but didnt seem "scary"...lol
I got it back on Jack stands and found all the tie rod ends and ball joints nice and tight. Hmmm....

Little more pulling and prodding and.....

The upper control bushings are the worst I've ever seen, literally no rubber at all left in the pass side and the drivers side were just "normal" wasted...lol



Also I'm ditching the Basset wheels. They take special lugnuts and are a bitch to get centered on the 1/2" studs as they are really made for the big 5/8 ones typically found on a stock car... In all reality this may have been my front end shake but it needs bushings either way.

So,
Big pile of bushings, new wheels (Fake draglites) , and bigger drag radials all in bound.

Started disassembly so when parts get here next week I can just go back together.

I was expecting to have to burn them all out as the poly ones re-use the old steel shells.

Nope, apparently if you wait long enough the rubber parts just fall out..lol

These are the bushings from the "good" side..

Got the front suspension completely re built and gave it a quick tape measure alignment.
Its driving great now.
Got the brakes all finished up with the new bigger master and the pedal feels good and it stops the car good now.

Yesterday I had the tire shop mount the tires on the wheels so I could install them today.

I had to grind a bunch on the rear calipers and of course the rears removed the wheel weights on the 1st revolution after they cleared the brakes..lol
Gonna have to have the rears done dynamic so we can put the weights where they dont get removed instantly...

I then had to do some "body work" on the rear quarters so the tires dont rub. Its damn close on the quarters and I have about 1/4" clearance from the tires to the leaf springs but no rubbing even when going over the train tracks. They are stuffed in there and a real pain in the ass to get on the car actually. The car has to go on Jackstands and then let the axle droop an inch or so to get them on.

It looks like 255's are the biggest tires I am gonna get under it no matter what, They do look pretty beefy though.

Had to do some adjusting on the Holley Terminator as the AFR's were all over the place.
It was set to only allow 10% correction and looking at the learn table is was maxxing out.
I set it to 50 and drove it around a while to learn and after just 12-15 miles the cruise and idle where right where I wanted them.
Gonna take a few more on ramp charges to set the WOT but is learning now.

Now I have a new issue and it almost left me stranded. Has 1/2 tank and the fuel pump will be running perfect and then get super loud and drop to 5psi.. Ugh...
Im not sure if I just have a plugged filter or sock or if the fuel is just getting too hot and cavitating.
Im waiting for it to cool down right now to see if the pressure drops again.
May just need a new pump as well but Ive had terrible luck with the Wallbro stuff so Ill get it apart and see what I can interchange it with..

Lastly.. Hot rod pics with the improved stance and beefy tires...

Getting closer.. Gonna try and get it up to ID falls or Evanston for some 1/8 mile passes / shakedown runs before September in Tucson

NYCEGUY01 said:

Got the front suspension completely re built and gave it a quick tape measure alignment.
Its driving great now.
Got the brakes all finished up with the new bigger master and the pedal feels good and it stops the car good now.

Yesterday I had the tire shop mount the tires on the wheels so I could install them today.

I had to grind a bunch on the rear calipers and of course the rears removed the wheel weights on the 1st revolution after they cleared the brakes..lol
Gonna have to have the rears done dynamic so we can put the weights where they dont get removed instantly...

I then had to do some "body work" on the rear quarters so the tires dont rub. Its damn close on the quarters and I have about 1/4" clearance from the tires to the leaf springs but no rubbing even when going over the train tracks. They are stuffed in there and a real pain in the ass to get on the car actually. The car has to go on Jackstands and then let the axle droop an inch or so to get them on.

It looks like 255's are the biggest tires I am gonna get under it no matter what, They do look pretty beefy though.

Had to do some adjusting on the Holley Terminator as the AFR's were all over the place.
It was set to only allow 10% correction and looking at the learn table is was maxxing out.
I set it to 50 and drove it around a while to learn and after just 12-15 miles the cruise and idle where right where I wanted them.
Gonna take a few more on ramp charges to set the WOT but is learning now.

Now I have a new issue and it almost left me stranded. Has 1/2 tank and the fuel pump will be running perfect and then get super loud and drop to 5psi.. Ugh...
Im not sure if I just have a plugged filter or sock or if the fuel is just getting too hot and cavitating.
Im waiting for it to cool down right now to see if the pressure drops again.
May just need a new pump as well but Ive had terrible luck with the Wallbro stuff so Ill get it apart and see what I can interchange it with..

Lastly.. Hot rod pics with the improved stance and beefy tires...

Getting closer.. Gonna try and get it up to ID falls or Evanston for some 1/8 mile passes / shakedown runs before September in Tucson

Click to expand...

I'd come watch you run in Idaho Falls, Post up if you are coming.

Sorry I missed this JJ.

Looks like a cool build.

Little progress.

Im still waiting for the new Fuel pump to arrive so that will get done once parts get here.

The more I think on it Im thinking the biggest issue is under hood heat just heating the fuel.
Or heating the rails, and regulator etc.. which then heats the fuel. The returned fuel is hot and after a bit the fuel in the tank is hot and now Im just pushing hot fuel to the motor and getting it even hotter.
The 100 degree temps are just too much with all the normal engine and exhaust heat in there.
There is just no room under the hood in this little car, Everything is pretty crammed in there.
I think the air is coming in and getting trapped, The only air getting out is through the bottom and that isnt helping my cause.

I ran it with the hood open and a fan blowing on the motor and it was fine.
As soon as I close the hood I get like 12-15 min and the pressure drops.
After running a while with the hood closed the fuel rails are super hot and the big aluminum fuel regulator was almost too hot to touch.

I started by relocating the fuel regulator as it was pretty close to the motor and above the exhaust manifolds up on the shock tower area.

Next I replaced the marginal low powered cooling fans to much larger units that move a ton more air.
Like from 650cfm each to 1380 each.
The fans were probably underpowered for this application but I had them. So they are now back on the shelf..

I put some spacers under the hood hinges and raised the rear of the hood around 1" to make an opening for hot air to get out.
At speed Im guessing it may just push air into the engine compartment though as cowl hoods only work due to the low pressure area at the base of the windshield.
Im stuck thinking it will help though, I know the old Mopar guys used to do it to assist their cars with cooling..
I kinda dig the look too, Kinda of a sleeper hot rod trick..lol

I have some good sized aluminum louvered panels I can cut into the hood for more airflow if needed though.
I know from hotrods years ago putting in louvers 12" behind the radiator area in a hood can drastically increase the ariflow through the cooling stack, in this case Id put them a bit further back as I need the airflow across the top of the motor and fuel rails as well.
Im hoping the bigger cooling fans will move more air into and through the underhood area.
More airflow across the top of the motor should help.

Old fans vs new fans and the cramped engine compartment...

Fuel cooler somewhere in line might help? Just not in the engine bay.

I Lean said:

Fuel cooler somewhere in line might help? Just not in the engine bay.

https://www.amazon.com/Perma-Cool-1002-Fuel-Cooler/dp/B00PRJV2L0

Click to expand...

I was thinking about putting something in the trunk floor or maybe just under the car back by the trunk with a fan on the return fuel line before it gets to the tank.

Everything in the rear under the car seems to be covered in rubber though..

Well...
Last couple weekends have been a pain in the ass...

Got the fuel system all squared away.
New pump, relocated the regulator, and installed a cooler under the trunk floor on the return side to combat the boiling fuel issues.

Once all that was fixed I had a crazy AFR issue we couldn't figure out. Ended up being a bad Terminator ecu...Ugh.
Of course that was after we thought we had bad injectors. At least Holley replaced replaced them for me.
Holley is replacing the ECU but of course didn't have one and they weren't sure when they would.

Summit racing to the rescue, I had to buy a whole kit to get the ecu though.
Once Holley gets caught back up Ill put the new one in that kit for the next project.

I did a bunch of driving and tuning and I'm really digging the Holley interface and tuning.
Going super easy and working great now.
Had I played with these more before building my C10 I would have gone Holley for sure instead of the tock ecu setup it has in it.

SO..... Last update is....
As of 20 min ago she is loaded on the trailer ready to roll to Evanston in the AM for some Street tire drags.
Im not even sure Ill stay for much of the actual racing but I need to make a couple WOT pasees to finish up the tune and make sure it stays in one piece.
Then it can sit till we head to Tucson at the end of September for Duct Tape Drags and then sit again till April for LS Fest...lol
Lots of hurry up and wait now. Hopefully no drama.

Well. The track conditions were not ideal. Track surface temp was like 76 degrees and had no prep at all.
There was no traction to be had...

Anyway.
Ran a 8.40 at 89 spinning the whole way, that was the best pass it made.
It also ran a 9.2 at 93 so... yeah..lol

I did get some good data logs and I am learning a bunch about tuning though.
The whole elevation vs kpa was a huge lightbulb moment. I wasn't understanding it at 1st looking at the logs.

6600' elevation at the track in Evanston vs. 4300 here in town, and then 2300 in Tuscon is for sure need need a few tweaks..lol

If it sticks in Tuscon it should run fairly well I think..

So, uh, you know things... and have an extra FI system