[ramzoom]

Has anyone put a mustang II front end into a stock 1958-1960 Rambler American? I am not doing a new chassis.
I know I've dove into this before but I am really trying to find someone that has done it and can inform me on whether they used a multi-fit universal kit or did they find a kit that is intended for another make model but happens to fit the Rambler American. Also, where did you get it? I am only looking into Mustang II. Someone out there has already done this I am sure. I have already called alot of front end mfg's and am getting a run-around. I am ready to get the universal kit but maybe someone else has a better Mustang II kit??
Any help is appreciated.

1960 Rambler American 2 door wagon

Thanks guys.

[matt167]

quite possible the kit for the early Mustang/ Falcon would be a good candidate for a '61 up, but not sure on a '63. I have a stock '65 330 myself.

[tomslik]

i've been looking at a 62-67 nova crossmember (heidts) for my 69 american.
can't pull the trigger just yet (and buy one)and i don't think they have enough travel for what i want.
i can measure my rambler if you need/want to compare...

[ramzoom]

Hi and thanks for the posts..I think I am going to have a solution to the front end delima soon. Hopefully I'll have some info tomorrow..alot of people say go with the one piece crossmember w/ coilovers. I will say that once this is figured out I will be posting a build journal to help others out with Ramblers.

I will be glad once I get past this front end business..makes the rest of the build look like pie.

[matt167]

Originally Posted by tomslik

i've been looking at a 62-67 nova crossmember (heidts) for my 69 american.
can't pull the trigger just yet (and buy one)and i don't think they have enough travel for what i want.
i can measure my rambler if you need/want to compare...

in your case, why not just run the factory Rambler suspension. it's already V8 duty.. Galvins rambler parts sells a V8 conversion crossmember that fits that car, which could be easilly mod'd to accept any V8 engine.. could do the same w/ the 6cyl k member but it would be easier to do w/ the V8 crossmember.

[tomslik]

Originally Posted by matt167

in your case, why not just run the factory Rambler suspension. it's already V8 duty.. Galvins rambler parts sells a V8 conversion crossmember that fits that car, which could be easilly mod'd to accept any V8 engine.. could do the same w/ the 6cyl k member but it would be easier to do w/ the V8 crossmember.

an oem type crossmember wouldn't do me any good (right now) as it's getting a sbc/4speed.
header clearence and the fact that everything sits an 1" or2 to the right.
think i'm going to have to "enlarge" the bellhousing area anyway....

[matt167]

I See.. but you know, in a round about way the factory did it in '69.. the Rouge was the platform for the Hurst S/C Rambler and the Rouge was an American.. theres probably some way to do what you want with factory Rambler parts, well, aside from using a SBC, cause you might run into firewall clearence w/ the distributor, but that's an easy fix.


I have a '65 American 330 that I'm considering swapping in a EFI 302 in, right now it has a compleatly sound 196 6cyl, so I probably won't unless somthing happens to the 196. it's just a daily driver

[farna]

The crossmemebr won't fit the 58-63 Rambler American -- totally different car than the 64-69. A Mustang II crossmember won't fit either one -- the front chassis rails are too narrow in the Ramblers, the rail is where the MII spring needs to be. I've seen one that had new rails made from square tubing welded inside the originals, then the original rails notched out, but wasn't done very well.

My advice would be to cut the front completely off the Rambler and make mounting points for an early Chevy II front frame clip. That would get you MII suspension AND mounts for the SBC.

If you don't want to do all that rebuild the Rambler front suspension. The trunnions are odd, but completely capable of supporting a SBC. The old flat-head six is only about 40 pounds lighter -- it's a HEAVY six! I have some pics of a 62 Rambler wheel stander with an SBC, back halved, using stock front suspension with some additional bracing under the hood (between spring towers and from towers to center of firewall). The inner wheel panels had the "humps" above the suspension mounting points cut off and flat metal welded in. The humps are leftovers from the 50-53 Nash Rambler, no longer needed. He then cut the side panels just enough behind the suspension to use Chevy II "over the rail" type headers. Really neat car! I can give you tips on rebuilding the suspension if needed -- parts are still available. The 50-55 Nash Rambler and 58-63 AMC Rambler American are basically the same mechanically, just a few minor changes and different outer skin. Glass all interchanges between like body styles.

[ramzoom]

Turn out that the Mustang II for a 40-41 Willys has the same inside to inside frame rail width as the stock Rambler Americans 58-60.
Use narrow a-arms to get -5/8 on ea. end to get your track width
9" rotors instead of the usual 11"

We will be installing this front end next week..I'll keep everyone ( that cares)
posted.

Thanks for all the posts!

[farna]

I definitely want to see pics and get any unusual details! Having to use the small rotors leads me to believe you need deep offset wheels too. Not a real problem though. With the small rotors there's no real advantage to the MII on the Rambler -- you can use 11" rotors with the stock suspension.

With the popularity of the MII conversion everyone seems to have forgotten that it's not really that great a suspension, it was just easy to adapt to straight axle cars. The original purpose of the adaptation was to get rid of the straight axle for a better (and usually lower) ride. Everyone's gone MII crazy now -- it's not a custom or hot rod without one, it seems!

Nevertheless, I get questions about fitting it to the small American (58-63) all the time! Mostly because people look at the trunnions and think they need to be replaced (they're actually STRONGER than ball joints!). Some do need the extra room in the engine bay though. If I were replacing the stock suspension with no or few body mods, I'd use an early Mustang strut conversion instead of an MII though.

[matt167]

I don't think I'd use an early Falcon chassis front end myself.. it was a simple system that is effective. changing shocks is the easiest as they come out the top. but it's really not the best and the shock towers limit engine space I'd try fitting in a '64 up Rambler American front suspension

[tomslik]

Originally Posted by matt167

I don't think I'd use an early Falcon chassis front end myself.. it was a simple system that is effective. changing shocks is the easiest as they come out the top. but it's really not the best and the shock towers limit engine space I'd try fitting in a '64 up Rambler American front suspension

what would you be gaining doing that?
shock/spring toweres are still there...

[matt167]

Originally Posted by tomslik

what would you be gaining doing that?
shock/spring toweres are still there...

That's why I said that I would not reccomend that.. I have a '67 Falcon and I wish the shock towers were not there. I'm running a turbo and I had to do some crazy exhaust routing to make the turbo fit.

[tomslik]

you said:"I'd try fitting in a '64 up Rambler American front suspension"

and i said:"what would you be gaining doing that?
shock/spring towers are still there..."

are you saying 64-69 americans have no shock towers?
i can prove you wrong IF that's what you're saying...
guess i'm not sure what you were getting at..

[matt167]

Originally Posted by tomslik

you said:"I'd try fitting in a '64 up Rambler American front suspension"

and i said:"what would you be gaining doing that?
shock/spring towers are still there..."

are you saying 64-69 americans have no shock towers?
i can prove you wrong IF that's what you're saying...
guess i'm not sure what you were getting at..

no I thought you were talking about swapping a Falcon front end in... and I have a '65 American 330 in my fleet also.. reason I said to swap in a '64 up American front end in was it's a better unit, that in the later years got optional V8's from the factory... also, the shock towers on the '64 ups are minuscule compared to the huge inner fender wells/ shock towers that the '58-'63's had