1955 Hudson Rambler cross country wagon
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- Today On What it’s like super late than never released, 1955 Hudson rambler cross country wagon. Lots of Indep about Hudson and Nash merging to form one of the most underrated underappreciated companies to ever exist American motors corporation.  Loads of. Ads comparisons be sure to stick around to the end or would you rather and name that tune.
Special Old spokes in kutztown Pennsylvania, Which is home to the worlds largest Hudson collection. If you’re in the area be sure to check them out I believe it’s by appointment only if interested click the link below to get more information about visiting in that museum.
oldspokes.com
If you Have a Nash/AMC 195.6 in.³ displacement in-line six whether or not there’s a flat head or an overhead valve here is some useful information
www.ramblerlor...
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Robert Plant - Sea Of Love 1985
Yeah buddy you got it congratulations be sure to turn on Sunday for the 1961 Ford galaxy catch an episode at 4:30 Eastern standard time hopefully lol 😂 =)
@@What.its.like. Love the early 1960's Ford's, There was a black 1962 Ford galaxy up the road from my place. I walked passed it daily to and from school.
They are definitely underrated that’s for sure, I’m probably gonna get booed for this comment but I like the early 40s better than the early Chevys I was never a big fan especially the dashboards, and early dodge very eh.. The styling was just way way out there by 1962
@@What.its.like. Cars made after 1957 started going overboard with the space thyme and over chrome. The 1958 Impala is one of my bucket list cars. The 1958 buck just had to much going on.
th-cam.com/video/lrkNRcyvtF4/w-d-xo.html
Love the coral paint color, very popular color in the 50's, I believe most brands offer that color back then.
Coral and grey worked well on the '55 Chevy.
back in the 1970's I drove a 1949 Dodge Cornet, 4 door while I was in college and got16mpg around town and 19-20 mpg on the highway it weighed 3400 lbs. before that I drove a 1959 Jaguar Mk I w/ overdrive while I was in the service. It weighed 3200 lbs, around town it got17-18 mph and on the road astonishingly while crossing Ill (flat country) it got almost 30 mpg in overdrive. They need to bring both of these back to life, wonderful automobiles and all without a single cup holder!!!
My thought process was why don’t they bring back a flathead six and turbo charge it.. Think about it all of the flatheads had low compression best thing you could do is turbo charge it they got really good gas mileage. All things considered, The Internet will tell you the flathead engine just isn’t that economical but the overhead valves aren’t getting any better gas mileage than the flat heads were.. and better fuel economy could be achieved with a different rear end final ratio. If I had a lot of money I would definitely venture into that option to see if it would even be possible and what kind of gas mileage could be achieved from that idea.
@@What.its.like. I mostly agree but changing rear-end ratios to higher gears is problematic when it comes to high speed highways situations
I had a 58 American 2 dr. 196 with 3 sp. & OD - got 25 + mpg doing 65 to 70 - about the same as my 2005 Toyota Camry !! This engine definitely had head gasket issues - needing to be retorqued frequently and even that didn't eliminate the need for occasional replacement. The car was very quiet and the OD is a dream, almost as good as an automatic but has no slippage as with a torque converter. Torque tube drive line is a pain in the butt for removing the transmission. Rear axel splines(outer ends) wear out - had to find used replacements(this was in 1985 so fairly impossible now).
Thank you so much for adding all that information as well as inside of ownership of owning this car I’ve always been fascinated by these and I always wanted to own one until recently finding out how much maintenance there is the trunnion situation scares me have to death but realistically most old cars have trunnions that was just a version of a ball joint.
Nash commissioned a Pininfarina design, which was delivered over the objection of their in-house designers. In-house took what they wanted and came up with their own sedans, but Nash wanted the Farina connection. They paid Farina to use the EMBLEM on cars that had little to do with the PF design.
Awesome thank you for filling in that blank =)
Mainly design penned by Ed Anderson, Bill Reddig et al. In-house @ Nash-Kelvinator.
@@What.its.like. I don't know if it's on the web, what the heck, everything is on the web,
_Collectible Automobile_ magazine Volume 36, Number 5 (February, 2020) includes front 3/4 and rear 3/4 photos of the Pinin Farina prototype for the '55 Nash Ambassador on page 64. It is nothing short of stunning, cleaner and more modern than anything else on
AMC advertised that an air conditioned Rambler cost less than $2000 back in the day.
My grandfather had a 55 cross country he called “the pink lady.” When he died, my mother got it and gave it to me. I was only 12, but she taught me how to drive it in our long driveway. It developed overheating issues, and I eventually sold it for $50, without ever driving it on the road. Between my grandfather’s and my ownership, I have memories to spare of that odd and interesting car. Thanks for your review.
Thank you so much for sharing that story with us what great memories =)
I wonder if you rue that sale now
The older small Rambler design was brought back with a few minor changes (mostly opening up the rear wheels and turning the tail lights over) in 1959 as the American, and then rebodied with a squared off version (using the same platform and a lot of internal structure) that went until the new American came out in 1964.
'58, as it beat the Lark by one model year.
It was obscured by later events, but there was an obsession with small cars at the end of the 1950s . The recession had turned people off on expensive cars and while the Suez crisis had just nudged U.S. gasoline prices, leading the usual fruitless congressional investigations, it had thrown a scare into the auto industry and put small cars in vogue in Europe. It was only after a few years that the small car boom fizzled out, and people realized that it cost almost as much to build a small car as it does to build a big one.
Did you do the red convertible next to it? Looks cool what is it?
Love this "Cross Country" The badging was interesting in '55.
The Nash "Cross Country" wagon was advertised as the lowest priced wagon with air conditioning. For WYR, I think the '54 is my first pick because it is my birth year. 💁🏼♂️
Great choices =) I like the grill better on the 54 it just looks so different with the wheels covered
I had a friend that had a Rambler that I drove a couple of times. It was in mint condition as of 1983, when I drove it. Unusual feature was the push button shifter for the automatic that automatically released from park when the parking brake was disengaged. By today’s standards, the car was small, underpowered; but the steering was light and precise for a car without modern technology.
Wow awesome thank you so much for sharing your experience, I think power steering is overrated personally but I do love power breaks
@@What.its.like. Yes, power brakes are nice to have. My grandmother’s car was a 1967 Mustang with power steering BUT no power brakes. I practically had to stand on the brake pedal for stops. I always wondered how my 80 year old grandmother was able to drive that car… she must have done a lot of isometric exercises stopping that beast! But until her stroke and hip fracture, she loved driving that car.
I had a 67 mustang as well with power steering no power brakes hardest car to stop my 52 Chevy stops easier and rides better but I loved that car
We had a 1953 Nash Rambler 4 door wagon. We got this in late 1962. As kids we hated the styling and the green/blue color. As a car it was reliable enough for the time. Only broke down once that I remember. One interesting feature was that the starter button was under the clutch pedal. So to start the engine you had to push the clutch all the way down hard. For a quick get away you could put it in first gear, push down the clutch to start up and then pop it out to go! Note very fast. It had overdrive but we never used that. No radio
You might be misremembering, the Rambler four door wagon was introduced for the 1954 model year.
Most cars didn’t have radios as standard equipment in those days. You had to order one as extra equipment. My parents had a 1953 Chevy 210 that never had a radio.
@@danielulz1640 Could be. For sure it was four door. I was always told it was a 53, but 60 years ago, who knows. Could be that the parents did not really know. I do remember that as kids we hated the styling, no wheel wells. Other kids made fun of it. Today it would look cool and space age.
@@dalecs47 I thought that they looked a little odd back when they were new. I prefer the 55 with the open front fenders. I remember seeing a 55 spring edition Hudson Rambler Cross Country with the wild two tone paint and thought it looked great.
@@danielulz1640 Yes, the days when cars had style. Most of the cars today look very much alike.
I had a 59 Rambler with the 196 engine. It was the first engine I rebuilt and the most reliable engine i ever owned. I would drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Vegas, Arizona and even to Mexico and would never overheat. I now own a 57 Rambler and I hope this will be the same type of quality. I am in the process of restoring it. Thanks for the video. I enjoy it very much.
59 is my favorite wagon ever I want one so bad but want the ambassador which I’ve never seen one in the wild
@@What.its.like. If I see one for sale I will let you know. They usually cost less than 20000
Thanks for a great Hudson & Rambler video! This must have been the perfect family car in
1955. 👍
Out of all of the wagons offered 1955 this is one of my favorites I don’t know if it’s the favorite Studebaker offered a really cool wagon I believe.. it’s up there though my favorite wagon of all time is a 1959 AMC cross country wagon.. I really want to find the Ambassador version this year I’ve never seen one in person
PERFECT 2ND CAR DRIVE DAD TO THE TRAIN CHILDREN TO SCHOOL MOM TO SHOPPING SAVE THE BIG CAR FOR VACATIONS AND LONG TRIPS
That 55 Cross Country Wagon is a real beauty!
Hundred percent agree I wish I could’ve got inside this one I’ve always wanted to sit behind the wheel of one of these and see what it was actually like inside
The real Airflyte touch by Nash till 1954. Love it !
I’ve been looking to cover an airflyte personally love those =)
I like the Nash and Hudson gravestones at 1:51. Very appropriate I would say. Hudson remarkably sold 5,000 more models in 1955 than they did the previous year but half of them were rebadged Ramblers just like the one featured above. There was also an extremely rare but very impressive looking Hudson Rambler Custom Sedan that came out that year which was desinged by Pinn Farina. It was virtually identical to the Nash version of the same car. The limited production was I once read built in their El Segundo, Ca plant that would close later that year when it was bought by Hughes Aircraft for $3 million upon which it was converted into a missile assembly and test facility. The top of the line Hudson/Nash Custom Cross Country station wagon may also have been designed by Pinn Farina as it has the same type of chrome side trim styling. The egg crate grille that was used on all Hudsons as well as the Nash Station wagons. plus the custom sedans, had originally been planned for the Detroit made 1955 Hudson model which due to Hudson moving to Kenosha, Wisconsin never came to be. Some dealers refused to sell the new Hudsons when they saw them and either swtiched to another brand or decided to leave the new car dealer business entirely.
Awesome information thank you so much for sharing all of that I really appreciate it =)
Don't miss The Rambler Ranch if you're ever near Colorado Springs or Denver. Hope you can make it there sometime, Jay! Would you rather '55 Rambler wagon in both cases.
I’ve never been to Colorado I would really like to go definitely have to look that up =)
Great choices
That Orange wagon has a Hudson Emblem upfront, and then comes the Nash Hub Caps, and then the Rambler Script on the front fenders! lol, 💋 you get all three in one package!
Hahaha if that wagon were mine, I would drive it everyday
@@What.its.like. 💋
A friend got a subcompact Mopar hatchback in the early eighties, carried Plymouth TC3 badging on one side and Omni O24 on the other. Mismatched taillights and all. The dealer tried to get him to bring it in and regularize the trim, but John kept it that way.
Brings back memories for me, my father and grandfather operated a Hudson Rambler dealership named "Palm Swede Motors" in Wichita, Kansas in 1950's and early 60's. I always loved these cars, knew about the Packard Studebaker merger, and imagined what AMC could have been. My father after the dealership closed worked for AMC until it was bought out by Chrysler.
Wow great story you probably got to see and drive some pretty impressive stuff out of all of the AMC products what was your favorite.. if you can’t narrow it down to just one what was the top five.
@@What.its.like. My favorite was the 68 AMX the other five would be the 68 Javelin, 66 Marlin, 69 S/C Scrambler, 70 Rebel Machine and 70 AMX. I drove a 62 Rambler Classic while in college.
Got to love those vintage ads, describing the "swanky" roof rack!😊 Given the choice, I would take the Ford wagon, to me the design is really beautiful, in the second scenario though, I would take the '55 Cross County, I mean it is really is so darn cute! 😎
Great choices =) swanky is a word that I’ve never heard you use in that light
@@What.its.like. equivalent to "Car got swag luggage rack" today 😁
Great job on this...I used to have a 1959 sedan. Same mechanicals. Easy to drive and maintain. Miss it. I vote for the 1955 rambler wagon...best looking of the bunch for me!
Glad you totally dig this episode
I want to hit the sedans hopefully this year the goal is to cover all of the lost and forgotten cars on this channel. =)
What a rare girl indeed ...saw one years ago at Gilmore Museum (Michigan) during their CONCOURSE DE ELEGANCE show, can't be too many around! Wish I had one!
There is one for sale on Facebook marketplace but they want a fortune for it the guy that runs the museum told me what they spent for this one and he got one hell of a deal..
I love the Gilmore Auto Museum it’s one of the best museums in this country and it’s ran by car loving enthusiast =)
@@What.its.like. I'm quite sure his pricetag is astronomical...maybe not like a '56 Lincoln Premiere convertible (another gem!), but in either case, I haven't won powerball yet!
@@What.its.like. Gilmore's IS the place for any died in the wool car lover! I'm looking forward to squiring a special lady there with another love...a 63 Avanti (lotto winning needed!)
A very sweet 1955 Rambler wagon is featured in Highway Patrol's episode 68 intitled "HOSTAGE".
Sweet =)
1956 cross country on both, really like that little car.
It’s a special little car =)
7:05 - The 195.6 was produced in OHV and flathead versions until 1964. For 1965, an all-new OHV six was introduced and it was variations of this engine, not the 195.6, that was produced for AMC cars and Jeeps until 2006.
Thank you so much for the clarification
I rode in a two-tone Coral and White '55 Cross Country Wagon. I have a thing for the "Peter Rabbit" lines of these Nash wagons.
I love Nash ramblers =)
It is really a shame that Hudson got swallowed up by Nash. Hudson was a much more "competition" directed company and had a reputation for building fast cars. My Grandfather owned a Hudson Terraplane and he always swore it was the fastest car on the road. When Romney took over "stodgy" became the by-word for American Motors and their cars were known for being "grandma" cars. Even later when they began building cars like the Rambler American with the 290, 343, and 390 motors, and later the Marlin, the Rambler Rebel "Machine" and the Javelin and AMX they couldn't shake the stigma George Romney saddled them with.
American motors was never as stodgy as Chrysler was in the early 50s just an opinion though they made some really nice cars I just wish that this engine wasn’t so temperamental..These cars require a lot of maintenance routine maintenance to drive them to proper
Stodgy 😆. 57 Rebel was the first muscle car and the second fastest car on the road. Just behind the fuel injected corvette. Hudson was doomed by 1954 after wasting money on the Jet.
The Corvettes overrated I think that the rebel would beat it in reality the Corvette is third fastest in 1957 it’s behind the Studebaker Goldenhawk in which the rebel is faster than the Goldenhawk.
In the first choices, I would like the Rambler, in the second choice, the 56 model.
Great job Jay!...The historical background that you’re providing on these cars and manufacturers is exceptional!!...Including the period AMC commercial was just too cool!!! 😎
Welcome to the channel tons of content on here we love the orphan cars, glad you dig the channel =)
If I had to choose of the first group, as much as I Love AMC, I would have to choose the Ford. My parents had a ‘56 Country Squire ( the first of 3) so I know the car. As to the second group, I would choose the ‘56 Cross Country hopefully with the Excellent 327 4 barrel and Borg Warner automatic. I had a ‘64 cross Country and it was a good car, but had astronomical miles on it and it burned oil like crazy! I had 5 AMC cars all together and each was a great car! The BEST was my ‘69 Ambassador SST (super sport) with the 343 Typhoon 4 barrel and the excellent Borg Warner 3 speed automatic. It had every option available! Even AM-FM STEREO WITH 8 track. It was totaled in 1975. We had it “fixed” but it wasn’t the same. My other AMC’s were a’72 Ambassador Brougham 2 door hard top. A ‘76 Pacer, a ‘76 Hornet. Each had it’s good points I miss. AMC
Wow awesome all the AMC cards that you owned sound like they were really cool just different that’s why I like AMC because they were different than the big three.
I’ll go with the 1955 Chevy wagon. I grew up riding in 1955 and 1957 Chevy wagons, not because they were cool, but because they were affordable used cars.
Great choice =)
I like the 55 headlights but I like everything else in the 56.
Thanks for your attention to detail! Unibody was a Hudson innovation I do believe.
Nash was first out of Nash and Hudson but Chrysler air flow was the first car to offer unit body in 1934
From a 2023 perspective most people don’t realize that Hudson, Nash, Studebaker & Packard were fairly common and popular. Even Frasier and Kaiser had some good years. Too bad they couldn’t have combined as you mentioned & formed something like GM. After all that’s essentially why GM came to be. Personally I think the “bathtub” design is still kind of smooth and futuristic. The ‘57 looks a little clunky compared to the Ford and Chevy. Maybe Pininfarina should have designed the’58 😉. Including the ad video is wonderful. It would be helpful to see a sales number comparison with Chevy, Ford, Dodge, etc. From my observation styling and price gets people into the car, the dashboard, engine and interior appointments are what gets you to sign the papers. Plain dash and instruments, tough sell. Eye popping dash and powerful engine sells the car. Any comments? Arguments?
💯% agree, I love the bathtub era =) I hope to find a rambler (Nash early 50s) or airflyte this year
I agree. The model T was functionality to the max. After it satisfied the need for transportation, people want style. The car became a statement about the owner.
The plan was Nash-Kelvinator buys Hudson and sells off the Kelvinator Appliance division to raise additional cash, Packard buys Studebaker, then American Motors merges with Studebaker Packard to displace Chrysler to fourth place from third.
Nash had a thoroughly modern unit body design, Studebaker had a reliable V8 and its own air-cooled three-speed Automatic Drive, Packard had a V8 in the wings and the Packard engine architecture could be enlarged to 500+ cubic inches, plus Packard had its own Twin Ultramatic transmission, Twin Traction differential, and the new Torsion Level Ride suspension a year or so out, and Hudson engineers were making flat-head sixes that were sending NASCAR V8 Oldsmobiles and Chryslers and Lincolns crying home to their mommies, not because of the power, but because the Hudson had the center of gravity and the traction of an abalone at high tide.
The problem is, George Mason died and the deal fell apart due in part to infighting among the companies, and it came out after Packard had finalized the Studebaker purchase that Studebaker's break-even point was about sixty per cent higher than they had represented during the negotiations and Packard was willing to sellV8s to Nash and Hudson, but didn't buy the body panels from AMC as had been agreed, and the grand merger turned into a grand mess.
I love it Justin, its such a beautiful wagon 💯
Totally agree
It's kind of cute little car. The styling isn't that bad and is actually rather contemporary. Mileage sounded great. Then again, who in the 50s worried about mileage when gas was so cheap?
I would own this wagon. They were ahead of their time
The gas was not all that cheap compared to how much lower the wages were.
@@johanvangelderen6715 Yes, you have to use an inflation calculator (Google it) to see what the equivalent $ amount would be today.
A lot of the Depression era people fretted about even the least of expenditures.
@@jamesrecknor6752
A moment of Googling about the gasoline price in 1955 was about
26 cents a gallon.
According to the USA CPI Calculator
that's equivalent to YOU paying $ 2.93.
Just as now, the price might feel cheap or high depending ones income.
Keep in mind that 1950s cars were generally not thrifty. So getting 30 mpg was a real marketing feature.
I'd take a 55 Chevy wagon in a flash! 265 V-8, or a 235 straight 6. These cars had numerous quality issues as you stated and then some including poor fit and finish of the body panels. Ford had some problems as well but I'd take a Ford over one of these. Now, if I was forced to own one, I'd take the 56 Rambler. Only because of the improvements over 55's. This IS a rare example and should be put in museum rather than driven. Nice presentation!
This is in a museum that’s why I couldn’t get in it I was trying to look for did you send a message to me through Facebook I was trying to find it so I can send you a message I think you reached out to me about reviewing a wagon I totally wanna do that this year.. if your up for it =)
If you can come out to central New Jersey, you're welcome to review my 67 Buick Sportwagon, and we can go for a cruise!@@What.its.like.
I’m totally down for it just let me know when you would like to do that I was gonna wait for spring..
That works. Let me know.
Loved watching your video, nice job! Coincidentally, I just purchased the silver w/maroon top 1955 Nash Rambler Cross Country wagon you used pictures of for comparison in your video (gets delivered to me this Saturday). Love old Nash/AMC vehicles!
Awesome i’m so happy for you. I really like these wagons. Good luck with yours.
1955 like one with the opt a/c and the cloth / leather trim int
My mother owned and loved a base model 1961 Rambler wagon with an L-Head 6. She loved the car for its gas mileage. However, I thought it was a tin can with an engine that should have been powering something on a farm. The upholstery used the kind of old plastic that shocked you in the winter time. There appeared to be no sound deadener at all in the car, and you could hear the tiny 1-barrel carburetor wheezing for air when you tried to "accelerate." I have no fond memories of that car, but the people who liked them loved them. Go figure.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the car =) they were a bit underpowered. I drove a 61 cross country and it wasn’t bad it had ohv 195.6
@@What.its.like. The engine in my mother's car was a flat-head, (L-Head.) I think the engine went back to the early 1940's. I heard that old carburetor gasping as I watched the video, and I saw my mother behind the steering wheel. I guess that is a good memory after all.
Tough choices. If I were economy-minded, I'd take the Hudson. Otherwise I'd go with the '55 Chevrolet. Which is interesting because I'm usually a Ford guy.
If it's a choice between the '54, '55, or '56 Rambler, I'd probably go for the '55. I never cared much for the front wheel wells that went as far down as they did on the '54. I think the '55 has a simpler, cleaner look than the '56.
At any rate, I like the look of this car. I hope you can find one in which you can get in to!
Yeah for sure i’m hoping to recover it when I find the Nash version. There was some switches I didn’t go over either because I didn’t know what they did and I couldn’t find an owners manual that told me what the buttons did.
Jay, the first video of yours that I ever watched was of the 1956 Rambler Cross Country. It’s been a treat watching you develop your style. I love the 1955 Cross Country. I would pick it in both scenarios. But I was so disappointed that you didn’t sit inside. I was dying to know how tight the interior was. Great video!!!
Wow that’s so awesome to hear, so how do you like the format now versus the format then. I actually went back and watched that video just to see how far it came in that video is actually really hard to watch. I’m going to look for another 56 Hudson cross country Rambler wagon and do it in the style and format that we are at now and this is probably not going to be the final format it’s probably gonna change into something better.
I was disappointed too I was told some thing and then whenever I got there it was something different but I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to showcase some really rare Hudson cars that I’ve never seen before but I think there’s three more videos from there I wasn’t allowed to get in any of the cars so unfortunately I can’t sure what the cars look like from the inside but there aren’t any glove box test either it’s really weird pitching this you know I wanna get in your Classic Car and see if my camera fits in your glove box lol. But yeah the plan is to eventually do those cars again the jet had three cars in its category this is the super jet that he had so it’s like middle level.
@@What.its.like. I love the format you have now. You cover everything in such detail that it’s like I am there, seeing the car myself. I think it’s perfect … right down to the song contest and the toodle-loo!
Thank you so much it means the world, that’s the angle in which I wanted to show these cars so it was like an experience that not only that I just had but everybody that watches the video also has the same experience so if you wanted to buy the car the only thing you’re missing from the equation is the actual feel. Which can’t be described really because everybody sees things and feels things differently. But hopeful this year in the summertime we can see some of them run and in action because that adds a whole layer to the experience
Great vid cool wagon! 😍👍
I remember seeing these driving around when I was a little kid. I always thought that the taillights looked 'sleepy'. I think they would have looked better upside down. I also remember seeing 53 and 54 Chevies where the owners had switched them upside down. Whatever. You really seem to be fascinated by AMC cars, Jay!
I really like the wagons 1959 AMC ambassador wagon is my all-time dream wagon. I would take the cross country Rambler as well, but that 327 Vasily underrated I like Packard and Studebaker as well. I just have a thing for orphan cars I guess. Nash and Hudson
@@What.its.like. That is why I like your channel! My dream wagon is either a 62 Corvair Monza wagon, or a 64-66 Studebaker Wagonaire.
Yes, Great Job Jay!
Thank you glad you dig this episode =)
Pretty impressive vehicle for 55. In my country, despite the insane and oppressive heat, air-con was not commonly available available until the mid 60s, on American imports. Locally made vehicles were usually unavailable with air-con till the 70s commonly, which I think is strange.
I love these as well one year only design
another enjoyable vid, thank-you....I'd pick the '55 Ford and the '56 Rambler
Awesome choices dig this video =)
The L head engine was re-introduced in 1958 in the American to keep the price low. The L head was not offered in the Classic Dodge and Plymouth sixes were still L heads at that time.. In 1960, Chrysler introduced their famous Slant Six and AMC offered their overhead valve six in the American Custom.
Awesome added information thank you so much for sharing that really appreciate it =)
@@What.its.like. The American offered the OHV 6 as an option on all the lower trims and standard on the top trim of each year model up to 1965. So the Deluxe & Super from 1958-61 had the L head 6 as standard, while the Custom had the cast iron OHV 6 as standard. In 1962, AMC dropped the super trim and introduced the 400 for one year only on all models. The Deluxe & Custom had L heads with the OHV as optional, and the 400 came with the Cast Iron OHV. In 1963, AMC went to numbers with the American having 220, 330 & 440 trim levels; the Classic came with 550, 660 or 770 trim; the Ambassador came in 800, 880 & 990 trim. The American never used the aluminum block 196 OHV 6 cylinder engine from 1961 to 1964.
It's sad that Hudson & Rambler are no longer with us!!! 🙄
100% agree the owner told me what he paid for this car he bought it a couple years ago I’m not allowed to disclose how much it was but I was like I would totally buy that off of you right now for that much money. I guess I could put it to you this way because you’ve been with the channel since day one he paid the same amount for that car as I did my 52 Chevy truck..
@@What.its.like. Wow!!!
Nice 🥰
Rather? Ford. 56 Wagon. Prefer the 56 Dash So Jay, why didn't we see you inside this one like usual?
Back in the day? We use to install a 160 thermostat, the factory thermostat was a 180. With a 160? The issue went away. Another "trick" was to add depth to the radiator, good radiator shops (most no longer exist, we simply replace) problem also solved. The radiator cap was only 7 lbs which could raise the boiling point roughly about 21 degrees, so max boiling temp? 233 Degrees from the factory. Hint? The damage that happened was not "irreversible". Something else, during these years most folks did not use anitfreeze/coolant year round - it was straight water and many added alcohol to stop freezing. ( cars made in the 1950s and earlier with cast iron blocks and brass radiators were designed for nothing but water, except in the winter, at which time you added antifreeze that you then removed in spring.) As to head bolt torque? The recomendation was check every 4,000 miles retorque every 8,000 miles.Keep in mind the overhead needed valve adjustment every 8,000 miles per factory manual.
Trunion suspension, most manufacturers had switched to ball joints by the 1950's, Rambler hung on to them for a long time; Sort of similar to a U joint Good info at RamblerLore.com.
Ps. These were a reasonably nice vehicle.
I didn’t get in this one because this one was at a museum there’s two more episodes coming where I couldn’t get in those cars either because they were at the same museum. The owner told me that I could do everything that I do in every episode but when I got there things changed and I didn’t wanna miss the opportunity to cover these 6 cars cause the four cars that I picked out of there are rarely seen. The cool thing about the Hudson rambler wagon is it’s almost identical to the Nash rambler so I’m gonna go to look for a Nash rambler cross country wagon and cover that one. And go more in depth with it
No rear fender skirt so you have to use a bumper jack allowing the wheel to drop far enough to get the tire out.
I would love to demonstrate that one day how the wheels drop down when one picks the car up
And keep it clean
In this case, the 55 chev wagon wins hands down. Especially with the Mighty Mouse v8 motor. But I’d also consider the Nash/Hudson simply because of its now uncommon sight. But I would go for the overhead valve motor. It’s just better performing than the flathead. But at the end of the day, the Chevy is the superior car by a large margin.
Awesome choices but you have to remember 1955 Chevy had problems oiling the 265 V-8 it was peanuts compared to the oiling problems Ford had with their Y block V8, I was reading something about that where it’s only a problem and 55 56 resolve the issue.. The easiest way to tell if it has a 55 to 65 is the oil filter is external I guess they figured out a way to put the oil filter on the block itself more of a conventional, the way it’s been done since
@@What.its.like. the only oiling problem I am aware of with the v8 Chevy motors is they sometimes had problems with the oil filter o-ring seal could blow out if not properly serviced or installed. (I worked in a service station in the early ‘70s and did a ton of oil changes. It was not exactly uncommon to see cars with badly leaking oil filters come in.)
"the Chevy is the superior car by a large margin." Absolutely! The Rambler made you suffer for your savings. AMC made some very nice cars. This is not one of them.
“Beep Beep “ A song in 1958 about a Cadillac and a Little Nash Rambler by the Playmates . Check it out! 😊
Yeah I said I was going to use that song for the Rambler and I totally forgot I’m going to use that song eventually =)
Hi. I am busy restoring a 55 Hudson Cross Coutry here in South Africa. Probably the only one on the continent! Right hand drive. Im the second owner. Its nearly finished. Original paint etc. Except water pump and converted to 12v. Interesting exhaust and inlet design. Wonderfull that you did a piece onn them. Not alot around probably and notmuch info.
Wow that’s awesome it would be cool to see pictures when it’s done, I love these cars and orphan cars in general
The song from 1955 is " Down at Smokey Joe`s" by The Robins.
Sea of love either Robert Plant or Robert Plant and the Honeydrippers
Robert Plant. Sea of Love
Yeah buddy somebody beat you just
While comparing the Rambler wagons my pick would be the 1956 model. I would also choose Rambler over Ford or Chevy for the 1955 model year.
Me too I totally agree I would definitely take a 55 Rambler over anything that Chevy or Ford or even Dodge had
Sea of Love and Id rather have a 57 Rambler wagon.
Nice =)
The roofline for the 4 door Cross Country Wagon is design with the dip in it, because the wagon shares the rear doors with the 4 door sedan.
Awesome thank you so much for sharing that information =)
i drove a 53 nash 2 door station wagon .in high school. my parents bought it new. after playing with timing and leaning the carb for higher altitudes (lubbock) it constantly got 27 to 30 mpg. i you babied it and drove 60mph. it would eek out 35 mpg. 3speed w/od. thecae died with 250kmiles on it. no rust.
Wow that’s awesome I want to one day own an early nash love the 2 door wagons.. but they are hard to find and expensive. But that’s awesome they live up to the economy
This was fun to watch, and I learned a lot! Greetings from Querétaro, México. :-)
Glad you dig this episode =)
Good job. The photo you show depicting the 1956 Rambler is actually a 1957.
Thank you so much for that correction
2:39.merely 26 Italia models issued by Hudson.. good luck on that.
Wow for some reason I was thinking they made 54 either way a rare car
Of the three Cross Country wagons, I choose the '55. Of the three different brands, I pick the '55 Ford.
Awesome choices my favorite wagon of all time is 1959 rambler cross country the fins are what makes that car =)
1 & 2: 1955 Rambler Cross Country Wagon.
Tune: Don't have a guess, but it is a love song.
It is sort of a love song it’s actually a cover, craziest thing is the singer in the song was in another band one of the biggest bands ever be.. Super iconic bed and it’s hilarious that later on he did stuff like this
Great choice this is one of my favorite wagons of all time I honestly don’t know which one I’d rather have between the 54 or this one and the only reason I really like the 54 is because the wheels are covered up which you don’t see that but a lot of cars different =)
@@What.its.like. Nice.👍
Somebody got it it was either Robert Plant was an acceptable answer or the Honeydrippers sea of love Robert Plant is the front man for Led Zeppelin, which is arguably the best rock ‘n’ roll band of all time
@@What.its.like. 🎶We come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.🎶
Hammer of the gods...
I think that the styling of the 55 was much cleaner, functional and more pleasing to the eye. My friend’s Rambler was a few years newer but the late 50s styling looks dated and peculiar with chrome and bulges all in the wrong places, and seats less functional and comfortable. Unfortunately, as virtually all cars approached the 60s I think the boxy and chrome slathered slab look infected car design across many brands. As to which vehicle I would rather have, the styling and practicality of the Rambler draws me the most.
Totally agree both are like white whales now I’ve never seen a 54 in the wild
Pinin Farina did NOT build bodies for Nash. They did have SOME input to the styling of Nash, and then Hudson, cars beginning with the 1952 models. Nash had been building straight sixes since 1915 (Jeffery), and discontinued thier straight eight for the 1946 models. All post war Nash cars were sixes until the Packard V8 with Ultramatic drive became available during the 1955 model year. Interestingly, the 55 Nash and Hudson Ramblers were supposed to differ from each other. The egg crate grille and opened up front fenders was supposed to be Hudson exclusively. For economic reasons, all 55 Ramblers were Hudson in the front and Nash in the rear.
Thank you so much for the corrections and added information =)
I got some information from here
wildaboutcarsonline.com/cgi-bin/pub9990262549620.cgi?categoryid=9970468971914&action=viewad&itemid=9990482618384
@@What.its.like. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The internet is the greatest source of misinformation ever devised by the mind of man!
Yeah
Cool little car and another great video. Thanks Jay.
Glad you dig this video, I love these =)
The 1956-57 were the poor man's Rolls-Royce!
the Ramblers got better milage than ford, chevy and Chrysler. my 53 had a 25 gallon tank. I could fill it with $5 and unit out of gas a month and a half later. had a 660 mile range. My dad drove it from san fransico to Okc in 1955 in18hrs with 2 stops.
Wow that’s awesome thank you so much for sharing your experience with the car
1955 Rambler
With 1954 or 55
Actually the American intro Ed in 1958 was the same as shorter 1955 Ramblers.
Great choices and thank you so much for the added information =)
Jay, a great feature on a wonderful little wagon. And I'll take the Ford Country Sedan and the ''56.
Glad you dig this episode great choices
WYR1: I'm not a fan of torque tube drive which Hudson inherited along with the Nash body. Chevy is an all-new design, Ford is a major refresh of the basic '52 model, I'll flip a coin and hope it comes up Studebaker Conestoga.
WYR2: The '56 with the full wheel cut-outs front and rear looks best to me among these offerings, but I'm still partial to the Stude.
55' over 56'. But I also like the 55' Chevy more than the 57'.
Sweet =)?
56 Rambler, 55 Rambler wagon, 56 Wagon
Awesome choices =)
The dash in the 1956 is better. 1955 Ford and the 1956 Cross Country. Please spend/show more of the interior for a longer time. I always like the roof line on these wagons. Didn't they us the roof line for years?
I wasn’t allowed in the car is in the museum so the footage isn’t like the car is at classic auto mall, because without getting in some of those angles aren’t possible.
@@What.its.like. I see, that makes it tough. Well I think a little more than your usually time would be nice in the interior.
I would rather have a 1956 Rambler cross-country wagon
Sweet I want to hit that again so bad the channel format has changed a lot since the very first episode =)
My neighbors with a large family growing up always had ramble wagons from 1956 right through the 70's and beyond. A new one every couple years, loved those reclining front seats. Going down hill we would shut the key off for a few seconds and when turned back on would have a very significant backfire, which scared the pedestrians. Stupid kids, we thought it was funny!
What an awesome story thank you so much for sharing that amazing memory.
Gas was expensive when we were kids my best friend ruined his transmission because he put his Toyota Celica in neutral but when he went to put it back into drive he missed drive and put it into reverse and reverse was gone.. he always had to park on the hill because he couldn’t back up.
I would take the Ford over the others and the 56 Rambler over the other two. Both have that stout look that I like.
I heard it was lovingly called: Hash (Hudson and Nash)
Hahaha yeah
While everyone had cool, cars to drive to high school, my nerd of a brother had a rambler.
But on Saturday night he could get 30 bucks plus a tank of gas from guys who drove it to the drive-in movies with their gals. Sure made my brother popular until some of the parents found out why they wanted to borrow his car.
Hahaha nice great story thank you so much for sharing those memories =)
Whata sharp, cute little wagon! Whata gawdawful color! LOL I've always wondered how difficult it would be to change tires on these. It's too bad cars aren't as easy to work on like these old cars were. It's also too bad no American car companies offer wagons anymore. 1stscenario, you know me and my FoMoCo's... 🙂... Ford wagon! 2nd scenario, hmmmm, gotta go with the '56.
Very few companies offer wagons now Buick offered a wagon but they just discontinued it I think Audi makes wagons Volvo Subaru
@@What.its.like. A lot of sedans that are sold here are available as station wagons in Europe, but US production is eliminating a lot of sedans too.
The tires were not that difficult to change. The track was such that there was enough clearance that the inner fenders did not interfere.
@@What.its.like. The Buick was just a rebadged Opel/Vauxhall, but was sharp!
Song: Name of the group is really The Honeydrippers - yes Plant sang it, but it was to distinguish this music from Zepplin, you know - just in case it wasn't obvious, lol.
Yeah I forgot to mention that either answer would be excepted yeah it’s crazy that he went on to do softer stuff like this when he was the front man of probably the greatest rock band of all time, Led Zeppelin which I’m a huge fan of.. i’ll have to start dropping some zeppelin tunes in name that tune. =)
I had a 58 American come into my shop last year all I could think that this was 10 times a car more than a VW for only a few more dollars
Totally agree, Beatles are OK but I never saw what made them so great
When I was a kid, I hated these cars. Now that I'm 'ol, I love them! Funny thing is I remember old people driving these probably because of the economical aspect and cheap price.
It’s amazing how everything comes full circle eventually. =)
This reminds me, Jay, let's do an AMX.
Under "What would I rather have" I'd go for the results of the glovebox test.
I wasn’t allowed in this car so I couldn’t do the glove box test unfortunately there’s two more episodes where I couldn’t do the glove box test because I couldn’t get in the vehicles, that’s my favorite part too =)
@@What.its.like. It is an amazing feature of your reviews...
I know it killed me that I couldn’t do it I might’ve lied I shot six Hudsons at that museum and I wasn’t able to get in either of any of those cars I’m trying to think what other ones I have left in the pipeline.
@@What.its.like. Yeah, I was surprisingly bummed about no glovebox or back seat test. Thought maybe it got edited out somehow.
Hudson on the grill, Nash on the hub caps and Rambler on the fender. What did it say on the title/registration?
I’m not sure the owner told me that it’s a Hudson but it’s not 100% as far as being all correct
These were sold as ramblers what could be had as Nash or Hudson
Ramblers always looked stodgy and were either for growing families or tourists from Ohio who use to drive to Canada in the 50s.
Would you rather?
1: Rambler over Ford, but Studebaker offered wagons in the Champion, Commander, and President lines, probably would have gone for V8 power in the Commander (224 cubic inches) or the President (259).
2: Given those choices, the '56. Open wheelwells just look better.
Sweet choices and reasoning behind choices =)
It's a shame Nash Hudson is no longer with us
Both brands were incredible for their own reasons I wish AMC was still around making cross country wagons
Thumbs up for the Ford Wagon
Sweet
That stepped down roof line was so the wagons could use the same doors as the sedan. Cost saving move.
Sweet I did not know that thank you so much for sharing that information it gives the wagon a unique signature look
@@What.its.like. love your videos Jay, and it seems like I comment on just about every one with some minor tidbit you didn’t mention.
I’m glad you dig this channel, this is so much more than a car channel it’s a car community I do not know everything there is to know about these cars and the Internet doesn’t know everything there is to know about these cars either that’s what’s great about this channel is it gives everybody the opportunity to talk and to share their experiences as well as information that might have gotten lost the time. =)
The goal is to cover them all especially the orphan cars the cars that nobody gave the light of day to. So many cool cars outside of Corvette mustang Camaro
@@What.its.like. you are so right! Have you done a 49/50 Willys Jeepster?
Not yet plan on doing one this summer =)
I'm always confused on these cars. I thought some of these cars had the 320 Packard V8, 327 Rambler V8, or the Hudson 308 twin hornet? When they joined them under AMC I lost track. I'm no expert by any means!
56 or 57 was first year of the v8 in a rambler 55 it was just the 195.6 six
The Packard v8 was offered in the hornet and wasp and only offered in 55 by 56 amc had its own v8
55 and 56 Hudson Hornets and Wasps had Hudson six cylinder engines until the Packard V8 became available in mid 55. The Nash V8 replaced the Packard V8 in April, 1956. In 1957, only the Hornet with the Nash V8 was offered.
The 250 V-8 introduced for 1956 by AMC cum 327" in '57 thereafter.
55 all day long...
55 Rambler
55 Rambler
Song? no idea, don't have a clue...
Awesome choices somebody already got it it was either Robert Plant was an acceptable answer or the Honeydrippers sea of love
You mention Kutztown in several videos. It’s pronounced Cootz town, soft c. That means you are.more or less local to me.?I live about 20 miles from Hershey in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
I live on the other side of the state is that western Pennsylvania accent.. hahaha 😂
great narrative! you do a nice job of keeping us hooked! Good on you!
Welcome to the channel glad you dig this episode =)
Wheel opening
How sad Mason passed and a romney tok over as I could see a Hudson - Nash - Packard actually competing with the big three who were notorious for squeezing out the little guy
We love the under dogs on this channel