Popular Post anglia4 Posted August 2, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted August 2, 2020 There's a fair bit going on in Dad's shed at the moment. Among motorbike and Mustang projects, and hiding behind my Austin 7 is the other car that got pulled out of Grandad's sheds. Project updates might come from any one of @Duke Blackwood, @Itchybear or myself, depending on who remembered to put their beer down and take a decent photo. To kick the build thread off, here is an article I wrote for the Taranaki Mustang Club magazine a while ago: Ramble On Jeff Dixon For my entire life there has been a car sitting on my grandads’ farm that has always held my interest. The car has been sitting in what remains of a dirt floor car shed, since dad parked it there, after joy riding to school when grandad was on holiday, circa 1979... The car I'm talking about was grandads pride and joy in the 70's, his late model American family sedan. A 1968 Rambler Rebel 770. Since I started looking for a first car in my early teens I have wanted to rescue the Rambler, it has always looked like something that would be a mammoth task. Every summer for the last decade I've been saying we should get it out this year and see how bad it is, but life gets in the way and it never happens. Sadly, both Gram & Grandad have passed away in recent years, and with the car and shed looking like they've been deteriorating, we decided it was now or never. During the few days I had in New Plymouth between Christmas and New Year’s (a couple of years ago now) we loaded up the generator, compressor and a few tools to go on a reconnaissance mission and see how hard it would be to move. The first big question, do the tyres hold air? The Rambler has been stored on blocks with the wheels off the ground, so the Goodyear Polyglas tyres were at least still round. After very cautiously pumping them up, we were absolutely shocked to find them all still inflated the next day. Tick. Do the wheels turn? No.... After ratchet stropping a long bar to the front wheels and bashing the hubs with a hammer, the fronts came free without too much hassle, but we couldn't get our bar to the rear wheels inside the shed. At this point we put it on the ground. It's first contact with Terra Firma in 35 odd years. We hitched up the trusty Landcruiser and dragged it into the paddock with the rear wheels locked. After a couple of laps of the paddock it became apparent the rear wheels weren't going to move any time soon. This looked like being a problem. Without the wheels turning we couldn't get it home to the workshop, we can't get the drums off to see what the problem is, we are pretty stumped. 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post anglia4 Posted August 2, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 2, 2020 We disconnected the driveshaft incase it was a transmission issue, nope. Diff? Unlikely. So we tried some innovation. With a bar through the pinion u-bolts, ratchet stropped to a tree with some tension on it, we added some heat and hammering to the drums, and after some heavy persuasion there was movement! A bit more work and we had a roller. The next big question was the most important, is it saveable? There must have been a point not too long after grandad parked it up, where he realised he wasn't going to be able to get it on the road any time soon, legend says it had blown a head-gasket. So he decided he needed to preserve it. What happened next is a testament to his forethought and crazy ideas, he covered the car in waste oil. Yup, used oil from his digger, lots of it. He pulled out the interior and coated inside the doors, every surface he could get at got the treatment. Now over the years he copped a lot of flack for this, everybody thought it was a pretty silly idea. What it did mean, was that when we finally dragged it from its tomb, it was in a hell of a state. So, out with the waterblaster to see what is hidden under 35 years of dirt filled waste oil. We could hardly contain our excitement as we blasted off the muck, revealing a 100% repairable genuine barn find example of our Tom Dixon's 1968 Rambler Rebel. There is rust, as you would expect, some repair work needed around the windscreens, but absolutely no rust in the floors or sills. In places on the sills, the paint just peels off from the oil softening it, and underneath is clean shiny new steel. Another by-product, the hinges are well lubricated so the doors all open and close beautifully! At this point we were running out of time to do much else, so we loaded the big old girl into the trailer and shifted her home to the stables where she can await restoration in the warm and dry comfort of the fully enclosed and concreted pony shed. It may take a while, but watch this space. 57 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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