New from Chicagoland with a 1966 Belvedere II wagon

Great site, love the wagons. My '66 Belvedere II wagon came from Arkansas, a real big block 361 car with automatic, factory air, power brakes and steering, bumper rub strips, and a probably a couple other options not discovered yet. The car is a complete project, but very solid. The passenger rear quarter has been replaced, needs to be redone. Also needs some attention to the back tail light area, but I've scrounged up some tail lights, not easy to find for these cars.

Just finished building a 383 NHRA legal Stock Eliminator motor at Jim Lewis Race Engines in Vian, Oklahoma. Parts include CP Pistons, Total Seal rings, Comp Cams Cam and Beehive springs, Manley valves, Hooker Headers, Deano Race Prepped Stock AFB carb, Smith Machine (Schubeck) lifters, Meziere Electric Water Pump, MSD Distributor, and ATI damper. It made about 437 horsepower on the dyno, that in Jim's words is about forty horsepower stingy. So more like 470? horsepower. Sounds nasty, we made about eight dyno pulls. Now I have to get the car ready. Should be fun.

I can't decide whether to put it in the wagon, or put it in my 66 Coronet 500 two door. The two door is lighter, and the wagon has nice options for a cool street car. But a wagon drag car is always very cool. Got any opinions?

I'm a Mopar guy, but a big fan of wagons of any brand, stock, modified, race. Anyways, thanks for the welcome.

Arvid Svendsen

 

Welcome to the site, I'm fairly new to this site also, having just finished my 63 Rambler wagon, with a 6 cyl engine in it. Your Belvedere looks like it has great potential and dropping a big block in it would certainly surprise alot of people. Hope to see it at one of the local cruize nights around the Chicago area next summer. The Frankfort shows are usually very good. Good luck

 

Welcome aboard. That motor would be great in either car. Having a Belvedere II wagon and a Coronet 500 myself, it would be hard for me to choose which car to put it in.
Now can we see more pictures of the wagon as well as pictures of the Coronet and Javelin please?
And welcome aboard to Blue63ram as well. Always liked the front end on the 63 Rambler wagons like yours. Its among the best looking of AMC wagons.

 

Svendsen. If Ida known your were there Ida honked when I got close ah couple months ago. Wife and I did a 4 day show in St. Charles in early September OPINIONS? I GOT AH BUNCH PROBABLY MORE THEN YOU'RE READY FORGuess it all depends how important the 1320' iz to yeah. Me, I like the street and even at 9.5X1 the cross rammed 440 iz good for only 10.2 MPG in the Batwagon But it'll pass 'bout everything on the road 'cept ah gas station.( Got 'ER ah good piece into three digitz east of Gary on the way home from St. Charles WITHOUT INCIDENTS) You wanna burn 87 Octane or Turbo Blue Tah me their ain't no issue 'tween $3 an gallon and $6-$8 just to keep the pingin' in check The other thing iz: YAH CAN ONLY DRIVE ONE AT AH TIME, PICK YER POISONI'm gonna rest now Mopar to yah

 

Welcome..........

 

Impatience or you're trigger figure went wild!

If you use the EDIT button on the second copy, you can Delete it. It asks why, and I just type Dupe or Dope, whichever applies!

 

Yeah he can't put DA since he isn't a member.

 

to the wagon train, sven. Nice wagon....I would leave the 361 in there.

 

The old Motor Coach buses from the early 40's had a neat quick disconnect system. They good roll the motor and trans out in about 30 minutes! Do that on both cars and swap 'em before breakfast! Teach your wife how to help and you can swap them in 20 minutes!

3" steel pipes, steel rollers, swinging rad, industrial electric connectors. Piece of cake!

I'm with Barney on the engine. The wagon's a road warrior for long drives. The rumble would rattle your great grandparents' bones!

 

WELCOME! Nice wagon. I like those mid-year Mopars.

 

Thanks very much for the welcome to the site. I've been to the Frankfort show a number of times, really great setting for a cruise. Good suggestions on the wagon, going to pull the trigger one way or the other by spring. Until then, it's body work time. Thought I'd send along a few more pics. First two are the way I found the car, note "custom" tail lights (quickly removed after purchase). I've since located a couple NOS and nice used pieces from ebay. Most needed sheetmetal came with the car.

Third pic is a couple buddies pulling the 361 motor out. Not quite the quick disconnect suggestion, but close ... I believe the 361 is original to the car, though it has later 904 heads (note orange paint).

All the factory air stuff is gone on the 361, but I just got a '64 383 complete with all the a/c stuff, so that should help. Keeping the 361 is a cool idea, but I'm more inclined to go with one of the 383's and store the 361. If the wagon stays a street car, and the Coronet goes racing, I'm going to start collecting parts for a factory style four speed conversion, complete with factory bench seat and factory shifter with that cool reverse lockout "T" on the shifter. If pressed, I'll admit it didn't come that way.

Thanks again for input,
Arvid Svendsen

 

There is a way to hot rod that 361 check out this link.

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/

 

Didn't know you had a 383 to drop in there, sven. Good idea to do that and save the 361. I would hot rod the coupe and drive the wagon as a DD. I like keeping the wagons as stock as possible. I dropped a brand new engine in my 96 Cappy but saved the original great running engine.

 

aboard looks like you've made friends already Nice wagon!

 

Arvid I don't know if anyone ever told you, Hot Rods and race cars have tailgates.Swap it swap it now .