Nash Rambler 1950 'Tin Woody'
From the Burlini collection. Known as the "tin woody" this quirky little station wagon is a really cool piece of fifties nostalgia. Mr. Burlini was on a motorcycle run in northern Wisconsin and found this car. It wasn't for sale but he had to have it. He talked the farmer into selling it. He had the car completely restored. The body is mint, arrow straight. Completely repainted. Has smooth, polished finish. Engine bay, inside of tailgate and jambs have been painted. Known as the tin woody because it has very realistic painted wood grain metal that looks like real wood. Chrome has been redone- the bumpers, grill, front medallion, handles and air vents. Glass is excellent. Restored wheels with new radial whitewall tires. Interior has been completely redone in a two-tone tan and ostrich print upholstery with a red piping. Headliner, visors, carpet has all been done. Dash is painted. The engine compartment is detailed. These little Nash especially have an allure about them. They're cute! People enjoy looking at them. **Update- $5,164 just spent on engine rebuild!!
History of the 1950-1952 Nash Rambler
In the history of industrial design, only twice have the styling of cars and refrigerators come together with any great and lasting success. One of those is the BMW Isetta, instantly recognizable as one of the cutest little cars ever invented. Less well known is the Nash Rambler, built by the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation between 1950 and 1955.
Nash introduced the Rambler in 1950 as its lowest-priced model at $1,800, which wasn't cheap by any means. But buyers got a car that was loaded with standard equipment, including a radio, heater, courtesy lights, an electric clock, custom upholstery, wheel discs, and more. The Rambler was also the company's smallest model; in fact, its relative diminutive size, with respect to the rest of the Nash lineup (and indeed the entire American car market), made it one of the first compact cars.
The Rambler utilized a 100-inch wheelbase and weight wasn't more than 2,500 pounds. As with other Nash models, the Rambler employed Airflyte construction, which was simply Nash's way of saying unibody. Whatever the name, the cars offered a strong and stiff build in a small package.
Yet despite its smaller stature, it still seated five adults in comfort. The unique body styling was perhaps more "bathtub" than it was "refrigerator," and included partially enclosed front fenders. The American public loved it, and the Rambler was a hit.
The Rambler's 173-ci L-head 6-cylinder was a derivative of the powerplant first introduced in the 1941 Nash 600 (Airflyte construction also debuted in the 600, in 1949), and in the Rambler it produced 82 hp. This was sufficient to propel the car well enough, and to also return decent fuel economy. A 3-speed manual transmission was standard, while overdrive could be specified as an option.
In 1950 the Nash Rambler’s body style lineup included two open cars, the Custom Landau convertible coupe and the Custom convertible coupe, plus a Custom two-door wagon. Total production for 1950 eclipsed 11,000.
The Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash in 1954, with the successor being the American Motors Corporation. Soon after the merge, Ramblers were badged as Hudson brand cars. Nash Ramblers and Hudson Ramblers were virtually identical, except fo the brand name and some minor brand badging.
Nash introduced the Rambler in 1950 as its lowest-priced model at $1,800, which wasn't cheap by any means. But buyers got a car that was loaded with standard equipment, including a radio, heater, courtesy lights, an electric clock, custom upholstery, wheel discs, and more. The Rambler was also the company's smallest model; in fact, its relative diminutive size, with respect to the rest of the Nash lineup (and indeed the entire American car market), made it one of the first compact cars.
The Rambler utilized a 100-inch wheelbase and weight wasn't more than 2,500 pounds. As with other Nash models, the Rambler employed Airflyte construction, which was simply Nash's way of saying unibody. Whatever the name, the cars offered a strong and stiff build in a small package.
Yet despite its smaller stature, it still seated five adults in comfort. The unique body styling was perhaps more "bathtub" than it was "refrigerator," and included partially enclosed front fenders. The American public loved it, and the Rambler was a hit.
The Rambler's 173-ci L-head 6-cylinder was a derivative of the powerplant first introduced in the 1941 Nash 600 (Airflyte construction also debuted in the 600, in 1949), and in the Rambler it produced 82 hp. This was sufficient to propel the car well enough, and to also return decent fuel economy. A 3-speed manual transmission was standard, while overdrive could be specified as an option.
In 1950 the Nash Rambler’s body style lineup included two open cars, the Custom Landau convertible coupe and the Custom convertible coupe, plus a Custom two-door wagon. Total production for 1950 eclipsed 11,000.
The Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash in 1954, with the successor being the American Motors Corporation. Soon after the merge, Ramblers were badged as Hudson brand cars. Nash Ramblers and Hudson Ramblers were virtually identical, except fo the brand name and some minor brand badging.
Engine manufacturer: Nash Six 173
Engine type: spark-ignition 4-stroke
Fuel type: petrol (gasoline)
Fuel system: carburetor
Charge system: naturally aspirated
Valves per cylinder: 2
Valves timing:
Additional features:
Carter WA1-757S 1-barrel
L-Head
Cylinders alignment: Line 6
Displacement: 2828 cm3 / 172.6 cui
Bore: 79.38 mm / 3.125 in
Stroke: 95.25 mm / 3.75 in
Compression ratio: 7.25 : 1
Horsepower gross: 61 kW / 83 PS / 82 hp (SAE) / 3800
Torque gross: 187 Nm / 138 ft-lb / 1600
Car power to weight ratio net: 45 watt/kg / 20 watt/lb (estimated by a-c)
Car weight to power ratio net: 22.5 kg/kW / 16.5 kg/PS / 36.9 lbs/hp (estimated by a-c)
Fuel capacity: 76 liter / 20.1 U.S. gal / 16.7 imp. gal
Engine lubricant oil capacity: 4.7 liter / 5 U.S. qt / 4.1 imp. qt
Engine coolant capacity: 11.3 liter / 12 U.S. qt / 9.9 imp. qt
Battery capacity (Ah): 6 V 90 Ah
Engine type: spark-ignition 4-stroke
Fuel type: petrol (gasoline)
Fuel system: carburetor
Charge system: naturally aspirated
Valves per cylinder: 2
Valves timing:
Additional features:
Carter WA1-757S 1-barrel
L-Head
Cylinders alignment: Line 6
Displacement: 2828 cm3 / 172.6 cui
Bore: 79.38 mm / 3.125 in
Stroke: 95.25 mm / 3.75 in
Compression ratio: 7.25 : 1
Horsepower gross: 61 kW / 83 PS / 82 hp (SAE) / 3800
Torque gross: 187 Nm / 138 ft-lb / 1600
Car power to weight ratio net: 45 watt/kg / 20 watt/lb (estimated by a-c)
Car weight to power ratio net: 22.5 kg/kW / 16.5 kg/PS / 36.9 lbs/hp (estimated by a-c)
Fuel capacity: 76 liter / 20.1 U.S. gal / 16.7 imp. gal
Engine lubricant oil capacity: 4.7 liter / 5 U.S. qt / 4.1 imp. qt
Engine coolant capacity: 11.3 liter / 12 U.S. qt / 9.9 imp. qt
Battery capacity (Ah): 6 V 90 Ah
Length: 4470 mm / 176 in
Width: 1867 mm / 73.5 in
Height: 1549 mm / 61 in
Wheelbase: 2540 mm / 100 in
Front track: 1352 mm / 53.25 in
Rear track: 1346 mm / 53 in
Ground clearance: 197 mm / 7.8 in
Turning circle btw. walls: 12.9 m / 42.3 ft
Turning circle btw. curbs: 11.32 m / 37.1 ft
Loading height: 711 mm / 28 in
Shipping weight: 1141 kg / 2515 lbs
Curb weight estimated: 1220 kg / 2690 lbs
Width: 1867 mm / 73.5 in
Height: 1549 mm / 61 in
Wheelbase: 2540 mm / 100 in
Front track: 1352 mm / 53.25 in
Rear track: 1346 mm / 53 in
Ground clearance: 197 mm / 7.8 in
Turning circle btw. walls: 12.9 m / 42.3 ft
Turning circle btw. curbs: 11.32 m / 37.1 ft
Loading height: 711 mm / 28 in
Shipping weight: 1141 kg / 2515 lbs
Curb weight estimated: 1220 kg / 2690 lbs
3-speed Transmission with O/D
Renovation
This video shows the how the chassis and floorpans have absolutely no rust or repairs - yes... totally original metal work!!
As the two pictures show above and below, the metal work is in excellent condition with seemingly no repairs or welding.
September 2019
The slideshow below shows the condition of the wings prior to epoxy and rustproofing.
The slideshow below shows the inside of the wings after they have been scraped, treated with a 2-pack epoxy resin and then waxoyled.
Before and After
January 2020
The Nash has undergone a lot of work this month including:
New shock absorbers front and back with new bushes.
New brake master cylinder.
All fluids topped up.
All suspension renewed for new - upper and lower wishbones, tie rod ends, king pins.
Everything greased.
Replaced transmission mountings.
Replaced brake hoses as necessary.
Cavity wax treated inside all chassis.
Petrol tank - professionally repaired including shot blasting and sealing internally.
New shock absorbers front and back with new bushes.
New brake master cylinder.
All fluids topped up.
All suspension renewed for new - upper and lower wishbones, tie rod ends, king pins.
Everything greased.
Replaced transmission mountings.
Replaced brake hoses as necessary.
Cavity wax treated inside all chassis.
Petrol tank - professionally repaired including shot blasting and sealing internally.
May2021
The entire car was rewired with a fuse board for all main circuits included under dash.