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The 65 AMC Rambler Marlin was restored from catastrophic flood damage, back to a
fully operational daily driver... -EVERYTHING- had to be rebuilt!
However, motor and tranny still worked, not rebuilt. Best time at
Sacramento Dragway BEFORE motor rebuild was 16.43 @ 89 mph; THIS IS
FASTER THAN THE MAGAZINES SAID it would do back in '65... with it's
"hot" floodwater regrind camshaft! ("Crane Cams" will do Rambler V8
cams).
The 65 AMC Rambler Marlin is a very interesting car in US auto history.
It tells again AMC had a keen eye on Chrysler, it's closest
competitor. Chrysler threatened the entire industry with their
turbine car program. One look at the '57/8 Chrysler Norseman turbine
car and the enthusiast can cite the many similarities to the '65
Marlin. '64 Tarpon compares to '64 Barracuda. '64 Rambler American
has obvious styling cues from the '64 Chrysler Turbine car. In '65,
AMC released it's all new seven main bearing inline six in the
Rambler Classic intermediate model, naming it "Typhoon". These cars
were painted bronze with black roof, mimicking the '63/4 Chrysler
Turbine car. (typhoon is same "word picture" as turbine, and similar
suggestion).
It is important to remember the context of information concerning
the muscle car era; that the V8 engine began as an alternative engine
to defy the convention of inline engine design. This is why the first
V8 engines were the same general displacements as their inline 8
predecessors, or even big inline sixes. Many suspected the V8s would
not be as dependable for having eight cylinders pushing into a four
cylinder crankcase, on fewer main bearings. Many speculated their
doom was not having vertical cylinders; the pistons won't glide up
and down correctly.
Many alternative engines were proven in WW2 and earned a general
acceptance. The "Rambler V8" debuted in '56, around the same time as
the Olds "Rocket V8", the Buick "Nailhead V8", the Chrysler "Red Ram
V8" and so on. In the mid fifties, AMC also did the "Rambler Rotary";
an actual running motor, in house design, five cylinder radial piston
engine. GM and Chrysler began a turbine car program. In the early to
mid sixties, Chevy did the flat four, Pontiac did a halved V8 four
cylinder. AMC did a -die cast- aluminum inline six. Pontiac and
Kaiser (Jeep Corporation) did OHV inline sixes. Ultimately, the extra
large displacement V8 engines of the muscle car era are extensions of
the alternative engine idea.
Moreover, a very interesting evolutionary line of cars having
alternative engines can be drawn; It is a very interesting
comparison; the '48 Tucker Torpedo, the '57/8 Chrysler Norseman, the
'65/6 Rambler Marlin, the '66/7 Dodge Charger, the '67/8 Ford
Torino/Cyclone and Talledega. All fastbacks, having quite similar
styling cues, having quite historical, arguably alternative engine
powertrains.
A '65 327 Marlin with overdrive could probably have a very good top
speed, having it's OD kickdown switch defeated. (AMC offered "Twin
Stick" option for '65 Marlin; Borg Warner T 89 3spd manual (same box
as T 10) with overdrive unit tailshaft housing. Gears are spaced for
five speed; OD with second and third) Studebaker offered a similar
five speed system in the sixties also. -Don't forget the bubble back
fastbacks... the Studebaker Avanti has a place in history too. Stude'
offered them with overdrive transmission, supercharger(s)... the
Avanti set many speed records in '63.
I enjoy spending time asserting my knowledge of AMC products. The
AMC car hobby could be much improved by flushing out the old overly
parroted biased sayings that are of little informational value
(except to show AMC products are truly berated) and adding much
actual information that is not expressed. No, AMC cars are not
perfect cars; there is no perfect car! However AMC was a maker of
some very interesting cars which are largely ignored in mainstream
sources of automotive information.
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