1953 (maybe) Nash Ambassador

[Guest Emortega321]

I have some questions I need to ask about this car!

 

First of all how many years did they make the Ambassador with the Le Mans duel jetfire motor... I believe just one but I'm not sure... I have the serial number but I haven't been able to match it with anything online...

 

I need some help!!

[keiser31]

Photo would help tremendously.

[Guest Emortega321]

 

 

[keiser31]

The car is a 1956, I think. My book shows 1956 as the year of the LeMans Dual Jetfire engine.

Edited April 3, 2014 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Guest Emortega321]

What about the motor? http://www.acmefluid.com.au/nash/Now%20It's%20Yours%20-%20LeMans%20Engine.pdf

[Guest Emortega321]

I thought the only year the Ambassador came out with the Le Mans motor was '53.

[keiser31]

Not according to my book. The Nash-Healey had the LeMans option in 1953 and 1954.

[Guest Emortega321]

Ok so it's a 55 with able mans motor? Man I wish I could find that somewhere I can't find anything on it

[Guest Emortega321]

Ok sir thank u so much for your help! I have quite a bit of cars if u want to see any let me know

[Guest Emortega321]

Does you book say how many were produced?

[keiser31]

If that is a 1956 Ambassador Custom 4 door there were 2,541 made.

[Guest Emortega321]

So it's kinda rare? Man I'm new at this I'm in the process of restoring a international l110.... I'm 22 so I'm still young at this hobby... I have a small"600" stash of cars ranging from 40's to 70's that I have access to so I'm looking to start a business once I can sell some

[Guest Commodore]

The car in question is a 1955 Nash. The parking lights are the ID point. See photo.

Here is a photo of a 1956 Nash.

[Guest Emortega321]

Ok with it being a 55.. How many years did they make the Le Mans duel jet fire motor in it? And is this car rare?

[Guest Commodore]

The Le Mans duel jet fire motor was offered from 1953 to 1956. In 1957 only the V8 was offered. I don't have any productions numbers except that 40,133 Statesman/ Ambassadors were build in the 1955 model year.

[keiser31]

The car in question is a 1955 Nash. The parking lights are the ID point. See photo.

Here is a photo of a 1956 Nash.

Well, my book here shows a 1956 with the smaller parking lights....

[nzcarnerd]

Keiser, your book is slightly flawed where I see the picture caption states that the 1956 car was powered by a 195.6 cid engine of 190 hp. That seems a lot of power for an engine that size at that time. I think the caption writer mixed up their facts (as they unfortunately do too often). The new V8 was in fact 250 cid and the 195.6 was one of the sixes and made only 90hp.

[keiser31]

Keiser, your book is slightly flawed where I see the picture caption states that the 1956 car was powered by a 195.6 cid engine of 190 hp. That seems a lot of power for an engine that size at that time. I think the caption writer mixed up their facts (as they unfortunately do too often). The new V8 was in fact 250 cid and the 195.6 was one of the sixes and made only 90hp.

You may be correct. I am not a Nash guy. I was going by the photo. At first, I thought the car in question was a 1955 until I saw the photo with the small parking lights listed as a 1956. I am certainly willing to learn.

[Guest Commodore]

That book you have has few errors in the Nash section. See brochures.

1955

1956

Edited April 3, 2014 by Commodore (see edit history)

[keiser31]

The rest of the 1956 photos in my book have the larger parking lights. Evidently, the photo was placed in the wrong year section. Thanks for the lesson.

[RPrice]

Yes, the car in question is a '55. To make a slight correction, yes, the '57 Ambassador had a V-8 built by Nash, but the '56 Ambassador had a V-8 built by Packard. That was the same year the Packard V-8 was also installed in the Studebaker Golden Hawk.

Rog

[Guest Emortega321]

So the Le Mans was a regular motor they put in it ?

[Rusty_OToole]

The LeMans motor was a hopped up version of Nash's OHV six. For many years they made a line of cars with flathead six and OHV six engines. The top model was an OHV six called the Ambassador. It was the Ambassador six that Donald Healey used in the Nash Healey sports car. This was a surprisingly hot race car in the early fifties, it finished in the money at the Le Mans 24 hour race in France and did well in other racing.

The hopped up motor from the Nash Healey was offered as an option in the Ambassador sedan. It was called LeMans Dual Jetfire because it raced at LeMans, it had dual carburetors, and because Jetfire sounds cool.

The Ambassador six had a single vertical carburetor, I thought the LDJ had two side draft carburetors. But the motor in your picture only seems to have one.

I am a little surprised they still had a LeMans Dual Jetfire option once they got a V8.

Is it possible that in 55 they used a single side draft carb on the six, for hood clearance? And the LeMans Dual Jetfire sticker was just a gimmick on a standard low performance engine?

Edited April 4, 2014 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[Dave@Moon]

Well, my book here shows a 1956 with the smaller parking lights....

That two-tone pattern is definitive for a 1955 Nash as well.

[Guest Commodore]

Yes. Nash did build a LeMans Dual Jetfire with a single carb. See photo. This engine came out of a 1952 Nash Healey. But may not be stock. My feeling is that the single carb LeMans Dual Jetfire was offered in the 1955-56 time frame, but I could be wrong.

[john2dameron]

Well, my book here shows a 1956 with the smaller parking lights....

Nash built 3 series of cars during the early and mid-fifties; Statesman, Ambassador, and Rambler. Rambler had their own styling; Ambassador and Statesman lines were hard to tell apart. In addition there Super and Custom lines in Ambassador and Statesman series. The first photo Keiser shows is a 1955 Super, the second photo is a 1956, and the third photo is a 1955 Custom series. The Custom series had different trim than the Super and it allowed two-tone paint patterns to differ.

As for engines, things get more complicated. I will list the options. The V-8's used by Nash in 1955 and some of the 1956 V-8's were bought from Packard.

1955 Statesman Six. Inline L-head. Displacement 195.6 cid. Single 1-barrel carb. Brake HP. 100. Carter 1-barrel YF-22585.

1955 Statesman Six Dual Carb. Figures same as the standard six but with dual Carter single barrel carbs. Front carb was a YH-973S; rear carb was a YH-974S. Brake hp 110.

1955 Ambassador Six. Inline, OHV. Displacement 252.6 cid. Brake HP Brake HP 130. Carter Single barrel carb YH-895-S. 1955 Dual-Jetfire Six. Displace 252.6 cid. Brake HP 140. Carburetors same as the Statesman Six Dual Carb.

1955 Ambassador V-8. OHV. Displacement 320 cid. from the Packard Clipper. Carter 2-barrel Model WGD.

1956 Statesman Six. Inline, OHV. Displacement 195.6. Brake HP 130. Carburetor Carter 2-barrel WCD 2350S or Stromberg BVX 25 Model 380288.

1956 Ambassador Six. Displacement 252.6. HP 135. Carter single-barrel, Type YH-2368S.

1956 LeMans Dual-Jetfire Six. Displacement 252.6. Brake hp 145. 2 Carter Type YH-2396S carbs.

1956 Ambassador/Packard V-8. Displacement 352. Brake HP 220. Carter 2-barrel WGD-2231S carb.

1956 Ambassador/AMC V-8. Displacement 250 cid. Brake HP 190. Carter 2-barrel WGD carb.

The LeMans Six was also available 1952-54. 252.6 cid. 140 hp. 2 Carter single-barrel carb.

The standard engine in the 1952 Nash-Healey was inline OHV Six. Displacement 234.8. Brake hp 125.

Barring any typos in my sources these figures should be correct.

[Guest Emortega321]

Ok thanks so much!!

[Rusty_OToole]

The Carter YH carb is a side draft like in your picture. They must have used it for hood clearance. So it appears to be the standard Ambassador engine.

[djwlz]

Does anyone know what the Le Mans engine option cost new on a 1954 Nash Ambassador Custom?  I realize the standard engine was 130 HP and the Le Mans engine was 150 gross HP.

Thx

[Avanti Bill]

In the Nash- Healeys the cast iron head was replaced with a light weight aluminum head in England at Don Healey's shop.  I think all the Nash Le Mans Duel Jet Fire engines had a cast iron head.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

I've never been a big fan of Nashes, but the '55 bodies had some really attractive two-toned paint treatments:

 

 

More on Google:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=610&ei=R6xMX9adHIn0tAaqiaPoDg&q=1955+nash+ambassador&oq=1955+nash+ambass&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgIIADIECAAQGDIECAAQGDoFCAAQsQM6CAgAELEDEIMBOgQIABAeUL4WWNVLYIxvaABwAHgAgAE9iAHtBpIBAjE2mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img#imgrc=WVQx9XMG17LNFM

[58L-Y8]

According the Standard Catalog of Independent: The Struggle to Survive Among Giants, edited by Ron Kowalke, published by Krause, the dual carburetor OHV 252.6 ci six cylinder Ambassador engine became optional for 1953, no price given.  The "Dual-Jetfire" moniker was first applied for 1954, continued while the dual carburetor OHV six engine remained available through the 1956 model year.   Only dual carburetor OHV engines received the "Dual Jetfire"  nameplate. 

 

Sometime during this 1955 Ambassador Super's existence, someone swapped a "Dual Jetfire" valve cover onto this standard single carburetor Ambassador OHV six.  Most likely at a Nash/AMC dealership garage back in the day, possibly after frustration with keeping dual carburetors in adjustment, the cylinder head was replaced with the single carburetor unit but the "Dual-Jetfire" valve cover was bolted back on.

 

To get more in depth answers, I recommend posting further questions in the specific Nash/AMC Forum here and directly to the Nash Car Club through their website.  For reference, here is a photo of a 1952 Nash-Healey with dual carburetors.  Good luck with your 1955 Nash.

[ojh]

What a coincidence, I am just finishing this one with the Carters, a '52

[padgett]

58L: Those look like SU carbs (HD-6s ? XK-120 ?) that need a Uni-Syn for adjustment also a Delco 10SI ? alternator.

[58L-Y8]

padgett: That engine is in the 1952 Nash-Healey roadster I found posted on Craigslist and added to the "Not Mine" Cars For Sale section a while ago.  No doubt the carburetors supplied for the Nash-Healey was different from those for the standard Dual Jetfire optional units.   John2dameron listed what carburetors were standard equipment from the factory.  

[ojh]

You don't need unisyn with 2 carbs.

[padgett]

You do when deef.

[djwlz]

I found the price for the Le Mans engine in a Motor Trend from April, 1954, on page 22.  $193!!!!   I don't know how they sold these cars.  An Ambassador, 2 door hdtp, Custom, sold for more than a 2 door hdtp Olds Super 88?  The $193 on the Nash got you ten more horsepower, two carburetors, 8 to 1 compression ration (I think) and an aluminum head, that tended to crack.  Not sure what the problem was--the gasket, poor metallurgy, etc.  Would be interested in having Nash experts respond.

Thx

 

[ojh]

I'd be interested in that myself, the '52 Nash Healey engine I posted the picture of has a cast Iron head and I believe it is all original even though the specs call for an aluminum head.  I was considering trying to find an aluminum head for it.

[padgett]

If there was a problem I'd not be surprised if replaced wit an iron head in '52. If done by the factory it would be original. I suspect there is a factory TSB somewhere.