John Lau Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 We have an I-6 in it now. The car has V-8 emblems on the body. Is there somewhere that I can get a build sheet to figure out what engine came with it? Thanks, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleek Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 This is copied from the web, American Motors purchased V8 engines from Packard before introducing its in-house-designed V8. The automaker used these Packard engines exclusively in 1955 and 1956 Nash Ambassadors and Hudson Hornets. The Packard 320 cu in (5.2 L) engine was used in 1955, and switched to the 352 cu in (5.8 L) version for the 1956 model year. All Packard V8 powered AMCs came with Packard's Ultramatic automatic transmission Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) I don't have the Nash-specific knowledge to decode anything, but here's something to ponder. Your car has one of two possibilities: ---The V-8 engine was swapped for a straight 6. I don't know why anyone would do that, even when the car was a daily driver. ---Your car has its original straight 6 in it, but someone liked the V-8 emblem and attached that to the body. (That's been known to happen, as people may attach some sport-model insignia to other car models.) That's a possibility you perhaps hadn't thought of-- and if that's the case, you might be happy with the Six and can avoid the work of installing another engine! Edited September 5, 2019 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 15 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said: Your car has one of two possibilities: Or, possibility #3, the car was in a front end collision at some point in it's life and the replacement sheet metal came from a car with a V8. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 To answer what engine is correct for your 1956 Nash Ambassador, is it a Series 60 or a Series 80? The former was a single sedan model body style number 5665-1 which should appear on your data plate. The Ambassador Six Series 60 was a OHV 253, as was noted, the Series 80 Packard-sourced engine was a 352. To further confuse things. mid-model year, they brought out the Ambassador Special Series 50 with their own AMC V-8 of 250 ci, ending their use of the Packard engines. Let us know more about what series you car is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 I think Joe got the most likely answer. You can check the car's ID plate or serial number to see if it is a V8 model, and the engine number to see if it is correct for your car. Has the car been repainted and is there any sign the front fenders were once a different color? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lau Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 Hey guys! Thanks so much for your feedback. Here is what I found out: Our Nash came from the factory with a Packard 352/220 Hp and Packard's Ultramatic automatic transmission. It now has a straight six and a manual transmission. My boss wants to put a V-8 in it, but we would have to also put an auto trans in it as well. The only ad that I found for a 352 was from 2014. Attached are photos. Our car's info is highlighted in yellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontboy Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 (edited) My only question would be are you going to try to find the original hardware to bolt the V-8 in place or are you going to be fabricating it to fit in which case it will not be the way it was when new. Do a "dry run" in checking out everything that may have to change to go back to original from radiator to motor mounts to transmission mount and driveshaft, u-joints, pedal and transmission linkages, shift quadrant, etc.. It may be a long list, it may not but it is better to know up front than to just start buying parts and finding that the scope of the changeover is a whole lot more complex than you originally envisioned. Fortunately I know from trying to help a friend who ended up cobbling a car together and selling it. There are a lot of gotchas down the path and it's best to buy a V8 parts car to start out with - honest. Edited September 6, 2019 by vermontboy spelling (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 By far the easiest and cheapest solution would be to buy a good V8 car and sell the one you have. I don't want to go into a lot of gruesome details but the kind of swap over you contemplate is far from easy, or cheap. Easiest way would be to find a whole V8 car in a junk yard to get all the correct parts. This is probably what happened some time in the past, when it was a late model used car with a bad engine, except all they could find was a six cylinder car.https://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/DET/1102/1957-Nash-Ambassador Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheezestaak2000 Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 somewhere some one is drooling at the prospect of putting a chevy LS in that nash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 The Ambassador has torque tube drive. So, the only trans that will fit, is one made for the car. You could put in a Chev engine and transmission but you would have to change the rear axle and devise a different rear suspension. It could be done, there are good hot rod shops that could do the job for $20,000 or so. Or you could just buy a real nice V8 Ambassador for the same money. Then get back most of what you spent, by selling the six cylinder car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lau Posted September 9, 2019 Author Share Posted September 9, 2019 Thanks again for the feedback. I am going to recommend to my boss that if he wants a V-8 Nash, he buy one and sell the six cylinder car that he currently owns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstatman Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Some discussion here about differences between the V8's Packard supplied to Hudson and Nash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Looks like someone has a spare Nash V8. Never thought you would find one that easily. Maybe I was wrong about the swap over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hudsy Wudsy Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 No, Rusty, you were right. Geez, we're talking Nashes-no high dollar investment involved. Sell it and buy the one he wants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 On 9/5/2019 at 3:34 PM, John_S_in_Penna said: ---The V-8 engine was swapped for a straight 6. I don't know why anyone would do that, even when the car was a daily driver. It could have been the Ultraumatic transmission that was causing the grief that made a previous owner do a switch. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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