(first posted at the other site in 2010, and here in 2012 and most recently on 8 August 2016. In many ways, this is the pretty much the Ultimate CC, along with the 1950 Cadillac and the original Ultimate CC, the ’56 F-350 that I still see working away from time to time. Since the owner of this Valiant uses it for his business that takes him all over the Northwest, I would strongly suspect it now has over 500k miles. I still saw it on the road as of 2016.)
Let me ask it this way: how many cars have their owners replace their V8 engines with a slant six? If you understand the true attraction of Chrysler’s A-Bodies with the slant six as the ultimate long-life American Roach of the Road™, you’ll understand why. There are several dozen A-bodies in Eugene, and I have shot many of them, and yet I still keep uncovering new ones. Many are still used to some degree or another, although most are clearly slowing down in their old age. Not this ’65 Valiant: it’s still in full front-line duty, as the business vehicle for an energy specialist that regularly takes him all across the Northwest. Needless to say, he’s also the ultimate A-Body owner, with his type-A attention to modifying his Valiant in a way to keep it suitable for his preferences and today’s conditions. This baby is good to go for the long haul.
The Valiants, Darts and all their offshoots produced from 1960 through 1976 long ago became recognized for their rugged simplicity, which made them perfect for cheap, reliable and potentially long-term transportation. Although it was a flexible platform that also lent itself to terrific performance applications like the Duster 340 and the early Barracuda, the more typical application was for utility. With the legendary slant six, they were the appliances of cars. A white Dart I picked out for a friend decades ago was dubbed The Kelvinator: the refrigerator of cars.
This 1965 Valiant wagon is owned by the typical kind of fanatical keeper of the A-Body flame; not as a hobby or out of nostalgia. This is purely for work; the equivalent of Mike McCool’s 1956 Ford F-350. Owner Alan Van Zuuk has owned several A-Bodies over the decades, and this one found its way to him some years back. And he knew exactly how he wanted modify it for his purpose.
Out went the original 273 V8 and three speed transmission, and in went a “Super Six” 225 slant six from the mid seventies, a version with a stock two barrel carb that still gives excellent economy but also the extra punch when needed. It’s backed by an A833 four speed overdrive stick shift and a 3.23 rear axle. This results in relaxed low-rpm highway cruising. The rear drum brakes are 2 inch units from…something else, as well as the front disc brakes. The stiffer V8 torsion bars/springs combined with other suspension upgrades optimize the intrinsic good handling of the A-Bodies. Alan says he’s surprised more than one BMW and Mercedes on some of the curving downhill stretches of mountain passes he frequents on his many drives. And Alan wants you to know he’s got some nice wheels for his summer tires.
The Valiant had over 100k on the odometer when he picked it up, and he’s put well over another 250k on it since modifying it. The total is close to 400k (update: that was six years ago), and there’s no succession plan. Alan showed me a number of other details, including his home-spun steering wheel cover and other modifications in the driver’s compartment, the details of which now elude me. But you get the drift: he’s an A-Body nerd, and he’s got it set up just the way he likes and takes advantage of the cheap parts stashed away that used to be so readily available at the junk yard.
The 1960-1962 Valiants and Dodge Lancers had styling so off-putting that even the Corvair outsold it, despite the little Mopar’s excellent underpinnings. But the restyle for 1963 was perfect: less adventurous yet not too boring. Most of all, it seemed to express its inner durable soul, in the way the eccentric earlier version didn’t. Sales picked up dramatically after the restyle, which also included a handsome coupe and convertible, along with the wagon. Of course, the wagon kept the whole rear end inner structure intact from the ’60-’62 version, as a cost cutting measure. Which explains why the rear wheel cut out is full round, unlike the other ’63 and up Valiants and Darts.
But why the next major redesign for 1967 dropped the wagon is beyond me, except for the obvious reason that it probably didn’t sell that well. Still, it must have sold better than the rag top, which survived the cut. And the wagon seems like such an obvious choice to go along with the A-Body’s practicality. Figure it. Anyway, Alan makes full use of his wagon to haul the baggage of his trade. Good luck finding a replacement if the body on this one finally wears out. He’ll have to switch over to a Volvo 245, like so many former A-Body drivers have. Talk about the perfect replacement; rarely have two vehicles from such different backgrounds ended up being so similar.
The A-Body story is a long and rich one. But when it comes to its most essential quality, none will top this evergreen ’65 wagon.
The Ultimate Daily Driver CC: 1956 Ford F-350 Still Working Away
Curbside Classic: 1950 Cadillac Series 61 Coupe – The Ultimate Curbside Classic
This is impressive at the spectacular level. Nothing else works. It is what my 57 could have been except for much better fuel economy.
Nice car, but I don’t really see the point of this engine swap. The Mopar smallblock V8 is also quite robust, and around-town fuel economy should be pretty close — he only gave-up 48 cubic inches. I’m not sure how much lighter a /6 is versus the LA engine though. I would have stuck with the V8 and 2.76 gears out back to keep RPM down on the highway.
update: According to Allpar, the 273 is only 50 lb. heavier than the 225cid slant-6.
that’s what I was wondering… a /6 isn’t exactly a miserly engine, and my 305 powered 76 Chevelle was matching my friends 74 Dart with /6 around town, though his could better mine by about 2-3 mpg. It could walk that Dart like it was sitting still too.
The LA engines are so stout that they do last a whole lot longer than the six does. Dad’s had two 3.9s with hundreds of thousands of miles and they are rough but ready partners.
>>The LA engines are so stout that they do last a whole lot longer than the six does. <<
Not really. The Slant 6 is legendary for a reason. It was over-engineered because it was designed for aluminum cast yet made in iron.
The LA may have be stout but the Slant was ever more so.
Now that you mention it, weren’t there aluminum slant sixes available back then?
Late ’61 to very early ’63, yes; they were most of three years out of production by the time this ’65 was built.
Remarkably rust free too!
The convertible only survived the cut in 1967 as a Barracuda. Not that this made a tremendous difference….
Maybe Paul was thinking of the Dart. This reminds me that on a nearby car lot, someone has a Dart convertible with a 71-72 Scamp front clip on it. I have been meaning to get a picture. It really messes with a Mopar guy’s head.
In Elvis’ movie “Easy Come, Easy Go”, the king drives a ’67 Dart ragtop.
On another note, of all the (few remaining) “old” cars here in daily service (usually because of sea-salt rust) . . . the majority (quite a few) are Valiants/Darts and there are a few clean old Belvederes (’66 ’67) and Coronets (same ’66 and ’67 vintage) on the roads and clogged freeways of Oahu (Honolulu County).
I think the point of the engine swap is that the owner is a slant six fanatic. Sure the v8 would probably be nearly as good on mpg, but the slant six is a legend and for some of us, there’s nothing else that would do. The Super Six in particular is a great engine, as its progressive 2bbl carb means it can either be driven slowly for economy or you can put your foot down for power. I also love the owner’s soldered copper pipes for the heater- that’s the sign of a caring owner, someone who finds the parts that fail after 20+ years and modifies a better solution.
Too many people don’t appreciate the idea building your own perfect car- not for style, but to systematically choose the best bits of technology from each era. I sometimes find it perplexing that people spend thousands on a classic car only to drive it a few days a year. I believe that if a car was used everyday in 1979 or 1964, it can easily be used everyday today too. With attention to waxoyling everything, rust won’t be an issue, and a welding course at the local community college means that I can now zap up anything that rots off.
I’ve done the same with my245- kept the stromberg carburettor but swapped the autobox for an electric overdrive, GLT velour interior, fitted heavy duty rear springs and an LPG tank in the spare wheel well, which cuts my fuel bill in half. IPD roll bars, rear arch liners, modern stereo and new 4″ speakers as well as an electronic ignition mean that my Volvo is better than the spec it was when new and is as close as possible to a spiritual replacement for my old Space Duster, yet with better build quality.
I’m doing the same with my other car, a 1961 Rover p4. I’ve taken every engineering improvement made to Land Rovers over the 40 years they have used the same 2.25 petrol engine in order to bring the mechanics to the modern age. LPG and electric power steering are next, and it will be another roachmobile.
Excellent statement, I agree wholeheartedly. A sixties Rover with modern LPG power is a very interesting proposition.
Same spirit with very different choices as the ’93 Miata I enjoyed driving to work today, and my plans to install an electronic drivetrain with AC motor and lithium batteries. 1st-gen NA Miatas are modern, well-built, comfortable and safe enough for daily use, and may be the all-time ultimate light roadster. Not available new today at any price. The engine is sweet, another pinnacle of its kind, but I’m an EE and electric power is now the cutting edge.
That’s quite interesting- I’m very interested in all types of alternative fuels, as dino juice is going to be getting more expensive every day, and keeping big heavy cars on the road will take some engineering. One thing I’ve always thought about modification wise is the idea of an automatic gearbox hollowed out and having the torque converter replaced with a locomotive or prius type generator/motor. As components shrink, this would become more possible. Doing this to a BW35 would mean that most European cars could be hybridized, and similar kits could be made for the 727, THM400 and C6 would do the same for American classics. The regenerative braking is a welcome side effect for drum braked cars.
> I think the point of the engine swap is that the owner is a slant six fanatic. Sure the v8 would probably be nearly as good on mpg, but the slant six is a legend and for some of us, there’s nothing else that would do.
You’re probably right that the owner is a /6 fan.
> I also love the owner’s soldered copper pipes for the heater- that’s the sign of a caring owner, someone who finds the parts that fail after 20+ years and modifies a better solution. … Too many people don’t appreciate the idea building your own perfect car- not for style, but to systematically choose the best bits of technology from each era.
You would probably get a kick out of what I’m working on right now then. Unfortunately, I probably won’t do a CC article on it until the bodywork and paint are complete, which will be awhile still.
> I sometimes find it perplexing that people spend thousands on a classic car only to drive it a few days a year. I believe that if a car was used everyday in 1979 or 1964, it can easily be used everyday today too.
In principle I agree with you. One of my Chryslers was may daily driver in the summer months for a number of years. Once it’s back on the road after the bodywork, how much I drive it will probably depend on what kind of insurance coverage I can get for it. On the flip-side, my convertible is on collector car insurance and almost never leaves the garage. Numerous times I’ve thought about selling it because of that.
It’s a cool car, except for the stains under the gas cap.
Which is I think primarily a by-product of the alcohol in our modern fuels – the alcohol encourages additional fungal growth. I walk by a fuel farm every day where they mix the alcohol into the gasoline as the fuel tanker trucks are filled, and the vents on the white alcohol tank look exactly the same as this (with the gasoline tank vents having a much lighter staining).
This was common from the very first Valiant that hit the road in 1960. The angle of the gasoline pipe into the trunk would spit gas back out when “topping off”. It was mentioned in several road tests of the time and period pictures show the same thing.
My 63 has always done it. For 35 years. And I have seen so many in the exact same condition over the years it’s become surprising to see one in regular use without it.
I always wanted one of these A body wagons. There is just something appealing about these. They are cute, like a Furby or a Tribble. Yet they are also robust. My favorite would be a 64 with pushbuttons for the Torqueflite, but I could live with the lever as well.
As for the engine swap, I would wonder if parts availablity is an issue. The 273 did not stay around that long (wasn’t it gone before 1970?) but the 225 was made continuously from 1960 until at least the late 1980s. It is no fun when the parts store has to get every part for your tuneup “from the warehouse.”
I have long been intrigued by the concept of a “permanent car.” Unfortunately, this is more of a theory than a reality in my area of the country where road salt is still common in the winter.
The 273 was available in 68 but not in 69 when I bought my 69 Coronet 440 with the 318. Think fiberglass. I will have to look for it but I ran across some two part mix that you can paint on bare metal. It acts like fiberglass and is used for wood replacement on rotted parts with antiques. I don’t see any other way to build anything permanent up north.
The bulk of the normal tune up parts are the same as for any older Mopar V8 for example it uses the same points, cap and rotor as a 426 Hemi. Things like gaskets, starter and alternator are the same as other Mopar small blocks. Now internal parts that are specific to the displacement are likely another story.
I don’t think I have ever owned an LA (I’m not sure how that happened, either). Maybe I was scarred from my experience with two different wideblocks, the later one into the early 1990s. Most of the parts stores books stopped at 1967 and the LA 318. You had to go to the really big main area warehouse for the given chain to get stuff for 66 and earlier 318s. And even in the late 70s, the cartridge-type oil filter element for my ’59 was a genuine PITA to find.
@Eric: That’s what I was going to say. Unless you need to replace pistons, there’s almost nothing about the 273 that would not be common with the 318.
The 273 was bored out to the 318, 340 and 360.
The 360 has a longer stroke than the others, so it uses a different crank. I read on Allpar that the 273 retained some internal parts from the older A engine making it slightly unique, but that’s all engine internals. Regular maintenance items and even components like cylinder heads, valvetrain parts, etc. should all interchange.
“I have long been intrigued by the concept of a “permanent car.” ”
An A-Body would be a good choice for this. Not only are the basic mechanical parts extremely rugged, but the few repairs that are needed are simple to make with cheap and readily available parts.
My first car was a /6 powered ’66 Valiant, same colour as the subject car, and with the same stains under the gas cap. It was still running just fine when I got rid of it in the early ’90s, and it had never had a wrench in the engine or transmission after 25+ years in our family. David Saunders posted a picture of a ’74 Valiant that I suspect was the car I learned to drive in the other day. That car never needed any powertrain work in 28+ years of daily driving, and by the looks of it is still running.
There was an interesting piece on Allpar about the testing that was done on these old school Mopar engines: http://www.allpar.com/corporate/bios/ed-poplawski.html.
“I have long been intrigued by the concept of a “permanent car.” Unfortunately, this is more of a theory than a reality in my area of the country where road salt is still common in the winter.
Think of the Post Office…their LLPV (Long-Life Postal Vehicle) was made with aluminum and introduced in 1986. They’re still running…the original ones were made by Grumman-Olsen and used Chevy C-10 underpinnings. There’s talk of retiring them now, but only because the mechanicals are mostly worn out and the drivetrain horribly obsolete.
Anyway…26 years and still serviceable. An aluminum-bodied CAR…you could buy when you’re twenty, say…and still be driving it as you’re headed towards the home stretch to Retirement.
The Legendary AP6 is identical to this great car I would ditch the slant6 in favour of the light years better Hemi6 a 245 probably far more grunt than the V8 and much better fuel economy than the slant otherwise its perfect. What killed most of these out this way was rust on unsalted roads.
Oops, wrong article 8-{}
I had forgotten the toned-down styling of the second generation Valiants – they definitely sold much better in the midwest than the first generation. One of my high school teachers had a 64 white four door with absolutely no options (well, I’m sure it had a heater) similar to this one. My recollection is that the Dodge Dart sold better, at least I saw more of them on the road. The styling was so much more crisp and modern looking than the Valiant; the front end with the single round headlights on the early models looked a bit like the Chrysler Turbine car.
The wagon was continued after ’67 in Australia. But in the US, a lot of the compact wagons died out in the 1966-68 period. Chevy cancelled the Nova wagon with the ’68 redesign, and the US Falcon wagon from 1966 on was simply a Fairlane with a Falcon front clip. I think the Big Three figured out that the compacts were competing with their own larger (and more profitable) wagon models more than they were increasing the overall number of wagon buyers. Import wagons back then were extremely quirky, so wagon cuastomers could easily be shifted to the larger vehicles.
IINM, AMC even dropped the Rambler American wagon around that same time period.
Something similar befell the convertibles and hardtops, too. Once these body styles were available in a given brand’s intermediate and ponycar lines, they tended to disappear from the “regular” compact line. The only reason the Dart kept its convertible and handtop for ’67 was that Dodge didn’t have a ponycar. The Dart convertible was dropped after ’69 to make way for the Challenger, although the Dart hardtop had carved out enough of niche towards the end of the ’60s that it was allowed to continue, and would even cross back over to Plymouth a few years later.
The extent to which these moves were responding to versus attempting to drive customer demand (towards more profitable models) is debatable. There was probably a little of both at work.
The Rambler American wagon continued through the last year of that model in 1969, when it was just named “Rambler.”
The Hornet Sportabout wagon debuted in 1971 but it was not as practical as the boxy Rambler.
Wouldn’t the Rambler American (or any Rambler) be the Kelvinator of appliances?
“He’ll have to switch over to a Volvo 245, like so many former A-Body drivers have”. I find this comment kind of ironic considering in Australia our nickname for the Volvo is “The Swedish Valiant”. After 25 years I still haven’t figured out if it is a compliment or and insult.
Aussies didnt seem to like Valiants when I lived there which was great it kept the prices low Kiwis tend to like Valiants at least this one does and good ones being cheap and bad ones almost free meant I owned several,
Volvo was a northshore Valiant its not a compliment.
In Melbourne, Valiants were extremely popular with migrants from a certain frugal and hard-working Southern European ethnic group (and who could blame them?). From what I recall as a teen, this tended to work against their wider popularity among typical Aussies; none of us young know-it-alls wanted to be seen driving a Valiant, you’d get called derogatory names nowadays regarded as racist. Until the Charger came along, then we all wanted in!
That attitude was still around in 1980 when I started driving, my first car was a Valiant Regal 318 hardtop, I used to cop a lot of those wog (hope I’m allowed to say that) racist car comments.
It made it all the more satisfying to beat them in the impromptu drag racing we used to do on the back roads back then.
Can attest to the slant 6’s longevity.
My parents had the ’64 “full size” Dodge 330 wagon with that very motor in it, but with the 3spd Torqueflite autobox (with push buttons!).
They drove it from 64-77 and it had somewhere around 450-150K original miles on it and it pretty much never let them down until the last few years.
I think I saw somewhere that either Dart or Valiant wagons were continued into the ’70’s in South Africa. I always wanted to import a ’72.
*VERY* nice ! .
I too love those early A Body MoPars , my thoughts go towards a slant 6 powered first year Barracuda……
Those here who know their MoPars know it’s dead easy to mix and match the good bits to up grade suspension , brakes , even the AC is easily do – able .
These are *extremely* good open road cars as mentioned once you’ve sorted out the suspension , brakes and tires , you needn’t a big thirsty v-ate to embarrass lots of modern ‘ Sports Cars ‘ .
There’s a visceral feel to how an I6 engine makes it’s power that no v-8 could ever replace , either you get it our not .
Sadly the time worm will get most of them out side of the Southwest , there’s boat loads of these still roaming the highways and byways of California , I even find good ones in the junkyards often ~ cars I think should be removed and put back on the road .
-Nate
I chatted with the owner when I spotted this car parked across from 1490 High Street, Eugene…when that was my address two decades ago.
The Dirty Dart’s cousin! I vacillate between liking the Dart’s looks or the Valiant’s looks better, although neither is a traditional beauty queen. Strangely, I really only like the wagon versions of these to any extent.
About that stain: I bought a really nice but really expensive gas cap from a guy online who machines them, and the leaking gas problem is fixed. He uses a large o-ring to seal the filler.
I’m jealous. If anyone ever sees a nice ’63 Valiant V-200 in medium green metallic, and it’s for sale, let me know!
I never noticed it before, but the back-up lights are actually ‘larger’ than the smallish taillights. Is it possible this is the only car that has this unusual attribute?
Rudiger:
Keep in mind that backup lights were an option and not really a required safety item until about the 1966 model year. (The oldest Mustangs, for example, often had no backup lights.) As a consequence, some pre-66 cars have a metal/glass looking part where the backup light lens is.
I think someone once noted on here that the backup lights on the “el cheapo”/stripper 65 Ford Custom sedans were bigger than the brake light lens.
Reversing lamps were not required equipment (as such) until Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard № 108 took effect on 1/1/68. Prior to that date there was no legal structure by which for there to be anything such as mandatory vehicle equipment or specifications in the United States. See here to understand why reversing lamps (among other things) moved off the option list and became standard equipment for ’66.
I am surprised it took until 1968 to require reverse lights.
I know on most low-line cars backup lights were optiinal, but were the backup lights on the Valiant wagon optional?
Yes.
Yep, the round reversing lamps on the ’65 Valiant wagon are a bit larger than the small square stop/tail lamps.
I am a fan of the slant 6, but if I ran across a compact Mopar wagon with a V8 I can’t imagine swapping the 8 for the 6.
My favorite year for the Valiant is the 66 with my favorite body style the wagon, though I once owned a 69 Signet 2 door. These cars are tough, no nonsense small cars and in 66 you could still choose from a wagon, 2 sedans, a convertible and a pillarless 2 door hardtop….IIRC. Runner-up Valiant for a place in my garage would be a 74-75 Brougham, preferably a 2 door model.
Again, I have to shake my head in sadness at the thought of my cousin, who got rid of his 1965 Dodge Dart wagon because his wife didn’t like it. Not enough visible prestige, apparently, so now they drive an “everybody has one” BMW. And they’re all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same.
Are those copper lines (on top of the pass. side inner fender) with soldered joints running to the heater core? Not OEM? And the blocks they are mounted in … also NOT OEM? I don’t think so, but I like it!!
😎
Yes, they’re copper hardlines. No, they’re not OEM. They’re an interesting idea to tidy up the engine bay a bit (and keep the heater lines well out of the way of the valve cover, thus making periodic valve adjustments a bit easier) but it’s not a modification I’d want to do in a climate with colder winters than Oregon’s mild ones. Way too much heat loss on the coolant’s way to the heater core.
Pipe insulation would fit!
I’m a “Jack of All”… done about every job under the sun in my lifetime, But currently, I’m a Plumber for the past 8 years. THAT’S why I noticed! lol
Armaflex Foam Rubber Pipe Insulation is the BEST! It is expensive. Don’t use that low budget styrofoam cr@p from your local hardware store, or what comes with residential Hot water heaters!
😎
.
Armaflex—interesting! Got a pointer on where best to buy individual-homeowner quantities of it? I’ve always found that styrofoam stuff to be useless.
Truly impressive! I’d love to see what the mileage is now. Also curious as to what the nicer wheels on the non winter tires are…painted steelies with dog dishes? Full wheel covers? Vintage mags?
Like this, I hope. Only, you know, painted white…
+1 …… would do wonders …..
As mentioned above wagons continued on in Aussie until Mitsubishi ceased production in the late 70s early 80s the other two Aussie cars the Falcon and Holden kept building wagons until recently, these old Valiants were well reguarded in NZ and are sought after today as they are getting quite rare the rust mites feasted on them from new.
A couple years ago, I drove to Hampton, VA to look at one of these wagons for a friend. It was a ’65, with an asking price of $2000, holes in the floors, and rust bubbling through a cheap maroon respray. So my friend passed. Later I saw a far more interesting ’63 wagon on craigslist in New Jersey, advertised for $2000, with new floor-pans, rebuilt suspension, engine upgrade to a ‘super-six’ with a 2V carb, a front disc-brake conversion, and the cool push-button tranny. There was body rust but it hadn’t been covered-up yet, and the car came with a wagon-load of spare body panels, including an extra tailgate. But I had no time for an inspection trip to New Jersey, and needed another project like I needed another hole in my head. So I passed.
As for that resprayed maroon ’65, a week later it turned up on the Virginia Beach craigslist – for $3500!
Happy Motoring, Mark
I missed this post the first two times around…….
I do have to disagree with you Paul concerning this statement about the 1963 restyle:
“Of course, the wagon kept the whole rear end intact from the ’60-’62 version, as a cost cutting measure. Which explains why the rear wheel cut out is full round, unlike the other ’63 and up Valiants and Darts.”
While some of the inner structure might be the same between the gen-1 and gen-2 station wagons (maybe one reason for the exposed wheel openings?), I don’t think you can say that they are the same as far as the ‘wagon bits’ are concerned. I do not see any carry-over on any of the exterior parts, with the possible exception of the gate glass. Here’s a gen-1 for reference:
The gate glass isn’t the same between ’60-’62 and ’63-’66 wagons. Neither are the quarter panels, bumpers, or any of the other metal.
Yes, I left out “inner structure”. Obviously the external bits were changed, but also (obviously) they kept intact everything they must have felt they could get away with. Wagons have a lower volume; especially so the 60-62 Valiant, so major re-tooling was not justified.
The 63 sedan and wagon have different arches because of an 11th hour sedan styling change by new chief designer Elwood Engel, not because of technical limitations. The original 63 sedan fender had a round arch. It went into production on the AP5 Chrysler Valiant in Australia. The wagon doesn’t have the sloping fendertop peak that irked Engel.
AP5 rear view, with original round arch.
To my eye, the AP5 is/always has been much better designwork than the US ’63 or ’64 Valiant.
The good ol Slant Six. When I wore out my Dads 65 Falcon 6cyl 2 door hardtop hauling 7 of my friends back from the 1968 Miami Pop Festival he soon replaced it with a 1966 Plymouth Belvedere. It looked like Richard Petty’s #43 but in Silver. I was hoping for it to have a 383 ,but it was the old 225 Slant 6. My dad gave loaned it to me to go to college and I gave it back to him a while later the engine that wouldn’t die. We put 180K on that car and then he gave to his girlfriend’s son. Last I heard it was pushing 300K.
I was a big fan of the first Valiants except for that ridiculous fake spare cover, so my affections transferred to the Lancer when it appeared. However, I thought the 1960-’63 wagons were about as handsome as one of those could get, and was delighted when I got to drive one and found out how much fun that was. I did like these second-generation cars, but still prefer the originals. Unfortunately they were apparently wildly rust-prone; I knew how hard it was to find a runner, but learned from a guy who was trying to restore one that keeping one from rusting away was even harder. Of course that was Tennessee, where old cars go to dissolve …
Not actually, no. By today’s standards all cars of that era were ridiculously rust-prone (and by simple attrition, almost all cars of that era no longer exist). But the ’60-’62 Valiants were built with far more resistance to rust than the Corvair, Falcon, and other contemporaneous competition.
Valiants over here suffered a lot of rust problems and thats without the help of roadsalt, dubious build quality from the assembly line was probably to blame coupled with poor water/dust sealing dust gets in it gets damp eventually and holes appear fortunately this was also the era of bodywork in can easily applied in the backyard, electrolux respray or brush and its good to go again.
I would say Valiants in Australia rusted the most in the reverse order of their release date, The R&S (1962) models always seem to be well represented at Chrysler car shows given the 10000 approx. sold of the R&S models.
Armaflex
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Plumbing-Pipe-Insulation/Armaflex/N-5yc1vZbuy9Zaee
BG
As others have mentioned on here, a set of hubcaps and clean the fuel filler area and this baby would look new!
Even new, in “65”, this would a been considered a bit ungainly. Age did not mellow the “awkward”.
This workhorse likely saved the owner several thousand dollars worth of car payments over the years. Unfortunately my OCD is demanding I surreptitiously remove that gas cap stain.
I’m jealous.
That is a great car.
I agree it’s great car. I’d love to have it, mainly because of the 225 slant 6 and 4 speed manual transmission. My 1980 Dodge Ram had the same drivetrain. Dodge Aspens and Plymouth Volares in the 70s could be had with the same drivetrain. I wonder how many miles are on the 225 engine? I didn’t realize they could get up to more than 200k miles.
Here’s part of the first page of the “200,000-mile club” roster in one of the last issues of the Slant-6 News, published sometime in 1995.