The Great White Brick - '69 Valiant

It's kinda like the Brick in that Mopar magazine....

Found it advertised locally for $800 CDN. Bought it. It's got a '71 Dart/Demon front end, no seats and very rusty floor/crossmember/front frame area but very good upper body. A '79 318 (running condition unknown as of right now) mounted onto the /6 K-frame with homemade mounts! Last plated in 1990.

Along with my friend Tom (he's the chief mechanic/welder) we're going to breath new life into her.

In 3 days we've cut out most of the floor, removed the headliner and animal nests, purchased a good used front frame/crossmember section and now we're considering removing the whole front end and changing the whole front frame section! Just crazy!! :-) But I love it......

The front inner fenderwells look surprisingly solid!

Yeah! The whole engine bay/inner fender/firewall area is mint! I guess that's why we feel we should save it with a whole new front frame. I'll be taking some more photos tonight of our progress...pretty good after 3 days!

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. Keep us posted.. :thumbup:

Hmm, a Darliant, or a Demiant. Perhaps a Vart, a Valmon or just a Deviant. :)

An interesting assemblage of body parts! Being a valiant man, I never liked the darts rear but love the front ...so maybe it's the best of both. Looks like someone put earlier Valiant tailights on it too...I'd call it a Deviant Variant!!! I think when finished it will have one cool look.

I like "Deviant", sounds cool. When I think of a Vart I think of an early Canadian A-body, 63-64 with the Valiant front and Dart rear.

Anyhow, the motor runs now....that's a bonus! Here's a shot of the front frame sections we'll use and how the floor looks now. The chunky metal you see on the frame at the crossmember is leftover from someone's idea of frame connectors.

I see you have at least one polyglass tire on her! I bet you could recoup some oif your funds on ebay with that!

Robb

look's like this one is in the write hand's.
Lookin good and I think you have made a good choise and found a jem.

Are you going to leave the Dart/Demon front end? I love the way it looks!!! For some reason it reminds me of the movie Mad Max. LOL!!

Thanks for the votes of confidence everyone.

The two front tires were the polyglass tires but they are so far gone I had to throw them away. Completely cracked and dry rotted and disfigured. They were only holding air for that photo, they would go flat in about 3 minutes. Don't think anyone wants those do they?

Very interesting ride you got there! Good luck with the floor and everything! :thumbup:

Sweet 65S! , I love it!! Keep up the good work, Im glad its not going to waste! :toothy7:

Okay, just one more shot...

What color should I paint the engine? It's a 318 2 barrel. Original motor was a 225 /6.

Okay, time for this heart to come out so we can get on with this front frame/crossmember transplant deal....

Aaaa, Dude, can you get that much floor from the aftermarket? Theres a bigger than big hole there. I thought I had some large holes.
I also never seen the frame rales out of a car. WHEW! Work ahead!

I like the car. Looks good with those wheels.

Are you looking for proper engine color or one that comploments the car color?
My next one is going to be RED! with black accents. Valve covers, air cleaner etc... and sprinkled with spars amounts of chrome.

I'm getting a complete floor pan (minus the front pans) from a donor car at a wrecker in upstate New York. $125 cut from the rear frame rails to the rockers to the back of the front floor pans. It will include part of the rocker panel. This car has serious rot underneath, but everything up above is really nice, that's why we think we should salvage it. I don't know.....it's fun to do too! I'm learning a lot from my buddy Tom who is the main welder.

I've been thinking about engine color, what would be correct for a 318 in this car? Was a 340 optional in a '69 Valiant?

What hole, you mean this little pin prick here? :sad:

This is Canada eh.....salt belt....we're not scared of a little hole!

I bet that makes it alot easier to retrieve the sockets that roll under the car!!

Gotta give you a bunch of Cudo's for tackling the project. Alot of guys and gals would have passed this one up. (me included) I sure wish I had the welding skills to do stuff like that. (I probably should get a welder first:) Can't wait to see it done.


I like the idea of Red/black for the engine. Not correct but sure would look nice in a black engine bay.

I've been thinking about engine color, what would be correct for a 318 in this car? Was a 340 optional in a '69 Valiant?[/QUOTE]

I don't think the 340 was an option in those cars in 69, but who gives a rat's petunia, Power it up dude. :thumbup:

I've been thinking about engine color, what would be correct for a 318 in this car? Was a 340 optional in a '69 Valiant?

I don't think the 340 was an option in those cars in 69, but who gives a rat's petunia, Power it up dude. :thumbup:[/QUOTE]

Valiants or Scamps were available with the 340 option:sad: all they had were either a 318 or the leaning tower of power.

That's what I figured, thanks. Also, I just want to be clear, I'm not the primary welder willing to tackle this project. I found the car, bought it figuring I could part it out if it turned out to be too much trouble, then once my buddy Tom saw it he said:

"I love this car, it's amazing. Neil, we're going to fix this car then I'm selling my '73 Dart Sport."

And now we'll see....I'll post pics along the way. Here's the plan so far:

- new front frame and crossmember (got it)
- new floor pans, front middle and rear (got it, still need passenger front)
- new windshield (got rubber..)
- new seats (getting them)
- KH small bolt discs in front (got it)
- 318 fixed up a bit, painted (got it)
- 7 1/4" rear that came in the car, for now
- back to original white
- color change interior from green to black

What can "I" say.... :thumbup: :thumbup: Another "69"

Your blue one is sweet! I tell ya, photos of these cars don't do them justice...in person they're so much nicer. Want prompted you to shave the side markers?

Well it's been a week since taking possession....hope we're on the right track with this frame replacement deal! :)

Looks like you're headed in the right direction there.

Jimmy boy ... you're back on line! :)

I want to put in a V8 k-frame but my buddy (who's going to own the car when we're done) thinks this one is in nice shape and the 318 was sitting on it pretty good so why bother? It had homemade shims under 318 mounts and was sitting well enough that the exhaust wasn't hitting anything. Is a /6 K-frame really that bad?

Man that is ambitious! Im a welder/fabricator daily, I make all kinds of stuff and I dont think Id tackle that! lol I have to say keep on moving in the right direction youll get there! I like the front end on the valiant. Also, not that they are salvageable but I love the back tires! Love the 70's street scene.
Looks good man keep up the good work! :thumbup:

Getting ready for that frame replacement thing..... I guess now would be a good time to find a '69 Valiant front clip, but the Dart front just looks so cool on this car, it's staying!

Uh oh, where did the front frame go??

Oh...there it is! Anyone need some front frame sections? Forward of the shock towers is excellent, the rest is rusty junk.

I have a replacement drivers door, it's blue (the rest of the interior is green). I noticed tonight the vent window lever and the position of the lock button are different on both doors! Is the blue door a '68 or something?

DAMN!!! Not much holding the bottom of that car togeather lol. The slanted K-member should be fine, I would just throw a set of 318 or better T-bars in.
I love the look of that front end on the car. Keep up the good work!

Keep taking photos of this job, I might have to do something similar with a car that I'm buying.

Looks good, keep up the good work!!

Brambles

Its official, you do have the biggest, hairyest set on this whole forum for tackling that job. GOOD LUCK!

I have built my share of old rusted trucks into something decent. You are the man for tackling that. I love it.

Keep us posted on your progress.

ROB

Wow - whats left of the poor thing ! Quite an undertaking there, something I would never do, not without some very expert help. Hats off to you !

I think the motor color should be chrysler blue unless I am mistaken - could be red as well.

For the motor and K frame you could buy a set of the schumaker mounts and then be certain its in the right position - just a thought.

Keep sending those updates - incredible job you are doing there.

I can't take credit, it's Tom my buddy who is the brainchild and brave one with the hairy ones. I'm just along for the ride, doing what I'm told.

Today we picked up the floor pan and low and behold, it's too long! I guess the '69 Valiant is a 108" car and the pan from a Dart is 111" car, right? I think we can cut 3" from right in front of the rear seat perches....not sure at this point.

Thanks for the support everyone. It's a learning thing. Next year we'll do a Hemi Cuda on a rotisserie or something.. ;-)

Oh ya, the engine will be red and I'm going to make up some custom decals for the side that say "Deviant", maybe in a Demon type font or a mix of Demon/Valiant fonts. :)

hey man check this out! While you guys have the car that far apart you should do what XV Engineering has done! The found that the lower radiator support was a weak spot on B and E bodies. Also they ran tubing from the fire wall area inside the fenders over to the shock tower area. It stiffens all the front suspension. Like I say ya' have it apart already, and its pretty simple as well as cheap! just a thought! Oh and I would def. get the shumacher mount to get the engine back in the correct place on the /6 k frame! lata' and good luck!
http://www.xvmotorsports.com/products/detail/index.cfm?nPID=23&cid=39&cdesc=E%2DBody%20Products

For the door lock buttons, if they are the same as a roadrunner, the 68 door has the button to the rear and the 69 is more towards the middle right under your arm when you hang it out the window. Feels great !

Tonight was frame time!

Here's some photos of the process. It went pretty smooth considering. It's in and hopefully tomorrow we'll get to weld it in, right now it's just sitting in its location.

We sandblasted the frame, POR-15'd it and gently eased it under the car. Then we lifted it into place, used some jacks and stuff to get it up where it belongs and then levelled it out tweaked it's position. No problem man!

All the weld locations are ground to bare metal. We'll weld around each drilled hold (where the factory spot welds were), fill the hole with some brazing, then grind with a dremel to simulate a factory weld.

Here's the donor floor pan I bought. It came from a Dart, and I've now realized it's a little longer.....so we'll have to cut it shorter.

After drilling out the factory spot welds, you're left with a round hole you have to weld to the new frame. It seems you have to weld around the inner edge of the hole then fill it a little, grind, a little bondo, then some paint I guess. Lots of work!

Excellent work guys. Keep those photos coming.

65s has got this prodgect on the run.
Look's like he has dun this before,
Keep up the good work and your post's,
And update's will help alot of folk's

Looks like alot of work getting done over there! Really cool project car. The Dart front end is very cooland unique. I've often wondered about how cross breeding would look with Darts and Valiants. It looks like the factory could have had success with this look on your car! - n318

Nope, never done this before, neither has my buddy Tom. We've changed a crossmember before and some other small body work. It's really quite fun and exciting and we're very proud. We're a little afraid the car might not be "true" after, but we've measured and levelled as much as possible, I think it's going to be okay.

Just to recap.......we've gone from this, to this, in less than 3 weeks of spare time!

I hereby declare this car the one and only Plymouth Deviant! Perhaps the first?

I've been trying to merge the Demon logo with a Valiant log in photopaint, but I"m not that good, but I did manage to create this. I'll probably have to get someone to airbrush something on the car when done.

Wow, you've got bigger acorns than I. Love seeing a resurrection like that. Keep up the good work!

Looking really good! Your just burning up the highway....Save some work for spring :lol: :thumbup:

Can someone show me where the passenger side front brake line runs? I know it goes across the firewall, then where? Down through the frame? This car has a hole in the inner fender where it went, but it looks really homemade. I want to weld it up. There's a hole in the frame that looks appropriate...is that right? Maybe someone has a photo? Thanks.

I'll try to take a pic later if I can...right now i can't see the end of my driveway. :0
I'll try to take as many as I can.

Congrats on this project you have taken on. You seem to have inspired many of us. Keep up the good work and keep on posting those pics as you now have quite a fan base. How do you vision this in the end? Colors? Interior? What's the goal?

these brake lines are original from a 74 dart i think...
disks.

im not sure if you can see them but her is the link
it runs across the firewall and turns down under the blower motor..
bends back up to the little mount inside the well.. i can take photos of that too if you would like.

they are on my 66 Vart...
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/cerwinn/feb307012.jpg

Cerwin

Thanks! It looks like it goes along the firewall then down through or maybe under? the right frame rail! Just as I suspected. I think the hole in the inner fender where mine was is wrong.

I really don't know WHO is watching, but I hope everyone is. The goal is supposed to be a low cost decent daily driver. It's now going to be a slight custom (because of the Demon front end) and will bear emblems that say "Deviant" that I will either make or have someone airbrush on.

The car will go back to its original white color, with a black interior (originally green), will have the garden variety 318 that was in the car when purchased, and will have small bolt pattern turbine wheels and KH disc brakes up front (because I already have all this stuff ready to bolt on, and budget is concern).

As we progress my buddy Tom want to sandblast everything...it's getting out of control! We might as well stick it on a rotisserie..but the car doesn't warrant that kind of restoration. I think we'll use a lot of Por-15 or Rust Bullet instead of sandblasting everything.

With the floor and frame cut out, there really isn't much rust left! It appears to all be "wet carpet" type rust.

You're right, the line should wrap under the frame rail and come up through the mount on the other side (where the hose attaches). Same thing on the driver's side except it's a short line from the distribution block that wraps under the frame.

So it goes UNDER the frame, not through it? There's this little hole in the frame that would be perfect.

No, it does not go through the frame - hugs the frame and wraps under it with 90 degree bends. There are a number of holes in the frame - some of which serve no apparent purpose. Of course, if you're going to fab your own lines you can probably run them wherever you want.

keep in mind, if you go through the frame at least insulate the line so it wont ware through by rubbing. Sorry if this seems obvious, just wouldnt want you to over look it and have an issue later. C' ya great job by the way!

Deviant is the best name for the car. :thumbup: I love it. Keep working on the logo or have someone offer up some other ideas. What about the little demon guy with his pitch fork stabbed into a barracuda fish....err strike that. Better idea.... into a my 'little pony' doll head/skull or a limping impala or even a goat(gto). Now that's deviant behavior.

Awesome work

too much free time playing with photoshop. complex program for me. but here's a funny one

Excellent! Yes, the Devil guy doing something. I prefer to leave other brands/cars out of it, just the Demon and Valiant logos mixed together....

I've been working on this, but I need to make the "M" a "V" still.

No forking of other makes and models. :thumbup: Had fun doing it at the time. This may be a little more to your liking. Would love to see what a real artist can do.

65S, Thank you so much for this posting and pictures, I have to hand it to you and your buddy, excellent work! I have to perform a similar job on my 70 Dart project I know all about the salt issues here north of the border, the inside of my project looks like swiss cheese. I am in New Brunswick and I have not found a front frame so I will fab one up using the old as a pattern. I did get a rear frame assembly but cost a lot for shipping!! Nice steal on that floor, I am in the same boat and there is nothing in this area so I will order all pans from Ultimate Performance Car in Ontario and fab the rest to fill in the empty spaces. I need to fab some sills as well to be able to get the car level before I start frame work, thanks again for the pics of your process they should help me a great deal!! :thumbup:

Dave, the Valiant V is kinda cool in there but now the Devil looks like he's holding a big popsicle! hahah...

70Dart -> I believe it's important to have the inner rockers solid and the car levelled with it resting on jack stands before removing the front frame sections. Glad the photos are helping someone else, I should really take more.

Hahaha. it does look like a popsicle.

65s I am going to pick your brain a bit if thats okay....

Since I need to replace the sills(inner rockers) the complete floor, rocker panels, front frame, trunk floor and rear frame. I know the cars needs to be leveled before the sills are replaced, but with all that needs replacing what do they get welded to? I should not do the rear frame, trunk, an drear floor until the sills are in right? Do the sill just get welded to the inner body, then the outer rockers get welded to them, and the floor edges get welded to them on the inside does this sound right and in the correct order? :confused:

That's a tough one. I don't know. My Valiant still had/has good outer rocker panels, so we welded in new sills first with the car sitting on the rockers. That set the stage to remove the front frame and floor and get a new front frame in with the rockers and sills as a guide and a levelling benchmark.

I have seen a website with a guy and a Mustang where he hung the car from the ceiling of his garage by the A-pillars and C-pillars, levelled it that way, then cut out the whole bottom end of the car and replaced it. Maybe you could do that? Do you have any firewall or rear rocker parts to jack it up on?

I'd be careful not to cut out too much at once. Do it piecemeal, a bit at a time. Haste makes waste. Just think it through first.

In the end, if the car is a little crooked, the alignment guy will let you know and you can just shove it onto a frame straightener and tweak it a little. I expect the Valiant may need this once we're done. No biggie. It needed to be done to my '65 Barracuda too and now it drives straight as an arrow.

65S the rockers are there one is pretty good and the other is so so meaning some places in it are not strong enough to lift the car by without crumpling a fair amount. So are you saying that you had the body (rocker panels) sitting right on the floor? ( it would be level this way for sure!) what do the sills get welded to besides the outer rocker? Yes there is firewall and rear rocker places adequate for jacking. I have also used a long length of 4 x 4 under the rocker to jack it up with, without sagging in the past. Do you mean to build the sill in pieces and replace and weld them in instead of a complete sill?

Sorry for all the questions but I don't want to screw this up and have to do it over. Thanks for all of the information. You wouldn't by any chance becoming to New Brunswick over the summer would you LOL? Thanks again!

No, the car was sitting on jackstands, positioned at the front of the rocker, just ahead of where the crossmember is located, and at the rear on the rear frame. Here's a couple of photos showing the front jackstands.

The sill gets welded along the bottom to the outer rocker and along the top to the door frame I guess you could call it. If all this is missing on your car, I think your car might be too far gone to fix. You need a certain amount of metal to be intact, know what I mean?

I think there should be enough to weld to 65S I will snap a few pics tomorrow and post then to get your opinion if thats okay with you. Thanks once again for the info, I appreciate it! :notworth:

65S,

These are pics of the inside passenger side taken from drivers side. The passenger side outer rocker is quite solid. The other pics are inner and outer driver's side rocker. What do you think? Enough to go with or too far gone?

O.K. 65S lets try this again

They use lots of salt out east eh? Here too, but I think they use more out there. I think this type of operation on a car is only for those that want a challenge and some experience. That's why I bought my '69 Valiant. The easier softer way would have been to buy a cream puff 4-door Valiant and turn it into a 2-door with parts from this car, but there were no 4-doors around and we started. Of course, as luck would have it, I was out for supper last night with the local Mopar crowd and a guy has a cream puff 4-door '69 Valiant..........too late now though!

Your car looks about the same as what we've got here, I think it's doable. But again, you have to love doing it and enjoy the work or forget it and buy a California car. I think you might actually have more floor pan than what we had...we sure didn't have much! Measure everything! Measure and mark where the crossmember goes before you cut it out (but the new frame will dictate, you'll see what I mean). Like I said before, I think I'd try to rebuild your rockers a little before doing anything, then when they're pretty solid put jack stands under the front edge and drill out the front frame. We had a hard time manuevering the new front frame into place, but we got it. I was afraid the jack stands would be in the way, but they weren't. You definitely need two guys to get the new frame in.

Thanks 65S you are right they use a tone of salt here, I have to perlace complete floor from firewall to rear bumper. I think I can can get this done as long as I am carefull, take my time, and do't get overwhelmed. It is a chore but hey isn't everything. What did you use for your inside sills? Thanks again for your expertise!! Much appreciated. I only paid 100 bucks for the car with a slant six basket case that had some usable parts on it, thgats why I am trying it, I have stock piled quite a few parts over tha last couple of years so I will be set for cutting and building when I get my floor pans. Still need a 727 tranny and 83/4 posi though. I am sure I will have some more questions down the road. Thanks again! :thumbup:

We've only been working on the front of the car, not really touching the back half yet. Like you said, don't want to get overwhelmed. When I have time I crawl under the back and scrape off old undercoat and dirt, but we need to work our way from front to back, I suggest you do the same.

The replacement front frame I got didn't fit into the body exactly the same as the old frame. What I mean is, it fit but some of the "landmark" spots I had in my mind to use as line up spots were different! For example, there's a small fold in the frame right at the inner fender, where it folds and suddenly becomes visible at the front of the car, where it continues towards the radiator (under the battery on the drivers side). That part of the frame is painted. Know where I mean? That funny looking fold was in a different spot on the new frame, compared to the one we took out. Different spot by about 1cm maybe. I can only assume it's just a slight difference in manufacturing from plant to plant or day to day, or maybe worker to worker? I don't believe things need to be 100% perfect, just perfect enough that you can get the car aligned, and even then you could put the car on a frame straightener if necessary. Just make sure the front meets the rad sadle properly and that the torsion bar crossmember is square with the body. This is why we put ratchet straps on the crossmember, to pull it back ever so slightly to get our measurements right.

It's amazing how flimsy the body is once the frame is cut out, and amazing how rigid it is once the new frame is welding in. Good luck!

The problem is you are measuring in metric, and the car was built in good o'l boy inches. :) There ain't no centemeters on a Mopar!

The problem is you are measuring in metric, and the car was built in good o'l boy inches. :) There ain't no centemeters on a Mopar!

Canadians and Finnish knows; measured in metric...
:toothy7:

I still use my 9/16'' and 1/2'' tools and 1/32'' measuring tools. :axe: :headbang: :salute:

i dont care what size it is.. i grab the closest pair of vise grips and remove nuts things that way. :toothy7:

Haha...okay okay, you got me. I use inches, my co-worker always uses metric for some stupid reason (his measuring tape has metric on it) so he's got me talking all this metric stuff. In school I remember them switching us and I didn't learn either one properly!

Maybe Mopar lingo would be better? The thingamajig is off the whachamacallit by a couple of c$%t hairs, so use your visegrips to move the little f#$ker!

I know exactly the spot you mean 65S. The ratchet straps is a good idea to snug the frame into exact location. I will be building my new front frame rails I'll probably never find any decent ones around here anyway. What did you use to fab your inner rockers out of? Your replacement piece looks to be in good shape! You couldnt have gotten that in Canada? Thanks again for the info. I will weld some rockers on first before dis -assembly!

Well things slowed down a bit. Tom went and got married and went away to Mexico and I went away to the West coast with my wife but now we're back on track.

Tom's been working feverishly on the floor/rockers/rear frame. The drivers side frame was bad, right where the spring mounts. He had to build all new shit inside and out, it's hard to tell from the photos.

The rear floor pan, under the seat is a complicated area too. Two layers of pan..........it's a nightmare! I'm telling ya, there IS something to be said about expensive rot free Arizona cars, I think it's the better choice.

Here's the donor rear pan sitting in place. We'll use new front pans and we've got a donor tranny hump (came with the front frame) cut and ready to go in as well. This should all go a little quicker, lap joints instead of butt joints (knock on wood).

The black lines you see are Por-15 drip marks!

Looking good Neil, Its come along ways in a short time :thumbup:
Jim

I'm still in need of some parts if anyone can help.

Need black door panels, black sun visors (that clip to the center mirror), dual hood scoops, radiator, steering wheel. Probably other stuff but can't think.

Look's like you are getting with it!!!
She sure is coming along and your work look's Damned good.
Someone get this man some door panels :blob:

looking good, thanks for the pics, more to add to the cllection for my project, keep them coming, I have some blue visors that clip to the mirror if that is any good to you with the mirror setup as well, What type of steering wheel are you looking for?

I currently have the original '69 Wheel with lower half "deluxe" horn ring, but the wheel is very cracked. I'd like to keep it original, but I think this style of wheel tends to be highly desireable and expensive....same wheel used in Road Runners.

Should have just bought a car like this for all the work and trouble!

Ebay: 260095946993 A nice clean '69 Valiant 2-door!

WHat would be the fun in that?

Actually, truth be told (I may have said this before), I mostly bought this car because I knew my friend Tom would love it and would put his heart into it, which he has. He suffers from depression, especially in the winter and he needs something to keep him busy all winter. This is therapeutic for him. He's over the moon excited with the project! I just got all the paperwork together today to transfer ownership over to him.

So it's a project in the truest sense of the word.....something to keep us busy and learn on. If it turns into a great cruiser (which it will!) then that's bonus!

Your a good man Neil..... :goodman:

For yourself...just buy the blue Signet :lol: :lol:

Oh man, that thing would be so SWEET! I'd love to park that in my driveway...the granola/tree hugging neighbours would freak out!

Oh man, that thing would be so SWEET! I'd love to park that in my driveway...the granola/tree hugging neighbours would freak out!

Money talks...go for it :toothy7:

Man that thing is insane! I love to see a lil' Valiant hooked up like that! just gives me restored hope in my slow going project.

Floor pans are in! I don't have a photo of the new front section and hump, but it's all in there..just needs to be cleaned up then coated.

If you look closely you'll notice this pan was from a Dart, which has a longer wheelbase. The extra length is a section attached to the rear of the pan, just before the rear seat hump. We carefully drilled all the spot welds and removed this section. The area circled in red is the area I'm talking about.

I'd also like to thank the poor blue donor Dart for donating its life to rescue this one.

very cool. looking awesome

I am in AWE of you and your buddie's skill and dedication to what I know will be a BAD ASS mopar when you're all done with it. Just seeing all the work in it has given me insperation for my 74 Valiant Brougham project.

Hey, speaking of my Maxine(74 valiant) I'm gonna pull her steering wheel 'cause it's not the look i'm going for, and like yours it's got that deluxe-lower-horn-ring thingy. It don't look nor feel cracked and even though her previous owners put purple tape arround the actual wheel (don't ask, they are artists) with a little paint and 'goo-gone' it should be good as new. So i'll clean it up and take a few pictures so as you can see if it's what your after.

keep up the good work.

Neil I am envious, I sure could use a pan like that! Lookin' good keep pluggin' away and posting those pics you'll be done in no time, awesome job nice and neat!

Did you say Steering Wheel? :)

So here is the floor, all new and coated with some good 'ole Por-15. Looks nice eh? I'm getting pumped about this car now...it actually feels like a car now!

I've also been busy scraping oil spray, undercoating, mud and dead grass from under the car........

That is going to be a beautiful car when you are finished, If there is such a thing. (finished is such a terminal word)I would have never thought that a car in that condition could be saved. I give you big props for tackling such a big project. Keep posting too, Every time I see your progress it gives me a kick in the ass to keep going on mine. Give your welder a pat on the back for me too, He does really good work.

Hey man that thing is looking AWESOME! but yeah that steeringwheel is yours once I pull her out. How soon would you need it? we can work this out in PM if you like.

P.S. what are you using to scrape off the undercoating?

Isn't it great when things turn out..Them floors will be good for another 30+ years Neil. :thumbup:

30 years? I was thinking like 100! Both sides are sandblasted then Por-15'd and there's still some oil spray sandwiched in between some metal-on-metal areas.

To scrape off the undercoating I'm using a big tough automotive scraper (it's like a screwdriver but the tip is very large, I just keep grinding it sharp), an old paring knife with a curve on it (but it broke last night, gotta find a new one) and a wire brush. Later I'll attack the residue with some WD-40 and wire brushes, then some degreaser and brushes again.

Your work looks outstanding 65s and you have stayed on it too.
You are taking some great picture's and the floor boards look great. :salute:
How is your neck and shoulders holding up!!! Mine would be sore as hell after all that scrapping.
You go bud :blob: :wav:

I'm laying on a dolly with headrest, it's not too bad. The goal is to have this beast painted and driving to Carlisle in July! Things like seats, carpet, etc. are optional. (I've got some old lightweight van seats that will work in a pinch)

Just a refresher.....

From this to this in 2.5 months!

Hey 65. The car is looking great. Just my .02 on the scraping undercoating, I bought a cheap heat gun for like $25. heat the undercoating for a few min and then i use a wood cheisel (well 3, 1/4", 1/2", AND 1"). The heat hepls it come off easier.

Neil great job what an accomplishment!

Woowww. Can't say enough about the work you guys are accomplishing in such a short amount of time. Sweet.

Wow! You guys did a great job. For your next project, you should try to find a basket-case E-body, fix it up, then sell the rebuilt shell.

E-bodies don't interest me, they're junk. :)

Cars lookin good Neil!:thumbup:
I'll be in Carlisle in July to if you go we can meet up.

Evil, what will you be driving by then?

if you could sell your ambition you would be one rich man. looks great! think i'm gonna go put something together instead of taking it apart...

Thanks for the votes of confidence. Tonight we pulled the windshield and dash and scraped more. A rotisserie is starting to look like a good idea!

We're going to convert the interior from green to black. The exterior of the car will be original white. I was thinking a white dash, and white interior metal (upper door, pillars, etc) might look good with black door panels, black dash pad, black carpet. Anyone got a white or black/white interior I can see photos of?

Sorry Neil, your asking for the white metal. I posted the wrong pics at first. Here's a pic of the kids white duster with black inside.

I thought about you and your white interior, but I couldn't remember what it looked like exactly!

So I see your dash is your body colour and so are your upper doors. Is that how it's supposed to be done?

What do you think of doing the exterior white, upper doors white, dash white. Then do dash pad, door panels, seats, headliner, carpet all black?

I thought about you and your white interior, but I couldn't remember what it looked like exactly!

So I see your dash is your body colour and so are your upper doors. Is that how it's supposed to be done?

What do you think of doing the exterior white, upper doors white, dash white. Then do dash pad, door panels, seats, headliner, carpet all black?

That would look really sharp! Are ya doing anything with the hood at all?

If you've seen the photos, you'll know this best has a 70 Demon/Dart front clip! The hood has been drilled for scoops, and I'm hopefully getting a set from a guy here on this site, but he hasn't responded to me for a few days....he's either busy or run off with the money!

In 1969 could you order a Valiant with red interior?

I have to show my wife these pictures so I can justify my last purchase. She just can't understand the Mopar sickness.

Howard

Evil, what will you be driving by then?

That's a good question! LOL:scratch:

Probably my 72 Duster beater.

Well one thing leads to another...time to get the windshield and dash out. A little bit of rust down in there....darn!

I think the white exterior with black interior will look good, especially if we do it with white door tops and dash and black door panels. I've made up my mind I think!

Sounds good Neil should look sharp. Quite the cavity there in the front cowl. Post pics of that repair. I/m cutting mine out and welding in another as one a pillar is bad and the other isn't the best. Good luck man!

It's official now, I've sold the Valiant to my friend Tom (he's the chief welder on this project btw). I enjoyed owning it, but now it's his. I bought it for him in the first place, so I only owned it by circumstance, but that's about the only way I can own a second car anyways.

He finally got tired of me ribbing him with comments like "So you like MY car?" and "It is MY car you know" and asked for the paperwork which he promptly took down to the DOT and transferred it all over. It's a sad day for me......:(

Here's that pesky windshield area with some new metal welded in, some bondo to fill the uneveness, then a coat of Por-15. I guess it's about as good as it gets without replacing the whole darn windshield pillars.

We also dropped the broken rear out of it. I've got a new rear from a '69 Arizona Dart that a guy gave me.

Your getting pretty good at that stuff Neil. Just think...although you will miss that one, it's just practice for your own baby :tongue9:

Yep his work was getting better and better!! :headbang:

Don't worry Neil we will find our next car soon. :blob: I hope :scratch:

I've spent a lot of hours lately scraping mud, oil spray, undercoating, roofing tar and God knows what else! from the underside of the car. I've scraped the whole darn thing...I'm almost done. Next I'll clean it with WD-40 and wire brush, then degrease, then when the time is right, Master Series rust paint.

There's a few rusty areas in the back, but mostly it's all good metal. It was the floor and frame that were the really bad spots on this car.

This area was sandblasted, some new metal put in, then coated with Master Series. It will get some bondo next, then more MCU then eventually primer and paint.

The car is looking pretty much like a shell at this point, but I remember what it was and know what it will be one day!

looks good. all that work will make a solid driver.

Coming along nicely Neil, great work!

Well I've been WD-40'ing the rear underside while Tom's painting the front. Notice all the Master Series Silver? Do you think Carlisle is a far fetched idea at this point?

Oh ya, beware of grinders with no guard on them.....

Nice boo-boo Neil, good thing that is'nt thee ole eye ball. Cars looking good dude!

those are marks of determination and perserverence................

here is a result of a sandwich of a 2 lb sledge and a frame rail WITH work glove on.......................its all part of the process

I have some marks like that too Neil, but they heal. Just wish I had the progress that you do to go with it, front end looks fantastic, awesome job!

Ouch! I had one like that from roofing my house....took months to go away.

Anyhow, the engine bay has been painted and we put the K-frame back in last night. The underbelly has been stripped, cleaned, scraped and de-greased and tonight or early next week we'll be painting it with Master Series Silver then probably chassic black...you'll be able to eat off the bottom!

looking good

You guys did an amazing job. An inspiration to the rest of us doing a similar job.

Good job guys! that driver's door is a 67 or 8 I've got a 68 that is in about the same shape, has anyone coverted a 4 door to a 2 door? I was considering it.... my 4 door 69 valiant is really clean and it looks easier to convert it to a 2 door rather than fix the 2 door. wanna get rid of the radio delete plate? I need one for my 69 2 door post valiant in my shop now, the previous owner butchered mine. BTW all cars in Canada aren't that rusty, there's lots in the southern praries that aren't we didn't use salt in some areas. Some guys that move here from the east can't believe how good the bodies are on some of our mopars. I got alot of my parts and project cars from Alta. when I lived in B.C.

Wish I had found one of those prairie cars to strat with, east coast rust sucks like you wouldn't believe!

When I bought the Deviant, we ran the 318 for a minute and it ran, not very good, but it ran. Now, upon inspection we found the block to be badly cracked, presumably from being frozen with just water in it.

So we need a new motor!

The photos don't really show the cracks very well.

Anyhow, no worries because the Mopar Gods sent us a granny driven '79 Newport (found in a local newspaper). The asking price was $1500 (that's about $1350 US dollars) but Tom lowballed them and got it for $550.

I feel guilty taking the 360 out of this thing. This car has only 28,000 original miles. The rear seat has never been sat in! It was literally the grandmothers car and she stopped driving so it's only been driven once or twice in the last 2 years.

Oh well, cars must be sacrificed in the name of hot rodding! Amen for big R-bodies with small blocks! :)

Looking real good. I'm really starting to like white cars !

Well apparently some dude with aspirations of putting a Chevy motor into the Newport and then entering it into a demolition derby likes white cars too....he gave us $200 for the car minus the drivetrain! hahaha....

Cant beat that, LOL

Hard to believe this 360 was blue and powering a boat just a few days ago! Well okay, some parts have been changed like the intake, valve covers, water pump (so the outlet is on the other side)...should look great in the Deviant!

Tonight I put a second coat of Master Series Silver under the car while Tom did some front end assembly! Feels good to be putting a few things together for change.

I found this little guy down inside the rear door cavity (there's no door, but you know what I mean). What do you think he is, a rat?

I found this little guy down inside the rear door cavity (there's no door, but you know what I mean). What do you think he is, a rat?

Nah he's a deviant rat. :evil2:

its looks like the remains of the last chevy that tried to mess with a mopar. poor thing must have been terrified.

Those are not rat teeth, could be a small possum.

maybe a weasel, i don't think i've ever seen a rat with fangs that size before. But I've been known to be wrong before.

Are you spraying the Master Series stuff on or brushing? Looks good and does it have to be topcoated? What about spraying undercoat over the Master Series? Keep up the good work your thread has been very helpfull to me.
Thanks Bob

We sprayed the Master Series on the bottom of the hood and around some of the engine bay, but for the most part it's been put on with a brush. You're supposed to put 2 coats then a topcoat, or 3 coats with no topcoat. We're going to spray the bottom of the car with the chassis black as a topcoat.

It's not affected by UV so you don't have to topcoat it. You can put any paint you want over it without need for sanding it, as long as you do within 7 days (so the directions say).

I think I'll give the Master Series a try, thanks for the info.
Bob

I'm also in the process of painting my work van too. It's a rusty old thing, so I'm grinding off rust, welding in some patches here and there, then painting it with Master Series, then I'll put some primer then filler here and there and eventually some paint on top. So far the Master Series is sticking to the rust really well and it's great for filling in pits and weld holes/gaps.

That looks like a new underbelly Neil, looking great. By the way have a complete floor on the way for my swinger, from the firewall to the back of the rear floor pans. With shipping from florida it wasn't that cheap but quite a bit cheaper than buying all new floor pans and trying to fabricate the rest of the floor. Plus I will then have the proper floor hump too. Kepp us updated on your project can't wait to see the finished product!

Looks good Neil,looks like you really like that paint.
It's good stuff isn't it?

Neil, I've got to ask.....what in heck is Master Series - other than golf I guess. :) You're in Ont. so I'm assuming it's a product available in Canada. Also, you've intrigued me with the use of WD-40 for cleaning the barnacles off 'er bottom. Could you explain at what point you use it and what it does for you? This enquiring mind sure wants to know, because I'm scraping the barnacles off the bottom of my Vart right now.
Thanks.

70Dart: Same to you 70Dart, start a thread (if you don't have one already...maybe you do, I'm really bad at finding threads around here). Glad you're getting a whole new pan. Tom did most of the pan work and he said it was a bitch and a LOT of work, but it's like a new car now!

Evilscamp: Yes, I like the Master Series. I hope it's all they claim and doesn't rust through. It's different to apply then por-15, but I like how you can leave it and come back to it later and I like how it's more like paint then a plastic coating (Por-15 always seems like a plastic coating to me)

Oldvart: It was Evilscamp here that referred me to Master Series. It's a US product actually, and I had to have it shipped up here. It's a rust inhibiting paint that was originally designed to paint bridges I think. It's like por-15 but you can paint over it, doesn't require as much prep work and it builds up and fills in pits and scratches really well. It's supposed to stick better and last for 25 years before rust through again. So far so good.

To clean the bottom of the car I started with a variety of scrapers. I bought a $5 kit of gasket scrapers and pokers, one looks like a dental tool. On my back I scraped (with safety goggles of course) and poked and got as much shit off as possible...one little square inch at a time. Probably took me 60 hours. In some areas I softened it with a heat gun first, then when it was dry it would flake off easier. Then I went over everything with a wire brush. They you spray WD-40 (liquid, not the spray cans) on and scrub with a wire brush and the dental tool again in areas you missed. Oh ya, I used a paring knife at one point until it broke. Then I degreased with Marine Clean degreaser and a 3M green scrub pad and brass brush. Then rinse a few times, then 2 coats of Master Series and finally we'll put a finish coat of Master Series chassis black, sprayed on. A lot of work but you could eat off the underside of this car!

Rust bled through a bit on my van bumper (that is REALLY rusty) so I emailed this guy that has a website about the stuff and he said I didn't mix it well enough. He was right, I remember only mixing it for about 20 seconds because I was in a rush. I mixed it really well and recoated and the bumper looks great now.

Neil I will get a thread started some day but I want to get a decent amount done first so I can get pictures then post the progress, as I hit some dry spells like now where I have not done anything too substantial for a while. I will get there eventually. Once I get the sills and floor on the go it will actually seem like I am getting something accomplished. I am going to put a big push on it this summer as we have a baby on the way September 1st so I hope to have most of the noisy stuff done by then, like beating and pounding and forming metal.

hit the undercoat with a torch and it will be like scraping butter off.

ohhhh........the smell of burning undercoat............better than a homecooked meal.

The smell of burnt undercoating, WD-40 and Master Series paint permeates my notrils constantly. Sometimes I wake up and crave it. Other times I just can't take it any longer and have to get on my back, roll under a car and scrape until my arms ache. I think I'm going through withdrawal right now actually...quick, anyone got a car that needs scraping!?

70Dart: Baby coming? Do as much as you possibly can now! Get helpers, get 'er done! Take time off work.....whatever you must do. Soon you will have no life.

Well actually, that's not true. You'll just be really tired all the time. Sleep now while you can. I know you think I'm joking........

Thanks for the info and explanation Neil. That thing looks like a million bucks compared to when you guys first started on it. Kudos.

Ya, it's really amazing. I'm impressed with Tom and I. I forgot my camera the other day, but we've got the rear end (was donated from a '69 Dart) all cleaned, blasted and painted. It looks like a million bucks! We're starting assembly now. The goal is to get it rolling around on wheels then prep for paint...interior and stuff like that can come later. We want this thing to be driving to Carlisle in July...I'm not sure if it's going to happen though. I just bought a '72 van too that I'll be working on a bit...uh oh.....

i think this is a real kewl thread, very industrious, informative and good pictures! everyone is ROOTIN FOR YA! and we can`t wait for the next installment...well really we cant wait to see it under its own power!(notice i didn`t say finished)
i think y`all have found alternative career choices...and just imagine if ya did that work to a sought after R/T, convert or RB car!
good job all the way around...i have just one complaint...i could`ve done without the rat pictures! haay i love Mopars, i`ll even get a lil greasy once in awhile...maybe even break a nail! but dead rats??? ICCCKKKY!
(the only dead rats i wanna see are GM)

I know your not joking Neil I have a 16 year old son, I just hope she sleeps alot more then he did or I'm in trouble. :sleepy2:

Work continues on the Deviant. The donor rear end has been pressure washed, sandblasted, painted with Por-15, new brakes, new pinion seal and is ready to go in. We finally removed the rear springs and are going to use the donor ones too. There's not much left of this car that is original! We continued our use of Master Series silver under the car and finally put it under the rear wheel wells, a pain in the ass area to do.

The whole drivetrain is new! We've got the 28,000 mile old lady 360/904, the '69 Arizona Dart rear end and springs, the complete new front end (tie rods, ball joints, KH disc brakes) compliments of my garage, stuff that came with a motherload of parts I bought last year and sold most of at Carlisle. The front frame is from a wrecked Demon, the floor pans from a /6 Dart.....I'm not sure what's original anymore!

As you may notice in the photos, after two coats of silver we're painting the under carriage with the Master Series chassis black. The center area between the frame rails is already done. It's tough stuff. I think I prefer the look of the satin finish silver but the black will look better contrasting with the white of the car and it's hard and more resiliant to dirt and chips and all that. It's really been a lot of work cleaning the whole underside of the car, degreasing, rinsing and painting with 3 coats of product. I will likely never do this again unless the car is on a rotisserie.

Looks really good Neil your almost done!........you guys win a loto :scratch: :lol: :lol:

Win a lotto? No, it's mostly at night we're doing this stuff. I was over at Tom's from about 8 until 11:30 tonight....we do that a few nights a week.

Win a lotto? No, it's mostly at night we're doing this stuff. I was over at Tom's from about 8 until 11:30 tonight....we do that a few nights a week.

Well with all that work lately...Ijust thought :scratch: :lol: Beside if you did...you would be out here for wings..."right" :lol: :lol:

Frickin' right!

you guys rock. Love this thread.

this is an awesome thread! TAKE ME FOR A RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't take any photos, but the last couple of days I've spent my spare time putting the last few coats of MCU and chassis black under the car. It's unbelievable how clean it is now under there compared to when it first rolled into my life! The entire under side of this car has been degreased, de-undercoated, scraped, scrubbed, rinsed, sandblasted where necessary then painted with 2 coats of rust encapsulating paint and 1 coat of rock hard chassis black. It's like a new car under there now.

I will say this though, after spending probably close to 100 hours, (maybe more, I really haven't kept track...it's been weeks and weeks!) under the car, scraping, rubbing, brushing, cleaning, painting, swearing and and bleeding...I will NEVER do this again unless the car is on a rotisserie. There, I've said it. Now I can move on with my life and one day I'll probably forget I said that and do it again, but right now the thought makes me ill.

We're continuing to reassemble the car to get it rolling, then bodywork. I think all the welding is done. The scraping of oil and muck from underneath is done, still got the trunk to go.

Tonight we assembled the rear leafs, rear end, shocks, gas tank and earlier in the week Tom put the dash in. We hope to have the motor/tranny in on the weekend and have it sitting down on wheels! Yay!

well, ok...but hurry up!
...DO MINE NEXT!!!
(haha) :nike:

job well done. its nice to see the clean work after all the dirty work.

Looking good Neil... not long now!! Your in the fun clean part and the key turning...is just around the corner. "that will be the stage fright time" (what's that leaking dude) he-he.
Cheers, Jim

Great work and unbelievable progress there Neil. Your fast pace makes me feel like an old fart - Oh, wait, I am an old fart. :)

haha...funny! Yes, it's a pleasure now under the car...nothing falls in your face! We're shooting for a trip to Carlisle with it. If we make it, there won't be any interior (just a pair of seats...some old van seats I have).

You did a great job, I'm jealous that you made so much progress in such a short time. Maybe you can come here and work on my car while I'm at work. :toothy7:

Carlisle is a great place to pick up parts, remember, many of the vedors will give discounts and you save on shipping costs too. Load up the car with parts and don't miss the swap meet, get there early for the best deals.

Neil !! You are going at this car like a hungry dog.
Your time spent and hard work really show's you know what you are doing.
This will be a thread I will keep for reference when I get off my old a$$ and buy me a rolling chassie. Looking good :thumbup:

Do you plan on goin to Moparfest with it? If you do, I'll keep my eyes peeled! :)

Way to crank on it, man. Love the drive and determination.

Thanks for the inspiration. I'm still picking oil and sludge from my hair and Tom will be lucky if he's still married by the time this thing is finished! It's been exactly 5 months since it rolled in. A rusted out parts car at best, now a promising cool ride with new floors, 360 and lots of good karma! I'm quite impressed too, I must give thanks to John Forkney in New York who supplied the good front frame, floor section and other much needed parts.

Continuing with our efforts to get the car rolling, we put the tranny, motor, master cylinder, etc. in. The motor mounts were a bit of a challenge, see this thread for more on that subject!

Easy Engine Mounts -> http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=8004&page=2&highlight=motor+mounts

God Bless.
I love the name.
That is not just “that Mopar magazine”. It is a breath of fresh air.
Your car may not be inspected by “you know who” ,but it has soul.
And your heart is in it. Not just your wallet.
It’s people like you that are keeping “the hobby” alive.
Not to mention giving hope against the Mustang-Camaro crowd.
As I understand it, the production numbers of A-bodies are the only ones the have any HOPE.
There just aren’t enough Hemi-Cudas to make a viable hobby.
I was preaching “Save The A-Bodies” ten years ago. In the last ten years I have witness dealers drive up prices with “investment” cars.
I wonder why prices have become ridiculous on some Mopars.
Maybe, just maybe it is because every “collector car dealer” out there has 12 cars. I think that is called “cornering the market”.
But I see A-bodies continue to be parted out.
In my junk yard travels I have never seen a Mustang.
No matter how band it is. Someone restores it.
I drive one of my two Darts 80 miles across Atlanta everyday.
And every other day someone ask me what it is.
People even yell at me on the interstate.
That alone is worth it.
Gonna "Fly like an eagle". :angel9: (Steve Miller)

There's still a goodly amount of unrestored A-bodys out there. I look at Craigs list every so often, and I see some really good deals. I've been walking by a solid Demon, on my morning walk for the last two years. I've got three A-bodies myself. I don't see many Valiants, so it's always nice to see one thats being brought back to life. All things being equal, I think our hobby will be alive and kicking for a few years yet to come. Howard

This car is all about hobby for us. We've put in more hours than you can count. I've contributed just about every spare part I had kicking around, and then some. It's great! Tonight I soldered up some bad wiring in the engine bay and it brought me back to my youth when I learned how to solder and I was soldering computer stuff and little electronic things as a hobby. We just work away, chatting and listening to the radio...it's a real social thing. I wish the garage was big enough for two cars and 4 people, then we'd have a real party!

wow you are hauling ass on your car, very nice progress, i loved the pictures, u make us including me all look lazy :sad1: :lol:

Big day today! We put in a temporary steering wheel, temp seat (bucket with foam pad) then we put wheels on the car, bled the brakes and actually DROVE the car out of the garage!!

This is the first time this car has moved under its own power in almost 20 years!! Yay!!

Sanding the body has begun too.......so exciting.

I took a movie, I will post it somewhere for you all to see...very cool!

Movies....

http://www.enbcom.com/valiant

MVI_9450.avi - car coming out of garage for first time in 6 months, first time under its own power in almost 20 years.

MVI_9452.avi - Tom trying to lay some rubber but the strip is a little short!

Okay, one more. Here's Tom happy as a pig in you know what (just firing the car up, getting ready to roll!

Congrats Neil, its neat to follow a build through the process, from this point on you must be getting anxious! :burnout:

awesome! if that was mine i would pull up some chairs, grab some cold ones and just stare at all the hard work and the beautiful sight in front of me!

of course, fire it up and throttle it a few times as well!!!..............

Yupp....we did that.....but there's still work to be done so back into the garage it's gone.

I'm cleaning up the trunk in prep for finishing the floor paint and seam sealer, Tom is repairing and fitting the fiberglass front fenders.......

.....and every so often we fire it up and listen to it roar.

are you taken it to Moparfest?

We're hoping to have it painted with headliner and glass installed in time for Carlisle!! But I'm thinking that's a stretch. Moparfest? Perhaps. I've never actually been.....I always hope to go but something always comes up that time of year.

I take it you'll be there with your '68? I'd love to see it.

wow you are hauling ass on your car, very nice progress, i loved the pictures, u make us including me all look lazy :sad1: :lol:
I secong that remark, including the lazy part!

I do plan on taken the Valiant IF I go. I have already registered but 2 nights ago we got a phone call asking us if we want Nascar tickets. The g/f and I went 2 years ago and it was awesome. amazing seats, camping, shopping etc. So now I'm confused. :(

very nice, i remember starting my car up and getting it to move on its own power again, its a very good feeling, keep us posted with pics :thumbup:

Visited the wrecking yard again today, here's a shot of the Dart that sacrificed its life to donate its floor pan to the Deviant project. I think the Dart was actually in better condition than the Deviant....but that's life!

We finished cleaning up the trunk area, coated with MCU and we're prepping the body for paint. It's looking like a real car now!

Unbelievable !!! Yall look like you are having the time of your life.
I like the first time rolling in 20 year vidio, Got a chill bump rush out of it.:-D
What can I say This is going to be a special dart.

To COOL.:toothy10:
mybe I will see this car one day at a show or strip.
Keep up the fun and hard work guy's yall made my morning.:cheers:

My God that's looking good Neil!! When are you coming to Fredericton again??LOL

Okay, the Deviant has been getting sanded and primered all week and now it's getting paint! Tom is painting it right now as we speak. I was there today, we finished sanding some areas and Tom's built a homemade downdraft fan system in the garage.

Basically there's an old furnace fan rigged to the side door with a vent running across the floor (with a filter on it), and the car is rolled over top of it. In the main large garage door there's a filtered vent to let fresh air come in. We put plastic on the ceiling to stop some dust from the attic, hosed the floor wet and rolled the car back in to get sealer and paint.

By tomorrow I'll have some photos of the car W1 White again, for the first time in many many years!

Oh ya, you have to remember that this car has less than a cup of bondo on it. Only along the rear trunk where an old dent was discovered. The rest of the car was pretty rust free.....EXCEPT of course the floor and frame which is where most of the work was. From the rocker panels up everything was pretty good....I guess this is why we thought the car should be saved.

Now with a new front frame, patched rear frame, new floors, new rockers, new drivetrain, new suspension, new paint and a ton of work, she's a whole car again!

I agree with a down draft, I like the paint to go down out of sight and away from top services. Less over spray.
Can't wait to see it in it's new skin.:toothy10:
It's a good day.

Looking excellent Neil. I wish I would have done a good job like you guys have done!! Consider yourself lucky I don't live around the corner from ya..hee-hee

Neil what is the full name of that silver rust undercoat you are using and where in Canada can you get it I am close to being ready believe it or not. I should have a restoration thread started in the next month or so.

http://www.masterseriesct.com/default.php

I bought it from http://halonmarketing.com/

As far as I know, there is nobody selling it in Canada. Apparently there's one guy that's picking up a huge lot of it at Carlisle to bring to Canada and resell it, but I don't know who that is. I'm going to Carlisle next week and I will buy a bunch as I ran out.

Bad news. The paint job, although technically excellent, went bad. I mean, Tom did a great job but the whole thing orange peeled really bad! What might have caused this?

I do know he forgot to ground the car...he knows it was a bad mistake and he just somehow forgot. Would that cause orange peel all over?

Bad news. The paint job, although technically excellent, went bad. I mean, Tom did a great job but the whole thing orange peeled really bad! What might have caused this?

I do know he forgot to ground the car...he knows it was a bad mistake and he just somehow forgot. Would that cause orange peel all over?

Sorry to hear Neil, don't be following my foot steps with Murpy's law problems. Like you said, take a rest and deep breath. It will come together!

I have seen this happen to the best of them, And to ask what would do this could be allot of thing's from paint mix ratio to time between coats and allot of things I do not know.
Like gun settings and air pressure to humidity and temperature.
And some time's
the thinner my not let it lay down because of it drying to fast.:dontknow:
It is an art and very hard to be consistent.
Catch it when it is green !! or before it get's real hard. in the next 3 to 8 day. and wet sand it down with wet sand paper and sanding block. not going to say what grit to use he or you can determine that. some where around 1000 ultra and in some of the bad heavy area's start with 800 then go to 1000 ultra,then buff.
It will sand and buff out. You will want that dun anyway, for a merrier finish.
All is good and can be and will be a good finish paint job.

Got any picture's yet?

Ya, I figured it's a gun thing or whatever. I'm no painter, it's Tom that is. This basically has drawn the curtain on having the car at Carlisle, there's no way it's going to happen now. :(

Hopefully my Barracuda will be in running shape and ready to go, it's got a few problems of its own! I hate being this close to the wire all the time.

Anyhow, here's a shot I took of the car in white, orange peel and all.

Don't stop now, just give it a good wet sand and buff.

Hey Neil, sorry to hear about the major orange peel problem. As Mike said, there are several factors that could have caused it, but normally it's either a lack of paint flow as it's being applied (use the slowest reducer you can get), or a lack of atomization (gun setting or lack of air pressure). What kind of paint did you guys use? Base/Claer, Urethane, Acrylic Enamel? It can probably be saved, depending on what you used and how much paint you put on the car.

If you used a base/clear on the car, you can wet sand with 600 grit to drop the elevation of the bumps...........clean it foo well, and look closely for surface "pits" against the glare of the light......resand those areas lightly, and prep for another clear coat.

If you used one stage, either your reducer was too fast, or your ratio was too thick..........a zahn cup is the trick for consistency (it "times" the paint as it runs through a small cup, so your ratio is dead on), due to temp variances and paint brand inconsistencies.................If you have just a color coat, wet sand with 600 to smooth it out (use a medium-foam block for your paper....it won't "cut" from the edges)...........Follow that up with another color coat.........ONE coat........after a complete flash, check the surface..........You may be ready for a compound buff as-is.

If you have an aggravated case of orange peel, you will most likely have to recoat the surface..........Just a sand and buff will look better, BUT you won't get rid of all of the low areas as well as with a recoat and buff....AND, as previously pointed out by other members, you should use an 800 grit minimum for this.....600 is only for recoats.....800 to 1000 for buff-only projects.

New clear coats are thicker than in the past, and VERY forgiving in these circumstances........I wouldn't worry too much if it's base clear. You'll be OK.

:thumblef::thumblef:

Thanks guys, I'll pass this info on to Tom the painter. It was one stage urethane I think. It's pretty thick and rough! It's okay though, we've already wet sanded one quarter and it's really smooth and looks like a new fresh coat will go on nice. It's all a learning thing I guess. It's just too bad that the car won't make it to Carlisle now, we had the glass and headliner all set to go!

Sorry to hear of your dilemma Neil. I'm sure it will all work out for you from what I have seen. Thanks for the info on the master series undercoat.

I use enamel with no clear coat. That way i can repair stuff as it gets damaged.
I always have to work on my paint after I shoot it.
Maybe it is because I don't know what I am doing.
Glad your paint is salvageable.
What grit to use?
Good thing there are people here that know this stuff off the top of there head.
"Micro Mesh" works wonders.
If anyone ever worked for an airline you know what that is. :toothy10:

What the hell happened? Its been a month and a half, and everything stopped?

Well I think Tom's a little depressed, wet sanding seems to be a lot of work. He hasn't been working too much either, low on cash. I think we're just taking a mental break. I've been busy trying to keep my Barracuda running and working a little on my Ffffff...Ffffff...Ford (there I said it!) van too. We really do need to get his car done man!

I did however find a '69 Valiant Signet 200 (exact same car) in the wrecking yard with it's complete interior...so now I know what the seats are supposed to look like and we'll get all the door panels and maybe even used carpet!

Hey Neil,
Although I'm not a body man..., is that orange peel or fish eye in the paint?
Reason i'm asking, is that this looks like it was painted in someone's home garage.
With the temp. changes overnight and the humidity levels experienced in Can. it could very well be only condensation in the air line and water particles getting blown in with the paint.
If that's the case, it doesn't matter what paint or press. or mix.and so on... you are using, you will end up with relatively the same result.

Please don't give up on it! Its like watching you favorite TV show for a season, then it ends without warning. If I was closer, I would wet sand it for you!

I really appreciate the positive feedback guys, thanks!

It is a home garage!

Tom's painted many cars, he waited for good temp weather. He now thinks the sealer he put on didn't cure properly before he painted the car. He thinks he didn't wait long enough, in fact he knows it. The orange peel only seems to be where the sealer was.

Anyhow, the small bolt turbine rims are all cleaned up and clear coated..WOW they look great (I'll post a photo when I get a chance).

We're taking some time to organize the many bins of parts and spare parts we've amassed and need to build some shelves in my garage for some of this stuff. Not to mention the engine hoist and other heavy stuff like that....it's all in my storage garage and in the way!

I have a special attachment to your car, I got my car about the same time and started work at the same time. You guys have progressed so fast and left me in the dust. I am still a month from painting my car.

Ya, that's right Flyboy..eat dust sucker! :) (just kidding....)

I really appreciate the positive feedback guys, thanks!

It is a home garage!

snip!

We're taking some time to organize the many bins of parts and spare parts we've amassed and need to build some shelves in my garage for some of this stuff. Not to mention the engine hoist and other heavy stuff like that....it's all in my storage garage and in the way!

In know how that feels I'm just now reinstalling half the rafters in my garage the PO took them all out for some unknown reason. Once I have a loft to store some parts I'm going to tear into the Dart again. I love this thread and I think the Demon clip on Valiant looks great. I want to put one on a 67-9 Dart that'd look sexy!

Don't give up the ship!

Cool car and great progress. I just picked up a '69 Valiant two weeks ago myself, for free. Body is clean minus left fender needs repaired, but thats not an issue for me to fix. I tried to post a photo of it, but file is to large.
Mark

How's the Deviant coming?

looks like a saver,I am currently doing a 68 valiant,5.7 hemi and looking for some body parts ,do you have the address of the yard in New york?
thanks.

Judging from the fact that he has not posted in 6 months, I think this project got sold or forgot about.

No! It's winter here, tons and tons of snow! I will admit that both Tom (the new owner who did the paint that orange peeled) and myself did get rather discouraged after the paint problems.....but we will get back at her!

I recently bought a '75 Dart Sport that we fixing up....this is just a short term project to get us in the mood again. While we're doing this, we're talking about the Deviant all the time. I think this is getting a fire under Tom's butt so he will want to get going on the Deviant the second the Dart is out of his garage.

Thanks for being interested guys, it makes the journey so much better knowing others are interested.

This about says it all.

heres my valiant rustfree 30,000 i bought it just for the fact of being rust free http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/mopar1967/0ldpicsofpappyandkids010.jpg i have a 68 in good shape that needs a home as its going to the junk yard if i don't sell same with a 70 duster body by the way great job on that car you have some strong will to go through all you have:thumbup:

Neil, is that your snow sculpture? That is the way i feel a bount the snow and winter in new brunswick and the predicimant i am in til who knows when. Never got to use all tools i got for christmas. Cant wait to see more projects, like you and flyboy and others have posted, truly amazing like the deviant, like the dart sport you mentioned. Dont forget pics might keep me inspired a little, thanks Neil!

God Bless Marvin Peacock 70dart