Aussie and an A-body - VG Valiant

[Ray Bell]

About 15 years ago I bought a VG Valiant...

It came with a 245 Hemi 6, Borg-Warner automatic and a few issues. It still isn't road-ready as I've relied on others to get it done. It's been de-rusted and painted, laid around for about six or seven years awaiting buffing and when that's done I'll start fitting it out.

My plans include an A833 and an 8¾ rear end, ultimately I want to do a lot with the Hemi 6 engine but that's some time away as other projects get in the way.

I also have a 1987 B350 van into which I'm fitting an NV4500 5-speed, assorted Subaru Foresters, a Peugeot 404 project car and more. It all keeps me busy.

 

[Scott_ 69HemiDart]

Welcome from West Virginia......................

 

[Ray Bell]

Where in WV, Scott?

I expect to be visiting a friend in Weston WV some time around October. I enjoyed driving through WV when I was there last in 2012, it even snowed for me (and had my wife frightened spitless!) as I went down through the mountains towards Virginia.

I suppose I should say I live in a place called The Summit in Queensland, it's about 120 miles from Brisbane.

 

[Scott_ 69HemiDart]

Eastern Panhandle near Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. We love living here. We have lived all over the country and this is a great State. I have lived in Germany many years in the early 80’s then again in the early 90’s. I have never been to Australia but I would love to visit.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Welcome aboard, Ray! I'm a slant 6 guy from Georgia. I love how yall really dig the four door cars down there. They get no love up here.

 

[Ray Bell]

Here we go... from my trip thread (on another forum) about that part of the 2012 trip:

We drove right by the visitor's centre as we re-entered West Virginia:

[URL='http://imageshack.us/a/img11/3317/51012visitorcenter.jpg[/URL']http://imageshack.us/a/img11/3317/51012visitorcenter.jpg[/[/URL]img]

...and I forgot I'd taken that pic, so as we saw the border of Pennsylvania coming up I was a bit concerned about the need to get a shot. I had long ago decided that these pictures would not necessarily be landmarks or special things, but they would just be a picture of something in that state.

Right on the border we saw the Citibank offices, officially in Hagerstown. These are, like a lot of commercial buildings and big factories, just out in the scenery. Very much unlike Australia, where virtually everything has its place in a town. Anyway, I swung the truck into their parking lot and took a photo across the paddock of the Citibank offices.

[img][URL='http://imageshack.us/a/img405/2630/51012factory.jpg[/URL']http://imageshack.us/a/img405/2630/51012factory.jpg[/[/URL]img]

We rejoined the traffic which got heavier and heavier as we progressed. This time we did stop at the visitor's centre at Greencastle, PA:

[img][URL='http://imageshack.us/a/img39/737/61012pavisitorscentre.jpg[/URL']http://imageshack.us/a/img39/737/61012pavisitorscentre.jpg[/[/URL]img]

 

[Ray Bell]

Well, I don't know what I have to do to get images up other than to attach via the forum setup...

Is there a way to link them from other sites?

Meantime, the pics involved:

 

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by RustyRatRod
Welcome aboard, Ray! I'm a slant 6 guy from Georgia. I love how yall really dig the four door cars down there. They get no love up here.

I think you have your share...

I snapped this one in Georgia in 2014. That's my van in the background.

 

[Car Nut]

 

[missing linc]

from

 

[Ray Bell]

A nice bunch of welcomes, thanks, guys...

It's been a while now, the primer went on late in 2014... and the colour shortly after:

This body is based on the floorpan of the '68 Dart, the cabin is pretty much as per the Dart, but the front and rear have some different treatment.

When I bought it the plan was to use it as my everyday transport, but so much has changed since then. It will ultimately be finished and become an occasional use car. And a test bed for some Hemi 6 engine mods I would like to try.