1963 Valiant Wagon "Candy girl"

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Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
Joined
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So this is the offical start to making up my mind on a plan and doing something about it.

So as each year passes and we all get older, if you pay attention, you might learn something about yourself each year. I have learned I can't make and stick to a plan so easy.

I have had this car a few years now and ive been all over the board with what I should do with it.
I was on the fence several times on going V8 or going with a slant six and what kind of slant.
It's been a never ending seesaw on deciding on a color.

Uncle Tony of uncle Tony's garage made a statement that is really sticking with me and hit me like a baseball bat. "Every project should have an end purpose" "what do you want the car to do for you."
That's when I really thought about it and made up my mind.

The purpose of this car is to capture the ever fading early 60s.

The early 60s seem to be overlooked by car historians and in a lot aspects in history. Car history tends to talk 50s and all the poodle skirt glory and then just jumps to the mid 60s when the mustang debuted and the GTO came to be which many believe started the muscle era. In the meantime what happened to the transition era when we stepped away from fins and engineering worked to find our new 60s identity as a country, and automotive industry.

So back to the car. After I bought it I was looking at the fenders and hood and they were junk, full of bondo. Around that time a fabo member was parting a 65 valiant and I had the thought of making a 65 valiant wagon mainly because i was listening to other people say they don't like the look of the 63 front end.

So for awhile now ive had a 63 valiant with a 65 front end, I had planned to install early A bucket seats and use the 65 valiant dash because it's the same dash as the 65 barracuda. I had the novel idea to make what could be called a psuedo barracuda wagon.

Then my excitement just dropped off. It seemed nothing I could of think of doing would make the car not seem so cobbled up and just all a crazy idea after awhile.

So one day I'm cruising Fabo and I start going thorugh the entire thread of the lancersaurus @Hyper_pak and i ran into the valiant wagon thread by Shimos. It hit me, you know what those cars have that my contraption doesn't? ...... they truly capture an era, a lesser thought of point in time that barely exists in today's world.

So on Tuesday afternoon, the "candy girl" 63 valiant came In the shop and onwards with the journey, get a snickers bar, this is going to take awhile.

The plan to make this car do what it is here for is:
I located a 63 front end that is much better shape than the original parts so a 63 front end is going back on.

Bench seat interior with the very plain V100 dash complete with radio block off plate.

Slant six with an era correct hyper pak. I have an original intake and also a Clifford. I decided to use the Clifford for several reasons including its new and never been on an engine before. The transmission is a 4 speed which makes the transmission the only deviation from pure 63 because these cars we 3 speed heavy those days.

The car is to be painted the brightest but most basic white possible with steel wheels and dog dish hubcaps......a true frigidaire on wheels.

The exterior is to capture the the little old lady librarian of 1963.

So here we go.....
Bringing it in the shop

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So with it in the shop on Jack stands, I got under it and really took a good look and examined very carefully and I'm happy with the lack of rust underneath. At one point it had some shag carpet glued in the interior and the glue seemed to strip the paint and encouraged some rust.

Now that I look its so strange that the rust doesn't seem as bad as I thought it was and I think some flat 18 gauge will fix it right up.

A previous owner put the 8.25 rear end in and had a V8 in it which is going out the door.

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For the driveline I plan to install a good running slant six from a 72 demon. Original tired engine but it will get it running and I can get everything plumbed before I paint the engine compartment.

Last time I painted a car, I painted the engine compartment before test fitting everything and realized I needed to drill holes and didn't need some holes there..... after it was painted!! So I'm not making that mistake again.

I have a "performance" 225 being built for this car with over a thousand dollars of go fast goodies but unfortunately I took the block and heads to a machine shop before the covid pandemic and here its months later and the shop is still closed and doesn't look like I'm getting my parts back anytime soon so the original tired slant six will fill in for now.

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These are some amazing cars being restored.

It really amazes me to see the sharp turn car styling made from the 1962 model year which is still really 50s in many ways to the 1963 model year which completely changed everything and fins were poof, GONE.

what a sight it must have been to walk into a dealership in late 62 and see something new, totally new to the eye.

1961 Valiant Wagon

1962 Lancer Wagon, Lancersaurus!
 
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These are some amazing cars being restored.

It really amazes me to see the sharp turn car styling made from the 1962 model year which is still really 50s in many ways to the 1963 model year which completely changed everything and find were poof, GONE.

what a sight it must have been to walk into a dealership in late 62 and see something new, totally new to the eye.

1961 Valiant Wagon

1962 Lancer Wagon, Lancersaurus!

I'm crushed. You didn't link Vixen in there.
 
Car goodies are about the only thing that makes me feel better when I have to work 12 to 14 hour shifts, otherwise I'd lose it and have a psychotic episode. :realcrazy: :lol:
I agree. It's great coming home and unboxing something I bought for one of the projects. It's like Christmas day at least 1-2 times a week around here lately lol
 
Car goodies are about the only thing that makes me feel better when I have to work 12 to 14 hour shifts, otherwise I'd lose it and have a psychotic episode. :realcrazy: :lol:

I understand. I remember when I worked for the big local family run tire company. I was their alignment man. Supposedly their "top" position. I'll hand it to um. They knew how to get alignments in and out. Or well.....I did. It was my method we came up with. Anyway, I got to where I could do about 15 alignments a day. That's ALL I did. If I ran into bad part(s), it got whooped off my rack and someone else replaced the part while I kept aligning. I got there usually no later than 7 AM and left no earlier than 7 PM, but usually was more like 9 PM. I have to admit, I made a LOT of money to be working that job. That's the job where I got hurt. My last full year of employment there I touched 79K. But I had no life and when I wanted a day off I had to fight like hell to get it. That's no way to live and I hope that's not how you're doin it.
 
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Yep. Plus, the more $ you make, the more you spend
If you can find the time!
 
Perfect project, great narrative! :thumbsup:

When finished, a fitting ending will be a soda pop, bag of popcorn and a drive-in movie.
 
That will be a sweet ride !
Wagons are so cool !
I have been looking for a wagon.
Most got crushed.
What color will she be ?
How about wheels ?
I look forward to seeing the progress !
 
I agree the styling made a big change from '62 into '63. I like both for what they are. But I find beauty in almost all old cars, even some GM and Ford!!!! (wash my mouth out with soap)
1963 I was a freshman in HS!! lol
I agree with Joey4speed, the more we make the more we will spend. Having less is sometimes more, we appreiate it when we have less/
 
every old and fading mopar that is put back on the road or track is a good story.
 
Looks like a very interesting and worthy project. I'm with you, there's something satisfying in getting some of this old iron all spruced up and back on the streets.

:popcorn:
 
I can see how the 63 is pretty clean with a basic good looking shape to it. A worthy builder. I realize the basic bones from the 60-62 are very similar to the more desirable late 60s early 70s A bodies, however I just cannot look at a 60-62 model Valiant or Lancer without cringing and thinking well what the hell were they thinking. I suppose they sold well during those years.

There was one in my local wrecking yard for over 10 years. About the only things I noticed that were ever pulled off it were wheels n tires, headlights, battery, carb, alternator, and a brake drum or 2. This one had the slanted taillights and a toilet bowl looking trunk lid. Kind of a shame since it was solid and straight. At the time I figured nobody was into these as they are an aquired taste. Didnt want to expend funds on sheetmetal and parts I would never be able to quickly sell. I did get the reverse light lenses and sockets out of it for one of the barracuda projects off it though. I honestly think that once the fins went away that ole Virgil Exner didnt quite know what to do.
 
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I like that we have both. The last of the Virgil Exner designs and especially the 63-66 cars since I have one. I just feel like they are special. Heck, they are very snappy and responsive even with a slant six. They just DO what they were designed to do to a tee.
 
What ever happened to your 68 dart Rani? Back on the road? Nice project. Like the clean no frills dash!
 
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