Phantomcobra
New Member
I don't actually own an A body anymore. Have a B and a C now. But since one of my favorite cars was an A, I thought I'd register and at least tell my story and show a couple pictures.
Back in 1982 or so I was looking for a good second car. At the time, I was driving a 1967 Mustang Fastback (289, auto, 4bbl). I stopped at this Buick dealer because in the back row there was a trade in that was about to be wholesaled off. It was a 1969 Plymouth Valiant Signet 4 door sedan. I talked the salesman into selling me that car (took a LOT of talking!). Took it for a test drive and the entire time the salesman was telling me how the car wouldn't run much longer since it had 95,000 miles and the old cars were only designed for 100,000. The car had a problem in the front he was sure would throw me off the car but I knew immediately it was just a broke engine mount.
I picked up the car for $1,495. Paid $48 for some engine mounts and other than in the early 1990s when the timing chain broke, that car never failed to start or run. In the late 90s the wiring was starting to give out and the engine was starting to smoke so when California offered $750 to get old cars off the road, I took it because I didn't have the money to save the car and didn't want some derby guy getting their hands on it. She had run to 195,000 nearly trouble free miles for a $745 net investment.
The Valiant was a 283 V8, auto, 2bbl car. I had my wife race me once with it against the Mustang and if I hadn't kept that Mustang to the floor, the Valiant would have passed me. One day at a red light a guy with his date in a Datsun/Nissan 260/280Z was sitting next to me and he was pointing at my Valiant and laughing with his girlfriend. I just sat there nice and quiet, the light turned red and he didn't catch me until the next light. He wasn't laughing anymore!
Had a 73 Valiant 318 a few years ago also. Would burn the tires across the intersection. I loved those cars because the V8s were such sleepers and always took people by surprise. At the same time they got decent mileage and were very comfortable to drive. So of course they stopped making them!
Back in 1982 or so I was looking for a good second car. At the time, I was driving a 1967 Mustang Fastback (289, auto, 4bbl). I stopped at this Buick dealer because in the back row there was a trade in that was about to be wholesaled off. It was a 1969 Plymouth Valiant Signet 4 door sedan. I talked the salesman into selling me that car (took a LOT of talking!). Took it for a test drive and the entire time the salesman was telling me how the car wouldn't run much longer since it had 95,000 miles and the old cars were only designed for 100,000. The car had a problem in the front he was sure would throw me off the car but I knew immediately it was just a broke engine mount.
I picked up the car for $1,495. Paid $48 for some engine mounts and other than in the early 1990s when the timing chain broke, that car never failed to start or run. In the late 90s the wiring was starting to give out and the engine was starting to smoke so when California offered $750 to get old cars off the road, I took it because I didn't have the money to save the car and didn't want some derby guy getting their hands on it. She had run to 195,000 nearly trouble free miles for a $745 net investment.
The Valiant was a 283 V8, auto, 2bbl car. I had my wife race me once with it against the Mustang and if I hadn't kept that Mustang to the floor, the Valiant would have passed me. One day at a red light a guy with his date in a Datsun/Nissan 260/280Z was sitting next to me and he was pointing at my Valiant and laughing with his girlfriend. I just sat there nice and quiet, the light turned red and he didn't catch me until the next light. He wasn't laughing anymore!
Had a 73 Valiant 318 a few years ago also. Would burn the tires across the intersection. I loved those cars because the V8s were such sleepers and always took people by surprise. At the same time they got decent mileage and were very comfortable to drive. So of course they stopped making them!
