From the pasture; The valiant story of my '66 Valiant
Well it has been a little bit since I last updated you, oh Constant Reader, so let's take a quick jaunt down Valiant Lane, okay?
As you may or may not remember (it's been quite a bit since this Valiant effort began) the interior in my car as it was delivered to me, by me, was quite poor. The original interior was both ruptured and covered-ish in some crazy green colored cover. Said cover was dirty, and covered in poo de la Ratta, causing me to avoid it like the literal plague. Felt weird to the touch. Like a microfiber towel on a callused hand weird. Are you not familiar with that skin crawling sensation? No? If you rubbed a microfiber towel on my face, I would literally admit to killing President Kennedy decades before my birth to get you stop touching me with it.
*shiver*
Thank whatever you consider a higher power if you don't feel the same way i do about it, and let's revisit, shall we? I think we should.
Ooh no.
Oh that’s just nasty.
This backseat is does not look conducive to snuggling with the honeys. I mean, I don’t plan to honey snuggle in here, but I like to keep my honey snuggle options open. I'm kinda wise like that.
So the plan here is to attempt to re assemble the interior. When I made my big boy birthday list, I asked for a new carpet kit, some seat covers, maybe a hemi swap. What I got was a chicken spaghetti dinner and a hug from my mamma.
Honestly, I think I came out on top. I think the overall budget for this "build" is more money that jingles vs money that folds, and my jingling pocket money and doesn't include the costs for interior revitalization at this exact moment, so let's just see what I have.
The vinyl floors are still in pretty decent shape, so with a good solid cleaning, they are going back in.
There is one 50c piece sized hole on the passenger side, but two things sort of negate that as a negative.
· Floor is black below, so it should blend in
· I honestly don’t care.
I may have all the seats done at some point, but since we are largely (read that as completely) immobile, first, let's see what's under the super gross seat covers. Maybe I can save them. Maybe they will look good! Maybe it's Maybelline. So since the seats are out currently, I plan on using my super high tech, extremely mobile, wildly expensive workbench (Editor's Note: It's the tailgate of the truck). Once the dusty, baby shiet colored seats were flopped out on the workben..tailgate, I started snipping away (careful now, careful) at the old cover. It immediately began to shed a sh*t ton of fibrous materials that probably arent made of brightly colored asbestos but could be, and since I am prone to sinus infections, and coughing/sneezing in public these days may result in a fist fight, back into a mask I go.
This seat is brought to you by the letter "W" as in "who the hell used 987 hog rings on the back seat bottom?" 987 hog rings that then got extremely used to being where they were, and quite reluctant to release their hold on the long dead remnants of this cover. One by one I snipped, unbent and removed each hog ring while trying to not damage the vintagely fresh OG seat cover below.
Tedious? Brother you don’t even know the half.
But the results were worth it!
I'm suddenly pretty happy who ever decided once upon a million years ago to add crap seat covers over OG goodness did it, because so far, this ain't bad! I can use it. Time to work on the fronts and install.
They are just as decent as the rest of the car, which aint saying much, I admit, but my pocket book is very excited. Vinyl floor in, 345 tiny screws and trim in.
Now this is the point that I tell you I did splurge and buy a seat cover for the rear upper. I wasn’t planning on it, but I was pretty stoked that gas station I stopped at for Gardettos and Powerade on the way to my shop ALSO sold seat covers in the exact size for my Plymouth. That original one had ruptured from the sun, and was spilling stuffing out. It also wasn’t honey snuggle quality, but this new one totally is. I mean, at least its good enough for the girls I go parkin with. I carefully removed the old green cover (another 987 hog ring pains in the *** later) and installed the new. I might have a second career as an upholsterer, you just never know.
I mean, look, it even has fancy fringe on the bottom, is the right color palette and everything. Plus it came with a coupon for 15% off my next purchase at Ernesto's Taco Emporium. (I'll be honest here, Ernesto's was more "converted school bus" than emporium really, but hey, chase your dreams by staying mobile so the health department never knows where you are I always say.) A seat cover and a discount on school bus made tacos? Bargain at twice the price.
Imma be honest, I'm pretty damn happy with the way it turned out. Worn? Yes. Free? Mostly yes. Better than it 'twas? Yup. Good 'nuff? Hell to the yep.
Well that’s all for today ladies. This feels like an honest days work, my right hand is still folded up like a lobster claw from holding pliers all day, and I am getting ever closer to being road worthy (I hope). I just wanna drive this thing before I die. I feel like I earned it. Sorta. The next big step for me is to finish the brakes, and tackle the engine bay. As you recall, I had her running once (albeit on a fuel can, and roughly, and a million years ago) so surely I can make magic twice!
I am now off to ice my right hand. I think a cup will fit nicely in it, you know, to hold the ice for the cramp. And i mean, if i have a cup and ice already, shouldn't a little coke be in there? This is thirsty work. And I do feel a bit parched. And I mean lets be honest. What is a bit of coke and ice with out just a smidge of whiskey? Uncivilized, thats what. And I dont want to ever be accused of being uncivilized. So I will. You know, for science.
Tune in next week (well, that might be ambitious) when Ole Kirky tackles finishing the brakes and fits his shiny wheels!
Well it has been a little bit since I last updated you, oh Constant Reader, so let's take a quick jaunt down Valiant Lane, okay?
As you may or may not remember (it's been quite a bit since this Valiant effort began) the interior in my car as it was delivered to me, by me, was quite poor. The original interior was both ruptured and covered-ish in some crazy green colored cover. Said cover was dirty, and covered in poo de la Ratta, causing me to avoid it like the literal plague. Felt weird to the touch. Like a microfiber towel on a callused hand weird. Are you not familiar with that skin crawling sensation? No? If you rubbed a microfiber towel on my face, I would literally admit to killing President Kennedy decades before my birth to get you stop touching me with it.
*shiver*
Thank whatever you consider a higher power if you don't feel the same way i do about it, and let's revisit, shall we? I think we should.
Ooh no.
Oh that’s just nasty.
This backseat is does not look conducive to snuggling with the honeys. I mean, I don’t plan to honey snuggle in here, but I like to keep my honey snuggle options open. I'm kinda wise like that.
So the plan here is to attempt to re assemble the interior. When I made my big boy birthday list, I asked for a new carpet kit, some seat covers, maybe a hemi swap. What I got was a chicken spaghetti dinner and a hug from my mamma.
Honestly, I think I came out on top. I think the overall budget for this "build" is more money that jingles vs money that folds, and my jingling pocket money and doesn't include the costs for interior revitalization at this exact moment, so let's just see what I have.
The vinyl floors are still in pretty decent shape, so with a good solid cleaning, they are going back in.
There is one 50c piece sized hole on the passenger side, but two things sort of negate that as a negative.
· Floor is black below, so it should blend in
· I honestly don’t care.
I may have all the seats done at some point, but since we are largely (read that as completely) immobile, first, let's see what's under the super gross seat covers. Maybe I can save them. Maybe they will look good! Maybe it's Maybelline. So since the seats are out currently, I plan on using my super high tech, extremely mobile, wildly expensive workbench (Editor's Note: It's the tailgate of the truck). Once the dusty, baby shiet colored seats were flopped out on the workben..tailgate, I started snipping away (careful now, careful) at the old cover. It immediately began to shed a sh*t ton of fibrous materials that probably arent made of brightly colored asbestos but could be, and since I am prone to sinus infections, and coughing/sneezing in public these days may result in a fist fight, back into a mask I go.
This seat is brought to you by the letter "W" as in "who the hell used 987 hog rings on the back seat bottom?" 987 hog rings that then got extremely used to being where they were, and quite reluctant to release their hold on the long dead remnants of this cover. One by one I snipped, unbent and removed each hog ring while trying to not damage the vintagely fresh OG seat cover below.
Tedious? Brother you don’t even know the half.
But the results were worth it!
I'm suddenly pretty happy who ever decided once upon a million years ago to add crap seat covers over OG goodness did it, because so far, this ain't bad! I can use it. Time to work on the fronts and install.
They are just as decent as the rest of the car, which aint saying much, I admit, but my pocket book is very excited. Vinyl floor in, 345 tiny screws and trim in.
Now this is the point that I tell you I did splurge and buy a seat cover for the rear upper. I wasn’t planning on it, but I was pretty stoked that gas station I stopped at for Gardettos and Powerade on the way to my shop ALSO sold seat covers in the exact size for my Plymouth. That original one had ruptured from the sun, and was spilling stuffing out. It also wasn’t honey snuggle quality, but this new one totally is. I mean, at least its good enough for the girls I go parkin with. I carefully removed the old green cover (another 987 hog ring pains in the *** later) and installed the new. I might have a second career as an upholsterer, you just never know.
I mean, look, it even has fancy fringe on the bottom, is the right color palette and everything. Plus it came with a coupon for 15% off my next purchase at Ernesto's Taco Emporium. (I'll be honest here, Ernesto's was more "converted school bus" than emporium really, but hey, chase your dreams by staying mobile so the health department never knows where you are I always say.) A seat cover and a discount on school bus made tacos? Bargain at twice the price.
Imma be honest, I'm pretty damn happy with the way it turned out. Worn? Yes. Free? Mostly yes. Better than it 'twas? Yup. Good 'nuff? Hell to the yep.
Well that’s all for today ladies. This feels like an honest days work, my right hand is still folded up like a lobster claw from holding pliers all day, and I am getting ever closer to being road worthy (I hope). I just wanna drive this thing before I die. I feel like I earned it. Sorta. The next big step for me is to finish the brakes, and tackle the engine bay. As you recall, I had her running once (albeit on a fuel can, and roughly, and a million years ago) so surely I can make magic twice!
I am now off to ice my right hand. I think a cup will fit nicely in it, you know, to hold the ice for the cramp. And i mean, if i have a cup and ice already, shouldn't a little coke be in there? This is thirsty work. And I do feel a bit parched. And I mean lets be honest. What is a bit of coke and ice with out just a smidge of whiskey? Uncivilized, thats what. And I dont want to ever be accused of being uncivilized. So I will. You know, for science.
Tune in next week (well, that might be ambitious) when Ole Kirky tackles finishing the brakes and fits his shiny wheels!
