Got a 69 Valiant for my first project car. I want to re-do the brakes but I wasn’t sure if I should do the rear-end first? After that, should I do the suspension and front end? Kind of wondering the best order of which to do things. Any info would be appreciated
69 valiant first project
- Thread starter Ryan0917
- Start date
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Pull the drums & hubs to see which of the brakes are the worst & plan from there.
abdywgn
dismantler
Welcome and best wishes for you and your first project car!
Does it run,drive,stop and steer now?
What are your short/long term plans for the car?
Does it run,drive,stop and steer now?
What are your short/long term plans for the car?
Plymouth 65
I'll be in the shop
Evaluate the car to determine what needs done first. Will it be a driver and work on it an issue at a time. Or a total restoration. 65'
When I bought my '70 Duster, the body looked good, but the underpinnings were neglected. In my case, I did start from the rear and worked to the front. Rear brakes were ruined & useless by fluid contamination from rear axle fluid. As mentioned, get the important things done first, like brake inspection, steering, and the like. Build the car the way you want as you are replacing parts. My rear springs were bad, so I opted to get better ones with a little more lift. Lots of folks go for the appearance of a car with little attention to the important things. Have fun, sounds like a great project!
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
ah, I too was drawn into the "hey! body is straight!"
For my car, everything was neglected and all of the brakes except one had broken springs, bad wheel cylinders, Shoes with no shoe just metal, etc. All of the wiring was a mess, (as in looped wire ends as connecters), the distributor did not. Then, the gas tank had no gas cap on it for 40+ years and well, I just ordered a new one as the one that it had is not worth fixing. All upholstery was gone, under dash wiring was bare and broken wires everywhere, brake light sockets that were connected by twisting the wires together. All of the locks are broken, dents? yup. ball joints? maybe. rust? definitely.
After finding papers and stuff in the car, i figured out why the car was in a vegas impound yard.
The car was originally from colorado, and the family that had it most likely did not have the money to fix it when it broke hence the ruined everything and poorly fixed all of it. The scenario probably was that the family went on a vacation to vegas, a cop pulled them over, and said that the car was unfit to be on the road and impounded it. (since the brakes had to have been screeeching like a banshee.) And in the impound yard is where it sat until I bought it.
There are just things like that you need to think about. the what why and how of the repairs on the car and how hard of a life it led just to get a rough idea of what you should fix first.
Yep, familiar story to other cars I've had. With these cars being 50+ years old, a lot has happened. Just figure on a long term project with a few bucko's needed!!!
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
Yup, What scares me about it is like the 10 feet of bailing wire underneath the car to what looks to be tensioning the e brake cable (or what would of been the only way to stop it before with the brakes the way they were.)
Why adjust it properly when you could just fix it with bailing wire!!???
Don't forget the chewin gum!!!Yup, What scares me about it is like the 10 feet of bailing wire underneath the car to what looks to be tensioning the e brake cable (or what would of been the only way to stop it before with the brakes the way they were.)
Why adjust it properly when you could just fix it with bailing wire!!???
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
Sadly, that was real.
I thought it was a joke but no.
a piece of gum was used to keep on a loose wire connection on the horn relay.
easy fix, just needed another layer of double bubble.
Welcome aboard!
And band aids, duct tape and .....
I start from the ground up. If the tires are super bad, there first along with the brakes. If you have a change in gear ratio as part of the plan or simply the rear ending shot out and total garbage, do it all at once. It’s just easier than jacking the car up multiple times and taking the crap apart again and again.
Then go to the front. Same deal. (IMO) Replace everything all at once. Tires, suspension parts and bushings & shocks. (Or what is needed.)
At least you know now that everything is good to go and stop the car and have it handling well. Move to the drivetrain from there.
Use top of the line parts. Make sure there top of the line and not what you think is. I like the site supported P.S.T. for parts. I’ve used them long before I found this site many years ago.
And band aids, duct tape and .....
I start from the ground up. If the tires are super bad, there first along with the brakes. If you have a change in gear ratio as part of the plan or simply the rear ending shot out and total garbage, do it all at once. It’s just easier than jacking the car up multiple times and taking the crap apart again and again.
Then go to the front. Same deal. (IMO) Replace everything all at once. Tires, suspension parts and bushings & shocks. (Or what is needed.)
At least you know now that everything is good to go and stop the car and have it handling well. Move to the drivetrain from there.
Use top of the line parts. Make sure there top of the line and not what you think is. I like the site supported P.S.T. for parts. I’ve used them long before I found this site many years ago.
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
Oh! this reminded me.
If it has used tires on it that have no cracks and look fine with plenty of tread, DON'T USE THEM.
When I got my car, it had winter tires that expired in 1999. No dry rot, plenty of tread PERFECT! only need to buy two tires.
Dad talked me out of it, and when the tire shop took them off, all of the skirting? on the inside of the rim was shot. If I even went 5 miles an hour they would have exploded and taken the whole front of the car off and into orbit. (since they were truck tires, they had 60 psi in them)
I got stuck with a messed up radiator. (Please don’t ask...) A very southern trucker came up to me (In NYC) and said.... with an all so super heavy & thick drawl...
“Now what you boys need is some gum! Not Hubba Bubba, not .... (for about 7 or 8 brands....) but you need some Wriggles! Now Ya’ll got some money right? To getcha-some at the store (truck stop) and chew it on up till the sugar is good and gone. Then just stuff it right in on there right good & wait a bit.
Man! I just about lost my mind thinking he’s screwing with me. Until he showed me his snub nosed Peterbuilt LINED! With gum. I was like ... dumbfounded and said “HOLY #%%^^it!!!”
A bunch of gum chewing fools we were that day.
(About 10 of us)
Never saw that angel again... but I suppose he had someone else to help and save that day...
It stops and steers, engine turns over, just gotta hook up the exhaust and should be running
@shittyslant6 - Oh you ain’t kidding! I e been very lucky as a kid. It didn’t take long to NOT take tires for granted!
I didn’t mention I specifically, but the rubber hoses on the brake system are another item to eye ball JUST incase! There Norma tough item that lasts, but... LMAO... yet again, when I was a kid... up! You guessed it, I got caught with my pants down and ended up screaming my head off as I rolled through an intersection at 25-30 mph with my foot on the floor. LOL and NO signs of deceleration! Thank the Lord All Mighty for having the other drivers smart enough to be paying attention!
It could have been ugly!
There inexpensive parts to replace. Well worth the chump change they are in the big picture and total price spent on your ride when you total (pun intended) everything up.
I didn’t mention I specifically, but the rubber hoses on the brake system are another item to eye ball JUST incase! There Norma tough item that lasts, but... LMAO... yet again, when I was a kid... up! You guessed it, I got caught with my pants down and ended up screaming my head off as I rolled through an intersection at 25-30 mph with my foot on the floor. LOL and NO signs of deceleration! Thank the Lord All Mighty for having the other drivers smart enough to be paying attention!
It could have been ugly!
There inexpensive parts to replace. Well worth the chump change they are in the big picture and total price spent on your ride when you total (pun intended) everything up.
Yeah, the old chewin gum was sticky, and would pull yur fillins out. Ask me how I know. New gum is not nearly as sticky, so would not work!
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
Another one of those little expenses is the steering wheel nut.
Holy **** if I did not have a hole in my back when We were loading my car onto the trailer and halfway up the ramp, the steering wheel came off! Obviously I fell backwards and flew onto the rear seat latch thing on the floor. Wouldn't you know it, blood on my new white shirt and carpet.
I now have vice grips.
My Duster had tires on the back that looked good too. Drove it 150 miles home in the rain going a max of 60 because it would shake over that. Took it to the tire shop to have them balanced and the guy said the tires were dated 1992! He'd never seen tires that old still on the road. No cracks, good tread. What could've happened... Ugh.
IDK... not that I wanna find out, but I’ll get me some Wriggles later.
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
I know that double bubble can work as a drill bit when chewed then left out for around 5 minutes.
Mineallmine
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the addiction...
First off is a couple questions. Do you know the history of the car? If yes, how long has it been off the road and what kind of work has been done recently? If you get that information you can derive a plan of attack.
I always go over everything safety first. If you don't know the history, new wheel cylinders, rubber hoses and master are always first on my list (plus shoes and hardware kit if worn) Parts are inexpensive for quality ones, and like said, you don't want to cut corners on safety. Next is tires. If you know how old they are, and they are fairly new and in good shape, great. If not, replace them. Also a good idea while the brakes are apart is to service the front wheel bearings (new grease and adjustment...replacing any worn parts while at it). After all this fully inspect front end components and replace anything that has play or wear. Again, parts are not that expensive.
Once the car is safe to stop and steer, then look at getting it running and driving. Check fuel tank (never hurts to drop it and clean it out and replace if crusty). Check all fluids and work on getting it running. If the fluids look exceptionally dirty, replace them first. If that goes well, look for leaks that will need to be addressed and consider changing the worn belts (always a good insurance policy). After its running good I usually change all fluids (engine, transmission, and rear differential). If oils looked ok before I wait to replace them as if the car is running rich you don't start dumping fuel into your nice fresh oil.
Once this is all done and you have a safe running and reliable driving car, work on making sure all the lights work so you can drive it and work on it as you enjoy it. Obviously your budget will dictate how you approach it. Don't get overwhelmed, just pick and item, check it and fix as needed and move on. These cars were made to be worked on.
Again, if you know the history, you may be able to skip some items, but only if you KNOW the history, not what the guy tells you. Quick and easy to pull it apart and be sure of what you have. More than once I have bought a car that had "new brakes" and pulled it apart to find almost metal on metal.
And most of all...pics are a must!!
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Cool deal on the find. You said Vegas impound yard. Chris Birdsong "the charger hog" of Youtube fame was selling a bunch of A bodies out of a Vegas impound lot. Was it one of them?
Driving down the road on Maypops adds a sense of adventure to the trip!
Carry a fire extenguisher JUST in case of burning wires.
If the car has the dreaded "death wobble" above 20 mph, better check out the suspension?
Bad gas tank? for short trips, just run a rubber hose to an old milk jug for gas. Driving range will be XXXX miles as per jug?
If seats are bad, get 5-6 of those USPS flat rate boxes, for cushion, they are made of good stuff!
And remember, IF it was easy, everyone would drive a Chevy!!??????? Or a brand new Challenger!!
Carry a fire extenguisher JUST in case of burning wires.
If the car has the dreaded "death wobble" above 20 mph, better check out the suspension?
Bad gas tank? for short trips, just run a rubber hose to an old milk jug for gas. Driving range will be XXXX miles as per jug?
If seats are bad, get 5-6 of those USPS flat rate boxes, for cushion, they are made of good stuff!
And remember, IF it was easy, everyone would drive a Chevy!!??????? Or a brand new Challenger!!
It’s got a slant 6 225. Engine turned when I bought it, didn’t start up though. The exhaust manifold wasn’t hooked up and the serpentine belt was rubbing on the radiator hose. I fixed those two things and bought a new battery and it started up. It idles slowly and bogs down quick most of the time, so I think I have some carb work to do. Have a new choke on the wayWhat engine does it have? Details! Pictures!!!
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