LS Swap '65 Valiant

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As far as modern power goes. I think the LS would fit the engine bay of the early Mopar better than the Gen 3. The Gen 3 engines are wide motors. The LS are narrower, maybe narrower than LA. The GM overdrive transmissions seem to be smaller around the torsion bar cross member. I think the little car could be capable of better mileage with the LS series engine.
So. I could see the reasons to consider the swap. I think it would be entertaining. Maybe in a weird sick way. LOL
I would keep it Mopar powered if it were mine though.
 
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JGizmo said:
Has anyone LS swapped an early Valiant? Is there even a chance that there's a swap kit available? Any major issues I'd run into if I were to throw a 5.3 in?
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What would you want to put a Chevy motor in a Mopar for? You can stroke a Mopar small block and get results like this:
Or this:
Or this:

(and Keith's Valiant is "just" a 340 that will boil the hides a city block)

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toolmanmike said:
What would you want to put a Chevy motor in a Mopar for? You can stroke a Mopar small block and get results like this:
Or this:
Or this:

(and Keith's Valiant is "just" a 340 that will boil the hides a city block)...
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Maybe he wants a car that he has to work on all the time.
 
harrisonm said:
Who makes a kit to install an LS in an early Mopar A body? You do!
Who makes headers for an early Mopar A body with an LS? You do!
Who makes a wiring harness for an early Mopar A body with an LS? You do!
My question is Why! I am NOT being rude. I know it is YOUR car. Please do what you want with it. @RustyRatRod correctly said that a Mopar A Body with an LS swap can be "Bad to the Bone." But then again, a Mopar A body with a 340, 360, Gen III hemi, etcetera can be bad to the bone. I guess I just don't understand why one would jump through hoops and work to overcome so many obstacles to put a motor from a Chevy or Ford in their Mopar. If there were no decent Mopar engines available, I might be able to understand it. Kits and parts are readily available to put a Mopar engine into your Mopar. Again; I am not trashing anybody's plans or ideas, I want people to do what they want with their own cars, but I just don't understand it.
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Because of the LS, everybody wants 600 plus HP......problem is, more than HALF those people have never even felt HALF that. They don't know WHAT they'd be happy with, or WHAT they can and can't handle. They get this car where it can halfass drive and wrap it around a tree.

Not to mention, if they put it in something that's NOT GM, now we have the whole "gotta fab stuff" goin on. Some of THOSE will end up neglected in the back yard, because they THOUGHT they had fab skills and they did not, so now the project gets sold on the cheap.

I'm not talking about the OP in any of this, as we don't know what fab skills he may or may not have. I'm just throwing out some scenarios that we all know have happened.

I think maybe if most guys would just start with something like an old Dodge truck with a 318, hone their skills on getting it running as good as can be and getting everything on it road worthy, they'd have a lot more fun and experience on their next project. Over half their questions would already be answered and just think of all the experience they'd have from that first old truck.
 
toolmanmike said:
What would you want to put a Chevy motor in a Mopar for? You can stroke a Mopar small block and get results like this:
Or this:
Or this:

(and Keith's Valiant is "just" a 340 that will boil the hides a city block)

View attachment 1715933975

View attachment 1715933976

View attachment 1715933981

View attachment 1715933982

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Keith's car. LOL I love it! It's like a SS Valiant. I'll tell you why he wants to do it. Because he sees it in all the magazines and forums. My friend Matt that runs the high end restoration shop less than three miles down the road I do the occasional mechanical work for.....I love the guy. I'd give him the shirt off my back. But his first thought with EVERYTHING that rolls in is.......you guessed it......."put a LS in it". Makes me wanna vomit, I swear.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Keith's car. LOL I love it! It's like a SS Valiant. I'll tell you why he wants to do it. Because he sees it in all the magazines and forums. My friend Matt that runs the high end restoration shop less than three miles down the road I do the occasional mechanical work for.....I love the guy. I'd give him the shirt off my back. But his first thought with EVERYTHING that rolls in is.......you guessed it......."put a LS in it". Makes me wanna vomit, I swear.
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I think I threw up in my mouth just reading your post. Nothing cooler than a Mopar engine especially a small block. Well, I might be prejudice.

engine 296.jpg
 
66340SEDAN said:
I actually have that issue along with the NOS Hurst motor mounts in the box to drop a Chev into that car! I’m not sure why, I’ll never use them but it’s a conversation piece for sure
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I actually bought that magazine new when I was nine years old. Although my original one got pretty worn out, so got replaced by a better one. This swap was done, of course, before small block LA motors even existed.
 
toolmanmike said:
I think I threw up in my mouth just reading your post. Nothing cooler than a Mopar engine especially a small block. Well, I might be prejudice.

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I'll never understand it. That crowd doesn't see how it devalues a car. Even a Chevy.

Here's one. Matt took in a job from a local chiropractor. 1962 Corvette. Get this. 340HP 327 4 speed car. It's was a numbers car. Everything was there. Matt talked him into a supercharged LS, 6 speed, complete aftermarket chassis with Mustang II front suspension and 4 link independent rear. 20" wheels and tires and on and on and on and on. They just threw the original engine out in the driveway and it sat uncovered for months. Now don't get me wrong. The car is beautiful. Magazine worthy. But as far as I'm concerned, they ruined it. It'll never be the same car again. Just made me SICK.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I'll never understand it. That crowd doesn't see how it devalues a car. Even a Chevy.

Here's one. Matt took in a job from a local chiropractor. 1962 Corvette. Get this. 340HP 327 4 speed car. It's was a numbers car. Everything was there. Matt talked him into a supercharged LS, 6 speed, complete aftermarket chassis with Mustang II front suspension and 4 link independent rear. 20" wheels and tires and on and on and on and on. They just threw the original engine out in the driveway and it sat uncovered for months. Now don't get me wrong. The car is beautiful. Magazine worthy. But as far as I'm concerned, they ruined it. It'll never be the same car again. Just made me SICK.
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Wow, I threw up again. :poke::rofl:
 
Here's the 62 Corvette. It WAS a numbers matching car. I mean, it's nice, but it's gone forever now. .....and they don't get it.
BAILY'S VETTE.jpg
 
As an example, how many Mopar guys would do that to a numbers matching 62 Max Wedge car? ummm......like none?
 
You know the sound of the cork coming out of the wine bottle, do you suppose a guy here’s that after he pulls his head out of his butt after realizing he should ask such dumbass questions on a Mopar forum?
 
Oldiron440 said:
You know the sound of the cork coming out of the wine bottle, do you suppose a guy here’s that after he pulls his head out of his butt after realizing he should ask such dumbass questions on a Mopar forum?
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Do you think that was really helpful? I don't.
 
Here is my old Hurst motor Mount kit from the Hotrod article...I only bought it cause it’s different, had it awhile too!

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