1966 Factory V8 Valiant Signet Restoration For My Other Daughter

-
Lookee what I got!

1D943B3D-12F9-49F2-8B98-26CF85ABF125.jpeg
8D8A4938-938B-457A-9903-40195C708F1B.jpeg
A7CA5FB4-9DBF-4374-8230-1EDE17F1D81A.jpeg
35B26F7C-B6C5-4A6C-A9F9-21B186F32194.jpeg
10E7EC5F-2A55-4888-B5C2-36498D601C96.jpeg
7BD7EA9F-1685-433C-B11E-7F3121965A42.jpeg
643F0BA4-0364-4A79-99A2-F120486B7C8B.jpeg
5BE72E19-46F9-4EC3-9889-8A7E3BC51505.jpeg
84D1E231-38A4-4A1D-A58A-94B382E7D38D.jpeg
FC8980E6-D514-4132-9351-47CDC90AF06D.jpeg
 
Man Jim, that looks sweet! I really like the painted heads and intake! Well done, sir.

That engine's going to look like a cherry on top of a pie. Or maybe a jelly filled lemon donut. Haha!
 
After a little head scratching and a few text a friend I have the accessory brackets figured out. Looks like I did good getting everything I needed except the water pump pulley is just a tiny bit too big guess I’ll have to find the correct part number and start looking. It’s 6 1/2 inches and it touches the bottom crank pulley the other thing they didn’t work out his plan was I bought some transmission to engine brackets and my understanding is there’s two different lengths I took a guess and I think I guessed wrong as the left hand one it’s just a tiny bit too short I’ll get some measurements tomorrow and start looking for that other than that I did really good at finding all the parts, it’s basically mocked up.

F1E41E47-36E0-4A9C-B68F-3201218D642B.jpeg
2E03A291-1211-4188-92CD-23E33526A0E9.jpeg
BE0C2C43-8A9D-466E-AC3C-9395FAD78E10.jpeg
F5809451-0247-4E4F-8B4A-A5D8DD60769A.jpeg
01AC200F-49F1-4460-A915-BCC625735BC4.jpeg
02EA5F78-71A4-418D-A992-534802858C77.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Hey Jim, random question if you don't mind. I was skimming through your 63 Dart convertible build and this one and am wondering if you had to replace the grommets on the upper vent window pivot? If so, where were you able to find those? Thanks!

Here's a photo of the grommets/gaskets I'm referring to.

upload_2022-8-7_14-49-47.png
 
Hey Jim, random question if you don't mind. I was skimming through your 63 Dart convertible build and this one and am wondering if you had to replace the grommets on the upper vent window pivot? If so, where were you able to find those? Thanks!

Here's a photo of the grommets/gaskets I'm referring to.

View attachment 1715967121

No one makes those. Talked to Jim at DMT and he _may_ reproduce them but do not hold your breath.
 
No one makes those. Talked to Jim at DMT and he _may_ reproduce them but do not hold your breath.

Well, crap. That's kind of what I was expecting. What'd you end up using? I'll probably try to make some out of rubber/plastic sheet and a short length of rubber hose I guess.
 
Well, crap. That's kind of what I was expecting. What'd you end up using? I'll probably try to make some out of rubber/plastic sheet and a short length of rubber hose I guess.

mine were good enough to reuse, more or less.
 
The engine looks beautiful! I'm having a similar issue with the pulleys for my '65 Barracuda right now. I already bought 3 wrong ones. Now I bought crank + warerpump pulley set of ebay that should hopefully fix that. Should arrive today. But between big block and small block, pre and post '70 and a/c and non-a/c it's hard to find the right ones you need.
 
Actually looks like you have a big block water pump pulley - from what I figured out the sb ones have an angled profile while the bb ones are straight.
 
Sometimes when life gives you lemons you have to suck it up and go buy some half-inch steel tubing and make your own brackets. Just made a couple templates out of cardboard to get the basic shapes in the bend angles and a hammer and vice. Total cost invested $11 for 8 feet of tubing and an hour and a half in the garage.. And yes sometimes you have to throw away what you’re doing and start over made three to get two.  I’ve got some more correct looking hardware coming from AMK

One customization done two more to go in this thing may be ready to go in.

DE701F26-B6C2-464A-B4A6-49C807BA80B4.jpeg


0F96E8E5-30C5-48DC-8B99-45986184D9C9.jpeg


BA07982D-C0B5-44F8-940F-2D6840AA7F97.jpeg
 
Fabrication components all mocked up with cardboard and metal cut and sized ready for welding.

75B2B5CF-BA04-462C-8FB5-3B7BC0201096.jpeg
2C7FC695-5FBF-4194-8794-24105B765BC6.jpeg
0D24B17D-17FE-4506-A756-2A2B6F6F1250.jpeg
DC0A8DF0-BE39-4610-B777-311700A6A3E8.jpeg
 
So I was not happy with the thoughts of making my own lines as there did not seem to be a way out of it. I found factory '73 disk brake proportioning valve so I thought what was the difference between this and a '73 Duster? I took a chance and ordered a power brake '73 Duster front end line kit... Eureka other than needing to loop the crossover line around the column (remember the post '66 cars are 2" wider) it was a perfect fit! Even the holes to bolt the valve on were there! Now it is hard to decide if I want to spend another $100 and see if a Duster rear line will work with minimal bending instead of the hack of stretching that rear line 12".......

A few details came in from Classic Industries, the last (famous last words) batch of OEM style bolts from AMK.


DSC_0006.jpg
DSC_0007.jpg
DSC_0008.jpg
DSC_0009.jpg
DSC_0010.jpg
DSC_0011.jpg
DSC_0012.jpg
DSC_0013.jpg
DSC_0014.jpg
DSC_0015.jpg
 
It's a Chrysler it has to have a Carter brand fuel pump... it just has to.... Now to see if anyone wants a set of original InLine Tube lines for an early A...

DSC_0016.jpg
DSC_0017.jpg
 
Looks like some progress there. It was cool enough to drive my junk yesterday. Can’t wait to see your car in person

63D8B97E-688A-49F0-8075-21AA41230C80.jpeg
 
A buddy guilted me into welding a tab on the RH motor mount to pick up all 3 tab on the 360. Spent some time fabricating the kickdown linkage using parts that I bought off a member here. It works beautifully except for the throw on the Edelbrock carburetor is about half of the throw required so I’m gonna have to do a little more modifications to the linkage to get some more mechanical advantage. Thought it was going to be done today but I’m giving up I need to take a break and rethink options at a later date. The same friend that made me guilty also found the correct water pump pulley so that’s done. Exhaust manifolds are blasted and I ran out of Seymour‘s high temperature cast blast so I can’t finish those. I found original manifold heat shields so I clean those up blasted them and painted them. Waiting for one more wire clip to finish up the neutral safety switch wire routing. Other than that she’s almost ready to go.

812E3EF8-E7C3-4198-8294-37547E54CF91.jpeg
7019B8A6-31AE-4831-9290-9780B138E286.jpeg
A8A790A6-CF4E-48E9-A3EE-875D4014D114.jpeg
6724A15C-70A6-4F01-A044-9DE80293399F.jpeg
8ED3F57F-FE15-4299-A081-71682B048036.jpeg
EC2C54B2-F1CF-4A36-A0A2-E000C7F6D7FF.jpeg
8164B807-94F0-4D40-AF64-A2655DC30245.jpeg
AD5AFF86-E284-4602-9EA3-B4E858003B8B.jpeg
78C08FD5-A53A-43AC-A74E-260033D1B3E0.jpeg
1D47B47A-4F47-4066-A7A7-41B66432D7E6.jpeg
 
I was contacted by a FABO member here who has made me an unbelievable offer... wait till you see what our cars will have (including the Valiant) soon.... It is just the final detail that pushes this restoration over the top, some will say so what but I say I could not have dreamed of having this level of authenticity... thanks Mr X
 
Last edited:
-
Back
Top