1964 Valiant straight axle build

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Thanks!
It should be on the ground next week. I need to get wheels and tires now. Once the rear end is back in, we can determine what size combo we can get away with in the rear.

Until the engine and tranny are back in, we won't know for sure if we worked everything out in the front end...

I'll take pics though....
 
Your problem isnt vapor lock, its the restrictive foam air filter on that volocity stack causing this problem. I had one doing the same thing on my valiant. It would pull hard to 3500, maybe 4000 RPMs and just start cutting out. I noticed yours is pulling the screen in like mine did also. When I switched back to my round K&N, the engine would rev to 7000 clean, without missing at all. Nice rides by the way.
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It launched real hard....The whole front end would lurch up, and it would leave hard....but with the 10% ethynol, stock mechanical fuel pump, and copper feul lines right next to the manifolds, it would vapor lock, and run out of gas at half track....It sucked because it was running good with that Cleveland!

I'm going to put an electric feul pump, and some real fuel lines on it for this year.

We called it "The Bad Penny" because I knew about 3 people that had it before me, and I had been trying to buy it for years, and it kept turning up "like a bad penny"

I've got less than 3k into it total, and that includes new disc brakes, and those American Racing wheels, and Pro Trac tires on the front.
 
That stack is just on it for storage and moving the car around. We were running it without the filter at the track. The other stack that it ran with had the foam burned out of it a few years ago in a backfire in the staging lanes.

Also...it's not sucked in...It was just easier to put the two screens back in with the retainer clip, with the bowed out side down instead of up.

Last time we ran it with the electric fuel pump and new lines, and it never stalled or ran out of gas again.

It did have a bad vacuum leak that I need to take care of...

Vapor lock is a big problem with old, carbureted cars in Florida...Ethanol combined with hot weather and scorching asphalt just boils the alcohol right out of the gas, and you can sit there and watch a glass fuel filter just run right out of gas while the car is running.

A switch to an electric pump puts an end to it, as it forces fresh fuel in to fill the void in the line.
 
Finally got the wheels and tires worked out....Denman went out of business, and all the Pro Tracs in the size I needed for the rear were out of stock. They won't be back in production for quite a while yet, so I went with Firestone Wide Oval's in the rear...F60's.

I had to send back one of the front wheels, as it had been dropped in shipping, and had a bent lip.

So we put them on today, and finally got it on the ground...both doors open and close good, so it's on to getting the engine and tranny in, and checking for clearance on everything...then interior and wireing and plumbing.


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Here's a blurry shot of the clearance with the F60's...space on both sides...this is on a 9 inch that was centered in the wheel wells, on super stock springs, it is about an inch or two shorter than an A-body 8 3/4. The wheels are 15x8's with a 4 1/2 inch offset.

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My buddy said he would start welding the cage tomorrow, then get the engine together after that is done.

The short block is built, but it all needs to be finished.

He is starting a construction job next week, so it will be afternoons and weekends on my car, but there isn't too much more to do...
 
Subscribed: Would you happen to know what part number the axle and brakes are? I went to the Speedway website without any luck.
 
looks killer,,,, i hope you didnt mount the tire on the rim you need to send back ??
 
Subscribed: Would you happen to know what part number the axle and brakes are? I went to the Speedway website without any luck.


I'll post up a link when I get home this afternoon...I'm on my phone right now, and it's a little involved without an actual computer.
 
looks killer,,,, i hope you didnt mount the tire on the rim you need to send back ??


Oh no....I knew better than that! Plus, it had big red "Stop" signs all over it warning that if I mounted a tire...I owned the rim!

I called Summit, and they shipped out a new one the next morning, and UPS picked up the damaged one the same day the new one showed up...No charge!
 
A few years ago i bought new weld rims thur jegs,,,one rim had a very sharp edge on it at the bead area,,, i called and asked to return it or if i could file the sharp edge off,, they said if u file it it is yours,,,,,,they e mailed me a free return shipping form to my local fed ex,,,and they shipped me a new rim,,,
 
Yeah, I just found out today that the B&M flexplate and Holeshot converter don't line up. I called Summit, and they are shipping a new converter, and a flexplate to be sure, plus test fitting it at the warehouse to make sure they will work together...then having UPS pick up the original two...That's customer service!!!!
 
Breakstuff....here are the parts.

This is the 4-inch dropped axle...they make a complete kit(brakes,spindles, and steering components), but I only see it with the undropped axle....They just don't look good that high in the front in my opinion, so the 4-inch drop is about right...even if you have to tweek it with spacers to clear everything.

This is the kit that uses the Chevy spindles...that is so you can use the smaller Mustang II disc brakes...If you want the big Wilwood's, you will want the kit that uses the Ford spindles....but it might limit wheel choices to larger rims.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Dropp...Axle-Kit-Chevy-Spindle-4-Inch-Drop,34544.html

This is the steering, spindle, and brake kit for the above axle kit...again, this is for the smaller Mustang II brakes, that use the Chevy spindles...we ended up replacing the steering arms with some with more drop in them for clearance...but it may or may not be required with a different setup.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Chevy-Front-Axle-Steering-and-Brake-Kit-48-Inch-Axle,5442.html

I just ordered it with the 5x4 1/2 bolt pattern.
 
Awesome build, that is going to be sweet!! I originally wanted a straight axle in my 66, maybe another Valiant someday, I have an A-100 axle and seats. What size tires are you running up front, are they re-pops? I had vintage Dunlop 5.60-15 on my skinny Torq thrust rims but they have worn out, want to get bias tires again cause the look is awesome!!
 
Thanks guys!

The front tires are Coker Pro-Trac, 5.60-15, Bias Ply's....the rears were going to be Pro-Trac P 235 /60-15, Bias Ply's...but they are out of stock everywhere, as Denman went out of business, and Coker is having to have someone else make them now, and they have to do all their own safety tests and what not.

I ended up with some Firestone Wide-Oval F-60-15's in the rear...they are close enough to the Pro-Trac's, and I turned the raised white letters inside, and painted them semi-gloss black...
 
The hood is back on. It runs. The glass is being put back in today. I need to get the interior done, and a few odds and ends, but it's close.

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A video...but the sound doesn't do it justice...It's a beast!

[ame="http://youtu.be/a--hBZg8LS4"]302 Found[/ame]
 
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