68 valiant signet

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been having a clean up of my wedding car during evenings this week and over the weekend. it looks much better now, it hadn't been cleaned and polished for about 8+ years while in storage so the difference was dramatic.

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Stop press! I've only got some news that's actually to do with the valiant!
I've bought another 318 engine from the guy I was buying the bellhousing, flywheel etc from. He's replacing it with a stroked 360 but it comes complete with tunnel ram, carbs and some spares too. It's run a best of 13.2 with a 4 speed manual in his 68 valiant so it'll be just fine. I'm well chuffed
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here's a pic of the motor in it's current location which just happens to be a 68 valiant too.
Neil.
Ps I got my new welder from work and it sits on the old cabinet just right.
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kursplat said:
looks great. what are the specs on the motor?
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this is the message i got about it all which i jumped at :thumbsup:
''So here's the deal. Edelbrock tr5 tunnel ram with 2 rebuilt holley 600s with correct linked vacuum pots, linkage & throttle return £500, had to bring this in from the states so you can imagine I have a good few quid in it! Engine has an Isky solid cam, port matched 360 heads, 273 mechanical rocker gear, electronic dizzy. Comes with M/T valve covers, fuel pump, 2 water pumps and timing covers,single groove pulleys, alternator and brackets. ran 13.2 in the Valiant, has no known issues. £600 or a grand with the tunnel ram''.
 
Next change..... I sold the supra box for a profit and bought a mustang 5.0 t5 box for £200 less. Plus the t5 came with a gearstick which the supra box didn't so another saving there
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plus plus the mustang input shaft has more chance of being the same spline as the mopar clutch plate so fingers crossed there.
Neil.
 
Hows the straight axle coming along? Interested on seeing how you tackle this one.
 
Valiants are definitely my favorite A body. Love the direction you’re taking with yours. The tunnel ram looks killer too. Will yours ever see the drag strip or only the street?
 
gearhed, i've not touched it for a while as i've been doing jobs for other people but i'll get to it.
69er, it will see the strip but only occasionally. at least with the 'new' motor i can save up to build the other block with a 390 stroker kit and decent heads. that'll be worth the time to test for sure.
cheers, neil.
 
I collected the engine Sunday which is now sat in my garage. It has the mopar electronic distributor so in theory I need the mopar module, ballasted coil, ballast resistor and the little loom to plug it all together. It's available as a package on American ebay for about £100. But I've ordered an updated Gm hei 4 pin module and an e core high output coil for just over £25 for both as i'm tight. There's a company stateside that makes a bracket to bolt the module to the mopar dizzy under the advance can but I'll make my own, again as I'm tight. Apart from cost this setup will give a better spark and is arguably more reliable.
Neil.
 
mygasser said:
But I've ordered an updated Gm hei 4 pin module and an e core high output coil for just over £25 for both as i'm tight. There's a company stateside that makes a bracket to bolt the module to the mopar dizzy under the advance can but I'll make my own, again as I'm tight. Apart from cost this setup will give a better spark and is arguably more reliable.
Neil.
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a lot of people do that, me included, works great
 
mygasser said:
I collected the engine Sunday which is now sat in my garage. It has the mopar electronic distributor so in theory I need the mopar module, ballasted coil, ballast resistor and the little loom to plug it all together. It's available as a package on American ebay for about £100. But I've ordered an updated Gm hei 4 pin module and an e core high output coil for just over £25 for both as i'm tight. There's a company stateside that makes a bracket to bolt the module to the mopar dizzy under the advance can but I'll make my own, again as I'm tight. Apart from cost this setup will give a better spark and is arguably more reliable.
Neil.
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Reliable enough that Jaguar was using em as OEM equipment though hidden. Years ago my friends moms Jaguar XJ12 Vanden Plas editions ignition module crapped out and we cracked it open thinking it would be something gee whiz that maybe we could fix, because a new jag module was insane in cost here in the states. Of course this was in the day before evilbay, and rock auto, I dont think Algore had even invented the internet yet LoL. All that was inside that fancy finned aluminum box w a Jaguar part number was just a GM 4 pin module lol. Heck that car would eat thru Lucas ignition coils until he installed the Accel super stock coil from his 71 Road Runner on it. That was the last coil he ever put on it. LoL.
 
moparmat2000 said:
Reliable enough that Jaguar was using em as OEM equipment though hidden. Years ago my friends moms Jaguar XJ12 Vanden Plas editions ignition module crapped out and we cracked it open thinking it would be something gee whiz that maybe we could fix, because a new jag module was insane in cost here in the states. Of course this was in the day before evilbay, and rock auto, I dont think Algore had even invented the internet yet LoL. All that was inside that fancy finned aluminum box w a Jaguar part number was just a GM 4 pin module lol. Heck that car would eat thru Lucas ignition coils until he installed the Accel super stock coil from his 71 Road Runner on it. That was the last coil he ever put on it. LoL.
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yeah those xj12's had (basically) a th400 trans too.
 
the coil and hei module arrived from china so all i'm waiting for now is the 'heat sink' grease goop for between the module and whatever i bolt it to (bottom of the dizzy probably).
neil.
 
it's been a while (over a year) but i took the cover off of the valiant today and it reminded me why i haven't sold it :thumbsup:
i left it off.........
 
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oh, and i've still been buying parts. over the last year i've bought (seperately) a speedway straight tube axle, a pair of repro early ford 37-41 spindles with a kingpin kit and a chassis engineering brake kit that's ford/mopar 5 stud which i'm told uses mopar rotors. i started mocking at all up the other day and found i needed the top hat spacers for the inner bearings and seals, castle nuts and washers and dust caps. all easily bought from speedway so they're all on the way. the dust caps were $5.99 a pair or $7.99 for chrome ones, so as i don't have centre caps for my slot mags i went shiny.
now the car's been exhumed i'll do some more to it, i even found the rest of the new lock set so i'll fit them now too.
cheers, neil.
 
Speedway was all those goodies. Looking forward to seeing the axle under it. I've done a couple of straight axle cars, really like the way they sit.
 
Gearhed73 said:
Speedway was all those goodies. Looking forward to seeing the axle under it. I've done a couple of straight axle cars, really like the way they sit.
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me too, it's my 'thing' for sure. someone bought my narrowed 9" axle saturday so i'll be using the 8.8 explorer one now and radiusing the arches (which i also like the look of) to fit my deep dished 10 x 15 slot mags. if they stick out a little so much the better for the 'look'.
neil.
 
the speedway top hat spacers use a different hub seal as it appears they use chevy hubs/discs not the mopar ones i have. i'll have a look on ebay to see if i can order the right seals and if not i'll call kent bearings on tuseday to get a pair.
neil.
 
i picked up the seals from kent bearings, my local bearing supplier. they are great and have never failed to get whatever bearing or seal i've needed however obscure. yesterday i ordered rings and bearings for the other 318 i' bought. i mentioned before i'd picked up a set of mahle +60 flat top pistons but they had no rings. the crank looked ok and having thrown the bearings when i stripped it i'm pretty sure it was stock but i ordered -20 on both ends and mains to be on the safe side when i get it reground. it'll give me a 327 short motor as a spare or i may even add all the top end from the built 318 (ported 360 heads, solid cam, tunnel ram etc) to the fresh short block.
i didn't need the parts yet but was ordering parts from summit for a customer so i shared the postage costs with him.
neil.
 
today i've ordered all of the 'rose' joints, threaded inserts, spacers, tube, nuts and bolts etc from rally design to make up all of the steering and suspension parts for the valiant. when i assemble it i'll make solid rods where the coilovers will be to simulate ride height. i won't need the coilovers until final assembly so no point getting them yet.
all of the 'bought here and there' parts to make up the front axle and brakes all went together fine yesterday so it's all go. again
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neil.
 
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