68 valiant signet

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I also just ordered a pair of the same springs.. the shipping labels look to be a real PIA to remove!
 
showed a mate the shiny headers just now and he said where's all the bolts and did you notice the gaskets are bent and those 3 tubes look out of whack. he's right and the box they came in was split open one end, but i was so excited with my new shiny bits i didn't properly check everything. no header or collector bolts/nuts, no collector gaskets, damaged main gaskets and the o/s header appears to be bent. whether it's enough to be an issue with fitment i don't know yet. i've sent a message to the seller explaining (with pics) so i'll wait to see what they say.
neil.
 
the header issue is resolved as the ebay seller is sending a partial refund so i can replace the missing bits myself
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today i've been measuring wheels and tyres, the explorer axle and the width of the car to work out the best route to go. i measured the important sizes from the wheels and tyres, ie wheel mounting face to outside edge of tyre. i've got 8 1/2 x 15 us indy mags with 265 50 15 tyres and 10 x 15 unbranded mags with 295 50 15 tyres. they measured 6 1/2" and 8 1/4" respectively so i needed to add twice that to the axle width (wheel mounting face to wheel mounting face) to get overall width. then measure the cars width by taping a vertical straight edge to one rear arch and hold a spirit level againgst the other while measuring between the 2. for measurement purposes i'm assuming the explorer axle is 56 1/2" as i'll be using 2 short side halfshafts and cutting the casing down to suit.
the smaller mags give a total width of 69 1/2" and the larger 73". the width of the car to the outside edge of the arches is 70 1/4" so whichever wheels i use i'll be raduising the arches. i could of course get the 2 long halfshafts i have cut down shorter than short ones and mini tub the body to fit the 10's under the stock arches. choices, choices......
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moving on i got the manual gearbox on the bench to have a look at the linkage and shifter which came free with it. after nearly an hour freeing up the rusted solid shifter i now need to study some pics of the setup i 'should' have and work out mounting brackets to put the shifter where it'll be comfortable and cut/remake the shift rods to suit.
here's a pic of the 8 1/2" mags and where i'm at with the shifter. oh, does anybody know what the shifter is (brand, model)?
neil.

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I have an explorer axle under my valiant. Very good, cost effective option. Mine had 3:73 and a traction lock. It will work well in your build.
 
Gearhed73 said:
I have an explorer axle under my valiant. Very good, cost effective option. Mine had 3:73 and a traction lock. It will work well in your build.
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yes i bought 2 axles a few months back, 1 at £150 complete and another with no short shaft but with the back half of the driveshaft at £60. i bought a new short shaft from summit for £65 plus shipping so i can make up the short axle i need. both are 3.73 with lsd. the second may end up under the 32 ford gasser i'll build after this and the 51 chevy truck are done. we have a machinist locally who'll shorten and respline my 2 long shafts to suit what i need for about £250 so i've got options for that one.
neil.
 
i dropped the 8 1/2's off for pcd alteration and also asked him to shave 1/2" off of the mounting face too. they're about 1 1/8" - 1 1/4" thick and i've had lots of slots that are as thin as 1/2" at the mounting face including the fronts i have for this car. i guess they cast them thick then machine them to suit the required back spacing.
neil.
 
i just bought a proper shifter handle with the reverse lockout for the inland shifter i have. i was going to make one but it was cheap enough so.... all the way from indiana but with the global shipping program ebay now uses getting parts from the states is getting cheaper.
neil.
 
Gearhed73 said:
are you close to sliding the front axle under?
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well it's like this.......
i have to clear the garage to get the car in so i can work on it, but.....
i need to build the new garage over the road to clear the 'old' garage and....
i need to lay the footings so i can build the garage.
so it's slow going but i'll get there before the weather turns at least so i'll have room to work if it's wet. i don't mind cold but cold 'and' wet not so much, lol.
neil.
 
mygasser said:
...but i'll get there before the weather turns at least so i'll have room to work if it's wet. i don't mind cold but cold 'and' wet not so much, lol.
neil.
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so, i figure that's in the next three weeks or so? :lol:
 
yup, my wife is used to me complaining that the worst part of any project is the 8 or 9 projects that need to be done, before i get to the one i want to do :lol:
 
about 2-3 years ago i was asked to have a look at a T bucket a friend of a friend had bought. he wasn't happy with the front brakes and needed advice. anyway whilst there i noticed he had a spare pair of rear tyres so i asked if they were going to be used or were they for sale. he said they came with the car when he bought it and he wouldn't ever use them. we agreed a price and he said he'd give me a call when he'd dug them out from under all the other stuff there.
yesterday i got a call from my friend asking if i still wanted the tyres i'd seen a while back....... eeerrrrr, yes. which ones? once reminded i was happy and they were dropped off this morning. they are mickey thompson sportsman 29x15.5x15 so just right for my 10x15 slot mags and they look to have only covered a couple of hundred miles at most
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now they may end up on the valiant but as i'm so decisive they might not
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neil.

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those would look pretty sweet under the valiant, but they would look pretty good under anything :D
 
I dont know about under.... there could be more tire hanging outside of the 1/4's !!
 
yesterday i posted a 'longshot' wanted ad on the uk mopar muscle forum for a clutch pedal and would you believe it today i get offered one by nick griffiths on there...... for postage
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he's converted his '70 duster to auto so didn't need it. i've asked him if he needs my 'bigger' auto brake pedal too and i'll have both his manual ones, just waiting to hear back, but either way i'm happy as i don't have to make a clutch pedal now, woohoo
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neil.
 
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