Otateral
Well-Known Member
I have a confession. Never changed oil in a car before. Prior to buying this Valiant, the most complex job I've ever done on my own is change an alternator. But I wanted to learn. My whole life, I wanted a classic car and when funds lent themselves to being able to do this I had to jump at it. And I figured, what better way to learn about cars then to get my hands dirty at working on one myself. That's where this website came in.
I've learned a ton over the last month and looking to expand on that. This isn't going to be a jaw dropping thread like many of you have. But it's a catalog of what I've done, and what I want to do.
First, the 69 Valiant. It sat for 5 years, but shortly before I got it the fuel pump and filter were replaced. The problems I saw I discovered over the first week were:
* Instrument panel lights did not work
* Front left turn signal/parking light didn't work
* Hitting the brakes turns on the front parking lights
* Gas gauge didn't work
* Rear leaf springs shot, aftermarket shackles that are about 6" too long
* Throttle cable was extremely rusty
* 3 springs attached to the throttle, 2 of them being side-by-side and got caught together, forcing the throttle full open
* When warm, the car stalls occasionally when the gas is pressed from a stop.
* Leaking wheel cylinder, and broken self adjusting cable
* Warped tires
* Oil leak, I believe from the head gasket. Though it's hard to tell. It's not a big leak, but looks to have done it for years because there's oil everywhere.
Some of these things I've fixed, others are on their way to being fixed. That, plus making it look nicer. I want to keep the original slant 6 225. This is my daily driver, so mpg is a concern.
First, what it looked like when I picked it up...
I've learned a ton over the last month and looking to expand on that. This isn't going to be a jaw dropping thread like many of you have. But it's a catalog of what I've done, and what I want to do.
First, the 69 Valiant. It sat for 5 years, but shortly before I got it the fuel pump and filter were replaced. The problems I saw I discovered over the first week were:
* Instrument panel lights did not work
* Front left turn signal/parking light didn't work
* Hitting the brakes turns on the front parking lights
* Gas gauge didn't work
* Rear leaf springs shot, aftermarket shackles that are about 6" too long
* Throttle cable was extremely rusty
* 3 springs attached to the throttle, 2 of them being side-by-side and got caught together, forcing the throttle full open
* When warm, the car stalls occasionally when the gas is pressed from a stop.
* Leaking wheel cylinder, and broken self adjusting cable
* Warped tires
* Oil leak, I believe from the head gasket. Though it's hard to tell. It's not a big leak, but looks to have done it for years because there's oil everywhere.
Some of these things I've fixed, others are on their way to being fixed. That, plus making it look nicer. I want to keep the original slant 6 225. This is my daily driver, so mpg is a concern.
First, what it looked like when I picked it up...
