buying back an old project....and i couldnt be happier!!

[dgswinger]

well looks like my old project is gonna be returning its a 68 valiant 2dr sedan. i had slowly worked on this car for a few years when i felt like it. but never really put a lot of effort into it. i had never put it up for sale figured i would finish it someday...but i had a friend that really liked the car so he wanted to buy it! i figured well i could use the garage space so i sold it to him.... well a year later he hasnt touched the car just stored it in his basment garage. i get a text message from him on wednesday saying hey do you know anyone that wants to buy this valiant? so naturally i do!! i have regreted selling this car since the day it left. i started to build it as more of a race car but i think thats why i didnt devote myself to it before. so to make a long story short plans now are to make it a driver gonna put the wipers back in it and a comfy bench seat do mild 360/727 with a 3.23 suregrip and enjoy it!!! here are a few pics of it from about a year and a 1/2 ago but it hasnt changed its looks at all!! ive already tied the frame together, complete rebuild of the front end, new leaf springs, big bolt discs, all new brake hydraulics and parts, new fuel system,swapped in an 8 3/4 and most all of the body work is complete!! so with a new outlook hoping to have it driving buy summer!!

 

[OldmanRick]

Very nice. How many of us get a second shot at it? Good luck on the progress when you start up again and keep us posted :thumbrig:.

 

[63VALIANT*KISS]

good job i hope u hit ur target with it this time.looks like a great lil car.was it going to be white ?

 

[dgswinger]

yes its going to be white! and with the new plan to make it a driver my goal seems more realistic to me now so i cant wait to get started it may be a few weeks till i dive in. i will try to post pics as i go!!

 

[CUDACOX]

Looks cool!

 

[67cudafb]

I have sold a few mopar that I really regret. I am glad you got a second chance to save this car. I do like those post cars and with the front braces should have zero flex. Do you plan on putting inner fenders back in or leave it open. Good luck and hope you enjoy the second chance. I look foward to see pics as you get close to your goal. Maybe it will inspire me to get my 67 cuda back on the road.

 

[Divenut]

Congrats dgswinger...you're one of the lucky ones. There are a few old porjects I wish I could get back. Look forward to following your build.

Pat

 

[dgswinger]

thanks guys!! if i do inner fenders they will probably be removable aluminium ones.. for on the street im leaning towards putting them in. the reason i removed them in the first place was that the car had sat with the hood open for a few years before i rescued it the first time!! so they were rusted pretty bad and for a race car i decided to just put the front bars in to stiffen it up anyway as you can see they are welded to the shock towers and go from gusset plates welded inside the firewall out to the front tip of the framerails!! this car is very rigid you can jack it up just behind either front tire and pick 3 of the 4 wheels off the ground!!

 

[dgswinger]

nothing new to update on other than i brought it home today and put it in the garage i guess thats a start lol!

 

[dodgeboy]

nice car looks like good builder ,i really like the pop top ramcharger in the first pic.good luck with your build.db

 

[dgswinger]

thanks dodgeboy im kinda fond of the pop tops myself ive had 6 of them lol!

 

[dgswinger]

well not much wrenching this week but i now have a working furnace in the garage so i wont freeze. however i did gather a few parts for the valiant this week!! i have decided to ditch the 360/727 idea the more i thought about this being a driver everything i own with a 360 in is hard on gas i know we dont drive this stuff to get good mpg's but i would like to drive out to columbus someday for the nationals and do it in an old mopar. so im building this to DRIVE and the better mpg's i get the more i will drive it ....i have a fairly fresh peppy 318 (ran low 14's in my dart) from my 70 swinger i just pulled in the fall its basically drop in ready so then i start thinking keep the 3.23 but an overdrive would be nice for the highway and wouldnt you know it i was browsing craigslist and i see an ad for a 70 dart 4 speed for $600 i thought well a little steep but ill look at it so i noticed in the pics from the ad that it was an overdrive trans so im thinking jackpot short tail od trans perfect but $600 no way im paying that for an od trans.... so after alot of negotiating and convincing the seller he didnt have a REAL 4 speed we got the price reduced to $125 which i thought was fair and it was local so no shipping... take a look at the pics oh and i also picked up a set of 4-speed pedals and the frane bracket this week too. so now the plan is 318/4-speed od.... im gonna need a few other parts like a z-bar, clutch pedal to z-bar rod, and the little trinket type pieces but ill cross that bridge when i get there...

 

[dennday67]

Cool project, can't wait to see your build. Mine started out with the same mind set on making a driver but kind of snow balled into something more.

 

[gdrill]

Good for you. I have really grown to love these Valiants.

 

[dgswinger]

well i did a little work to the valiant last night.... i pulled the small bolt axles and installed the 3.23 sg unit and new yukon big bolt axles with the green bearings... so now its Big bolt the whole way around!! little steps at a time and it will eventually get together!

 

[dennday67]

wish my 8 3/4 was done for my 68 valiant but im having my bucket seats redone right now so later this year.

 

[dgswinger]

wish my 8 3/4 was done for my 68 valiant but im having my bucket seats redone right now so later this year.

Hey Denny i wouldnt be to upset, lol! your valiant looks amazing!! i hope mine turns out half as nice as your! i am on the hunt right now for a set of bucket seats for mine to replace the race seat that i put in it the first time... thats also why i was working on the rear i had to remove the 4.56 SG center and swapped for 3.23's for better cruising. so i figured i had bought those big bolt axles 3 years ago so what better time to swap them in...

 

[dennday67]

I havnt decided if im going to stick with the 69 B body width 8.75 or have it narrowed. Thanks for the compliment, I have a few good friends that helped me bust *** last year to get it that way. My car is a 10 year collaboration of gathered parts.

 

[dgswinger]

picked up these SWEET! :glasses7: 340 HP exhaust manifolds today. they are in amazing condition very minor pitting most of the cast is still like new!! the guy a got these from says his dad pulled them from a dart he had 30+ years ago!! these will make a nice addition to my valiant build.:blob:

 

[dennday67]

Nice score!

 

[dgswinger]

Nice score!

thanks it was a weekend of good fortune for me!! i picked up a running steel crank 340 motor on sunday day after i got the manifolds.

 

[dgswinger]

Sorry I don't really update much but I actually started working on the valiant! Here are a few pics and a video of it running if I can get it to post. Final decision on the engine/trans was the 318/4speed OD and 3.23SG. Since I'm building it as just a driver I cant really get myself to do a lot of detailing for assembly I'm more aiming towards function fun and safety! I spent a lot of time cleaning and painting stuff on my dart and now i never drive it so im trying to keep from doing that on this one! And I decided on headers instead of manifolds.