FNG with '64 Valiant Signet

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Ray Gun

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Hi guys. New to the board. My girl and I just bought a '64 Valiant Signet from a guy in California. Man is it NICE. I'll get some photographs up as soon as I take some. It has the usual dents and dings, but is RUST FREE. We live in Glen Ellyn, Ill. So anyone who lives near, give me a shout. Love to swap information and learn. Plans for the car include a V8 swap, 8 3/4, disk brake conversion, etc. ect.
 
I'm in south central Missouri but I'll say Hi and welcome to you anyway and if there is any info you need the guys will have it. This is a great site, enjoy.
 
Welcome,
My 1964 Valiant is a transplant from Calif. too. :)

Nice to have a car thats not a rust bucket.
 
I agree. Working on old cars as a profession gives you an appreciation for one that's rust free. This one should be a joy to work on. Your Signet is awesome. Looks brand new. Ours has the usual dents and dings, and needs repainted. It's also white, but my girl would like to repaint it black. And it's her car, so it'll be black.

It's also got these horrible '80's buckets someone put in. They are coming out. I have a pair of Super Stock seats that I'm going to put in it for her. I had them for my car, but have changed direction, so she benefits.
 
Ray, welcome to you and your Signet Sweetie!!!! Great to have you both here with us.

Don't hesitate to ask questions ... you'll get answers, advice and probably all the parts you need to get that little jewel back in shape.

I bought my rust-free Spring Special fastback Cuda in 1991 as a $250 basketcase when I lived in California from a guy in Grand Terrace.
 
Welcome to the best site for your A-body!Great to see another early one!Lots of help and disscusion in Early A-bodies Forum!Enjoy!How about some pics.?
 
Must be a real trend going on here, my 65 Signet in Pittsburgh PA is also a CA transplant. Pics!
 
Thanks guys. I'll ask away then. I posted a differenet thread about putting an RB engine in one of these, looking for photographs and advice. I already know the exhaust manifolds could be a problem, but had intended on building headers, so that should solve that problem. I realize the motor will be stuffed into the engine bay. My biggest curiosity is the brake booster. I'm staying with manual brakes, just wondering about clearance with the d/s valve cover.

Our goal is to build a "could have been" Super Stock with it. It's all just really speculation right now. I'm sure the A Body Super Stock springs will fit, along with a MP Spring Relocator kit. A Quick Time scatter shield will give me more room in the bell area for headers if needed. It's that d/s valve cover to master cylinder that I'm concerned about. I could purchase one of the brackets that raises up the master, but I could just as easily build one, and then make one end 1964 MoPar master cylinder mounts, and the other the modern, common MoPar light weight master cylinder mounts. That way, no adapter. I also plan on using aluminum timing cover, water pump, manifold, heads and radiator to save weight. I'm hoping at coming in with the weight somewhere close (and probably a little bit over) the LA engine that could have come in the car. Then I'll just change the torsion bars for the LA ones (it's got a Slant 6 right now).

Thoughts? I'm sure someone has done this before.
 
Also, since you made a comment about parts, we need a complete d/s tail light assembly (lenses and all. I think the back up light lens is ok, but the rest and the bezel are junk) and a set of lenses for the p/s. I also need headlight bezels. The one on it is junk, and the other is missing.
 
Welcome Ray Gun , keep an eye in the parts for sale and I will keep you updated if I hear of any of thouse parts you need.
Enjoy this great site and take a look around.
 
Thanks Memike. I tried to look in the classifieds for some of those parts, but the search engine kept returning EVERYTHING instead of just my keywords. Is there a trick to using the search engine here?
 
Welcome to the best damn Mopar site on the web! :cheers: Sounds like a nice project but where are the pictures?? We love pics!! :toothy10:

Picture 659.jpg
 
Plymouth Valiant V-100 4-dr. sdn.
Instrument cluster $25, temp. control unit $20, Dash $85(interchangeable w/Barracudas of same era), 3- spd. push button trans. w/control panel & cable $390 , Grill, front bumper & chrome Fr. Rr. & side emblems negotiable, 4 doors in exc. condition w/glass & hinges $100 EA, Rr. windshield in good condition, Fr. left & Fr. right fenders (sliet weathering to tops in two identical locations on each), Trunk lid (strait) $100, Air conditioning compressor (aftermarket) $85, Gas tank filler tube w/cap $30, Steering wheel w/ column $40, Horn cap $10, Horn assembly unit $10, Horn button $10 If interested please e-mail or call I am parting out a parts car. will consider reasonable offers! many above items are interchangeable. Any part Not listed just ask [email protected] ph. 231-828-5518 ask for nelson
 
Hey Ray Gun, welcome its nice to see more early A's getting attention instead of crushed or nothing at all! lets see some pics! my girlfriend actually bought my 65 for me about 3 years ago for my bday, it was a slant 3 speed. did the same set up you looking to do, 360 4 speed disc brakes 8 3/4 all the good stuff! dont get discouraged some parts are hard to find or over priced but it will work out and it will be worth the wait! congrats!

valiant 001.JPG
 
I sent you an email. We have a Signet 200. Are the steering wheels / horn rings different between the Signet 200 and the Valiant 100 4 door???
 
Welcome to FABO! Good luck on your project. It sounds like a very interesting build. Cant wait to see how it comes together for you. Got any pis of your car we can see?
 
I just thought of another question for you guys, front wheel size and offset. We're going to 15's, and the 4.5" bolt pattern, but what about the width of the front wheels. We'll have a seperate, lightweight set for the drags, but for day to day driving, 5"? 6"? 7"?. I was thinking with something like a 205/60-15 or 205/70-15. For the rear, 15x8's with 255/60-15's. I'll mini-tub the rear, so that will work fine. It's the fronts I'm wondering about. the 205/60-15's take a 6" rim. bit if I could go to a 7" rim, I could get 215/60-15's.

So I guess my question is, has anyone run 215/60-15's on a 7" rim on the front of a '64 Valiant here and seen it work?
 
If you plan on installing a big block will you be running fenderwall headers? If so, you want to run a skinny front rim and tire for clearance. You can run those sizes you posted on a 6 or 7 inch rim with no problem. I have only run a 5.60-15 tire on a 15x4 inch rim cause that is the look I dig. I have a 340 with fenderwall headers and they don't rub. If I went with a different size tire, I would have a limited choice with the size, I would probably go with a 15x6 rim on a 195/75 15 or 205/70 tire on my car. I am also running 255/60 15 tire on 15x6 steel mopar rims with no issues, I have stock wheel wells and no mods to narrow yet.
 
I plan on building headers, and not cutting the fenderwells unless I have to. I've built several pair, and in some pretty tight spaces. I think it will more than likely be a matter of getting the animal in there, and seeing what I have to work with. She's going to drive it all the time in the summer, on Illinois roads, so I'm hoping for the 205's up front. Just so she has some extra rubber. But if I end up having to go with the 195's, no biggie.

My the way, your car is F(*&ING AWESOME. Right stance, right wheels, etc. Nice!
 
Ray Gun said:
I plan on building headers, and not cutting the fenderwells unless I have to. I've built several pair, and in some pretty tight spaces. I think it will more than likely be a matter of getting the animal in there, and seeing what I have to work with. She's going to drive it all the time in the summer, on Illinois roads, so I'm hoping for the 205's up front. Just so she has some extra rubber. But if I end up having to go with the 195's, no biggie.

My the way, your car is F(*&ING AWESOME. Right stance, right wheels, etc. Nice!
Click to expand...
195's ??? Probably not. With an RB in an early A you will be building fenderwells alright. The only RB in an early A that I have seen that is well built enough to drive daily, had headers built by the owner WHO BUILDS HEADERS. There was no room for power steering or a manual transmission either. No chance on getting 195 x 15 to turn inside the fenderwell with those headers. You will be running something similar to what I have... 155 R80 15's, 4.5 inch wheel, zero offset.
Also the Superstock piece that relocates the master cylinder doesn't "raise" the master cylinder. It moves the pushrod to the other side of the brake pedal, and relocates the master cylinder over to that side.
RB into an early A is no joke. It is very difficult.
 
Outsider said:
195's ??? Probably not. With an RB in an early A you will be building fenderwells alright. The only RB in an early A that I have seen that is well built enough to drive daily, had headers built by the owner WHO BUILDS HEADERS. There was no room for power steering or a manual transmission either. No chance on getting 195 x 15 to turn inside the fenderwell with those headers. You will be running something similar to what I have... 155 R80 15's, 4.5 inch wheel, zero offset.
Also the Superstock piece that relocates the master cylinder doesn't "raise" the master cylinder. It moves the pushrod to the other side of the brake pedal, and relocates the master cylinder over to that side.
RB into an early A is no joke. It is very difficult.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info. I was really hoping someone who had done one would see the post and lend some advice, or maybe even some photographs. I'm sure it will be a challenge, even for an experienced header builder. Headers might not be a problem for me. You decide:

http://www.hotrodchassisandcycle.com/headers.php


I've put 2" to 2 1/8" step headers in a Thunderbolt clone without cutting/moving the p/s shock tower and a 427 Sideoiler with Tube Runner heads and a 70 Demon with a Hemi. Given, the Thunderbolt is a larger body, and the Demon has a slightly larger engine bay and the Hemi exhaust ports aim more down. But I'm not thinking 2". More like 1 3/4" or 1 7/8" Primaries.
 
I'm sure you are a competent header builder. However building heders for a RB, early A, will be a chore. Thunderbolts came with headers, and I watched my buddy build the headers for his Hemi '71 Demon. Both are considerably easier than what you are about to undertake. Please post pics as you go!
 
Thanks for the vote of confidence outsider. I'll keep that in mind.
 
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