I walked past a brand new 69 Valiant 2 dr. every day going to jr. high. That car was total sleeper, dark green with painted wheels and dog dish caps. I remember thinking it looked way better than any nova or mustang I had seen, the body lines just worked for me.
At the time my old man worked for Ma Bell and said the Valiants were hands down the best of the three fleet models he drove, the others being Novas and Falcons.
That was the hayday for big horsepower. I lived in Olympia, Wa. and I remember seeing new T/As, Cobra Jets, Yenkos, Boss 302s, 427 Impalas, street freak tri-five Chevys, you name it. But in the end, that little Valiant really did it for me. The rest, as they say, is history.