It’s been a while since any update. Not much is different on the 66, but it started right up out of its winter nap. Here it is in the Flats in Cleveland going to work. It may be the most reliable car I own!
1966 Plymouth Valiant
- Thread starter JDCLE
- Start date
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Cool story, keep the updates coming. My 66 said to tell your 66 hello!
Well, it’s not officially part of the car but I made a custom center console yesterday. I’ve been looking for an old Barracuda center console to modify but never found one locally. After a run in the car to a swap meet with a buddy of mine, and our coffee ending up on the floor, I had had enough of spilled refreshments. At the swap meet we looked for some kind of center console or something that could become one. I bought an old gas pump gauge face thinking I’d cut that up but then my friend said he remembered be had an old tool box that might fit. It did fit between the seats and after some cup holders and an added pad from the swap meet, a new console is born! My coffee will be happy.
This weekend I tackled the rear suspension bushings. I took off the leaf springs and burned out the bushings, what I realized were 30 years old, I think. Minding my own business behind the garage, after trying a torch and getting the wrath of my wife screaming that I’m stinking up the entire house (kinda true) I retired to the fire pit. One side burned out nicely, the other side was not as deteriorated and it actually popped out of the leaf spring, whilst in the fire, sending a flaming ball of rubber about six feet into some dry leaves. A slight panic ensued and I got it under control. I also broke both shackle bolts on both sides. That was great fun finding grade 8 bolts that would work and $29.00 later I found them and amazingly got the four I need plus nuts etc. I had to waller out the nut side to slide the new bolt thread through but it worked. The drivers side shackle support was cracked so I welded it, and I found the same repair on the passenger side, interesting. I upgraded to Mancini Racing brackets and supports and decided to do the 1.5 drop which takes some of the stance off of it which I prefer. The entire job, including paint, took me like 6 hours. I don’t know how the YouTube guys do this in 20 min…. I call BS. I took it for a ride and you can really feel it, now the only rattling is coming from the top without a cover and inside of the doors. I need to take the next year and psyche myself up to do the front overhaul!! I also did yellow headlights which looks cool! I ran out of camera inspiration so there’s no pics of the completed project, it looks like it did before, just with new bushings by the way.
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Here are some “after pictures” please ignore the extreme amounts of never seize and grease, and the rust.
On an interesting note, the springs had a date on them, 01/06/93 with an S & G marking and what looks like a part number. I tried to save it but eventually they got painted over, but I have the pics anyway.
On an interesting note, the springs had a date on them, 01/06/93 with an S & G marking and what looks like a part number. I tried to save it but eventually they got painted over, but I have the pics anyway.
I’d love to say I made some progress but I’ve had other priorities, see my minivan is the greatest vehicle ever made thread!
I am slowly making a “Vali-cuda” because it’ll be cool to see a 1966 never made Barracuda convertible. It will be very patina’d and rat roddy.
While I do other things like replacing modern Dodge radiators that cracked, I found and also made/printed 3D badges.
Here is a Barracuda badge I found on Thingaverse (Brown Barracuda) and I made this door badge script, using TinkerCad. I also made a new one customized with a “1966” that my son will print for me.
I’m also designing a new dash for modern gauges but a retro Cuda look. I’ll post that here also. Fun fun!
I am slowly making a “Vali-cuda” because it’ll be cool to see a 1966 never made Barracuda convertible. It will be very patina’d and rat roddy.
While I do other things like replacing modern Dodge radiators that cracked, I found and also made/printed 3D badges.
Here is a Barracuda badge I found on Thingaverse (Brown Barracuda) and I made this door badge script, using TinkerCad. I also made a new one customized with a “1966” that my son will print for me.
I’m also designing a new dash for modern gauges but a retro Cuda look. I’ll post that here also. Fun fun!
Happy 4th everybody! As a parent of a USCG active duty member, days like these are important for our fam! Trim work today, bucket seats, and I’m trying to sort what I got from the PO. Questions: I think I have too many parts.
1. For the seat sides bottom, I put in a custom center console so I just need two on the outer edges, correct?
2. I use the four edge trims for both seats, that’s easy.
3. What are these things? I can’t figure out where they go, I can’t find any diagrams or pics, and I have many… what are they and where do they go?
1. For the seat sides bottom, I put in a custom center console so I just need two on the outer edges, correct?
2. I use the four edge trims for both seats, that’s easy.
3. What are these things? I can’t figure out where they go, I can’t find any diagrams or pics, and I have many… what are they and where do they go?
I'm starting on my front-end rebuild. I power-washed the front suspension and dumped half a can of PBlaster on it. Tomorrow I'll begin the tear-down work. So far, I see one of my bump stops (upper) is gone, the upper bushings look bad, and the ball joints were caked in grease. I bought the entire kit so I'll do a swap the best I can. I have a couple more tools coming tomorrow, so that will finish off what I need tool-wise anyway. So far, the suspension work has had huge improvements in ride quality—first the shocks, then the rear-end bushings, and now onto the front end. I can't wait actually.
It's now a Vali-cuda, and also a Creed Special Edition! We're doing a road trip to see Creed in this and there will be a few more Easter Eggs on the car as the month goes on!
It's now a Vali-cuda, and also a Creed Special Edition! We're doing a road trip to see Creed in this and there will be a few more Easter Eggs on the car as the month goes on!
shadowmtkustomz
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Following along! Great to see the updates.
This is, by far, the hardest job yet. Everything is fighting me from the UCA nuts to the backing plate nuts and the list goes on and on. I stopped for the night, the torsion bar is frozen in. I tried the LCA tap, pin with nut threaded on - tap (and by tap I mean as hard as I could hit it). Torsion bar keeper is out so that’s not it, it’s fused in I swear. I’m going to the Goodguys show tomorrow so no work on the Valiant, so I ordered the torsion bar tool. My hands hurt! And those strut rod nuts!!! Wtf is up with those! I got them off but come on man!!!!
Some updates, after hanging out at the Goodguys show in Columbus, I had time to work on the Valiant. The drivers side was much easier to take apart, maybe it’s the old story of passenger side gets more rust because of salt etc. It could be, or God had mercy on me after the horror of the passenger side. The ball joints were much worse, even “banging” as I turned the spindle. I found the noise that it was making on turning, the lower ball joint on the drivers side. Here are a few pictures including a crack, I think, in the UCA maybe on the bushing?
Torsion rod is also completely stuck on the drivers side, I’m waiting on the torsion removal beat it to death tool. Enjoy
Torsion rod is also completely stuck on the drivers side, I’m waiting on the torsion removal beat it to death tool. Enjoy
shadowmtkustomz
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Oh, yeah. Looks toast. I'll be doing this in the future, looking forward to it. Haha.
I did some maintenance while I have a flying car hanging out in the driveway. I had a valve cover gasket laying around so I pulled the cover and found this…. I did what any self-respecting Slant 6 owner does and continued my work, and put the gasket and on moved on.
I also tried out my new designed clips. They need some work, a few of the clips had enough room for the push nuts but most don’t so I need to figure out a way to print something that will clip on the trunk without the need for a nut. The side trunk trim should be much simpler, I’ll post when I have those all done.
I also tried out my new designed clips. They need some work, a few of the clips had enough room for the push nuts but most don’t so I need to figure out a way to print something that will clip on the trunk without the need for a nut. The side trunk trim should be much simpler, I’ll post when I have those all done.
mygasser
Well-Known Member
of course you reset the tappet clearances while the valve cover was off right? 
neil.
neil.
I'll definitely do that again once it's running. I also broke the PCV valve and have a bunch of other things in various states of disassembly, it's on a QuickJack also. Once I get it running, it'll be on my todo list! I did it last year, and the engine still sounds good!
We have suspension ****!!! Look at the beauty, and the curves on that brake line! Seriously, front end is done. All new bits and pieces, painted and semi-aligned. It’s so much better than it was, this stuff was at least 30-40 years old, maybe older. Now both the front and rear suspension have had a complete overhaul.
The brake line is new, and my second attempt. Original brake line was nicked by me gingerly removing a stuck bolt/bushing with a cut off wheel. I kinked the new line torquing everything up so this is the second new one and I’m actually proud of it! I even put on gravel guard!
The brake line is new, and my second attempt. Original brake line was nicked by me gingerly removing a stuck bolt/bushing with a cut off wheel. I kinked the new line torquing everything up so this is the second new one and I’m actually proud of it! I even put on gravel guard!
hcallaway
Well-Known Member
Great write ups and pictures! Fun to follow.
Road trip!!
We took the Valiant to the Pittsburgh Creed concert and back. Cleveland to Burgettstown, PA to Pittsburgh and back to Cleveland. An awesome trip! My son and I left during the heat of the day Saturday and made it to the amphitheater around 4:30. We drove the Ohio Turnpike through on and off rain and our spirits were always picked up by truckers honking as they passed, seemingly saying, sucks to be you. #notoplife I screamed “I need more power!!!” At least 64 times after we exited the turnpike and went from four-lane divided to undivided to two-lane twisty turns and hilly af! Ahhh, I remember good ole western PA! It was hot and we bogged trying to make a run up the hills. Very, very poorly positioned stop signs and lights added to our heat stroke. When we got to the amphitheater, we finally had enough and after sitting in traffic for a few minutes we vapor locked. I was in a single file line lane 1,000 cars deep so I abandoned the lane and rolled through a construction barrier into the parking lot. We were immediately approached by a 13 year old directing traffic and when he saw the “don’t open your mouth” look on my face he said he’ll stop the traffic to get me to a spot when it starts. Which of course it did just a couple minutes later. Slant Six baby!! Well any engine would have done the same thing I guess. We parked and peeled ourselves off the seats, and walked to find our friends who were six beers deep already. Everytime we went back to the car people chatted with us, we had to retrieve some food, then change our shirts and finally put a car cover on as the rain was starting again. Here is a picture, more to come!!
We took the Valiant to the Pittsburgh Creed concert and back. Cleveland to Burgettstown, PA to Pittsburgh and back to Cleveland. An awesome trip! My son and I left during the heat of the day Saturday and made it to the amphitheater around 4:30. We drove the Ohio Turnpike through on and off rain and our spirits were always picked up by truckers honking as they passed, seemingly saying, sucks to be you. #notoplife I screamed “I need more power!!!” At least 64 times after we exited the turnpike and went from four-lane divided to undivided to two-lane twisty turns and hilly af! Ahhh, I remember good ole western PA! It was hot and we bogged trying to make a run up the hills. Very, very poorly positioned stop signs and lights added to our heat stroke. When we got to the amphitheater, we finally had enough and after sitting in traffic for a few minutes we vapor locked. I was in a single file line lane 1,000 cars deep so I abandoned the lane and rolled through a construction barrier into the parking lot. We were immediately approached by a 13 year old directing traffic and when he saw the “don’t open your mouth” look on my face he said he’ll stop the traffic to get me to a spot when it starts. Which of course it did just a couple minutes later. Slant Six baby!! Well any engine would have done the same thing I guess. We parked and peeled ourselves off the seats, and walked to find our friends who were six beers deep already. Everytime we went back to the car people chatted with us, we had to retrieve some food, then change our shirts and finally put a car cover on as the rain was starting again. Here is a picture, more to come!!
The suspension work feels amazing, it was like a cloud, really, a super ride. The alignment was good. It didn’t pull when driving at all. No squeal on turning so I’m going to call that done. The brakes suck, I had flashbacks to my 62 Chevy II Nova and its crappy brakes which I locked up regularly driving around PA. I found premium brake shoes for it that were way better than stock, maybe I’ll find something like that for the Valiant. I’m really don’t want to do a disc swap, maybe a booster and double pot MC. We’ll see. We didn’t get nearly what we wanted to do for the trip. The old foggy windshield is still in it and on a rainy night with no defroster let’s just say leaving the venue was… challenging, in a “if I don’t find a car to follow we are going to DIE!” Challenging. But we made it arriving to sleep at my brothers place at 1:45 AM.
I wanted to redo the seats, didn’t happen, so I just put an old sign on the back of the passenger seat to try to stop the foam from choking us while we drove. I have vinyl but ran out of time to wrap it before we needed to head out.
The vapor lock will be addressed by either not driving flat out for three hours before being stuck in traffic or some DEI shielding. It’s now ordered.
This morning it started right up, we went and got gas and hit the road. I tried to calculate mpg but I need to do the upside down gas pump thing and end up spilling about half a gallon every fill-up so that’s out the window.
Amazingly the turn signal indicator on the dash started working! Rusty is healing himself! The fuel gauge broke though, so it’s a trade off. I still don’t have a working temp gauge or oil guage, honestly, its better not knowing.
We barreled home, there was lots of traffic and the only “bad” thing was other people’s terrible driving. We were tailgated relentlessly, almost backed into because we are a normal sized car and people are only looking for giant SUVs, drivers on their phones, honking at stop signs, etc.
Another roadtrip with my son is about the best thing I can ever hope for, this is the son in the service.
Any time we can spend together, whether it’s at a concert or sweating under the sun in a very noisy Mopar, is pure gold.
PS pictures of the seat
I wanted to redo the seats, didn’t happen, so I just put an old sign on the back of the passenger seat to try to stop the foam from choking us while we drove. I have vinyl but ran out of time to wrap it before we needed to head out.
The vapor lock will be addressed by either not driving flat out for three hours before being stuck in traffic or some DEI shielding. It’s now ordered.
This morning it started right up, we went and got gas and hit the road. I tried to calculate mpg but I need to do the upside down gas pump thing and end up spilling about half a gallon every fill-up so that’s out the window.
Amazingly the turn signal indicator on the dash started working! Rusty is healing himself! The fuel gauge broke though, so it’s a trade off. I still don’t have a working temp gauge or oil guage, honestly, its better not knowing.
We barreled home, there was lots of traffic and the only “bad” thing was other people’s terrible driving. We were tailgated relentlessly, almost backed into because we are a normal sized car and people are only looking for giant SUVs, drivers on their phones, honking at stop signs, etc.
Another roadtrip with my son is about the best thing I can ever hope for, this is the son in the service.
Any time we can spend together, whether it’s at a concert or sweating under the sun in a very noisy Mopar, is pure gold.
PS pictures of the seat
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