Hey Everybody,
I finally got my dream car. 64 valiant w/factory 4 speed. I know that the info I'm looking for is on this sight some where, but it never hurts to ask.
What parts catalogs are out there for valiant and slant six stuff/ and where can I get them.
how hard is it to find those little items like headlight bezels, dome lights, door handles? and any suspension/brake upgrades that are really worth the time and money(if thats involved). I know this is the ENGINE forum but I figured it's a good place to start.

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64' Valiant Signet 5.9, 64' Dart 170 moredoor 3.7, 67' A100 3.7, 00' Dakota SLT 4.7

www.laysons.com carries the widest selection of early A-body parts, but many of the parts can be purchased from other suppliers for less money. The do produce some trim items that are only available from them.

Laysons service is hit and miss. I've personally had no problems with them, but others tell horror stories, so keep that in mind. I bought all the seals for my convertible from them and everything was good quality and service was prompt.

www.restorationspecialties.com has a lot of the small things you will need, including the door seal/welt. They are less expensive than Laysons and have all colors. Their service has been outstanding.

I bought exterior door handles from Year One, and it took nearly 3 months to get them, but the quality is good and they were cheaper than Laysons.

My carpets came from www.accmats.com. They manufacture most of the carpets sold by other suppliers, and their service is outstanding.

My plastic dash re-chroming was done by Mr. G's here in Fort Worth. I went to their shop and dealt directly with them, so was able to swap out my instrument bezel and pick the best one from their stock. I've heard gripes about them, but I had no problems.

FWIW, I was selling Chryslers and Plymouths in '64, when the factory 4-speed was introduced on the slant. We had a 4-door V200 demo with a 225, 4-speed and used it to impress customers with the slant performance. With the stock Hurst shifter, it was great fun to drive and it would fly.

Congratulations on a rare find!

When you said you are looking for a catalog of slant six parts, are you looking for a catalog of repair parts or of speed parts? PAW has a decent good selection of performance parts and rebuild kits, but you can find stuff to keep your slant running at your local chain auto parts store. (Although some of those parts can be a gamble when it comes to quality, and some, like carburetors, probably shouldn't be bought from a parts store at all.)

And yes, there are a lot of worthwhile things you can do to improve suspension and brakes. My '66 Dart has some major junkyard brake upgrades (11.75" front discs, 10" rear drums), KYB shocks all around, stiffer front torsion bars, and an ADDCO sway bar up front (looking to get a rear one too). It definitely handles a lot better.

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"Mad Scientist" Matt Cramer
'66 Dart - turbocharged 225
My blog - Mad Scientist Matt's Lair

Welcome to the forum!

There are many sources for '64 Valiant-specific parts, they're just not as high-profile as sources for parts for more popular cars. Best policy is to ask here on slantsix.org for each individual part you're looking for. As has been alluded to, much of Layson's catalogue is bought-elsewhere-and-marked-up merchandise ( see Here) that can be had less expensively by shopping elsewhere, but that doesn't mean you should eliminate Layson as a source entirely. His price on a pair of brand-new excellent-repro headlight bezels, for instance, is $200, which is entirely reasonable given the cost of tooling and producing parts like this in good quality.

Another very good source I like a lot is halfway around the globe, but in this day and age, that doesn't make any difference. It's Blue Star Spares in Australia, and you can see some of the parts I've got from Graeme and the crew down there Here, Here, and Here.

What kind of catalogue are you after? A factory parts catalogue that will show exploded views of your entire car? Aftermarket upgrades...?

Door handles are still available as good used items, just ask. Dome lights shouldn't be all that hard, either. Suspension and brake upgrades? You betchya! Lots and lots of options from "nice improvement" to "radical moneypit".

Ask questions, lots of questions.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'll check em out. as far as catalouges go I'm looking for one with valiant specific parts and one with slant six specific performance upgrades. I'll probably throw on a 2bbl and headers eventually and thats about it. the rest of my money will probably go into suspension brakes interior and paint
thanks again

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64' Valiant Signet 5.9, 64' Dart 170 moredoor 3.7, 67' A100 3.7, 00' Dakota SLT 4.7