You have to thank my grandfather and his family, their German genetics make for an interesting combination of 'hands on' experience with the need to document the results, I think we are all 'certifiable'. I just want to get from point A to B, but it might be nice to say : if I add this and this and do 'this' what will it do for the car...rather than say 'change the exhaust pipe add a super six and that will be "good"...'

-D.Idiot

Here's a quick shot of Beater Valiant hiding under the front yard tree waiting for her heart to go back in...

Tonight I just finished assembly of the new mill... I'll break it in using a known good 1973 distributor and 1973 Holley 1920...

So far the 1979 block, bored .060 over, final comp ratio is 8.9:1 (I decided to be conservative when decking the block and missed the 9:1 ratio by a 's'kosh'...

She'll be mated to a known good 1974 A-230...

Should make for a good daily driver that no one will want to steal...

-D.Idiot

Today Beater Valiant became 'sleeper' valiant...

I pulled the old mill and 904 out of the poor girl, transplanted the new mill/tranny/ new clutch/, u-joints/driveshaft... alone in 7 hours... (boy that's a lot of work...but it was much easier than stabbing in a big block).


I still have a few issues to finish up...

Radiator, hoses, clamps, set the lash, check the carburator, mount alternator, mount the fan, fan belt, weld reinforcement for the clutch linkage, change tires (one is now 'rotted' and won't hold pressure for 4 hours), change wiring to accept 1974 tranny reverse switch, fasten down the new hump, replace carpet, fasten down front seat, break in engine....

Hopefully I don't get rained out...


-D.Idiot

"Boy that dirty old car looks like crap...whoa, that engine looks new!"
"Ummm...it is..."
"Why would you wanta keep that bucket of crap running?"
"It's a Plymouth..."

Gosh! It sounds like the GodsRods Duster!

_________________
Rob

I’m Mater
The Kentucky Poser

We have oil, filter, breakin lube, water in the radiator, 10 gallons of fresh gas in the tank....

3...2...1...klick....

I guess the real let down is the Optima battery has plenty of juice to light the lights, but not enough to wind the mill over (even with a nice jump from Hpak Duster)...

Guess we have to wait until tomorrow to annoy the neighbors, the battery is on the charger and says 75%....

Talk about anti-climatic....

-D.Idiot

That's a new one on me... usually a mini starter goes 'click' when it needs a refurb... I got one out of a 94 Ram and it just would wind twice then just grind to a halt...

I pulled a remanf big block starter out of the barrel of 'crap' and proceeded to fire the motor... break in was acheived, lashed the valves hot, oil seemed to be in all the right areas... and the engine just wanted to 'GO' badly... (I mean, I've never heard an engine that just winds up from idle to 3k in a heartbeat...)

Next on the list:

Dial in the timing ( so far 1974 stock distributor at 10BTDC initial and no knock with no load)...

Set the carb mix setttings (so far 1973 Holley 1920 roughly set at 3 turns out mix screw, 850 rpm idle, 1400 fast idle in neutral).

Wire in the choke timer...

New tires
Wire in the stereo
Get the first 1000 miles on the mill to loosen it up...
Change oil

Get a Gtech measurement...

Change to the 'feather duster' exhaust...

Get another Gtech measurement....
Change to a better distributor...
Get another Gtech measurement....


-D.Idiot

Cool!

( I wish I had a GTech.....)

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Yea Gtech would be cool

Great progress D.I.

_________________

Time to spend a few hours with a file.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

I bought a Passport G-Timer off eBay for $35 shipped. It was still new in the box, never opened. Works great! My little '84 Charger has a whopping 71 HP at the wheels The Spirit R/T only has 168, though.

Mike

_________________
Recognized by US Federal Courts as a Fuel Economy Expert!

Today I got a set of really nice used P195/70R14's to replace the old rotted tires on BV... After messing with the kid at Les Schwabs, who thought I wanted them on the Hpak Duster (and still couldn't believe that a fold down back seat duster could haul 8 tires...

Anyhow, first run I went around the block and found I needed a clutch adjustment...also BV gave me the first sign of 'attitude' by casting off one of the wheel covers (which careend to the side of the road like you see in the old 70's car chase movies...)...

After adjustment, went to the store for the next longest run and found that the speedo wasn't quite working right, and the 9" drums really aren't my favorite compared to the basic disc brakes the 70's cars have... (three car lengths before you have a brick in your shorts...)

Fixed the speedo (cable wasn't seated all the way in the gear, and the threads were worn in the gear housing...also the gear was a 32 and for the tire size I needed a 31.15...so I swapped a 31 'green' which should be closer to the 'real' reading)...

Had to run to Wilsonville and get a computer part for a buddy... Took DI Jr. with me, car ran very well (and once in 3rd gear, getting to 80 mph wasn't a problem even with the Holley 1920..unlike the 'stock' mill/cam)...

So first 100 miles done 900 left to go before it's officially, broken in...

I also am going to have to pull the distributor as the stock 1973 curve leaves a lot to be desired (timing light says I have a whole whopping 26 degrees of advance at 65 mph initial+ Mech+ vacc. adv....15" vacc. at cruise, at about 2800 on the clock...)

I also think a new set of shocks will be good (the ones on it are the same color as the car and have mopar P/N's stamped on them... ....)

Time to go get it weighed and make some G-Tech runs, before I goof with the timing...


-D.Idiot

"Are You going to wash that thing, Mister?!?!?"

Well the car is running OK, but the timing leaves something to be desired (26 degrees of total advance with vacc. advance and 5 degrees initial...sheesh), so I pulled the 1973-74 Dizzy and 'retooled' another one up and set it for: 12 degrees of initial, 23 total by 3000, and 17 degrees of vacc. adv for a grand total of 40 at 'cruise'... (it idles better now, and seem a bit perky)...

Unfortunately the heater motor 'died', and I found a blown fuse, replaced it and switched it on... and the magic smoke appeared...(fuseable link is still intact but burnt, the headlights are stuck on 'hi-beam', the heater still doesn't work...but now all my dash lights are functioning perfectly again... Wha the Frap?!?!?)....

I guess it needs a new wiring harness now, just to be safe...

sheesh,

-D.Idiot

Bummer about the wiring. I'm really lucky my '67 V100 is in such good shape. Although I did come home one night to find the horn honking. With the horn disconnected I can hear the relay click when I push the horn button, but there is still power to the horn wire. I'm going to open up the relay and see if maybe it didn't fall apart inside.

_________________
Joshua

I gotta decide whether I pay Wildcat for a 'used' set...pull either a 1974 or a 1976 Harness out of the shed an adapt that... or order a new one (boy I could buy another car for that price...)...sheesh...

I might as well pull the car apart and replace anything else that's gonna go 'fizzt' too ...

-D.Idiot

Spent the afternoon pulling the engine bay and dash wiring harnesses, some of the wiring looks good, other parts have been burnt away, and some wiring is stiff and brittle....

It's a bit odd to see the early era of the wide A-body, most of the parts are still the same as the 73-76 versions, but the switches are bigger or the connectors are like a crude/primitive version of the late counterparts (especially the instrument cluster switches and cluster connector...)

I also pulled the heater box/core, so I can check the resistor, blower motor, and might as well replace the heater core too since you know it's gonna 'tank' in the near future (being 30-40 years old and sludged full 'o crap)...

I have a call into Wildcat Auto wrecking to price out another harness (I know the replacements from Year one will cost more than the slant rebuild I just did...).

I'm also toying around with replacing the harness with one from my old '74 but I'll have to make sure most of the connectors will 'retrofit' back to 1967... (I know the steering column and ignition switch connectors will be in the wrong places/have the wrong connectors...)


-D.Idiot


"By the time I get done nickling and diming, I'll have a new car..."