Ok, I'm still excited after yesterday's Mason Dixon Slant 6 race. So I figured if I had this much fun watching I know it will be twice as much fun racing with my sons! So I guess I will start a message here on my car, which is totally torn apart and in the corner of the garage. It may not be ready for next year's Mason Dixon race, but I think with as much fun as I had yesterday that I can at least make some progress on it before then.

I have the first car that I ever bought when I was 15 years old. (I'm 47 now) It is a 1965 Valiant 2dr. Sedan. I bought from my aunt who locked the motor up when she ran it without oil. I paid $52 for it. Why $52? Because she had just put 2 new tires on it and she said if I paid for the tires I could have the car.

My dad and I put a motor in it and I bought a Big valve head, 4-Barrel intake, and Isky .460 lift cam for in it. I also bought the 4-speed transmission from the same guys who had been running all this stuff here on a circle track car in the early 1970's.

With all this new equipment I thought I was a speed demon I guess. Or perhaps just young and foolish ! But the reality was I replaced 3, 7 1/4 rear ends over the next 12 months. Ok, that was getting old. So I got a 8 3/4 off of someone and installed it with the 3.23 gears.

The car needed painting so me and a friend from work got it ready and gave it a good coat of Medium blue metallic paint. It looked great, at least to me, and it got a new set of Cragar SS with big tires on the back. My grandfather gave me a 3.91 rear out of one of his old pick-up trucks and into the Valiant it went. It was only a single track and it sings pretty good, but it was better that a 3.23 open rear.

So off to the strip I went. The best time that I remember was a 15.42 at over 90 MPH. This car would just blow off the one tire that was trying to do all the work. With a Posi I really believe it would have been a high 14 second street car.

One other notable incident was a 1-2 shift at about 6500 RPM when I had a clutch explosion. Just ask me, or Greg Ondako, or Doc if you ever need to have 2 of these to know you don't want to have another one. It literally destroyed the Clutch, pressure plate, bellhousing, engine block, nose cone on transmission as well as putting some nice holes up through the hood and cutting the steel brake line where it passed above the Bell. Luckily I did not suffer any injuries. I did fix it back up and ran it until about 1982.

Oh yeah, one other important event. My wife and I left the church after our wedding on December 18, 1981, in the old valiant. I loved the old car then and I still love the wife more, 28 years later. Buying a home and raising 4 boys put the old Valiant into the field for a long time. It is hard on cars just to let them set. So nature took its toll on it.

I actually had 2 different people stop by and want parts off of the car, and I told them both that they could have the parts if they just took the whole car. I thought I would never get it going again. Neither one of them came back to get it although both said they would be back the following weekend with a trailer. Oh well I still have it. And I'm glad I do.

I built a garage and put it inside and in about 1994. I dismantled the whole car, installed Big bolt disks up front, and the Mopar kit to move the springs into the frame rails. I cut out the wheel tubs in the back and repaired the rust on the left side rear fender lip. That is about where it sits now. I have a lot of parts to start putting it back together. Now all I need is the time, and some money to begin the process of re-assembly.

I'm not sure what I will do. Build it just for racing (Easier) or the street (more time & money) So while I'm still excited about the race from yesterday, I will be thinking about which way to go. Thanks for reading my story.

More to come,

Rick Covalt

Good luck with it Rick.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Rick,

That's a great story! Let us know how we can help with the car. Maybe now that Ryan's car is in good shape he can help ol' Dad. I bet you can get it going for next year.

Make a list of what you need and we can plumb the Slant 6 network...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Your right Lou, as much as Dad has done for me on my car, I think its time to return the favor and help him get his back together. I can see it now a stripped interior 65 valiant street/strip car running low 13s by next year this time. Might not happen by then, but its time to get started. I think my brother Denny is even looking for a slant car of his own so he can come to some races!

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Ryan Covalt
62 Plymouth Valiant Race Car 2170# 11.008 @ 117.65 MPH 1/4 Mile Best
72' Dart Swinger Street Car, 4 spd, 3330# 14.061 @96.58 1/4 mile Best

Now yer talkin'!

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Well,

I am now officially started the work. I just recieved 3 boxes from Rock Auto with all my new front suspension parts. I also picked up enough 2X2 square tubing to put frame connectors into my Valiant as well as Ryan's Dart. I hope to get this stuff (at least most of it) into the car next week.

Lou says to post a list of things I need and I will do that shortly. But something I will need pretty soon is a set of Upper control arms for the BBP disk set-up. I did stop by the local junk yard today and they have nothing in either A-body or F-Body. So if you have a set laying around for cheap let me know.

Rick

Rick,

Sounds like progress!

Let me look through my stash. I may have a set of 73-76 A-body UCAs with decent balljoints and bushings. I'm leaving soon for 2wk work trip, so might take a while.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Before I go on I should probably let everyone know what my plans are for the car. Then all the other stuff will make more sense. The Valiant will start out as primarily a race car. I don't want to do anything that will limit me from putting it back on the road fairly easily. But it will just be easier, and faster and less costly right now to make it a race car. Later it may be licensed and run on the road.


Lou,

I'm in no rush. I have a set in the car but when I bought the whole set up, the ball joints were loose in the arms, yes real loose. It looked as though someone pressed them out. Anyway they were ruined anyway, so I just tack welded them in place while I looked for a new set. Of course the car has set for a good many years since then. And I never got a set.


Here is a couple things I know I am going to need , with many more to follow. I will also post in the parts wanted section.

1) A good front windshield rubber. This may have to purchased new?
Mine is hard as a rock, and cracked.

2) 10 1/2 in. V-8 flywheel I have a Goodman adapter & V-8 blow proof.
My car will definitely start out as a 4-speed

3) Small fuel cell. 8- 12 gallon

4) Small radiator, Lou what are you running in the Dart? It looked small
and light.

5) Later I will need a 8 3/4 pumpkin. I have a 3.91 single track but that
won"t cut it. I would like a clutch type posi with 4:30 -4:56 gears. I
could stick a Spool in the 3.91's to run for a while but that is just if I
find a spool dirt cheap. Actually this item is a ways down my list.

Well , that is enough to start with. I will be going to Carlisle and looking for a lot of things used too. I should be able to get some things checked off my list. Thanks for listening.


Woo Hoo!! Only 50 weeks to the 2nd annual Mason Dixon, Slant 6 Shootout !!!

Rick
There is a guy on the Early Valiant Barracuda Club who has repopped the gaskets and lock strips. Ill see if I can find his contact info for you.
Frank

_________________
Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

Restorationspecialties.com and other places have the wshld gasket new.

I am using a Summit Racing brand mini radiator. Here is the link:

http://summitracing.com/parts/SUM-380645/

You might just weld the ball joints in your arms and call it good. Just go slow and don't heat the BJ too much. I'll still look for mine.

Keep at it!

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Thanks Frank,

I do already have the new lock strips.

Rick

Well,
I did not have as much time to work on the Valiant this week as I wanted (long story) but I did accomplish quite a bit. I removed the upper & lower control arms and strut rods. Replaced all bushings, cleaned and painted all the suspension parts, and installed all new tie rod ends and the shafts as well. I also cleaned and brushed the inner fender area. So now all the front suspension is new and painted and I will move on to cleaning and painting the engine compartment. Fenders, hood and front pan are off so that made things easier to get to.

I will order front drag shocks and new brake hoses and a hard line kit to re-tube all the brake lines and then my front suspension will be close to being done.

Nice to see shiny black paint instead of surface rust and old primer!!

48 weeks to Mason Dixon II !

Rick

Things are moving forward but always slower than expected. Here is what I accomplished since July.

Went to Chryslers at Carlisle and picked up a new windshield rubbber for $85. Got a 8 or 10 gallon fuel cell like new for $40. Got a small radiator for $10 (Not sure it can be used, but it was too cheap to pass up) New rear drag shocks.

I have completely rebuilt the front end suspension.
Ran all new brake hard lines and hoses
Mounted new Master cylinder and lines & Proportioning valve
PAinted inner & outer fender wells
Welded in patch panels in the front floors
Welded in 4 speed hump
Sealed all the seams inside and primed & painted the floors
Cut out floor at the wheel opening over to the frame and installed the
new wheel tub on the drivers side, one more to go
Cleaned and painted the trunk area

Slow and steady progress.

Rick

Well, it sure looks to me like you've gotten a lot done Rick. Best part is that you're getting the tedious stuff out of the way first.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Man, that sounds like great progress to me! Keep it up, Rick!

17+ cars could happen...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988