I finally got my tax return back and its time to get this thing on the road. I have a budget of 2k to play with wich is not much for what I am attempting. Its a 64 Valiant 2 door when I purchased the car way back in 2002 the previous owners son worked at a local shop and had replaced the front bushings, ball joints, tie rods but left the old torsion bars, leafs, and shocks. I am looking for a mean car that car handle anything I can throw at it on the street. I have the steel laying around and will be boxing the K frame. stiffening the lower control arms and installing subframe connectors.

1'' torsion bars from Just Suspension.
Feel Firm road race rear leafs
Edlebrock IAS Shocks front and rear. Not sure if I should get the Classics or the Performers?

So keeping the budget in mind all this comes with a price tag of $750. leaving me only $1250 to have my engines machine work tuned and in the car. Its all going to be tight. Right now she is sporting a fresh set of break shoes in the old 9" drums. Not the best but don't have the funds to go disc's just yet. My thought is I need shocks and rear leafs now they are shot. When the car is up and running I can work on getting the rest of the parts for the breaking system over the next year.

Any one have experience with these parts any recomendations or suggestions?

I think you should re-prioritize your spending.

You said you're looking for a mean car that can handle anything you can throw at it on the street.

But with early sixties era brakes, you're gambling your car and your life that the street doesn't throw anything back.

Grab your pencil and find out what you can leave out until next year so that you can do the brake work this year. Then go out and tear up the streets with this cool '64.

My $0.02.

- Mac

Agreed. Move the brakes up (way up) the list. Leave the 1" torsion bars off for now.

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

You can only drive as fast as you can stop. It'd be a shame to have all your hard work and money on the rest of the car go to waste because you couldn't stop in time...

That aside, sounds like a fun build.

_________________

Brakes first, always. It's too bad all those 9" drum ball joints will have to go, but that's how the cookie crumbles. I've only run the small bolt pattern K-H brakes on a car that came with them. If I'm going to all the time, effort and expense to swap disc onto a drum car then the car will get large bolt pattern wheels and tires. Just putting on disc brakes, a big front sway bar, decent shocks and 15x7" wheels with good tires will radically transform the car.

1" torsion bars will probably require better than Edelbrock shocks for a good ride. Better save some more $$ and get Bilstein dampers. Also, $260 for rear springs is too much. I'll buy some stuff from Dick Ross, but not leaf springs. Go get ESPO 6-leaf springs and ask if they can de-arch them about 1 1/2". You could buy the adjustable spring hangers instead of de-arching, but that's more money.

So the priority, as others agree, is disc brakes first. Also, every steering and suspension part needs to be in good to very good condition. This includes rear springs that are of the proper rate and ride height and good dampers. Next a good wheel and tire package with a front sway bar.

_________________
Joshua

I agree the breaks need to be done soon but I cant squezz the budget to upread the breaks. I need to keep my small bolt pattern to use my rims and tires. The only way I see I can do this with out swaping upper arms is by using a $700 wilwood kit. I have aquired a set of leaf springs for free. They are stock springs out of a 71 duster that has a v8. I know they are still old springs but at least they still have a arch to them unlike my current ones. I am also thinking of just installing kyb's at half the cost of the edelbrocks. As for now the stock T bars will stay in.

Brakes first always.

Your neck is yours to risk, but please think of those around you when you have trouble stopping.

_________________
Joshua

I would wait on tbars, and use the older leafs, but get the Edel shocks. IIRC, the only difference between "classic" and "perf" is the paint color!

I'm not convinced my Darts have been much quicker around a road course with higher rate tbars. Much more difference from brakes, weight reduction, and good low profile tires.

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

If you need to keep your SBP rims and tires, try and find a parts supplier for new brake rotor blanks- that is, a rotor that has no lug stud installed and is not drilled for any lug pattern. Then take the rotors to a machine shop and have them drill the rotors for the SBP and press in the right lug studs. Problem solved- late style disc brakes with SBP. Just make sure your rims will clear the calipers. $2k is enough to track down all the necessary hard parts and buy whatever new parts are needed for a disc brake swap.

_________________
Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Interesting idea. Has anyone found such a source for those rotors?

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

Seems to me that if that will work you should be able to drill the small pattern between the existing studs and accomplish the same thing. What am I missing?

_________________
David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Yeah. Brakes first. The KHs for SBP are fine.

Before you reinforce the LCA, decide whether you want to install a front sway/anti-roll bar. IMO, If the bar is in your future, start looking NOW for factory LCA that have the tabs for the bar. It is a much better design than the aftermarket tabs that mount on the lower shock mount bolt.

McVeigh Spring makes a good 5 leaf replacement for the A-body. I've used it with the stock TBs and am happy with the results. The McVeigh springs came with new shackle busings, too.

The 64 Valiant is a cool looker IMO. Good luck with your project.

_________________
You can't fix stupid. - Ron White