I figured maybe I should start a thread on my car.

The Back History
Its my first car I ever bought back in 2002. A 64 plymouth Valiant 2dr. A plain Jane. It was the most basic you could get back in the day. 225 slant six, 3 speed on the column, rubber floor mat, 13inch wheels, radio delete car. The original owner bought it new in 65 from the local dealer and it was driven back and fourth to work for 32 years by the same lady 6 miles round trip, and never left Arizona. The original owner passed away leaving the car to her niece who wanted to drive it. But being an older car that sat for a couple years she had her son who worked at a local garage go over it. At that time it had the suspension and brakes redone just stock stuff and new tires. Well being in Arizona its not exactly cool in the summer so she had an aftermarket underdash A/C unit added but being a 3 on the tree car she never really drove it. Taking up garage space and paying insurance every month they decided to sale it.

I was in high school looking for my first muscle car, I thought I would get a Mustang or Charger, but Grandpa had a different idea. We found the Valiant in the newspaper on a Saturday morning and the family went of to look at the car. Not having my license yet Dad and Grandpa test drove it, the shifter column was worn and kept hanging up. Not a big deal but lets just say I was not very impressed. After getting home and talking it over with Dad and Grandpa we decided the little things could be fixed and there was no way a muscle car was in my budget. Two days, and $850.00 later while I was at school my Dad and Grandpa drove it home. We spent a few weeks washing her up and changing fluids. I rebuilt the shift linkage and the steering column with my grandfathers support. Shortly after I got my license and started driving the car to school. All my friends laughed as they had V8 cars. But it was my car and I started to fall in love with it. I always got a kick out of the fact that no one at the school even had a clue on how to drive a 3 on the tree. I actually got really good at shifting it and even with the stock worn 225 I was able to hold my own against many of the other kids.

This is her back in 2002-2003


In May of 2003 right before my graduation I ended up blowing the motor. Spun a rod bearing. It sat until november of 2003 untill Grandpa and I could get to the motor and pull it. We got the motor torn down and figured out what was wrong. We took a break for the holiday and in December Grandpa unexpectedly passed away. The car sat untill I graduated from college in 2004 and I set out to build a big bad motor. I started out gathering parts and ideas. I bought a 98 dodge dakota and started building it and slowly lost motivation on the car.

Fast track to 2012, with many changes in plans on the car and life changes and relocations, it has come time to complete the car. I sold off some other toys to build the car. The priorities have also changed on this car. I am more concerned on upgrading the braking and suspension to improve the safety seeing as it will be taking on daily driving duties with 2 car seats in the back. However I still plan to take the car to open track days and auto-cross it every now and then.

The car is getting a slightly warmed up 225 with comp 264 cam, offy 4bbl, holley 390cfm carb, HEI conversion, Dutra Dual. For the tranny I am doing a 5 speed swap with a T-5. The rear axle is a ford 8.8, LSD, 3.73 gears with disc brakes. The suspension is 1.0 T-bars, Edelbrock IAS shocks, Adco front sway-bar, with espo 5 leaf springs in the rear. The car will be lowered about 2 inches, sporting Mustang Cobra R 17" wheels. For the brakes I am working on 12.5" mustang rotors and twin piston calipers.

Nice!

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

I like where you are going with this. Looking forward to watching it come together.

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Your story is eerily similar to mine...much like your car. Mine was my first car and I got it in 1997 from the little old lady that bought it
new in 64. Mine was radio and heater delete, but it has the push button 904.

Good luck on your build. I want to do the Espo 5 leafs on mine along with the sway bar, so I'll be eager to see how your progress goes.

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Chuck and the Flying Valiant

I started out with a used Ford 8.8 from an Explorer 4x4 95-2002, for the disk breaks.

This is a photo of the 8.8 I started with that got swaped in to my XJ, I am just using it to show a starting photo.


Having used this axle in the past on my jeep made me confident that it was strong enough for my application yet simple enough for me to work on.

I first stripped down the whole axle. Using my plasma cutter makes quick work of cutting the leaf perches and sway bar brackets off, and grinding the housing and tubes smooth. You can also cut the brackets off with a die grinder and cutting wheel or sawzall. Removed the cover and drain the fluid. Removed the break assembly, then the cross pin bolt and cross pin, pull the "C" clips, and out slides the axle shafts. Unbolt the carrier and pinion. Then using a Slide hammer and puller remove all the bearings. Clean all the parts up. I then welded the tubes to the housing my self. 8.8s have had a problem with the plug welds coming lose in high HP applications when the housings get really heated up. Thats why I weld all my tubes to the housings even though my slant will never make that kind of power. Now the Axle is ready to go to the axle shop.







Now this project as all projects got alittle out of hand price wise. It could be done on the cheap if you do it your self and you use all the original parts. How ever I endend up going with all new parts after I got the axle stripped I found everything was worn, bearings, shafts, limited slip. So I started ordering parts. New Beraing and Seal kit and Cobra Trac-Lok with carbon clutches, Alloy axle shafts(2 short sides).




A week later I get my axle back from the shop about 2 and 3/8s shorter, gears and axles installed and new perches welded on. I had the perches moved in .50 inches to use Doctor Diffs relocation kit just for alittle extra room with the Cobra R wheels I am going to be running.









All sprayed in Gray primer awaiting Black paint. Next I need to get the rotors turned, new break pads and Plumb new brake lines.

Many may argue why I chose to go with an 8.8 and if I didnt have to get all new parts it would have been cheaper to go with than the 8.25 or 8.75. But I now have a big bolt pattern, limited slip, 3.73 geared, 31 splined rear axle with disk breaks and all new parts, that can take anything I can ever throw at it. I ended up right in the $1k ball park so I could have possibly went with a 8.25 or 8.75 but I have a beefy strong rear axle with disk breaks that I can get replacement parts for at any auto parts store.

Stay tuned for when it gets installed in the car.

Hey Mike,
A great thread (looking forward to your progression) and your '64 Valiant is a classic "poverty pack" survivor. It definitely would have made you completely original having a ride like this when you were back in high school. It's fantastic that you have stuck with a slant. I don't know about over in the States but here in Australia, there was a epidemic in the 80's and 90's which led to many slants being tossed from Valiants for bent 8s which has lead to a lot of original cars loosing their origins.

Keep up the great work and remember to post heaps of pics!

Cheers Gordo

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G-Bone Yes you are right most guys here in the states will also tell you just put a V-8 in it but I never was one to listen to the crowed. Thanks for the kind words.

Well a little bit of progress has been made, I had 2 hours to my self yesterday so I got the car jacked up and the old rear end out. I also got that sorry excuse for penny savings called the exhaust off the car.







I also found a broken wheel stud on the drivers side, the rear leafs where so bad the pinion snubber has been rubbing on the body stop for some time, and some one most likely the previous owners son had swaped the rear brake drums to 70 valiant drums when he did a break job.

I am waiting on the rear leaf springs from Espo to get here sometime this week and then I can get the 8.8 under the car and start checking Tire clearances.

I got the new Espo a-body 5pack leaf springs, 1" under stock. They showed up and I found out that they don't come with the rear bushings for the shackels, so when I was installing everything. I had to just temp install everything. The ford 8.8 is now hanging under the car and so far all looks good. I am using the ford explorer U-bolts and spring plates, was hoping that the built in shock mounts would work but no luck wrong angles. So I am in bettween cutting the plate and welding new angles to the plates or just welding brackets and shock mounts straight to the axle.

I got the new bushings in for the shackles so I was able to get the leaf spring install finished. The axle install is all good to go also except for finishing the shock mounts and hard brake lines. I put the wheels on the rear and put it back on the ground. She is set up for 2" under stock and I think it will be just fine there once I finish up the front end. The leaf packs are very close to flat and with the new bigger and wider rubber she should handle really well.