My 65 Valiant wagon is a week away from coming home from the body shop. It's been a "spare time" project for almost 2 years! Anyway, I have a wide variety of parts that I could use. My goal is decent performance, but not looking to go racing. Gas mileage and good driving/starting are more important. It is a 4 speed car. Anyway, I have the following parts in the stockpile, what are your mix and match recommendations?

Available Motors:
Dead stock fresh 1972 vintage 225 engine
Modified 1982 vintage 225 (approximately 10:1 compression, oversize valves, ported head, hydrualic cam (Comp 252H)
Other various vintage slants needing rebuilds

Available intakes: factory super six, offenhauser 2x1, and of course the stock 1 barrel

Exhaust: Ported exhaust from super six, dutra duals set up, unmodified exhaust manifold

Trans: 64 833 needs rebuild with all accessories from a 64 Valiant, rebuilt OD 833 from an f body with matching bell

Differential: 2.76 SG 7 1/4 with BBP, 3.23 and maybe a 3.91 SBP 7 1/4 open, open 8 1/4 with a 2.45 open (needs steeper gear which I do not have), and three a body 8 3/4 with 3.23, 3.55, 3.91, and 4.10 SG center sections on the shelf

Brakes: small bolt KH disc set up, large bolt disc set up, 10" SBP drums, 9 " SBP drums.

I think the SG 7 1/4 with the 3.23 gears from another diff, the large discs, the OD 833, and the stock fresh 225 with the ported exhaust and a super six 2 barrel might be the right mix. What's your opinion? I can always sell the parts, so I don't see the reason to put an 8 3/4 behind a street slant, but the 8 1/4 ain't worth anything the way it is, so would that be better? Too many choices because I am too big of a pack rat!

For sure!
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Much better front/rear weight balance, E-Z change ratios, more durable.

I rode in/drove Bob Stepp's '64 Valiant wagon with 225, 833OD, tall tires, stock 1bbl intake and stock exhaust, think he had 3.23s in the rear. Acceleration was adequate, 4th gear was WAY TALL and got him over 35 mpg on the highway at 65mph. I remember thinking 3.55s would be perfect (final drive ratio of 2.48, nice 'n' cruisy for highway use)

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

My opinion is....liver tastes like crap!!!

Seriously;
Hold up there, Dan.......I suggest we get a couple Q's answered first.

Considering the exhaust......Will this car be a cold-weather driver? (Does you duals setup consist of both front/rear Dutra manifolds, or a modified rear and Dutra front?)

I disagree on the front discs. I would go with the LBP single piston caliper setup. Cheaper and more readily available parts. (You would want to "adjust" the 8.75 for a LBP.)

Other than that, Dan is right on the money. (In my opinion.)

Roger

I thought about this but based my reco on the new re-availability of SBP disc parts, and the lack of a good AND cheap way of making an 8-3/4" A-body into LBP, plus replacement wheels.

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

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Re-availability of new parts for the SBP brakes? That's news to me, so you had an advantage. I do have to agree on the good/cheap way of converting an 8.75 to LBP.

Roger

It's not all that expensive if you already have the rear end. Just find a good pair of junkyard C-body axles and have Moser cut and re-spline them. That's what I'm running in mine and if I remember correctly it was about $200 shipped. Then I'd go with the 3.91 chunk to give you something close to 2.73 overall.

The 8-3/4 with those axles in your wag will work great because the round wheel openings give it more wheel clearance than the sedan and hardtop bodies. The C-body axle flanges are pretty thick so it makes the wheels stick out about 3/8" further on each side. It was a problem on my Barracuda and I had to get some alloy wheels with increased custom setback to clear the fenders.

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"Former Owner" of '65 Barracuda, 225, Auto, MP 2bbl intake, MP cam, Dutra Duals. Presently Moparless.

This car will be a cold weather driver (no, not blizzards). I do have a new set of SBP rotors in the boxes as well as a freshly rebuilt set of calipers. I also have a 74 Duster disc and 8 1/4 set up. I always understood that the 8 3/4 is strong, but is heavy with a lot of parasitic drag compared to the smaller axles. Since I will be running a very modest engine, and since I have (luckily?) never broken a smaller axle, do you really think the 8 3/4 is necessary?

If you want to easily change the gear ratio depending on what you will be using it for on any given day, the 8 3/4 is a great idea.

If you don't care or won't ever be changing gears, the smallest axle available is a better idea if you say you have a sure grip available for the small axle. You might want to hang on to a spare just in case, but it sounds like you have a pretty good stockpile.

8 1/4 with a 2.45 open, a steeper gear will require a different carrier. You've got too many other good choices to choose from.

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1980 Aspen 225 super six