I was up under the '64 Valiant wagon today, deciding what needs replacing in the front suspension. Turns out, surprisingly little for now; a couple deteriorated tie rod end boots, but everything feels solid. The car had been sitting for about 20 years when I bought it, and it looks like many of the common wear items had been replaced at some point.
I did notice something I'd never noticed before, though. Looks like a previous owner had a little adventure with a high curb, or something.
That's not how this brace was originally shaped...
The K-frame is cracked next to where the passenger side strut rod goes through. How hard did they have to hit to do that?
My plan is to remove the bushing, clean up the damaged area, get it good and hot with a torch, hammer the damaged area flat, drill-stop the cracks, and weld the piss out of it.
I don't see any other damage, which is nice if a little surprising. I haven't driven the car more than about 25 mph, but I didn't notice any terrible handling characteristics at least.