Torsion Bars

Johnny Dart said
Rusty,
What you need to do is come up with a "Total" plan for your car. What car are you planning on building ?
Strip, Street Strip, Canyon Carver, Cruiser, Daily Driver, Grocery Getter ? What exactly would you like your car to do ?

Once you decide, write down on a piece of paper everything that you would like to have on this car. Your build.

Having a plan from the start, writing your build down, including your budget, will help immensely with your car.
Have to be honest here with your budget. Also need to be honest about this 400 motor.
Do you really believe that will happen ?

My build for your Valiant ?
Nice little street cruiser.
2bbl intake, BBD carb, free flowing 2.25" single exhaust, Mopar electronic ign, 318 V8 torsion bars, stock replacement rear springs, KYB's, 14"x 5.5" steelies, 205/70-14 or 215/70-14 all around.
Will be a fun car to drive, obtainable, without breaking the bank.

I have a lot of it already. All I am after is a fun to drive street car. A tight cruiser. No canyon carving. Simply simply something that handles as good as it can for a stock suspension everyday driver. I'm not opposed to maybe a blast down the track sometime. Probably won't happen, but always open to it.

The 400? All I need is a bellhousing and I can do the full mockup. Fully assembled engine on the stand, transmission I am going to use is on the floor next to it. Drive shaft leaned up in the corner. Ford 9" narrowed to A body specs sitting in the other side of the shop. The car already has XHD +1 springs. I have disc brake spindles, calipers already and rotors on the way. So yeah. All that's missing is the decision to do it. But honestly, I'm having so much fun with the slant sixes, all I may end up doing is doing a how to on early A big block swaps. Seriously, there's so little information out there about it. Really ZERO details on how to do it. And I plan to do it using all factory parts, which I already have.

All THAT said, I am getting ready now to put a stock bore and stroke 225 in the car, along with the heavy duty A 230 three speed. I have the good rebuilt engine I got from @RAT ROD AL and I am going to put the Offy four barrel intake and QFT 450 on that.....along with a fer other mods and put that in the car. So, realistically, the 400 is a ways off. It may or may not happen......BUT, it WILL get mocked up at some point, if not installed permanently. I just don't know and honestly, that's a lot of the fun of it, is not knowing ultimately "what" I will end up doing. That's why I'll probably go with the 1.03 bars since they'll work with any of the engines I choose.