New Valiant Owner (65 4-door)

mw2891 said
Well I took it for a short drive today & decided that one of the first things I definatly need to do is put in all new bushings, ball joints etc.

Good idea. Send me a PM; I have some compatible new-in-box front end parts left over from my now-departed Dart.

The steering wheel has a lot of play so I'm going to look into that as well.

Worn front end components will contribute to that; also you'll want to check the steering box adjustments.

I think i'm going to have to adjust the transmission linkage because nuetral is where reverse should be & it's a pain trying to get it in the right gear.

The '65 uses a one-year-only lever-and-cable shift setup with multiple adjustments at the base of the steering column and at the transmission. You will definitely want the factory service manual.

And finally the brakes definitely need redone. I know everybody says to swap to disc, which I would love to do, but I just don't have the time or cash right now. After repairing them, are the 9" drums going to be sufficient for a weekend cruiser?

Yes. See this thread.