1961 Valiant Wagon

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Yours is the true definition of a restoration. A term that has lost all meaning in today's car hobby. I salute you and you're correctly galvanic coated window mechanisms no one will ever see.
Thanks for that. In about 1993 I visited a guy called Cliff in Sacramento who had finished restoring a Red 1960 Valiant. It was an amazing restoration that really set the benchmark for me on what a resto should be like for me.
 
Here is Cliff from when I met him in 1993 and his awesome 1960 Red Valiant. I did know he later sold it and it headed towards Florida. I did visit him a number of times over the years and got to even take it for a drive.

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Last week I got a major piece that I have been looking for, for a long time. Front and rear rubber floor mats. Yes, Rubber Mats... They are alot harder to find the Valiant ones than I expected... But I should expect that cause everything is 60 years old now. These are nice and soft and pliable. I had a set but they were pretty bad even when I got them back in the 90's. So why didnt I go carpet....Cause carpet wasnt an option in 61 for the Valiant wagons. It was for the sedans and hardtops.. But not for the wagons. And I am trying to keep to the look as if I walked into a dealership in 1961 and ticked as many option boxes as I could. (Plus a couple of other 60-62 options from other countries) So I have already put in some sound and heat deadener on the floor. I will lay out some under felt really soon and then lay the mats in place... Photos will come. I am also getting the last of the roof rack stainless parts polished up. They are NOS but have an unsightly couple of shelf scratches on them. And they are right at eye level for me on the wagon.
I have also put some time into the steering column clock. This was a Canadian option for the 60-62 Valiants. Sits smack bang between the speedo and temp/amp/fuel gauges but in front on the steering column. It will look good along with the Mexican Acapulco Valiant Tachometer that will sit outside the gauge cluster but inline with the speedo gauge. The good thing is these have all the same letter and number font across all the gauges. Makes it look sharp.
 
You are going above and beyond on this one! Can't believe some of these parts you are finding. Not knocking Cliff's restoration, but it was a LOT easier to find parts in the early 90's. Keep up the good work and updates!
 
You are going above and beyond on this one! Can't believe some of these parts you are finding. Not knocking Cliff's restoration, but it was a LOT easier to find parts in the early 90's. Keep up the good work and updates!

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Very True.. Nos parts for early Valiants and Lancers were still around in the early 90s. And so were the cars themselves. I was going to You-pull-its all over the west USA and loading up on stuff. Nobody wanted them. It was the late 60s- early 70s stuff that was hot. In 2007 when I did another round of getting stuff, alot of it in the lower half of the USA had been crushed in the couple of years before hand. Apparently the price of scrap metal was very high and alot of wrecking yards got crushed out.. I guess you cant blame them. They might have sold a few items a day and then someone comes along and offers big money for the metal...the owners are older and had enough of the game so they cash out..but then that leaves a whole lot less parts around which in turn pushes the prices up for what is left. And the after market repro items aren't exactly booming for 60-62 stuff. I am just glad that instead of restoring the cars I have after I purchased them in the early 90s...I just stored them away and I spent my money and time instead collecting parts and then started restoring the cars much later on.
 
You are going above and beyond on this one! Can't believe some of these parts you are finding. Not knocking Cliff's restoration, but it was a LOT easier to find parts in the early 90's. Keep up the good work and updates!
I have some stock parts from my 62 wagon I will sell .
 
While I am here, here is a picture of another of the Early Valiants I have. This is a stock original 1962 Australian R-Series Valiant. Painted in Australian factory "New Beige" It has a few differences to the USA Models. It came was sold new in Graffton, New South Wales in Australia. Each state in Australia had a couple of little things they added to the cars when sold new. All 1962 Valiant came only with the 225 engine. R-series came with silver motors and the S-series came with the red motor.

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I have been working away on a few things lately but need to get some pictures to post up. Hopefully soon. But in the meantime...This...The rear quarter window rubbers are some of the harder pieces to find. They, like most of the rubber pieces on the cars harden up over time. And are a nightmare to remove and replace. A friend has been working with a company to try and come up with a replacement for these rear quarter seals. And even though its not 100% there yet... they are alot closer to being ready than they were ever... Just a couple of tweaks and I reckon they will be good to go. I am not at the put the windows back in the car stage yet but when I am I reckon these rubber pieces could be ready by then.

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While in the rubber department... I scored a set of front and rear 1960-62 valiant rubber floor mats. Carpet wasn't offered as optional for the wagons (for whatever reason I don't know) so the quest was on to find a set that would replace the rather crappy ones I had. I have put them into the wagon to just settle for a while and find there shape. These ones are nice and soft and pliable and will look great.

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Always great to see your progress! Rubber mats are a great find also. I guess by '62 they had carpet because it was under my door sill plates when I got my wagon. Also loving the Suburban quarter trim parts!
 
Little side project for the wagon... The arm rests. I am using the early ones found on the Valiants. These were a 2 piece armrest and are a cool little point of difference to the regular 1 piece offered generally on the 60-62 Valiant wagons.

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What to do when you just cant get the pieces you need? Well I have been 3D printing a few little pieces here and there. Inside the heater box that goes under the dash is a plastic piece that has seen way better days. It has become brittle through heat and age. So I drew up the piece I need on the computer... changed it a little by making it thicker so it can last alot longer (But since I pretty much live on the edge of the desert I don't think I will really use it that much anyway) Then sent the file to my buddies place with the printer...and the next day he dropped the finished piece back. Pretty damn cool that thats possible. I have had the odd piece printed out now. Mostly as bucks for my rubber and plastics casting pieces I do and need.

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So it seems everything I posted up in the last week was lost due to a computer problem here. I wont rewrite any of it but I will post up the pictures instead....
 
Its been a little while since a update. I recently dropped the motor and gearbox in and have done a few other things to the wagon. You can start to see its taking shape now. Now I can look at the linkage set up, Checking the wiring and a few accessories and how they fit into place. Still lots to do but slowly its ticking over.

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That's Mike's demonstration that he follows directions carefully.
 

Attachments

  • 60 Valiant TSB 13-1.pdf
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Quite an informative and interesting thread, this is. Going to be a very interesting vehicle. The third seat option is definitely the icing on the cake ! I have to admit that upon initially reading your first few posts, I was a little perturbed at the thought of another instance of rare parts, and cars, that left the U.S. for foreign soil. Just seems to happen much too often lately, and I feel these cars are our national treasures. But seeing your dedication to and reverance for this vehicle, it becomes pretty clear that those parts and cars are in the best hands they could ever hope for. Your passion has inspired me to get back at my Valiant asap, so thanks for that !
 
Its been a little while since a update. I recently dropped the motor and gearbox in and have done a few other things to the wagon. You can start to see its taking shape now. Now I can look at the linkage set up, Checking the wiring and a few accessories and how they fit into place. Still lots to do but slowly its ticking over.

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Looks great. Keep up the good work!

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looking good Mike, what's that clamped on top of the passengers inner guard?

Hiya Marty,
That's the jack. On Wagons that came with the 3rd seat option, they were spare wheel delete cars. But if you wanted the spare tire option (Which was standard on every other car in the universe) you got the tire in the rear in the tire well but the jack went in the engine bay. Slantsixdan has attached the pages from the TSB that show whats going on. Let me see if I can find a period photo to post here.
 
I got the 2 right side doors onto the wagon today with the help of a few others. It took a little bit but we got there.
Sitting just near the wagon is one of my future rebuilds. An 1965 AP6 Utility (Ute) it will be done as a nice daily driver. I all the pieces I need. Just need the time to do it.

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