1964 Valiant "Get Runnin & Drivin"

-
sireland67 said:
I bet it was rough, considering you guys do not have any snow removal equipment.

I remember the next morning, the picture I took of my old truck, I used my snow blower, and helped the neighbor couple clear from around their Jeep.
About when we were about done, the city snow plow came by and covered it back up, the neighbor lady shouted at the plow driver, and just held her hands up in the air.
Click to expand...

Speaking of snow , one year before the big ice storm , we had 28'' of snow on my carport , measured it ----havent had a whole lot since --------
 
qkcuda said:
So if the 400 is going in the Valiant, where is the slant going?
Click to expand...

Y'ain't been payin attention. lol I've said all along I might swap um around. I may end up with clevis pins holding the engine in so I can whip somethin else in right quick like. lol
 
Princess Valiant said:
That 400 will be be pretty nice in there.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I know it. I had to go ahead and sling the slant together, because it's gonna sit there and go straight to hell if I don't. I have to admit though, It's probably gonna make it in the car too at some point.....unless I die. LOL I love the really flat torque curve the 170 has and I know the 225 will be even better. But the 400......in that car will be a hoot and a holler. My thought is......since I don't have to BUY any other BIG parts for the long rod slant, like bellhousing and transmission, I might just do an engine swap to it first, while I am acquiring parts for the 400. I've been searching high and low for a big block bellhousing that will mate to an A230. Nothin's turned up yet. Nothin. It's not like they are rare. Any of the dual pattern bellhousings with the 4.35" hole from 1969 on up will work, so they're out there. I think that's gonna hang me up long enough to put the slant in it. Plus, with the slant, there's no need to upgrade the transmission OR put this narrowed Ford 9" under it AND I can leave the drum brakes on it because the slant won't accelerate so quickly that I cannot get it stopped. So it might be a good stepping stone.
 
Last edited:
Kitty and I got some 1/8" Luan plywood today for kick panels and door panels. Since I had an original and undamaged kick panel, we used that as a template and traced around them on the plywood. I cut them out with the jigsaw. I'll go back tomorrow and sand the rough edges down, Paint the edges bright red, in case the edges show and then cut some red carpet to the size and glue it on. Should turn out really nice. The door panels I think will be more challenging. I'm not sure if I have enough red carpet for those. It'll look ok with carpet, I think if I do have enough. We'll see.

ORIGINAL KICK PANEL.jpg


NEW KICK PANELS.jpg
 
Have you considered the red edging and "simply" urethane-ing the wood?

...for a real wood-grain interior!
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yeah. I know it. I had to go ahead and sling the slant together, because it's gonna sit there and go straight to hell if I don't. I have to admit though, It's probably gonna make it in the car too at some point.....unless I die. LOL I love the really flat torque curve the 170 has and I know the 225 will be even better. But the 400......in that car will be a hoot and a holler. My thought is......since I don't have to BUY any other BIG parts for the long rod slant, like bellhousing and transmission, I might just do an engine swap to it first, while I am acquiring parts for the 400. I've been searching high and low for a big block bellhousing that will mate to an A230. Nothin's turned up yet. Nothin. It's not like they are rare. Any of the dual pattern bellhousings with the 4.35" hole from 1969 on up will work, so they're out there. I think that's gonna hang me up long enough to put the slant in it. Plus, with the slant, there's no need to upgrade the transmission OR put this narrowed Ford 9" under it AND I can leave the drum brakes on it because the slant won't accelerate so quickly that I cannot get it stopped. So it might be a good stepping stone.
Click to expand...

How big of a tire can u get under that little valiant ?!-----May need a mini tub later .
 
YY1 said:
Have you considered the red edging and "simply" urethane-ing the wood?

...for a real wood-grain interior!
Click to expand...

That's one way I had not thought about.
 
Looks like I don't quite have enough carpet for the door panels. Have enough for one and if I pieced the other together I could do both, but that wouldn't look right I don't think.
 
You got a local auto upholstery shop? They may have a remnant that would work. Shoot, maybe a local craft store may have some red speaker box carpet by the yard.

Can't wait to see what you come up with.
 
Got the carpet glued on. Now I'm waitin on the red edging to get here.

KICK PANELS.jpg
 
my68barracuda said:
In the photo looked like zero deck height,, so you put stock style pistons on 198 rods? What piston recession / deck height did that result in?
Click to expand...

Yes. They are stock 2.2 Chrysler 4 cylinder non turbo pistons. They sit .043" in the hole.
 
Ok, so here's what's fixin to happen. I gotta keep this little car runnin and drivin, or I'm afraid it'll sit and go to hell. It sat since like 1980 before I got it. It's sat enough. On initial startup first thing of the day it rattles and knocks pretty good and the oil light stays on till like 20 Mississippi. So, it obviously has some worn bearings. If it's like most of these engines, with these forged cranks, all it needs is bearings. So, we're gonna snatch the 170 out, stick it on the stand fully assembled, whoop the pan off, put rods and mains in it. Then a new timing chain set. I have an extra NOS one that's MADE IN USA. I also have a new oil pump I am going to put on it and then put it back in. I'm not even gonna take the valve cover off. I believe as good as it runs, someone had the head done at some point, but did nothing to the bottom end. It's either that, OR the oil pickup is restricted with sludge. The latter is entirely possible, since it did have some sludge buildup up top when I first got it. This will buy me all the time I need for any future engine swap and I can keep driving it as long as I need to. I will take pictures and maybe video.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top