'61 Valiant - Should I restore it?

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brentwasham

brentwasham

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Leaving for Omaha tomorrow to pick this one up (they had the model year wrong): 1962 plymouth valiant for sale by owner - Carter Lake, IA - craigslist Floor pans are rusted and engine doesn't turn over but the car appears complete, body panels are still solid, and price was right. It was a North Dakota car. It will be a parts car for my '62 coupe if it turns out to be too far gone. Thinking I will pull the plugs and try a rust product followed by some Marvel Mystery Oil to attempt freeing up engine. Shop its at said they had a socket on crank but thought I heard they didn't come with a crank bolt from the factory. Don't know if its a 170 or 225. If a 170 a hyperpack would be fun, given I could find the parts, 4-speed would be nice, too. I do like the push button tranny, though, and its a 4-door so might just restore it to original.
 
It's entirely possible it has an example of the aluminum block 225 in it. They made about 50K of them and 61 is one of the years.
 
YES. Restore it. When you take it to a Mopar car show, there will be 20 E Bodies, 20 64-69 Barracudas, 20 Roadrunners, 20 cars with hemis, but there will only be ONE 61 Valiant. I think you will be surprised how popular your car will be.
 
barbee6043 said:
You can screw a correct size and thread bolt in that crank and try to turn it!
Click to expand...
i got it home yesterday and messed with it some today. First order of business (same as my '62) was to free up the rusted hood hinges. Its a 170 cast iron (I had the alum block in the '62 my grandparents gave me in '74, major head gasket problems there.) Could move the crank by hand when grabbing the fan belt, but only about a 1/4" each way. Don't know how the shop I bought it from knew it was seized with hood stuck nearly shut, there was no bolt in crankshaft as I've heard is the factory practice. Also has Oregon plates so all floor pans are gone and only major rust is very bottom of right quarter panel and trunk seal lip of body, all the way across the bottom. Going to pull plugs and try soaking with a rust product in cylinders, perhaps followed by marvel mystery oil. It has disintegrated dash cluster top, not sure where that can be sourced as sun seems to get them all on the '60-'61 Valiants. May wind up a parts car for my '62 2-dr sedan, but I would like to save it. Here's some pics: Check out my album ''61 Valiant' on MightyText
 
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