A Couple of Corrections From an Old Guy

[Bill Crowell]

I recently got into a discussion of A-bodies on this board when it became apparent to me that some of the posters didn't know a couple of things about the really early A-bodies. Since I grew up with these cars, and drove a '60 Valiant for about 10 years, believe me I am not making this stuff up.

First, a '62 Dodge Dart was an intermediate-sized car, not a compact. The Dodge compact car in '62 was the Lancer. In '63 Dodge renamed the Lancer compact as the Dart.

The '60-'62 Valiant and Lancer were quite a bit smaller and lighter than the later versions, mostly because they were narrower.

Therefore trying to compare the performance of a '60-'62 A-body with that of a later model is like comparing apples and oranges. If you put a 450 horsepower small block V8 into a '60-'62 A-body, try calculating the power-to-weight ratio. (The V8 is approx. 60 lbs. heavier than the slant 6.) It is about the same power/weight ratio that you would have with a 13-second car.

 

[bvt69dart]

Thanks Bill. I had a '62 Dart also, and it was the same size as the '63 Polara. The knowledge on this site makes it #1 in my book!

 

[Commando66]

Have you gone to the drag strip yet?

 

[mikeys toy]

I've owned a pair of '61 Valiants, still have a '61 Lancer back in Ca.
I have a '61 Dart Pioneer out here.
The '63 Dart post is still my favorite A body

 

[Bill Crowell]

The '60-'62 Valiants and Lancers had a 106.5" wheelbase and weighed as little as 2,510 lbs. With 450 h.p. at the rear wheels, the power/weight ratio in one of these early cars would be about 5.5.

By 1968 the Valiant weighed 3350 lbs., partly because the body was about 4" wider and the wheelbase had been increased to 108". Such a car would require about 610 h.p. at the rear wheels to have the same power/weight ratio as the early car with only 450 h.p.

"Have you gone to the drag strip yet?"

No, because my launch technique is too lousy. I have to feather the throttle too much off the line, so it doesn't really prove anything. I'm afraid that if I give it too much pedal off the line it will pop another wheelie, and the last time I did that the car made some really weird moves and when it came down it mashed my front valence and the alignment was off. I don't know how to keep the car going straight when it starts carrying its front wheels. And a stock front end isn't designed to handle wheelies, is it?