Here's the AMA spec for 1965. I am going out on a limb and say that 66 would be the same as 65 with a 4 speed and a 225 combo available.
Did they ever produce a slant 6 4 speed with a console in 1966?
- Thread starter Steve Meador
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Charrlie_S
Well-Known Member
That is not definitive, as the 4 speed trans was different between 65 and 66.
One other thing, that list does not show a 3.91 gear as an option. I did have a 65 Valiant with a 170, 904, and 3.91 SG 7 1/4 rear.
One other thing, that list does not show a 3.91 gear as an option. I did have a 65 Valiant with a 170, 904, and 3.91 SG 7 1/4 rear.
That sounds like a fun combination. Someone ordered that combo in purpose I'm sure. Yes all sorts of crazy combinations that don't fit the written information. Never mind say never with old Mopars.
Charrlie_S
Well-Known Member
It was a great running car. I wound up running in Z/SA. Just as a FYI. 3.91 was the lowest gear set offered as a factory ratio for the 7 1/4 rear. However Direct connection did offer 4.11, 4.56, 4.88, 5.13 (I have a 5.13 set) I have heard of a 5.38, but have never seen one, or a even listing.
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
was 66 the changeover yr from ball& trunion to slip spline?
Hyper_pak
Old School Chrysler Fan
Yes, 66 used a smaller rear slip yoke. 1 year only as 67 became what is "normal" for most A body 4 speeds. 64-65 were B&T.
Hyper_pak
Old School Chrysler Fan
I have an older casting number book, only lists V8 bells.
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
thx. one more question: did the 66 a-body 4spd have the 3.09 first gear?
Hyper_pak
Old School Chrysler Fan
Don't think so. Brewers has good info on the ratios. I am going to guess, 2.66 first.
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
wow, awful lot of changes going on around that time.
Factory records say no. But who do you trust. LOL
Charrlie_S
Well-Known Member
Just another bit of info. When I raced my 65 Valiant, with a 170/904, at one time we put in a 3 speed stick, just to try running in Z/S. I'm thinking, but not sure, we used the 3 speed, because the 4 speed was not a NHRA legal trans (at least with the 170). This was like 45 years ago, so I can't swear to the details. We were actually quicker with the 904.
slantsixdan
=..=
Yes, you could get a 4-speed with console in your new 225-powered '66 Dart…
…if you were in Spain, buying one of the Darts built there by Barreiros. If you were in the U.S., however, you were outta luck; your choices were a 4-speed (with a 273 engine) or a Slant-6 (with 3-speed automatic or manual). In the U.S., the 4-speed was offered with the Slant-6 only in '64 and '65, and then not again until '75 when the 833OD was offered.
(In Canada, however, you could buy your new '66 Dart-shaped Valiant with a 225 and 4-speed.)
…if you were in Spain, buying one of the Darts built there by Barreiros. If you were in the U.S., however, you were outta luck; your choices were a 4-speed (with a 273 engine) or a Slant-6 (with 3-speed automatic or manual). In the U.S., the 4-speed was offered with the Slant-6 only in '64 and '65, and then not again until '75 when the 833OD was offered.
(In Canada, however, you could buy your new '66 Dart-shaped Valiant with a 225 and 4-speed.)
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valiantwagonguy
Well-Known Member
The last year for the 4 speed in the early A's was 1965 .In 66 they only offered the 4 speed in the V8 because it had a 2.66 first gear .The 65 and down had a 3.09 1st gear and the 6 cylinder needed that to launch properly The next 6 cyl 4 speed option was in the F bodies in the mid and late 70's They had the 3.09 1st gear and that overdrive 4th unlike the 1 to 1 4th in the earlier 4 speeds
Steve Meador
Member
This car was actually made in Windsor. I finally have some pictures. It is strange, there are no GT badges on the C pillar and no holes for the badges. Were those a stick on? The car has a nice clean trunk, but I gave the quarter panels the "magnet test" and the driver's side has minor bondo, but the passenger's side has quite a bit. The car also has the problem of cutting out like it is starving for fuel when you bring it up to speed. Much like was described in another post. I did drive it a little. The suspension is tight, it has new tires, it doesn't seem to smoke. It idles well and runs well at low RPM. It does have a drop out rear end. What I could see underneath looked pretty good. I just think he wants way too much money, although I am interested in what others think it might be worth (I know it is hard to tell from pictures and a limited description).
Steve Meador
Member
There was no fender tag. didn't even see holes where it should have been. Also the screws to hold the windshield washer bottle were there, but the bottle was gone.
I would not ponder too much its originality just calculate its condition and if it provides your needed pleasure! Cool ride IMHO
slantsixdan
=..=
TILT! The A-bodies made in Windsor in '66 were not Darts, they were Valiants. All '66 Canadian Valiants were Dart-bodied, front to back, and the sedan, hardtop, and convertible models were on the 111" wheelbase. Effectively they were Dart-shaped Valiants. Your ID plate decodes as follows:
L: Valiant
P: Premium (Signet)
23: 2-door hardtop
B: 225 Slant-6 engine
6: 1966 model
9: Built at Windsor, Ontario, Canada
149119: Problematic serial number. Should start with 2; see attached. An LP23B65 (Los Angeles) or an LP23B67 (St. Louis) car could have a serial number starting with 1, but LP23B69 (Windsor) serial numbers started with a 2.
No, there weren't any stick-on badges or emblems in '66. This car doesn't have them because it's not a Dart GT, it's a Valiant Signet (at least the part of the car with the ID plate is), and those didn't have C-pillar badges. This also explains the 4-speed, which was available on the '66 Canadian Valiant with Slant-6 engine. It's got various Dart parts on it (horn button, trunk lid lettering, ghost of hood lettering), and it's missing all its Valiant badging.
Given the discrepancy with the ID plate/serial number, and the mix 'n' match parts, you ought to be extra careful, but if you know what you're getting and what you're not, it could be a fun car. The running/driveability problems won't be hard to fix.
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
sounds reasonable, but I thought I could make out "ghost" lettering on right rear quarter spelling out D-A-R-T.
edit. doesn't exactly spell dart, but it has 4 pairs of holes. Could spell DART, or maybe the Valiant script uses the same holes. IDK.
slantsixdan
=..=
The more I look at the pics, the more stuff on this car doesn't match up with other stuff on this car.
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
so when did they use the inland shifter? I know I had a 65 or 66 Dart sl/6 4spd with that shifter, because I remember I didn't like how it shifted. I had thought it was a 66, but now you're making me think it wasn't a 66, at all.
valiantwagonguy
Well-Known Member
65 and down had the Hurst 66 they put in the Inland If you had a 65 with an Inland someone added it , they didn't use them in the 1965 model year and in 1966 they didn't use the 4 speed behind a slant 6
There are 2 mopar bells that use the A833 4 speed trarns and the slant. I don't have the cast #'s right here. I can't personally atest to what years they were used in but I do know it was early 60's cars,no doubt A's and maybe some early B's?
slantsixdan
=..=
Other people are posting information in this thread, VWG. Look carefully and you might find one with pages from a factory parts cattledog, explaining how and where this '66 with Slant-6/4-speed came to exist.
The A833 used behind 225 Slant-6s in Canadian-built '66s had the 3.09:1 first gear, too.
No, the next Slant-6 4-speed option (in the US and Canada) was the A833OD in the '75-'76 A-bodies. The F-bodies came after that.
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
that makes some sense, from what I've seen of early a-body Canadian cars. Back then anyway, they seemed to be a year or two behind the US mopes.
So I'm assuming the 66 Canadian "darts" w/ sl6 4spd and 3.09 1st gear still had the ball and trunion, correct?
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