My 1965 Plymouth Valiant 200

[USMCTank_33]

Hello,

My car is a one owner vehicle bought in 65 by my great grandfather. He drove it until 1976 when the brake locked up at 51270 on the odometer. He parked the car and left it sitting at his house in Lake Worth. It moved in 1979 to my Grandfather's farm and sat beside his barn and it had sat till 2012 when I pulled it out. It then sat down at my dad's house until yesterday when I had the help of a friend load it up and bring it to my house.
I'm 21 years old and a former marine. This is my first A body and I told my Great grandma I wouldn't let it rot away. No one else in the family wanted the little car except me.
It's a 4 door automatic 273 V8.
Vin - V35716397
The motor is locked, all 4 wheels were locked solid, trans condition unknown, rear diff condition/size unknown.

 

[USMCTank_33]

Movement

 

[USMCTank_33]

Moved to the house

 

[USMCTank_33]

I've gotten the front end to spin. Brakes were a b*tch too release.

 

[USMCTank_33]

Well got my shop vac working and got all the dirt and garbage out of the inside of the car.
Then decided to take front seat out and rip up the carpet.
It's the only spot on the car that is actual holes.

 

[Brad4406]

Neat story. I hope you succeed in getting it back on the road again. I usually wouldn't be a fan of a more door, but I'm all about family and history. That car is a great combination of both.

Other than needing floor pans, the interior looks pretty good. How are the frame rails?

273 with A/C will make for a neat grocery getter/daily driver.

 

[USMCTank_33]

Frame rails are still white from factory lol.
I wish that my grandpa wouldn't have just blocked it up by the barn.
It sank the brink down so that just the floor pans were on the ground so they rotted..
The 273 will be fun eventually.
At this point I want to get the floors redone and wiring re ran.
then I'll tear down my suspension and decide what rear I want in it for now. And then decide on engine/trans

I'm keeping the # matching parts to rebuild latet

 

[USMCTank_33]

See I thought the same thing for the longest time.
"Ughhh 4 door family car"
Then I saw ANGREE on youtube
Aussie 65 valiant bad ***. I fell in love

 

[USMCTank_33]

Got the truck cleaned out. Surprisingly decent. No holes. Looks like the pan was set in and a putty was used to keep it in place so a few spots you can see through it because putty is gone.
There was probably 300 lbs of dirt, car parts, the stuffing of my back seat, straps that have rotted, paper that has rotted, just junk through the car.
Found an old air compressor still works. And 4 ford hub caps that fit the 13" wheels so I'm assuming my grandpa used to roll'em.

 

[Brad4406]

Looks very clean for a car that's been sitting for a very long time.

 

[USMCTank_33]

Yeah doesn't look to be an immediate replacement.
I am looking at amd for pans. All I found is 65 barracuda.
Could I use those up front and have someone build the rest to the back.

 

[chryslerfat]

Yes Barracuda pans are the same as the Valiant.

 

[USMCTank_33]

Shwweeeet
That's what I thought but I had a lot of conflicting answers from other people. (Didn't know a body mopar to well)
Thanks Chryslerfat

 

[USMCTank_33]

Forgot to post yesterday

Disconnected the driveshaft and tore out the seized brakes but rear end still wouldn't spin freely.
The rust had basically "welded" it together.
Little bit of elbow grease and now it spins free.

 

[USMCTank_33]

Well today had me grinning ear to ear and it wasn't even something that special.
When we dropped it off the trailer it was positioned to far forward in the drive way so I couldn't do anything up front and the tires were locked so I couldn't move it.
Well I finally got it all broke loose and slapped tires on it and pulled it backwards with ease.. it was nice watching it roll..

 

[Brad4406]

Congrats. Every bit is progress towards your goal.