Bill Crowell
Well-Known Member
Just for your possible amusement, here's a picture of the first mockup I did when I installed the 360 in my '62 Valiant V-200::happy11:
Small block mockup in early, early skinny A-body!
- Thread starter Bill Crowell
- Start date
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moparlee
64 Valiant
Cool, how much difference is there between the 63 threw 66 compared to the 62 and down. Is it a lot?
Lee
Lee
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
i hear the main difference is the heater on the outside of the firewall.. is that the only real problem??
tdmer
rpdtrns
Just for your possible amusement, here's a picture of the first mockup I did when I installed the 360 in my '62 Valiant V-200::happy11:
I love it! Growing up my parents had a dozen of those 60/62 Valiants. There used to be a wagon at OCIR on Friday nights that had been made into a two door hard top. Feel in love with that car. It had a small block and made me chub every time I say it. More pics and details please.
In 1964 or 1965, I swear that one of the guys that hung around the gas station had a 61 Lancer that he had put a 318 into. Now remember that 318's at the time were all polysphere not LA's. I sure hope that I am remembering correctly and not suffering from "old-timers".
Bill Crowell
Well-Known Member
"More details"
I already posted a thread in "Show Me Your A-Body", and I don't want to repeat myself. Here's a couple of pics:
"Cool, how much difference is there between the 63 threw 66 compared to the 62 and down. Is it a lot?"
I don't know about later models, but the '60-'62 Valiant and Lancer had about 28 inches between the inner fenderwells/shock towers, and the exhaust manifolds clear each side by about 3/4". It's really tight where the left side head pipe runs past the steering box. I used a stock K-member with a Schumacher mount and torque strap to hold the engine still; otherwise I think it would hit the body at idle. The guys at Wildcat Mopars hooked me up with some manifolds that they knew would clear - they'd done this swap before. They are Chrysler manifolds, but I forget the part number and application. I think I remember the Wildcat guys saying those manifolds were the only ones that would work. The largest exhaust pipe that would clear the steering box was 2-1/4".
I'd be curious what the fenderwell measurement is on the '63s - '66s and on the later models, if somebody would be so kind as to measure theirs and let us know.
"i hear the main difference is the heater on the outside of the firewall.. is that the only real problem??"
Yep, had to get rid of the heater. I live in California. Your temperature may vary.
"Firewall PIX PLEASE!"
Nothing special about the firewall. Just removed the heater box and blower, stripped and painted the firewall and had stainless covers cut for the blower and heater box holes. The stock distributor clears fine.
I probably could have used a 904, but I decided to go with a 727, so I raised the tranny hump at the same time I replaced the front floors. The rear end is a narrow 8-3/4" off a Duster V8 with a Dana Power-Lock 3.73 posi. Big front and rear sway bars; 15 X 8" wheels. Big welded subframe connectors and the Ma Mopar leaf spring relocation kit to make room for the big tires in the rear. The Kelsey-Hayes 4-piston front discs and 10-1/2"(?) rear drums off that same Duster. The engine has forged rods and pistons, ported "J" heads, balanced, and right now I'm running a Performer intake with a big ThermoQuad, and I like the way it runs. I'm using a 2,000-stall torque converter. That's about it. If I ever get my act together, I'd like to take it to the strip.
I already posted a thread in "Show Me Your A-Body", and I don't want to repeat myself. Here's a couple of pics:
"Cool, how much difference is there between the 63 threw 66 compared to the 62 and down. Is it a lot?"
I don't know about later models, but the '60-'62 Valiant and Lancer had about 28 inches between the inner fenderwells/shock towers, and the exhaust manifolds clear each side by about 3/4". It's really tight where the left side head pipe runs past the steering box. I used a stock K-member with a Schumacher mount and torque strap to hold the engine still; otherwise I think it would hit the body at idle. The guys at Wildcat Mopars hooked me up with some manifolds that they knew would clear - they'd done this swap before. They are Chrysler manifolds, but I forget the part number and application. I think I remember the Wildcat guys saying those manifolds were the only ones that would work. The largest exhaust pipe that would clear the steering box was 2-1/4".
I'd be curious what the fenderwell measurement is on the '63s - '66s and on the later models, if somebody would be so kind as to measure theirs and let us know.
"i hear the main difference is the heater on the outside of the firewall.. is that the only real problem??"
Yep, had to get rid of the heater. I live in California. Your temperature may vary.
"Firewall PIX PLEASE!"
Nothing special about the firewall. Just removed the heater box and blower, stripped and painted the firewall and had stainless covers cut for the blower and heater box holes. The stock distributor clears fine.
I probably could have used a 904, but I decided to go with a 727, so I raised the tranny hump at the same time I replaced the front floors. The rear end is a narrow 8-3/4" off a Duster V8 with a Dana Power-Lock 3.73 posi. Big front and rear sway bars; 15 X 8" wheels. Big welded subframe connectors and the Ma Mopar leaf spring relocation kit to make room for the big tires in the rear. The Kelsey-Hayes 4-piston front discs and 10-1/2"(?) rear drums off that same Duster. The engine has forged rods and pistons, ported "J" heads, balanced, and right now I'm running a Performer intake with a big ThermoQuad, and I like the way it runs. I'm using a 2,000-stall torque converter. That's about it. If I ever get my act together, I'd like to take it to the strip.
MtNemoMopar
In the doghouse
Don't be afraid of repeating THOSE pics. I could look at your car all day(but I'm not chubbin' over it......really!)
Bill Crowell
Well-Known Member
The car weighs only 3,180 lbs. in street trim with driver, half tank of gas, and all its heavy running gear (steel rims, heavy sway bars, cast-iron case early TF). That's pretty light, isn't it?
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
if you get a chance can you get better pics of the enging compartment? like to see both sides of the motor and wheel wells..
moparlee
64 Valiant
"Cool, how much difference is there between the 63 threw 66 compared to the 62 and down. Is it a lot?"
I don't know about later models, but the '60-'62 Valiant and Lancer had about 28 inches between the inner fenderwells/shock towers, and the exhaust manifolds clear each side by about 3/4". I
Wow, that is little. You couldn't get a 57/58 Hemi in there for sure. They are 33in wide from valve cover tip to valve cover tip.
grimreaper
Cross Member
When I was a kid I thought those were among the ugliest cars made. They were a pretty common sight and a large percentage of people who had them didn't take care of them or even wash them. BUT when I see one now I stop in my tracks and stare! Somehow they have become one of the coolest Mopars! Especially with V-8 power. Yours looks great! Please do post more pix. I saw a two door in Houston Texas and chased the guy through the parking lot to get a closer look. He had put in a 416 and had a transmission shop make a built 1970 904 work with his puhbutton shifter! He also used some aftermarket heater A/C combo that fits under the dash. Any one got any more info on either the tranny adaptation or the heater A/C? (for the day I actually get an early Lancer or Valiant)
More pics please!
More pics please!
Optik
Well-Known Member
aren't these 60-62 darts actually "B" bodies? either way their still incredibly ugly and super cool at the same time. chrysler really went overboard with the fins on those things. gotta love em tho....your certainly not going to have one just like it pull up next to you....ever.
-tim
-tim
Bill Crowell
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure that the '60-'62 Valiants and Lancers were the earliest A-bodies, Optik. They were just skinnier than the later A-bodies.
When I replaced my floor pans, I couldn't find one for a '60-'62 Valiant, so I bought one for a '63. It turned out to be virtually identical to the old floor pan, except that I had to trim roughly 2 inches off each side.
The '60 and '61 models used a different K-member and ball joints than the '62 did. The Valiant and Lancer got a minor redesign in '62, in which they got the same ball joints and K-member as the larger cars. So if you want to do this V8 swap, it's best to use a '62 K-member so the Schumacher mount will fit. (Even tho Schumacher only advertises their engine mount kit to fit models back to '63, it will also fit a '62.)
"either way their still incredibly ugly and super cool at the same time. chrysler really went overboard with the fins on those things. gotta love em tho"
Yes, I like mine because it looks like a toad. Chrysler would have sold many, many more Valiants and Lancers if they hadn't been styled so weird. Lots of potential customers were turned off by the styling. The car sold a lot better after it got more normal styling in 1963. Chrysler historians tend to think that if Ma Mopar had introduced the Valiant in 1960 with more "Falcon-like" styling, and if... well, to explain the rest, I gotta tell you a story..........
OK, remember how the 1961 full-sized Plymouth was a styling disaster, a kind of "Virgil Exner overkill", that sold abysmally? Chrysler really wanted to re-style the Plymouth in 1962 so it would sell better. The stylists had a car all ready to go that was quite handsome. However, in 1961 Chrysler V.P. William Newburg (who would later succeed L.L. "Tex" Colbert as President of Chrysler, only to be deposed a few months later due to charges of conflict-of-interest with Chrysler suppliers) was playing golf at the Oakland Hills Country Club north of Detroit with Ed Cole, President of Chevrolet. Cole mentioned to Newburg that Chevy was going to be introducing the Chevy II in 1962, only Newburg didn't hear him correctly, and thought Cole was saying that Chevy was going to downsize the regular Chevrolet, so he ran back to Chrysler headquarters and ordered the stylists to rush a downsize of the proposed 1962 Plymouth design, and it turned out ugly as hell because they couldn't downsize it that quickly and make it look good. So the '62 Plymouth sold lousy, too.
Anyway, a lot of people seem to think that if the Valiant's styling hadn't been so weird, and if Ma Mopar had introduced the '62 Plymouth as originally designed, Chrysler's sales would have been strong and it would have been in a much more competitive position in later years.
When I replaced my floor pans, I couldn't find one for a '60-'62 Valiant, so I bought one for a '63. It turned out to be virtually identical to the old floor pan, except that I had to trim roughly 2 inches off each side.
The '60 and '61 models used a different K-member and ball joints than the '62 did. The Valiant and Lancer got a minor redesign in '62, in which they got the same ball joints and K-member as the larger cars. So if you want to do this V8 swap, it's best to use a '62 K-member so the Schumacher mount will fit. (Even tho Schumacher only advertises their engine mount kit to fit models back to '63, it will also fit a '62.)
"either way their still incredibly ugly and super cool at the same time. chrysler really went overboard with the fins on those things. gotta love em tho"
Yes, I like mine because it looks like a toad. Chrysler would have sold many, many more Valiants and Lancers if they hadn't been styled so weird. Lots of potential customers were turned off by the styling. The car sold a lot better after it got more normal styling in 1963. Chrysler historians tend to think that if Ma Mopar had introduced the Valiant in 1960 with more "Falcon-like" styling, and if... well, to explain the rest, I gotta tell you a story..........
OK, remember how the 1961 full-sized Plymouth was a styling disaster, a kind of "Virgil Exner overkill", that sold abysmally? Chrysler really wanted to re-style the Plymouth in 1962 so it would sell better. The stylists had a car all ready to go that was quite handsome. However, in 1961 Chrysler V.P. William Newburg (who would later succeed L.L. "Tex" Colbert as President of Chrysler, only to be deposed a few months later due to charges of conflict-of-interest with Chrysler suppliers) was playing golf at the Oakland Hills Country Club north of Detroit with Ed Cole, President of Chevrolet. Cole mentioned to Newburg that Chevy was going to be introducing the Chevy II in 1962, only Newburg didn't hear him correctly, and thought Cole was saying that Chevy was going to downsize the regular Chevrolet, so he ran back to Chrysler headquarters and ordered the stylists to rush a downsize of the proposed 1962 Plymouth design, and it turned out ugly as hell because they couldn't downsize it that quickly and make it look good. So the '62 Plymouth sold lousy, too.
Anyway, a lot of people seem to think that if the Valiant's styling hadn't been so weird, and if Ma Mopar had introduced the '62 Plymouth as originally designed, Chrysler's sales would have been strong and it would have been in a much more competitive position in later years.
fubar
64DART GT 340
A friend of mine has a panther pink valiant that used to be a 273 hi-po 4 speed 8 3/4 etc,that used to sit in his yard and the fuzz would give him a rough way to go so it has become the VAGRANT. HA HA HA!! Anyway the moisture and rust finally got the best of her and the thing was parted out..... but NOT the end of the story. seems the owner didn't have the time and $$$$ to redo EVERYTHING so he had a friend build a square tube frame that can hold a mighty 440 fenderwell headers that looks like miles of cobras coming from that thing huge meats, dana,frog rack and pinion,automatic, I think a 10 or12 point cage ....With the hood off it would most defenatly look like it IS going 100 MPH just sitting still!! Still a rolling piece of art and in progress still! OOPS rambling again see ya.
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