The Great White Brick - '69 Valiant

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Ya, it's really amazing. I'm impressed with Tom and I. I forgot my camera the other day, but we've got the rear end (was donated from a '69 Dart) all cleaned, blasted and painted. It looks like a million bucks! We're starting assembly now. The goal is to get it rolling around on wheels then prep for paint...interior and stuff like that can come later. We want this thing to be driving to Carlisle in July...I'm not sure if it's going to happen though. I just bought a '72 van too that I'll be working on a bit...uh oh.....
 
i think this is a real kewl thread, very industrious, informative and good pictures! everyone is ROOTIN FOR YA! and we can`t wait for the next installment...well really we cant wait to see it under its own power!(notice i didn`t say finished)
i think y`all have found alternative career choices...and just imagine if ya did that work to a sought after R/T, convert or RB car!
good job all the way around...i have just one complaint...i could`ve done without the rat pictures! haay i love Mopars, i`ll even get a lil greasy once in awhile...maybe even break a nail! but dead rats??? ICCCKKKY!
(the only dead rats i wanna see are GM)
 
Work continues on the Deviant. The donor rear end has been pressure washed, sandblasted, painted with Por-15, new brakes, new pinion seal and is ready to go in. We finally removed the rear springs and are going to use the donor ones too. There's not much left of this car that is original! We continued our use of Master Series silver under the car and finally put it under the rear wheel wells, a pain in the *** area to do.

The whole drivetrain is new! We've got the 28,000 mile old lady 360/904, the '69 Arizona Dart rear end and springs, the complete new front end (tie rods, ball joints, KH disc brakes) compliments of my garage, stuff that came with a motherload of parts I bought last year and sold most of at Carlisle. The front frame is from a wrecked Demon, the floor pans from a /6 Dart.....I'm not sure what's original anymore!

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As you may notice in the photos, after two coats of silver we're painting the under carriage with the Master Series chassis black. The center area between the frame rails is already done. It's tough stuff. I think I prefer the look of the satin finish silver but the black will look better contrasting with the white of the car and it's hard and more resiliant to dirt and chips and all that. It's really been a lot of work cleaning the whole underside of the car, degreasing, rinsing and painting with 3 coats of product. I will likely never do this again unless the car is on a rotisserie.
 
Win a lotto? No, it's mostly at night we're doing this stuff. I was over at Tom's from about 8 until 11:30 tonight....we do that a few nights a week.
 
65s said:
Win a lotto? No, it's mostly at night we're doing this stuff. I was over at Tom's from about 8 until 11:30 tonight....we do that a few nights a week.
Click to expand...

Well with all that work lately...Ijust thought :scratch: :lol: Beside if you did...you would be out here for wings..."right" :lol: :lol:
 
I didn't take any photos, but the last couple of days I've spent my spare time putting the last few coats of MCU and chassis black under the car. It's unbelievable how clean it is now under there compared to when it first rolled into my life! The entire under side of this car has been degreased, de-undercoated, scraped, scrubbed, rinsed, sandblasted where necessary then painted with 2 coats of rust encapsulating paint and 1 coat of rock hard chassis black. It's like a new car under there now.

I will say this though, after spending probably close to 100 hours, (maybe more, I really haven't kept track...it's been weeks and weeks!) under the car, scraping, rubbing, brushing, cleaning, painting, swearing and and bleeding...I will NEVER do this again unless the car is on a rotisserie. There, I've said it. Now I can move on with my life and one day I'll probably forget I said that and do it again, but right now the thought makes me ill.
 
We're continuing to reassemble the car to get it rolling, then bodywork. I think all the welding is done. The scraping of oil and muck from underneath is done, still got the trunk to go.

Tonight we assembled the rear leafs, rear end, shocks, gas tank and earlier in the week Tom put the dash in. We hope to have the motor/tranny in on the weekend and have it sitting down on wheels! Yay!

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Looking good Neil... not long now!! Your in the fun clean part and the key turning...is just around the corner. "that will be the stage fright time" (what's that leaking dude) he-he.
Cheers, Jim
 
haha...funny! Yes, it's a pleasure now under the car...nothing falls in your face! We're shooting for a trip to Carlisle with it. If we make it, there won't be any interior (just a pair of seats...some old van seats I have).
 
You did a great job, I'm jealous that you made so much progress in such a short time. Maybe you can come here and work on my car while I'm at work. :toothy7:

Carlisle is a great place to pick up parts, remember, many of the vedors will give discounts and you save on shipping costs too. Load up the car with parts and don't miss the swap meet, get there early for the best deals.
 
Neil !! You are going at this car like a hungry dog.
Your time spent and hard work really show's you know what you are doing.
This will be a thread I will keep for reference when I get off my old a$$ and buy me a rolling chassie. Looking good :thumbup:
 
Thanks for the inspiration. I'm still picking oil and sludge from my hair and Tom will be lucky if he's still married by the time this thing is finished! It's been exactly 5 months since it rolled in. A rusted out parts car at best, now a promising cool ride with new floors, 360 and lots of good karma! I'm quite impressed too, I must give thanks to John Forkney in New York who supplied the good front frame, floor section and other much needed parts.
 
God Bless.
I love the name.
That is not just “that Mopar magazine”. It is a breath of fresh air.
Your car may not be inspected by “you know who” ,but it has soul.
And your heart is in it. Not just your wallet.
It’s people like you that are keeping “the hobby” alive.
Not to mention giving hope against the Mustang-Camaro crowd.
As I understand it, the production numbers of A-bodies are the only ones the have any HOPE.
There just aren’t enough Hemi-Cudas to make a viable hobby.
I was preaching “Save The A-Bodies” ten years ago. In the last ten years I have witness dealers drive up prices with “investment” cars.
I wonder why prices have become ridiculous on some Mopars.
Maybe, just maybe it is because every “collector car dealer” out there has 12 cars. I think that is called “cornering the market”.
But I see A-bodies continue to be parted out.
In my junk yard travels I have never seen a Mustang.
No matter how band it is. Someone restores it.
I drive one of my two Darts 80 miles across Atlanta everyday.
And every other day someone ask me what it is.
People even yell at me on the interstate.
That alone is worth it.
Gonna "Fly like an eagle". :angel9: (Steve Miller)
 
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