The unwanted 1968 Signet.

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tenfive0

tenfive0

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Joined
May 4, 2020
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Location
Lehigh Valley, PA
Thanks for letting me in the group. I've had LOTS of cars over the decades and a lot more projects to complete on the bucket list. One of my long term projects is a 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury Factory (Max Wedge) Super Stock.

Attached is a picture of my new to me 1968 Signet (more door/crew cab) as it arrived on its piggy back ride home early this past fall. The Valiant had to be piggy backed home because the two previous owners (gave up) couldn't figure out what was wrong with the car or how to get it running correctly. Both previous owners put a pile of money into good parts for the car. The car from the factory was built originally with a leaning tower of power. I bought it as is with a poor running 318 2-barrel engine. That is what brings me here for tech advise on the things I can not figure out.

Let the fun begin.
Mack 114.jpg
 
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Welcome! My first car ever was a 1969 Plymouth Belvedere taxi. $200 in 1975 as a running car, but beat to hell. I will always like 4 door cars. Great find!
 
Awesome to see another 4-door Valiant owner sign up. :)
 
I call the Signet the "Unwanted" because the two previous owners had a hand turning it into a car then couldn't drive that they didn't want any longer and they gave up on. That's where I come in. The car was running but it was totally undrivable. This past few weeks I've been determined on getting it at least drivable out of the garage so I can get the garden tractor out to cut the grass.

The story and some background on the car: The person I bought it from got the car in a trade of some sort from a "younger guy". The car started out from the factory in 1968 with a 225 leaning tower of power 6 cylinder. Somewhere along the progression of owners since 1968 the car got a 318 but it still had the slant 6 radiator. The 318 had a 2 barrel carburetor on it when I brought it home. The person I bought the car from put a rebuilt 727 in the car with a stock converter. It also had an 8-3/4 rear with 2.73 gears. I don't know who put the rear in the car or when it was done. It had been upgraded with manual disc brakes up front. The person I bought the car from put a new fuel tank in it and all new brake lines. I picked up the car (cheap) for a very reasonable price because I'm stupid enough to think I could figure out what was wrong with the car and I could fix it.

The story continues, the "younger guy" (the previous owner to the previous owner) did a cam swap in the 318. I have no idea when the cam was put in the 318 or when the engine was put in the car. I did not get a cam card with the car. I know nothing other then the cam is a hydraulic flat tappet and it is way to much cam for the car with the combination put together. One thing for sure is the cam is not the cam I would have chosen to put in the car if given a chose. It's not a HOT ROD. It appears the car was put together with no thought, with out a plan and all miss matched components. Why put such a big cam in an engine and leave the stock 2 barrel carburetor, heads, intake and exhaust manifolds? If you know the car has a big cam and you do a trans swap why put a stock converter in front of it? Perhaps it's a matter or two halves of one whole idiot. Well then I guess that makes me the 2nd idiot trying to figure out what the hell the other two halves of a whole idiot where up too or trying to accomplish. At least I'm now able to drive the car out of the garage and I'm making progress. I still have a ways to go with questions that I'll post elsewhere in a more appropriate thread to the current problem I'm facing.
 
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So tell us about that ex fire truck.

I once saw a late model fire truck (I believe it was a Pierce) low profile 4 door tractor being used to haul a really nice travel trailer.

Had never seen that before.

Local U-pull yard had a early 70's Dodge "attack pumper" W300 4x4 they were using to pump out drainage ditches.
 
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YY1 said:
So tell us about that ex fire truck ford.

I once saw a late model fire truck (I believe it was a Pierce) low profile 4 door tractor being used to haul a really nice travel trailer.

Had never seen that before.

Local U-pull yard had a early 70's Dodge "attack pumper" W300 4x4 they were using to pump out drainage ditches.
Click to expand...

I am a retried Battalion Chief/EMT/Firefighter. The truck is a 1972 Mack CF-600 converted in to an equipment/vehicle hauler ramp truck. The truck is only used (not for hire) to haul around all the junk we have accumulated and own. The truck is another totally different story..
1963 Home 1.jpg
1963 Home 3.jpg
 
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Mack. Looked like a ford from the rear.

Nonetheless very cool.

Even a dump bed, and looks like well thought out ramp extensions.
 
It isn't a truck you would want to use daily to go out and try to make money with but is serves it's purpose for what I need to do. I carry aluminum ramps to extend the lift ramp further.
Mack 110.jpg
 
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Welcome aboard I like valiant and the truck. I want a 4 door valiant so bad.
 
Welcome to the site! Awesome rig you have there.... One thing nice, if you have the complete car, getting a motor to run or a replacement motor is the easy part.
 
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