You know how it
is, you're not particularly looking for anything, but you read the ads
anyway, right? I was browsing through the Auto Trader and saw an ad for
a "1966 Chrysler Valiant Safari Estate". It was one owner from new, (Well,
except for the guy that had it now, oh yeah, and his mate who had it before
him!). But it is a genuine 56000 mile car, and pretty rare over here, plus
I'd got a bit of a hankering for a wagon. I phoned him, and he said he
could send some photo's down. The car was in Leeds, over a hundred miles
away. I got the photo's and this is what I saw...
Not too bad, eh?
Paintwork has faded so any areas painted later stand out like a sore
thumb.
The rear end features
a drop down tailgate and the coolest stainless wind deflectors you ever
saw.
I decided to make
an offer, and that it was to include delivery.
The offer was
accepted and I found myself in the position of awaiting delivery of a car
i hadn't realised I wanted until I saw it! - be honest how many of you
have done the same.
A couple of weeks
later it was delivered. I walked around it and wondered what I had let
myself in for. It wasn't too bad but it was a bit scruffy looking. I didn't
even know if it ran or not but the delivery guy jump started it, fired
it up - and drove it off the transporter and round to the back of my house.
It was very noisy, the exhaust was blowing like mad. _God knows what the
neighbours thought, it was a sleepy sunday afternoon till my new baby arrived.
But I was pleased,
cos not only did it start, but it drove and stopped (sort of) too! Oh yeah,
it also came with virtually all of it's test certificates, a service record
, the owners handbook and some sales literature!
Because it is
a big car to push around, my first aim was to fix the exhaust so I could
manoeuvre it around easily, without making too much racket. I bought a
load of 2" tubing off a mate and knocked a simple system up, using the
old silencer, which looked quite new. I started it up and it was just as
noisy as ever! I felt around and it was blowing from the joint between
the inlet and exhaust manifold.
hey, wait a minute-
I've written this before in a post on the HAMB-I'll paste it in here.....
Topic:
It's ALIIIVE!! (The Valiant that is!)
posted 03-30-2001
06:41 PM
Ok Tattoo'ed Love
Boys, I thought I'd write a progress report on the Valiant. Like I said
the car is not too bad for it's age. First job done was to get the side
light working. Start with the easy stuff. Then the big problem was the
exhaust. It was blowing real bad from the manifold flange, and had fell
apart where the front pipe meets the silencer. A new front pipe was made
up and the flange repaired. The engine was started and it was as noisy
as ever! the problem was the joint between the inlet and exhaust manifold.
It was so badly distorted I had to cap the exh with 4mm plate and grind
away the inlet to suit. The exhaust had been heavily weld repaired in the
past. I read somewhere they are prone to cracking. Well I can vouch for
that. A new inlet/exhaust gasket and the job was a good un.
So it runs, starts
and drives. The brakes were crap, grabby and binding and the pedal was
very low. While inspecting the rear brakes, I noticed the rear hubs were
difficult to turn. More later. I put seal kits in the rear brakes and fitted
new shoes. I got new cyls and shoes for the front and fitted them. The
master cyl was not the same as the US issue, but a kit for a 49 hudson
that just happened to be on the parts guy's shelf fitted ok.
The problem with
the rear axle turned out to be a busted powr-lok diff. I took off the rear
cover, and found bits of one of the four diff pinions in the bottom. Half
of the pinion was still in the cage and was jamming things from time to
time. Located a 66 barracuda axle not too far away and that was fitted
in short order. Has a slightly taller axle ratio, so should be better on
trips. It bolted right in too, as the barracuda was based on the Valiant.
I fitted some
inch and a half blocks and long U-bolts just for good measure.
The front was
lowered to suit but not before I had to break out the oxy gear to free
the rusted adjuster bolts.
The last wheel
cylinder was fitted this afternoon and the brakes bled. 3 wheels bled ok
but I had to fit a new flexy to the last one as it was blocked internally.
So now it starts,
drives and stops! I gave it a run around the industrial estate across the
road and it drives ok if a bit sluggish, shifts well, the brakes work ok
and I applied them in reverse a few times to bring the adjustment up, which
made the pedal feel good.
I'm feeling pleased
with my efforts, but frustrated a bit by work commitments which will prevent
me getting it on the road before a family holiday planned for easter week.
It would have been nice to use the wagon.
I need to weld
the rear end of one sill (rocker panel) and fix the split seam on the rad
and it should be ready for it's test and get a proper shakedown on the
road. Then it's just a case of cosmetics.
I'll take a photo
in the morning and show you what it looks like with the drop.
Mart.
Well, I took some
more shots and here they are:
Yeah, I know it
looks just the same, only a bit lower. I'm not building a Custom, here,
just trying to fix up a neat old car.
The next bit of
progress was covered in this note on the HAMB.....
Topic:
Progress report
posted 04-08-2001
11:57 AM
Ok dudes, Mart
here checkin in. I'm working away from home at the moment but just before
I came away I went through a big wrench session to get the Valiant through
it's MOT test. Anyway to cut a long story short it passed inspection. That's
the big hurdle over. Second hurdle is insurance. I managed to get unlimited
mileage collectors car cover for £113 with the lowering job declared
up front. Pretty good I thought, as it includes breakdown cover. Last hurdle
is taxing the beast, that should be done by post by the time I get home.
Funny thing was
when I turned up for the test that was the first time it had been driven
any distance, (and then it was only a couple of miles or so)I walked into
the place and the tester asked if I wanted to sort out the water leak first,
as I looked round to see it dumping all it's coolant over his forecourt.
So the legalities
are done, just a blocked Rad to sort and the beast will be back on the
road.
Mart.
Well, the intention
was to use it for a family holiday this Easter. All was looking good, it
was fully legal, running good, and I was pretty sure I had got the radiator
sorted, though had not been able to really test it on a long journey..
I got it all loaded up, all the family in and all the luggage including
the dog. i started it up and had it warming up nicely while I did one last
check to see I had locked the house ok. I came back out to the car to see
it pissing water out of the rad again. Obviously I wasn't quite there yet.
So at the last
minute I was let down by the rad which is on it's last legs. I had to borrow
my father in law's car for the holiday, and was upset at not being able
to use the Valiant after all the work I'd put in. For all that week
the car was referred to as "The failure that is the Valiant"
I have now fixed
the rad, I dont know how long for, though, I am depending on the leak fix
in a can to a certain extent. I used it to go to work this last week as
a way of shaking it down, and it has behaved itself.
So there you have
it, how an old wagon has been rescued from limbo and returned to giving
useful service. i'd be a bit more inclined to try and pretty it up a bit
but now it's on the road, I want to get back to my original goal of having
Old Rusty driveable by this summer.
Mart.
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