1963-66 Plymouth Valiant

There's a lot of hoopla surrounding Plymouth muscle cars of the 1960s and early 1970s. As a result, there are some ridiculously high prices being paid for the distinction of owning a Pentastar of this vintage. But not all Mopars manufactured during the Age of Aquarius are unobtainable. The well-styled and fun-to-drive 1963-1966 Plymouth Valiants offer the desirable combination of simple mechanicals, a relatively plentiful and cheap parts supply, and values that the common man can afford. Powered by the durable Slant Six engine, Plymouth's 1963-'66 Valiant was an economical alternative to the larger, thirstier cars of the era and, with reasonable care, these cars delivered thousands of miles of trouble-free driving.

Unfortunately, many Valiants rusted into oblivion long before the drivetrains gave out. While there is no denying that body trim and panels may be getting quite scarce after 40 years, mechanical parts can be bought through Hemmings Motor News or at your local auto parts store.

In 1963, there were several versions of the Valiant, beginning with the base-level V-100. Next in the hierarchy was the V-200, and the top-of-the-line offering was called Signet. Valiants were offered in several bodystyles, including a two-door, four-door, convertible and station wagon. (The Signet was available in two-door hardtop and convertible form.) Throughout the four model-year span, Plymouth built more than 728,900 Valiants, so finding one today should not be too difficult.

Engines

When V-8s ruled the streets in 1963, the Valiant got its power from a standard 170-cu.in. Slant Six engine. Early in the model year, an aluminum 225-cu.in. version could be ordered, but it was replaced due to durability issues, particularly corrosion, with a cast-iron design of the same displacement. This engine featured an 8.2:1 compression ratio and a 3.40 x 3.125-inch bore and stroke. In 1964, the Slant Six remained as the standard engine, but a 180hp, 273-cu.in. V-8 was offered as an option. A larger, 225-cu.in. Slant Six, with a longer, 4.125-inch stroke, was also optional.

In 1965, the powertrain lineup carried over with the same engines: the 170-cu.in. and 225-cu.in. Slant Sixes and the 273-cu.in. V-8. The 180hp 273 V-8 had a 3.63 x 3.31-inch bore and stroke with a compression ratio of 8.8:1, solid lifters and a Carter two-barrel model BBD carburetor. An optional four-barrel version, first available in 1965, produced 235hp, but it was fitted with the same single exhaust as the Slant-Six-powered cars, which was very restrictive for the larger engine. With the exception of the short-lived aluminum version, all engines have legendary, almost anvil-like durability. Additionally, their design is simple, parts are plentiful, and anyone with even basic mechanical skills can keep one running for years.

Back in the '60s, my father owned a 1963 Valiant. Regular oil and coolant changes, bi-annually replacing the points, condenser and rotor and adjusting the valves kept the little Slant Six running long after the body rotted beyond repair. The engine was pulled and installed into another car, giving many more years of trouble-free service.

Dr. David George Briant of Arizona, who has owned numerous Chrysler products and is a member of the Walter P. Chrysler Club, says the secret to the Slant Six's longevity was a beefy crankshaft using 2.75-inch-diameter bearings, a full quarter-inch more than the larger 318-cu.in. small-block V-8.

"Their life could be astonishing, 400,000-plus miles, certainly. The New York State Thruway Authority used Dodge pickups with the 225/V-8 and put up record longevity figures," said Briant, who lived in New York before migrating west. "These were astounding cars."

To find the engine number on a Slant Six, check the passenger side of the block just below the cylinder head. For V-8s, check the driver's side of the block below the cylinder head. Not only are these engines strong, but longtime owners report up to 28 mpg cruising between 45 and 50 mph.

Here's something of a surprise: In 1965, Chrysler offered an optional anti-air-pollution device, a PCV, for $5, which was mandatory on all cars sold in California. The 1965 high-performance Commando 273-cu.in. V-8 four-barrel engine had a chrome air cleaner and cast-aluminum rocker arm covers with fins and a chromed PCV valve. This engine also featured a long-duration camshaft and special pistons.

Transmissions

A three-speed manual came standard in the Valiant, and for $172, a buyer could select an automatic transmission. They are both very durable and, like other mechanicals on these cars, simple in design, leading to long-term reliability. The automatic transmission offered through the 1963 model year was a push--button TorqueFlite 904 three-speed. The ratios were: first-2.45, second-1.45, third-1.00, and 2.20 in reverse. The TorqueFlite is world-renowned for its hard-wearing construction and silky-smooth shifting. In 1964, 1965 and 1966, the TorqueFlite was cable-operated, with two cables in the first two years and one cable in 1966. By 1965, the automatic used a column shifter or optional floor shifter. A four-speed manual with a Hurst shifter also could be ordered.

Rear axle

The Valiant used a hypoid gearset with semi-floating axles. The standard gear ratio was a 3.23:1 for six-cylinder-powered cars, both automatic and manual transmissions. The 273-cu.in. V-8 cars were equipped with a 2.94:1 ratio final drive; a Sure Grip differential with a 3.55:1 ratio was optional. Chrysler literature shows that the following ratios could be ordered: 2.91:1, 2.76:1, 2.94:1, 3.23:1, 3.55:1-Sure Grip and 3.91:1-Sure Grip.

Suspension

Like most Chrysler products of this era, the Valiant used torsion-bar front suspension with ball joints and a solid rear axle suspended by five-leaf semi-elliptic springs. Hydraulic, direct-acting shock absorbers were mounted at all four corners. This suspension system remained basically unchanged from 1962 through 1976. The standard 13 x 4.5-inch five-lug wheels had a four-inch bolt pattern and were fitted on six-cylinder Valiants with 6.50 x 13 bias-ply tires. The V-8 cars were built with larger-diameter 14 x 4.5-inch wheels with 7.00 x 14 tires.

Brakes

Like most cars of the day, the Valiant's brakes leave a lot to be desired. The standard system included four-wheel drums with internal-expanding, duo-servo with self-energizing shoes. Power brakes could not be ordered until the 1964 model year. The diameter of the drums measured nine inches, totaling 153.5 square inches of total swept braking area. Chrysler originally fitted these cars with molded asbestos linings that were bonded on, so be careful working on any car still wearing original brake shoes.

Body/Frame

The Valiants all shared unit-body construction, which made Chrysler famous in the 1960s. The front of the car utilized a subframe similar to a Camaro or Firebird. Despite having Chrysler's "Seven Soak Rustproofing" protection, Valiants had severe rust issues, especially along the lower edges of the quarter panels. The Valiant had one of the largest trunk spaces ever provided in a compact car. The wheelbase measured 106 inches, the overall length was 188.2 inches and the car's dry weight hovered around 2,725 pounds. The fuel tank had an 18-gallon capacity, which made stops at the gas station few and far between. Some body parts are being reproduced by Layson's, including the damage-prone headlamp rings. In 1963 and 1964, the front fenders shared the same crease and body line, which drops down at about a 20-percent angle. In 1965, this changed to a straight crease. In 1966, the bodystyle changed and the Valiant had a larger bumper, a center-divided three-piece grille and no front valance. The 1966 models also used flat-sided fenders in contrast to the rounded fenders from 1963 to 1965.

Interior

The standard interior included a front bench seat. In 1965, the TorqueFlite now had a column shift, which was cable-operated, thus rendering the console as an option. Bucket seats were standard in the top-of-the-line Signet, which were built with better quality materials than the seats in standard Valiants.

Options

The Valiant's option list was quite extensive. Some of the more popular options were: power brakes ($43); power steering ($82); tinted glass, all windows ($29); tinted windshield only ($14); remote-control outside rearview mirror ($12) and Transaudio radio ($59). In 1964, there were 12 interior color choices, and in 1965 that switched to 14 different colors. The optional air conditioning system was dealer-installed.

Reproduction parts

While Valiants do not share the strong aftermarket of the more popular Road Runner and 'Cuda muscle cars, there are some parts available. Original NOS seat material is available, as are carpets and headliners. Reproduction sheetmetal such as floor pans and rocker panels are now offered. There also are numerous junkyards throughout the country with good, used parts available. The strong point about these simple cars is that most mechanical parts can still be bought new over the counter at your local auto parts store.

OWNER'S VIEW I

Aaron Kahlenberg, 37, is a teacher in Valley Village, California. Our feature car was his first, and he has owned it since May 1983. This car has the 180hp, 273-cu.in. V-8.

"My dad found this car in a newspaper classified at 5 a.m. At 6 a.m., we called and were the first callers. When we saw the car, I knew I wanted it. The owner wanted it to go to a good home. I think it did."

In 22 years, Aaron has only had to replace the water pump, rebuild the brakes and replace the tires twice.

"I have always thought that, quality-wise, Chrysler was at its best in 1965. When I was looking for a first car back in 1983, I knew this car was something that would be reliable. The car gets about 14 mpg in town and 19 on the highway, so it isn't that bad. I will keep this car forever and give it to my son, who is now seven months old. My advice for anyone buying a car like this is to find the best one you can. I bought an almost new one and paid $4,000, which was a lot of money in 1983, but it had only 15,000 miles."

OWNER'S VIEW II

While looking for information about Valiants for this story, I came across Lee Hatfield of Rensselaer, New York. Hatfield answered an e-mail I had circulated looking for Valiant information and offered to drive to our editorial offices with factory books and manuals for Valiants. Some of Hatfield's valuable documents accompany this article.

In 1976, when Hatfield was 17, he bought a clean, one-owner 1965 Valiant four-door that had a 225-cu.in. Slant Six, an automatic transmission and factory air conditioning. Shortly after buying that car, he decided he had to have a Valiant with a 273-cu.in. V-8.

Hatfield's long search for the perfect example ended in 2004 in Rhinebeck, New York, where he found a very clean 1964 Signet two-door hardtop with a factory-installed 273 V-8. Was it worth the wait? Hatfield would answer that question with an emphatic, "Yes."

"I looked on and off for 28 years to find the Valiant of my dreams, and did, just an hour from home," he said. "I am very happy with my car and glad the lady ordered bumper guards, electric windshield wipers, AM radio, which still works, the inside day/night mirror and driver's door remote mirror."

SPECIALISTS

Original Auto Interiors

7869 Trumble

Columbus, Michigan 48063

586-727-2486

www.originalauto.com

Classic Fabrication

843-650-0385

www.classicfabrication.com

Layson's Restorations

2200 W. Valley Way N

Suite 110

Auburn, Washington 98001

253-804-5140

www.laysons.com

Pat Walsh Restorations

P.O. Box Q

Wakefield, Massachusetts 01880 781-246-3266

www.patwalshrestorations.com

PARTS PRICES

Brake drum, NOS - $95

Convertible top motor, rebuilt - $69

Convertible top, pump - $220

Convertible top, lift cylinder - $135

Door hinges, set of four rebuilt - $195

Gas tank, reproduction - $219

Fuel pump, six-cylinder - $55

Ignition wire set, six-cylinder - $21.50

Radiator, reproduction - $290

Seat covers, reproduction - $230-$300

Shock absorbers, four - $129

CLUB SCENE

Early Valiant Barracuda Club

10 Brunswick Road

Baltic, Connecticut 06330

www.earlyvaliant.org

Dues: $20/year; Membership: 300

WPC Club

P.O. Box 3504

Kalamazoo, Michigan 49003-3504

www.chryslerclub.org

Dues: $30/year; Membership: 4,000

PRODUCTION

1963 - 198,399

1964 - 225,245

1965 - 167,153

1966 - 138,137