Projects Bubba's Valiant Makeover

Well, after a recent bang up job on our friend Mikey's roadster pickup, we'll be off and rolling on my 1963 Valiant for a spring makeover. It was originally owned by San Diego Joe in sunny CA and in what was a HAMB deal gone very well for everyone involved, we flew out to buy the car and drove it home to Indiana. Since then I've done nothing but drive it and enjoy it and find a missing piece here and there. Now it's time for a fresh coat of paint.

We'll see how ideas change as we go, but I got new window seals front and back with chrome lockstrips as well as finding a new front windshield to replace the current cracked one. After some discussion with the paint guys who did Mikeys truck, we're leaning toward the factory aqua marina color for the bottom half and a darker flaked blue roof accented with some silver body lines and scallops. Stay tuned as we beging tearing her down and getting it over to the painters.

 

After following the roadster pick up which you guys absolutely got spot on perfect I am anxious to see what ya do with this one

 

Hey do you have a replacement windshield? I was telling Bubba yesterday that might have a line on one. If you need it, I'll head other and ask the guy about it for you over the weekend.

 

Yup, just bought one today thanks to the power of the HAMB. It was critical to get the front and rear seals along with the windshield since we're pulling out the old ones for paint. I'll replace the rest of the seals and rubber as budget allows over the next couple months.

 

Hope I am not stepping on Lindross' toes here - we have a little head-start on the Valiant. We are not doing much of anything to the interior of the car because it is already nice, but I made a radio blank plate for the Valiant for Lindross' iPod hookup (he can fill tech in here). I was planning to mill it from aluminum, but was ousted from a cnc start up partnership this summer - so I had to do it low tech. Made a balsa wood model, made a silicon rubber mold and cast the piece in urethane plastic. I did not make the mold or cast with vacuum or pressure so this piece will have to be painted - but this plastic can be plated by someone who restores/re-plates plastic interior knobs, etc if it is cast "bubble-free". Forgot to take a picture of the cast out of the mold - but it is a cream colored version of the balsa piece in the photos

 

It looks great Brian! Can't wait to get it painted up and in the car. A little real steel and some blue accents and it should look great!

 

Woohoo! Still catching my breath from Mike's build and Mac's already making pieces for the Valiant! It's hard to keep up around here!

 

Check your wiring. I've got one to rewire this weekend that burnt up last weekend. Old crap at the firewall.
Just make sure you're good.

 

I have some left over plastic - will cast up a few of these pieces and drop by on Wed - in case there are "mistakes" or if they might be used in a future build.

 

Yeah, it will be a couple weeks at least before any new projects get under way, but we'll be on it soon. Can't wait!

 

i assume itll be hot pink???????

 

No, the Mrs. just got a beetle convertible so I think the Valiant is saved from pinkness.

 

Headlight bezels ,what kind of shape are they in?????

I have a pair, and no Valiant.

 

those things used to be like hen's teeth.... i bought a car just to get a near perfect pair..... the odd thing about all of the valiants i owned....they were all the same color.....baby blue

 

nice I love those cars

 

ANOTHER rehab project from 30G........do you guys ever sleep?

 

If he has no need for them, I do. Mine are destroyed with no hope of repairing them.

Can't wait to see what you guys do with the 63. My 64 is white with the blue interior, I had planned a blue flake roof and leaving the body white. Depending on what you guys do, I might have to change my plans.

 

Here is a tip on those Bezels... I have read that THESE are the same size. You will have to drill out another hole to match the mounting points of the Valiant stock ones. They are tapered toward the bottom, the stock ones are the same thickness all the way around.. The VW ones are chromed, and the MoPar ones are stainless... SOFT stainless.

Another option is to take your banged up ones to a polishing shop. The ones that Scott has now were pretty mashed, but once I got them back from the polisher they were pretty damn OK.

Scott, PM me your paint ideas and I'll Potatoshop you a rendering.

Good luck man, it's good to see that you are having fun with that '63 (and that it won't end up PINK!)
- Joe

 

And Build begins...

 

Thanks for the tip Joe. I will have to check those out and see how close they indeed are. I wonder if I have one still from when we replaced them on my roomie's old 64...

I'm going to be watching this topic closely.

Lindross - did you source a new rear seal or find a good used one?

 

If those bezels are coated aluminum pieces, I know a guy in CA that restores them with the stock type replating - he did the grill on the Ranchero and it looks brand new.

 

makes me sad that I gave away my old 63 convertible. Nice car

 

I"ve still got all of that primer that we didn't hook up with for Mikey's truck. Let me know if you guys want it. It should save ya a couple hundred bucks.

 

well, you guys need to hurry up!
bringin the 53 over in a week or 2!
all it needs is:
disc brake conversion
350-700r4 put in
posi 10 bolt rear
ac
heat
electrical work
some body work
painted
and new interior!
ohh, and misc
well, i wouldnt mind baggin the rear also!
can we get that done in a weekend, or should i some over onna thursday to start??????

 

I'm all about saving a couple hundred bucks. Bring it over.

 

Sourced new front and back seals with the chrome lockstrip. Found new front seal on ebay and got the rear from this guy.

 

go man go!

 

Thanks Joe, I figured you would like watching this one progress.

 

Cool. Looking forward to the transformation.

 

Had a '65 Valiant way back when....this should be a lotta fun to watch. Sure wish I had one again...had a lot of war stories in that ride!!