My son bought his first car.....65 Valiant 2 door post. We have a year till he can drive it. So we have time make it roadworthy. One of the first things is improve on the steering it's manual. I know I'm gonna hear it how everyone learned on a manual and don't be a wuss etc etc, but the parking lots around here are just too dam tight. I occasionally have issues trying to park my OT late model Ram or even the wife's mini van, so for a brand new driver I don't see it being a good idea. I see cool aftermarket stuff from firm feel, steer & gear, borgenson and PST. but I really need some feedback from guys who have tried them, If any of these manual quicker ratio boxes are worth it. I'd hate for him to buy one and then we still wind up converting to power steering. Let us know what you guys have tried and how you like it. We can't wait to spend father me son time wrenching on this cool Mopar.
If you want to make it easier to steer, then a quick ratio manual box is the opposite of what you want.
Yeah I may be using the wrong terminology but I see"quick ratio" thrown around all the time. They say stock is 24:1 and a couple companies claim.a big improvement with 16:1.... Thanks for responding squirrel I always read your posts, and dig your nova enjoyed seeing it in hot rod too. Sent from my SM-N920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
thanks! What that means, is the number of turns of the steering wheel, for one revolution of the pitman shaft. 16:1 is 33% harder to turn the wheel, than 24:1. But yeah, my wife started driving her Dart when she was 19, and still drives it, a few decades later. She has never asked me to put power steering in it.
I got my 65 valiant at 16 and drove it all over, lots of city and highway driving, it was my only car for years. It still has manual steering and breaks, I don't see the safety concern if everything is in good working order Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
As a 30 year old who learned to drive with manual steering and brakes, I can tell you that it won't negatively effect his driving experience. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Young guys are strong. Nothing wrong with manual steering. I first had power steering when I was 40 years old, only because my company truck had it.
I've personally experienced several cars without power steering where a simple change of tyre brand made a dramatic effect on steering effort. From old cars to late model FWD Toyotas (without p/s.)
Did those cars come with PS? Just scare up a set up from a junk car. Easier said than done I'm sure. My '59 Ford is manual steering and a 4-speed, have to really pick my spots literally when I park. Radial tires and a good alignment help things out.
A valiant is a light car, but yes they came with power steering, chryslers power steering then was way over assisted, no road feel at all, I prefer manual steering in those cars Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Do yourself a favor, check the front end and replace any worn parts and have an alignment done. Pump up the tires to 32 PSI. Chances are you will not want power steering. They are a light car with a light engine, my family had 7 Valiants and Darts in the sixties none with power steering and never missed it. In parking if the car is barely moving the steering is easy. MUCH easier than any 3 ton pickup truck or front wheel drive anything. If you try it and still want power steering I believe the factory type steering box pump etc are available, for a price. For the icing on the cake get a set of quality shock absorbers. The improvement in ride and handling will amaze you for the price.
Manual steering can be a chore.I learned to drive a manual setup.A 1949 Chevy Suburban.That was a bit of a chore for a 12 year old. Good luck.Have fun.Be safe. Leo
Like rusty said, with good ball joints, tie rod ends, idler and pitman arms, proper alignment and properly inflated tires it should steer fine with a manual gear. Especially with a slant six. Just the slightest bit of road speed will make a big improvement over cranking the wheel while stationary. Mopar P/S from this era felt over-boosted and removed almost all road feel. I've always thought that Chrysler's manual drum brakes on these cars worked particularly well. As with any car, they have to be installed correctly, properly adjusted and the adjusters and wear points have to be cleaned and given a dab of lube. Make sure all the parking brake cables and linkages work freely and you're good to go. Or stop, actually.
Your 65 is a direct descendant of the 1960 Valiant, one of the first compact cars. They were designed for the utmost in simplicity and low cost transportation. Power steering was not offered at first and was not needed (they did offer it later, along with other luxuries like V8 and power windows). The torsion bar suspension was state of the art for the times. The whole car only weighs 2700 pounds, about the same as a modern Mini Cooper, Toyota Corolla or Ford Fiesta. Yes really, it looks twice as big but weighs about the same. And much less weight and stress on the front end because it is not front wheel drive.
Having owned both 1964 up Val's and Cuda's with standard or power steering - you do not really need it in a A-body mopar - just look at the steering geometry against the competition - yes I've owned both a Chevy Nova V/8 and a Falcon V/8 of 1964.....unless he is a real wimp he shouldn't need it....but they are available as original equipment - a power steering set up.....have both a slant 6 and a V/8 I drive that came with them.....it's just to damn sexy parking those....currently have the belt off one of my slant 6's....still not that bad to turn.......
get this book http://www.moparmax.com/departments/reviews/ii_5-1-performance.html and go with firm feel wear possible
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