Hey everyone! I just picked up this 1966 Plymouth Valiant wagon. Not too sure if 66 is to "new" for this forum but hey I'm excited! It's a 225ci with a 3 speed on the column. I have to admit that compared to my 64 Fairlane with its I6 170ci this is a beast! It's in great original shape with the original rubber "carpet" and original back seat that looks new! It has all the window and door weatherstripping still. It even has the original manuals in the glove box and a dealer maintenance sticker on the glove box door. This is my first older Mopar, I've had several newer Jeeps, Dodge trucks so any suggestions or info is greatly appreciated! Thanks Jeanette
as you know by being a member here, the cut off year is 1965 - yours looks a lot like '65 to me - have fun with your new project
Yea, in the future I would refer to it as Valiant wagon and drop the 66. Back then you couldn't give me one, but now it would be cool to have
Hardly distinguishable from a '63-65, and in all probability the same except having a column shift instead of the push buttons, which went out with the ??'63, I think?? Our family car was a fire-engine-red '62 Valiant wagon with the 170 slant six. Some think yours is ugly? Google a '62. Oh, how I wish I had that old Valiant today.
Yep, what s55mercury said. That should be the first helpful tip for any first-time older Mopar owner. And the 4" bolt circle wheels are a little trickier to upgrade. Other than that, these cars tend to be stone-axe simple. Do a proper valve lash adjustment and you're rigged for silent running. As a friend of mine would have observed; It looks like it was owned by a rich Okie due to the fancy chromed "mattress rack" on the roof.
A hot 340, 833 4 speed and 8-3/4" rear end with 3.91 gear would make this car a fun little sleeper. Great possibilities!
Go here for stuff for your '66 Valiant....https://www.wildcatmopars.com/ or here....http://www.bigmauto.com/
Sure it's a 66 but you said the magic words that always gets the attention of old men, "Thanks Jeanette".
I think the rules say as long as it shares the same bodystyle as 65 or earlier its still all good. I like it ok, I would however at least change the color of the wheels to something more creative or even body color, or maybe even some kind of caps, not sure, I had a 64 sedan once and was lucky enough to find at least 2 cragars at a salvage yard that was the rite bolt pattern, but never found anymore. Heres a good thread about bolt patterns on this. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/plymouth-valiant-bolt-pattern.371700/
Love these. You'll love the slant six, IIRC they were 170 or 225 displacement. And there was a manifold available to add a 4 barrel. I think from Chrysler too, but that's a lot of water over the dam so dont quote me on that. Good luck, keep us posted.
Dart and Duster wheels used the same bolt pattern, so anything you find from them will fit. Even rallys will clear disc if you ever want to upgrade to discs
Yes it does. I'm glad the seller told me, I would've gotten over zealous and snapped some lugs off I'm sure.
Yeah there is a manifold for a 4 barrel. I know a guy that's into these sixes...along with a bigger bump stick and a header...you'll have a motor that sounds like a farm tractor on steroids.
It does have a little top end noise especially when it's cold. It's still in the single did its here in the morning. I'm gonna change the oil first and see if that goes away. Would these have solid lifters or hydraulic?
The wheels were that color when I bought it. They are 14s but the seller had the original 13s. I can imagine they look tiny installed. Door stops for now.
IIRC,the performance package that was available from Chrysler for the 225 was called the "Hyper Pack".It consisted of a 4bbl carb,manifold,cam,lifters and headers.A buddy of mine put a set on his 225,and when he stomped it,YEAH it went HYPER. Good luck.Have fun.Be safe. Leo
They were a great car, very reliable and economical. I don't know what your plans are but it should make a great driver with minimal upkeep. Don't forget to adjust the valves, they are one of the last with solid valve lifters. The slant six engine, torsion bar suspension etc were state of the art for the times and work well today. If you are into hot rodding, Smokey Yunick said the slant six responded to a few simple hop up tricks better than any other engine he ever saw. Guys have gotten some impressive performance out of the six, especially in a light car like yours. If you want disc brakes spindles from a 1975 or 76 Dart or Valiant with disc brakes will fit your car. You can have a lot of fun with a car like that, for not a lot of money.