Originally Posted by
Eggman
I owned a 1969 Plymouth Valiant bought off a little old lady who needed help with small jobs. It had a slant six. Ran great until it rained and the distributor got wet. Good old Chrysler... What finally did it in was underbody rust. The front suspension used torsion bars for springs which were tied to the frame (well, subframe) at a crossmember. The crossmember rusted enough to the point where the torsion bar let loose and dropped that corner on the rubber bump stop. Nowadays that would be desirable... No one would repair it. So if you do find one, inspect that crossmember very closely.
I agree. Seems the market for classic cars is getting smaller and smaller. Fewer drivers are interested in an old car. Considering the old-timers who treasured and preserved these cars are aging out their classics will hit the market but not as many want them. Be patient and a good bargain should come your way.
That's cool Eggman. Thanks for the tips and rust is a huge concern with these cars. The Valiant I saw at the Ford dealer the other day looked good underneath, I did get under the car. Then the Ford people parked my Mirage next to the Valiant when they were done with the servicing lol. Really good sales ploy to sell the Valiant.
I have a better idea now of the torsion bar suspension you're talking about. Used car market generally is one you need to tread carefully in. Classic used car market adds another degree of caution.
The 1963 Valiant my Dad owned in the 1980s was one of those great finds. Had almost no km's on the odometer. The Valiant still had that new car smell. My Dad knows way more about cars and motorcycles, he got the Valiant similar story as you, doing work for some older folks.
What a car that was. Black 2 door hardtop, with hot red and white vinyl interior. The car made a real impression on me. And apparently this was a Canadian-only spec'ed Valiant. All the workings is the same, still had the slant 6 engine. We were members of the Slant 6 Club of America because we still have the sticker on a filing cabinet in the basement.
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