1964 Valiant

[Oldmopars]

As you can see my handle is Oldmopars. Many years back I was a huge fan of A-Body Mopars.  My wife had a 64 4 door, I had a 63 Signet 2 door, my in-laws had several, I think I had around 6 or so of these cool old cars. I even had a 64  Valiant wagon with a 64 Dart GT nose and 265 Commando engine. I love these old cars. 

However, the only scale version was an annual I think many years ago and is long gone. It was a promo and now commands big money on the auction site. 

I did manage to find a resin copy though. My original plan was to use the 71 Duster as a donor, however the fit was just not that good. But, in my collection I had the MPC 1969 Baracuda. This kit is so bad I stripped out a bunch of the parts and sent them to someone on this forum. 

I pulled the kit out and found that the base plate for the 'Cuda is almost perfect for the Valiant. With a bit of trimming the interior tub is also a good fit. 

While I know that it is not perfect, I am building a curbside and so the chassis details are not that important to me. The original Valiant was also curbside and its chassis is far worse than the Cuda donor. 

So, after a bit of trimming and sanding I have the interior tub fit, the chassis fit and it is on some donor wheels/tires. These will not be the final wheels used, but a good start to to some mock ups. 

My next issue is to get the dash to fit. This should not be too bad, just need to sand the sides down so I can move it to the correct possition. 

I would give the resin body a 7.5 out of 10, good but not perfect. It will work to allow me to put a Valiant on the shelf and not spend $250 doing it. 

Anyway, here is the current state:

[NOBLNG]

Nice project! It looks like a pretty good casting, and you’ve got a real good start on it.👍

[Misha]

That’s going to be a sweet ride Scott. Too bad we don’t have a current kit, you lucky to have a decent looking resin one coming out of the stash. 
Looking forward to seeing your progress, cheers Misha

[Zippi]

Your Valiant is looking good so far.  Don't think I've seen one of these before posted on here before.

[Mopeyguy]

i like where this if going. I have been searching for a 1964 / 65 myself as a project and they don't come up cheap. 

[slusher]

A friend of mine drove one some that his dad bought. I remember riding in it a couple of times. I believe it had a slant 6 and  decent power for size car it was. 

Edited December 24, 2021 by slusher

[Oldmopars]

6 hours ago, Mopeyguy said:

i like where this if going. I have been searching for a 1964 / 65 myself as a project and they don't come up cheap. 

I know where there are a few around me in Eastern Washington. I just don’t have the money to offer for them. I can see one from my property 

[thatz4u]

I remember a fellow had a Valiant he special ordered.....body was a 2dr like your resin example.....entire drivetrain was Barracuda high performance...car was black w/ dog dish caps...

[Oldmopars]

25 minutes ago, thatz4u said:

I remember a fellow had a Valiant he special ordered.....body was a 2dr like your resin example.....entire drivetrain was Barracuda high performance...car was black w/ dog dish caps...

You could get a Valiant with a 273 Comando, heavier torsion bars, and all the other stuff that a 1965 Cuda would have. I’m sure they sold a few to those that didn’t like the big back glass.