Since work has been..Hang on..

Since "Work" has been so slow, (Gotta put work in paraenthases because this job is a joke..lol) I've been thinking long and hard about my Valiant.

I always said that besides disc brakes, the best invention for the automobile was fuel injection. I grew up in a climate that was VERY unkind to carburetors. My father was always under the hood of his 1968 Shelby GT-350 doing something to the carburetor. He told me to NEVER own a carbureted car because they're not nearly as reliable as a fuel injected car.

Well I took his advice until a year ago when I purchased this Valiant. For the record I've driven this car about 350 out of 365 days and it's not started on me twice...Both times because I flooded out the carburetor like a moron. And maintenance-wise, this car has cost me $165 to keep on the road. ($100 to fix the brakes that weren't fixed right, $20 for a valve cover, $20 for an oil change lol and $15 for a voltage regulator.)

I'm extremely sentimental about this car..My wedding picture in my signature? That was taken because the photographers loved the car. The 10 days everyone was out here? My car was the vehicle of choice since it sat 6...So needless to say, I have A LOT of good memories in this car.

However I can't extinguish this little voice in the back of my head telling me to get rid of this car and get something else. I feel like my head is in a state of Civil War daily in regards to this Valiant's fate.

So I'll detail every little problem/nuance this car has:
1.) The front brakes still aren't right. I took her to a shop and they worked great for about a week and they're back to squeaking and making this clicking noise in the right front..I know something in the brake hardware is loose. It only makes the noise when I depress the brakes.
2.) The rocker arms need to be adjusted.
3.) She's leaking oil again. I'm pretty sure it's because I didn't tighten up the drain plug enough.
4.) That rattle noise - Well that's the starting of an exhaust leak.
5.) The speedometer needs to be replaced. I have a working speedometer cluster that's been tested on my car.
6.) Needs a headliner and the paint isn't perfect..Yeah that's cosmetic.

Honestly when I'm reading the "problems", I'm laughing..Those aren't even "problems" compared to most cars. Not to mention this car made it from Las Vegas out to Los Angeles, all around L.A. and back to Las Vegas without a hiccup...

...I'm just better off keeping it aren't I or I'm going to regret it for the rest of my life if I sell it huh?

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Yes. Take this from someone who was extremely fickle in the past about cars. you will regret this car that you like and already have so many good memories about. Use this time with slow work to chip away at these negligible problems until they are fixed. Keep the car. you won't regret it. Besides, you can always save up for a fuel injection swap. Even spending 4k on a fuel injection swap will still cost less than car insurance and car payments and repair costs on a newer car if you keep your car for ten years or so.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Oh I should've added this Reed lol..

I would NEVER, EVER, EVERRRRRRRRRRRR own a new car. They're overpriced pieces of plastic. I was thinking heavily about trading my Valiant for a 1989 Mercedes Benz 300E, giving the Mercedes to my wife and driving her 1991 Volvo 240.

Had certain problems not arisen at the time, I would've never sold my 85 Jaguar XJ6 and would've so regretted selling it. I still miss it horribly...But let's be realistic, a 1985 Jaguar with over 400 HP running on 93 octane that only gets 20MPG highway and 16 City being gentle on it can kill your wallet PRONTO.

I think back to it though and think that car was the perfect car for me at that point of my life. I was a lush and a druggie and wanted speed in more ways than one (lol).

I just don't know if it's a good idea messing with a good thing here and I REALLY think I'd regret it...I just loathe the fact this car has like 0 acceleration unless I'm going over 50. Stupid 1 barrel "novelty" carburetor.

On that note, can I just say how much I HATE the fact it's a 1 barrel? Like why didn't these 225s come with a 2 Barrel? Probably because of the government...When in doubt, blame the government...

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Don't knock the one barrel. Look up Aggressive Ted's one barrel build and you can see how much performance potential a one barrel carb has on a slant.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

If the rockers still need an adjustment, you probably aren't getting all the performance anyway. Get out there and do that and tighten your oil plug. It takes like half an hour. Your car has piddly problems that can be diagnosed and fixed relatively easily.

Fuel injection is very over rated. Give me a (non electronic) carburetor any day of the week; as long as it don't say Holley or Mikuni on it, that is.
that said some of the 1 and 2 bbl Holleys aren't bad; their 4 barrels thoug? door stop.

volaredon: Well Where dose that leave me? I have a Holley 4160 on the dart, and one of those dreaded progressive Mikuni two barrel jobbies on the 2.6L in the LeBaron…

The more I deal with my Holley, the closer I get to replacing it with something else.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

I want to second the 'do a little at a time'. Maybe do one of those things on the list every weekend or other weekend. Before you know it, it will be done.

Now, if your valiant is your main car, I can understand your concern as aged cars feel less reliable to me (even though my '65 dart has yet to fail me *knock on wood). My wife and I have one semi-new-ultra-reliable car--which alleviates that problem. So, that might work for you.

As for fuel injected... Well, to me fuel injected rarely breaks, but carbs are more fun to tune. If you like carb tuning that is. Also, the one Holley I have always gives me trouble to fix/clean. The carter on my Dart has been very nice. I forget what is on my motorcycle, but same story.

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~Less think, more do

I'm with the rest of the guys, don't sell it. I had a chance to trade straight across with a guy my dad worked with for an 84 chevy k5 blazer. Lifted 35" tires 350 small block true duals and edlebrock intake. But it was a auto and I'd have to pay over $400 more on insurance and get 10mpg. Plus like you I've had lots of memories in my truck the seven months I've owned it. But I've been workin as I go. Just like my paint, I'm painting parts as I go. I'm gonna save up over the summer for a cam and over sized valves after I've got my super six done and have gotten all the bugs worked out.

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Old truck: 82 D150 225, 2bbl, dutra duals, 2.5" straight pipe to dual 2.5" tail pipes. Mud tires, 4spd, old forest service truck.
Current truck: 98.5 Ram 2500 ccsb, sport, 24v cummins, 5spd, 4.5" lift, 35's, 5" straight pipe.

I think I've owned more cars than anyone really has a right to own... if I had to say something, its that "You never know what you've got until you haven't got it anymore."

That being said, the issues you have are issues that could be taken care of in a weekend without too much struggle. I think you should keep it. Also consider this: You know how the car acts, you know what problems the car has, and you know what it will take to fix it. You buy a new (to you) vehicle, and you start at square one all over again.

Keep it, fix it, enjoy it, and one day you wont be kicking yourself for getting rid of it.

~RDE~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I don't like thinking too much,it hurts my brain.

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DRIVE IT,DON'T HIDE IT

Yeah I know..It just sucks being (should be) disabled. I know if I had a lift and some good medicine, I would have those brakes back to factory spec in 15 minutes. But I don't...This car failed me twice in a year...Both times because I flooded the carburetor lol...

I feel like I would never find a mechanic good enough to fix a problem the way I would want it fixed.

And yeah this is my main car..Ugh it's going to be in triple digits soon too which will make it impossible to fix anything on my car..

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