after hearing eveyone and their brother tell me i should cram a smallblock into my '72 creampuff Valiant, i have decided to screw them all and build a head turning SL6. i would like the opinion of all you salty guys on here that have been at it for a while. i am planning to keep my budget between $2000-$2500.
-i would like it to have a nice smooth thump(who dosen't?) at idle, and a nice rumble on the way to the grocery store and back.
-it is an auto and i plan on keeping it that way(kickdown linkage).
-mpg really isn't an issue, i run 401 powered CJ's with 37's, so 9mpg impresses me.
-wrinkle black and creamy fresh paint make my mouth water, while chrome causes a gag reflex.
-what are the pro's & con's of the mechanical and hyd valvetrain.
-small dual carbs are a cult following, and i am a member, so i'd like to try that
-looking hard at dutra duals
-the car is green on green with blue/blk engine bay. i plan on keeping the green interior, painting the ext pearl white, and going red/blk underhood

basically what i am asking is what has/hasn't worked for you guys in the
past. i would like to know your opinions on bolt ons and styles in general. why did you choose these components, and how do you rationalize their given shortcomings. this car is going to be my wife's daily driver, so ofcourse i am making her build it with a little help from me. you guys have a good thing going on this site, solid knowledge, manners, and open minds, so thanks for all the help thus far..
Joe

Here is my "do's & don't do" list:
Do:
Mild head porting work
Mill the head .060 min.
Use a mild cam grind
Drgree-in the cam
Use the factory "Super Six" 2bbl set-up
Better exhaust
Use high quality parts so the engine will last forever
3.23 gearing would be nice.

Don't:
Stay away from a "big" cam
Tube steel headers are more trouble then they are worth
Never just 'line-up the dots' on a SL6 timing gear set
Avoid the Dual Carbs if this is the 'wife's car'
2.76 rearend gearing
DD

JDS, How do you feel about power adders? Turbo/super chargers, make for a very potent slant with street manners, but can break your budget, unless you go salvage yard and do all the work yourself. A small nitrous system will also do wonders. Just remember, with power adders, it's pay me now, or pay me later. Blower is money up front, for the install. Nitrous is money after the install, to keep filling the bottle.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

I have the Doc's "do" build in my 65 HT with a 5 speed.

The car is now nearly as fast as my GFs 95 turbo Talon TSI awd. A little more work with spark advance timing and it will be as fast to 60mph (about 7 secs).

The torque is amazing. Let the clutch out at an idle in 1st and idle up a hill at 700 RPM.

My sons GF (21) wishes the car was an automatic....so she just drives everywhere in 3rd gear. Her driving method: Let the clutch out in 1st....a little gas....
shift to 3rd at 10 mph....drive 2 down miles to highway(mountain road),,2 miles fast highway,,,through town(4 blocks) to school.,,,same going home,,,just add a 1 mile 8% grade.....all in 3rd gear.

My opinion: Use the Doc's Build.
if the car is a driver build for torque and design a car to deliver it at the speed you drive. For me thats 4th gear , 3000RPM, 60 MPH
........or 5th at 85

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

DD
-what do you consider a mild bump stick?(PN)
-shave the head .060min(or max)?
-i agree with the porting, how do feel about oversized valves?
-what do you mean degree in the cam? because i have always just lined up the timing marks, but then again i have never built a slant
-what are my carb options on the super six, and why would you avoid the dual setup?

Multiple carbs. are like having multiple asses; you only need one. While it might be cool to pop the hood and show it off to people, it's much harder to keep everything tuned properly.

Doc, why "only" .060?

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Lasse

Signet -66 225
Holley 600 Offy-5270 Dutra Dual,regrind. cam 272 0,420 110, head shaved 0.100 slight.ported
MSD6A
A904
7 1/4 3.23

'72 is a nice light car so it won't take a massively over cammed over carbed engine to make this thing 'fun'...

.060 is a nice number to bump the compression up and keep the surfaces level with out making it a super only ping monster if on a stock bottom end...

The super six will let you run the Carter BBD (good power and mileage), the Weber (with adaptor...good mileage and power)...or with an adaptor you can run any of the Rochester 2GV, some TBI, Holley 2300/2305's...(kickdown linkage at your own risk)...
The 2.25"/2.5" exhaust will help with both power and mileage in any stock application...
Mild cams are like the MP '243' cam, the comp cam 252S, I think doc had a nice 'mild profile' from Elgin Cams that was a split pattern(?).

On the timing chains, the casting is such that the 'dots'/arrows are off (I installed a melling kit on the 'road oiler' slant I had in the '74 and with the arrows lined up it was a degree or two retarded...)...I think the MP kit I had was a couple degrees advanced when installed in the Hpak engine...
Getting the cam degreed is essential in making sure you get everything in sync.

3.23 are a nice fun street gear...


-D.Idiot

I really like the setup I've got in my '62: Stock-bore 225 with degreed-in MP P4120243 cam, Carter BBD 2bbl carb and 3.23 gears. It runs well, has a ton of torque and cruises happily at 70mph with lots of pedal left. And I haven't even got round to putting in the Dutra Duals, recurving the ignition, or some of the other improvements I've got planned.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I put a Mopar double roller set in my Dakota with the 5.2 Magnum V8; the "dots" were way off, not just 2 or 3 degrees, more like 10 or 15. Fortunately I hadn't moved the engine so I just put it in and ignored the marks. It was really strange. The motor runs fine and in fact made a round trip to Portland shortly after I got it done.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Thing is, the engine will run "fine" at a surprisingly large range of camshaft positions relative to the crankshaft. But there's a great deal of mileage and power that you sacrifice by not taking the time to degree-in the cam.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

what is the preferred year block and head. what factory head flowed the best off the assembly line. i am going to start from scratch, i am thinking of going with later hydraulic and no spark plug tubes. i want to leave the current engine in there so she can still drive it and have the "fresh" one on the stand so she can take her time and learn, rather than slam it together and stuff it in the car by monday, i'm sure you guys have been in that boat before..

what is the preferred year block and head. what factory head flowed the best off the assembly line. i am going to start from scratch, i am thinking of going with later hydraulic and no spark plug tubes. i want to leave the current engine in there so she can still drive it and have the "fresh" one on the stand so she can take her time and learn, rather than slam it together and stuff it in the car by monday, i'm sure you guys have been in that boat before..

'63-'74 blocks
'68-'74 heads (w/o air injection ports)
Not what I'd do. Fewer camshaft options, and fewer spark plug options.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

okay you twisted my arm, i'll keep the '72 head and block