Im starting to build a 66 valiant 4dr I just recently purchased. It runs but needs work to make it a DD. Ive got the fluids I need and as soon as I get paid I'll have the filters I need to do a full fluids change. But thats it, I dont know where to start... Not sure if I should change the points and cap, or just go ahead and get a whole new distributor... having a lot of fun finding one to begin with. This is my first slant 6 car and I need as much help as I can get for ideas. So please throw out what ya got cause anythings better than nothing.

thanks
Sam

Welcome to the fun world of A-body DD, Dan will pipe in soon with a nice list of things you need for quality tuneup parts. If you're thinking of a new distributor, I would save the money and work toward converting to electronic ignition, remanufactured isn't new, it's poor quality rebuilt...


-D.idiot

if your going to daily drive it and your not sure on the maintence by all means change all the fluids rearend ,trans, and engine oil first. after that plugs /wires/cap/rotor, as you get money together, if it is running ok make sure the brakes are good next. the points can be cleaned and regapped.

yeah, went to autozone and got some name brand fluids to put in it, didnt wanna go high dollar so I stuck mid range on prices. I want to covert to electronic ignition, my buddy and his dad have the pertronix setups on their 360s, and I considered it, but Id rather just buy a whole new distributor instead of mixn and matchin... only prob is I can find anyone that sells um... maybe I wasnt looking hard enough... anyone got a company in mind thats got um? Its cool to put a new distributor in and work your way down the line of parts and getum new... right? Ive never worked with a car that had points. Before I forget, Ive got a 41 plymouth that Im parting out, it has some decent 3 or 3 1/4" exhaust tubing... is that too much? I want to run a flowmaster single chamber race... love the sound of um. N which gives the best sound, closer to the motor, in the middle, or closer to the exhaust tip?

Get a valve cover gasket and do a valve lash adjustment.
DD

ok, still need some info on where to purchase performance parts... ie distributor... please...

Performance parts? um...... different engine maybe not the slant six. Clifford performance will have some stuff if your able to get it. I like Summit Racing for the Offy four barrell and cam selections. Don't be afraid to go to big on the cam, I went to OregonCam's but didn't get one big enough. There is no custom distrubutors that I'm aware of you got the stock stuff or a trigger wheel option. The HEI setup will be good enough for anything you'll do. I've yet to see the custom billet distrubutor make or break a slant six build.
The ignition, fluids and valve adjusting will be a good start. I would drive it around a little bit and see if it's a solid foundation. I was lucky enough to buy an extra engine to do my build on. If it's not a huge mileage car and is running fine I would go ahead and bump up the exhaust with some headers and intake. You got the super six option or straight to the 4 barrel. This will give you a nice start and stuff you can carry over to a bigger build, also try searching Engine Matrix.

You can get the Electronic Distributor off Ebay for less than $100. The HEI module at Napa for about $20 and the MD Blaster 2 coil from Summit for $35 or so.

Hi Sam, Welcome aboard. My mantra is brakes and wiring. You are doing the right thing to replace the fluids. If this car has not been driven lately, don;t be surprised if the water pump fails. Don't get discouraged. A car that has been sitting will have things like this happen.

On the wiring, do some checks with a VOM and see if there is a voltage drop in the wiring. You will need a Factory Service Manual, acronymed as FSM. Expect Dan to pop up with the FSM internet link.

Check your brakes thouroughy, and don't drive hard untill you build up experience that you can trust it. If this car has a single resevoir master cylindar then this is especially sound advice.

Sam

_________________

my plan on the distributor is to get one from a parts store for a newer car. like a 74 or 75 sland six valiant. im told they can be purchased for pretty cheap. then you just need the ecu it plugs into, ballast resistor and the elctronic ignition wiring harness. all can be purchased from mancini racing.

http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/mrehpconun.html ----ecu----
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/balres.html ----ballast resistor----
http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/wirharcopand.html ----harness-----

-aaron-

_________________
it's not only good. it's good enough.

sweet, thanks for the input everyone. My main goal with this car is a fairly quick cruiser thats airbagged... hopefully I didnt just lose some folks after that one, but I personally think it'd look good that way... little flat black paint... and I'd also like to run a turbo and fuel injection... all are just ideas for now, because this is going to be my DD, especially while Im in school. I live in the middle of rice fields and have a long straight strech of road to test the brakes... which definitely need some work, but for 375+89 for a battery, and it started with a little fresh fuel, and will drive down the road... I think I got a pretty decent deal. The car supposedly has only been sitting for two years, but it was a DD before that, guy just said the choke was givin him problems so he had to park it. I wasnt really looking for a billet distributor per say, I was just looking for what my options where, but I like the HEI thou, will probably go with that. Is the HEI unit a direct bolt on, or does it require something....?

thank you guys for all your input

Sam

Cool that your car is going to be a dd. Just a word of caution (and I don't mean to discourage ya), expect costly, and lengthy set backs. Also never plan on a date that its going to be done on (unless your car is perfect). My duster has given me so many problems, its not even funny. Or you could be one of the lucky ones and have few problems at all. My car is on the road and runnin fine. Truth is, they are never done!

Well, best of luck to ya!

_________________

'74 Duster 225 Super Six w/904
14" Cragar SS wheels

yeah I know, Im expecting the worst, but hoping for the best. I think my biggest set back is the wife, cant ever seem to get the time on my days off to work on the car... and I know this is going to take a lot of work to get the car to where I want it, and there isnt any eta on any completion. Heres whats stumpin me, when ya change the oil filter do ya need oil in it? sin ce its upside down I think it'd be messy, but maybe ya dont. Little help please

sam

yes it is a mess, but don`t put the filter in bone dry , half fill it and turn it around in your hand to make sure all the fibers are wet with oil then spin it on as fast as you can with a rag around the pump filter base.

finally made some headway, but ran into problems... see if anyone has any input. So got all the fluids back into the car, had a little problem with changing the gear fluid in the pumpkin, the fill plug was dang near welded in there, and was stripped out bad, so I drilled/tapped it after hammering in a matching nut, then added a washer and a ton of rtv sealant. havnt had any leaks. changed the tranny, radiator fluid, and installed a new waterpump, new oil, and new spark plugs. heres where I may have made a mistake, I cut the exhaust off about equal to the firewall, main reason was cause the exhaust system was about to hall off due to rust, and the muffler had blow a hole in the top of it. anyways, after the fluid change I decided to take the car for a test drive to get all the fluids moving, took the car a little while, but finally got it started, got it about a 1/4 mile down my road and it broke down. got it home and tried the next morning to running again, and again it took a while to get started, and it ran for about 2 min, then stopped. Now it wont start, I thought it might just be the battery, but even when hooked to my pickup the starter just wouldnt turn over. My question is since the car sat for atleast a year or two could the fuel pump, or maybe the starter just need to be replaced. Oh, and I needed to add a fuel filter, it seems that maybe the filter was putting too much restriction in the fuel line, so that the carb wasn't getting enough fuel... please help