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my 1972 Plymouth Valiant lowrider project .....
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Author:  brian72valiant [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:16 am ]
Post subject:  my 1972 Plymouth Valiant lowrider project .....
hello all
I am Brian Scarborough of south FL.
I have recently aquired this valiant after trying to NOT buy it 3 diffrent times - but when the price dropped to that of the hydraulic system alone I could not refuse the car any more - and its a good thing too - because this has been the most fun car ive had in a long time.

here is how I recieved the car .... pretty decent black paint job

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after re doing the hydraulic pump system in the trunk of the car ...
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my brother drew spraying in my garage
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metalic flake painted car : as it sits right now before kandy paint and pinstripe graphics - wich are next on the paint list to do.
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the front suspension was modified by removing the keys to the torson bars but leaving them in place - the front shock mount was utalized to install the hydraulic cylinders thru in coil over aplication. this area will be re enforced by welding 1/4" steel all around the perch to connect to the front sub frame for further streingth. right now its sketchy at best how long this configuration will last with the hydraulic abuse.
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so here is the engine bay. all ac items have been removed - pretty much a hack job but thats how I got it - and ac is over rated anyways.
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as for the engine's running - it was running like a top - until recently it decided to choke out at idle once it was warmed up. sputter down to like 4 or 5 hundred rpm in gear idling and stall out. I thought it was related to weak spark issue as from this piece here I had all kinds of varing readings with dmm.
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going in I would have from 10v to 14v and coming out I would have from 3.2v up to 12.3v - so after replacing a bunch of crap including that piece / new coil / new plugs / cap and rotor and also tracking down all the wiring going to ignition pieces ive determined that the wiring is good for now - altho the wires them selves are old and yucky - they are not shorting out anywehre - and no wires are broken in connectivity.

the car runs again - after fixing the problem. I tested my old coil and it was a little bit out of factory specifications. the cap and rotor were pretty beat so im glad those got replaced also. I found it strange that the rotor was not held on by any screws or bolts.

ive not determined yet wether I have a 170cu or a 198cu motor. - are there any determining factors to wich I can look for ?


my future plans for the car include :

1 : either replacing the points with new points
or
replacing the points with electronic units wich I have just read about here in the fourms.

2 : replace my current leaky old carburator.
2.5 : set my timing with a timing lignt - right now its set by ear.
3 : replace my alternator with a higher out put unit
3 : re run wires in the engine bay with new wires that are not 30+ years old
4 : figure out how to re ajust my upper a arms in the front to align the front tires better - EDIT - I just did this today - man that was eazy. a 3/4" box wrench and a 3/4" socket did the trick. - box wrench goes on the inside bolt and turns the washers as they are flatsided on the bolt shaft to allow for equal turn each side. super eazy - try it

along with many other things - those are on top of the list now.
if anyone here has any advice to help out with any of my current list of things to do - please feel free to ask - or if you want to see diffrent pictures of the car feel free to ask for photos showing whatever.

ive named my car "Val" and she is realley a car that I think im going to love owning for a long time coming. the hydraulic suspension is also verry fun to play with when cruzing the strip. all heads turn to watch the car bounce and the new paint is just beyond amazing. the pix do it no justice. it just shines like crazy in the south FL. sunlight
Author:  Karasik87 [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
SCHWEEET. Do you have any shots of your car as low as it can go without draggin?
Author:  Reed [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
If you are using the rear shock mounts for the hydraulic mount points, I hope you reinforce them.
Author:  Greg Ondayko [ Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: my 1972 Plymouth Valiant lowrider project .....
Quote:

ive not determined yet wether I have a 170cu or a 198cu motor. - are there any determining factors to wich I can look for ?


my future plans for the car include :

1 : either replacing the points with new points
or
replacing the points with electronic units wich I have just read about here in the fourms.

2 : replace my current leaky old carburator.
2.5 : set my timing with a timing lignt - right now its set by ear.
3 : replace my alternator with a higher out put unit
3 : re run wires in the engine bay with new wires that are not 30+ years old
4 : figure out how to re ajust my upper a arms in the front to align the front tires better - EDIT - I just did this today - man that was eazy. a 3/4" box wrench and a 3/4" socket did the trick. - box wrench goes on the inside bolt and turns the washers as they are flatsided on the bolt shaft to allow for equal turn each side. super eazy - try it

Hi Brian,

A few things to check out - There are 2 different kinds of ballast resistors for the older mopars - a 2 blade kind for LEan burn and a 2 Blade kind w/o lean burn. Maybe check with a reputable parts store to make sure you have the correct Resistor on the car for your year. your can has no lean burn. These resistors look different from the factory but may be the same look outside from the aftermarket, but they have different ohm readings.


Most likley you do not have a 170 as those engines did not come in a 72 valiant unless someone swapped one in.

You can check the stamping on the engine block beneath the alternator for the engine size. most likely it's a 198 or 225. The alt might have to be removed to do this - I am sure it's all greasey and grimy down there and you;ll have to wipe it or brush it down to see the code stamped on the flat there.


Greg
Author:  brian72valiant [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
my brother drew ( shown in photo ) did some more painting on the car. I laid out all the tape design - he came in with air brush and sprayed.

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again my digital camera will simply not take an acurate photo of the metal flake paint job it has. when the sun hits it its verry intense.
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Author:  brian72valiant [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:17 pm ]
Post subject: 
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Author:  slantsixbob [ Mon Jun 07, 2010 11:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
so. thats what my car looks like in that form.
Author:  hellion_locdogg [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
Like they would say here, "that's a sweet ass bass boat"... :lol:
I am really starting to like the look of thoses '70s Valiants though..

,Cliff
Author:  Valleyant [ Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:36 pm ]
Post subject: 
Brian,
You and your brother are very talented. You have redefined "basic transportation" ....I drive a black and white '72 Valiant, daily, and it has been one of the funnest cars I have owned. Neat car you got there! ....nico
Author:  BUCKET 636 [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 7:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Bitchin'. 8)
Author:  raPoM [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Very cool! Never been to low riders,but damn it if a mopar does not make a bad ass low rider!
Author:  brian72valiant [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 1:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
new pix today after workin on it some - wich was frustrating and releaving at the same time....

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the ajustable suspension is fun to play with. haha
Author:  emsvitil [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
Just curious........

Can you lift it left/right?


So you can bank the car for a turn............

:wink:
Author:  THOR [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 5:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
Youve got me reinspired to get my Scamp fixed. Damnit, now I have to go spend money!

:mrgreen:

~RDE~
Author:  brian72valiant [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
yes and no to the side to side action of the car.

I have 2 hydraulic pumps - one goes to both left and right front
and the other goes to left and right rear.

so to raise up the car - I can go front up / back up
or whole car up at the same time.

once the car is up - I have 4 individual oil dump / return solenoids hooked to the hydraulic line so I have complete independent action on all 4 corners to lower the car how ever I see fit. side to side action included
BUT
right now I have the leaves taken off the rear spring - so its just the mono spring there on each side - and by golly I get some serious pinnion slap putting it in drive... lol - but even still with the rear leaf spring there it does not like the side to side twist on the spring. and my fear is that I will either tear out the spring shackles or just break the eyelets off the spring from exessive side to side action - ive been trying to not do it for the past while until .....
I say eventually - but in reality I have to put in a 3 or 4 link suspension on the rear end pretty soon to help some drivablity issues im having.
as the car / drive shaft does weird harmonics when raised up above half way = because the leaf springs point the rear end pinion angle up twards the sky during above half of the 12" rear suspension travel - wich is no good for driveshaft harmonics. lol.

my hope is installing a 3 link rear suspension that will keep the drive shaft pinion angle at more of a constant thruought the 12" of rear travel that I have - wich might also make me get a custom driveshaft made with a slip yoke joint in there to allow for driveshaft expansion / compression during such a extreme amount of rear axle travel.

^ above statments will probly run me over a grand.
lol
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