I found one '60s Valiant for sale. It is as original as it could to be with 93000 kms (60'000 miles) on it. I has "new" paint, painted ten to fifteen years ago. Some decoratives have some dintsetc. But there is everything including hubcaps, jack and so on.

The car needs at least brake rebuilt and some ball joints to front suspension. As well engine mounts were so compressed the 170 cubic inch powerplant was lying at the K-member. Small things but have to before the car can be driven to inspection to get it between licence plates again (they were there but outdated).

I have had several 64-66 Darts and Valiants. What I noticed was that almost everything differs between the 1st Valiant and those mid-60s cars I know.

To get this vehicle registered as a "historical vehicle" it has to be near 100% original. So no swaps from newer donors will be allowed even the parts are real bolt ons in many cases.

My question is, how hard are these 1960 parts to find? For example brakes and suspension what are the most needed. I have to decide if I buy it, or not. And it depends how hard this is to fix.

I feel even the engine block differs from later ones because the alternator is located to the driver side. So there is no mounts for the other installation. Also the starter has cast iron housing (was painted and shape was non light alloy cast style) and it has external relay. Alternator has some differences compared to mid60s design. And so on.

I think this is quite rare car nowadays. Isnt it?

While small differences crop up every year of production, the '60-'61 Valiants are vastly different than the later ones. The front suspension components are quite scarce (although swapping to the later set-up is fairly straightforward). Trim is unique to the '60 and even the hood latch is different than the '61. Body panels and glass should be interchangable through '62 (for comparable models!) Rust was also a major problem for the road toads. These early models also came with no fuse block, first year for that was '62 I think. The rear end will swap with any later A-body 7 1/4 (its original will have different axle bearings and backing plate mountings) Interior is fairly simple, but the guages (black face) are hard to find and often worn out. I owned one of these a few years ago and found out some of this the hard way. But these cars have become more popular lately and I still think they're way cool. (I now have a 62 Lancer wagon!) So I say go for it! Hunting for parts is half the fun...are you really in Finland?

Forgot the starter is a 'direct drive' type with the solenoid mounted externally. This works with your transmission, I haven't read if or how to adapt a later one. These are a bit weaker design, but last I checked they were readily available.

I have three 61 Valiants - The brake master cylinder and wheel cylinders
are available - I have had to use the 63 and up brake shoes, I drilled the holes for the lower return springs myself - otherwise the shoes were the same. I find the master cylinder seal to the pushrod a weak area, whenever the cars sit a few months without use that seal blows and dumps the brake fluid on my carpet

One of my three has a direct drive starter - so it is lacking the classic reduction gear chryco sound (oh well it still has a pushbutton trans).
The parts book calls out a different ring gear for use with the direct
drive starter - it must have a different number of teeth - So if you swap
it for a later starter probably need to swap the flywheel or torque converter.

The suspension parts are getting harder to find lower ball joints,
pitman arms, and idler arms especially. - One source
www.rareparts.com can help with most of the parts - They need a
core to rebuild if you need a pitman or idler arm. They are in Stockton area of CA.

The gauges for 60 (black) and 61 (white) show up on ebag from time to time. None of mine have been bad yet - the sending end has been the
problem not the gauge.

I believe the alternator to be the same with the exception of the mounting
brackets - I believe 60 to be the only year to mount the alternator on the
left - all my 61s have right side mounted alternators. But if the alternator
case and bracket is good the parts to rebuild the electrics inside are
available.

Check the floorpan (front and rear) and the trunk floor for rust - Many of
these early models have a trunk with a view.
That is more than enough for now - sorry about the long winded post.

The only time I've seen the driver's side original alt is in a pre-62 vehicle...and I actually pulled a bracket for a member out of Seneca Station Wagon, but it was a Generator in the position not an alternator... this just bolts to the pad that most of us see a power steering pump mounted to... (Or in my case, it makes a hand hyperpak 'kickstand' mounting pad and engine grounding point...)

-D.Idiot

Brake parts from 1961 and up can be made to fit. There are differences in the shoes for the return springs, I believe.

The starter is an Autolite (later Prestolite) direct-drive starter. It is NOT interchangable with Chrysler's 1962 and up reduction gear starter. The Autolite/Prestolite starter was used in 1960-61 and on Canadian-built slant six models through to, and including, 1966.

The solenoids, the part that is mounted on the starter. are getting hard to find, but Ford solenoids of the same era are more common and will work. You have to bend the mounting bars a bit to fit the starter, though.

Ford used Autolite parts at that time and purchased part of the Autolite business in 1961. Ford acquired the rights to the Autolite name as well and the remainder of the former Autolite firm bagan using the Prestolite name for all its products.

The driver's side alternator/generator was used only in 1960. In 1961 they mounted the alternator/generator on the right side, where it remained right to the end of slant six production.

Although the 1960 was thr most popular of the 1960-62 Valiants, it is the most scarce now. I know of one here in the Vancouver area.

Bill
Vancouver. BC


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If you like the car, get it!!! the boys down under have the parts as well as e-bay, I've had 2 1960's, but now drive a 62 because it is an auto.The parts are out there,but you have to be patient, basically 60-61 are in a class by themself-- 62 has many parts part to interchange but some are different.Watch out for windshields & the gasket very hard to find or replace$$$ Good luck-- & enjoy watching people stare as you go cruising bye. Also both my 60's had the alternator mounted on the drivers side I believe it is the early style & later it was switched to the more common passenger side style.,!!!!!

Thanks guys, how can I get this information w/o internet. I personally like the car (hope the seller is not lurking here...) but I'm in a situation (studying master-level degree together my daily job) I do not have time for start to hunt the parts now, and no time to restore the car. That one reason why I'm garaged my '66 Dart to wait the better times, too.

I have sent several emails to local car museums (which have these "young-timers" in their showrooms) if they like to take it for a while (it was really in that shape, even cleaned from dust). If I found a place for it, I maybe make an offer for it.

This car has been kept so original, its wrong to start to modernize it with wrong parts.

A nice story about it. The original owner, mainly a doctor of medicine, has been a part time writer. He has wrote a book about the danger of car traffic. And he lived as he teach. At his last years he didnt drive this nice compact car at all. Against his own driving he call a taxi - not for transportation with a cab, but getting the taxi driver to steer the Valiant. Owner went sitting to the rear bench...

In this day and age, it's very difficult to get the information you need *without* the internet. But, most all the '60-'61 specific parts can rather readily be had. Suspension parts are no big deal. Yes, they're different, but they're also not scarce. The starter is similary rather easy to find, though it is different. If you like the car, get it! The engine block isn't different to accommodate the driver-side alternator, by the way -- the '60 alternator brackets put the alternator on the left side; '61-up brackets put it on the right.