Inliners International Forums General Discussion MOPAR Low buck 66 Valiant drag project

Hey, guys. I bought a 250 HP plate system, with a half full tank, at the Don Garlits show, for $100. Think the stock pistons will last more then 1 pass?
Going to try and build the car for no more then $800. Including the purchase of the car. Engine is a 225 CID slant six. Just finished the short block today. Invested in project, so far.

66 Valiant 2 dr hrdtp $100.00
set of V-8 headers in the trunk sold - $50.00
Rings 9.95
Main bearings 25.00
Rod bearings set 4.25
Cam bearings set 5.50
Timing set Blue Racer 9.95
Gasket Set 24.95
New Crane cam 460 lift 290* dur no cost, traded for a used head
Lifters 18.00
Oil pump 9.95
Headers clifford shorty with pipes 100.00
Offie intake 65.00
Edelbrock 500 50.00
Nitrous system 100.00
New recon head 99.95
Total so far $572.50

Charlie, sounds like a neat project. Even better when you can barter and trade to keep the costs down. I feel the same way. Much nicer than opening a cheque book to put the car together. Keep us up-to-date on your progress.

Hope to be able to run in the high 15's, on motor only. Might be a little difficult, without gears or a higher stall converter, but they are not in the budget at this time. So far the only thing that would have to be farmed out, by a hobbiest, would be cam bearing installation (i have my own tool). All other special tools are available from Autozone, on their tool loaner program. Even the block was cleaned with "Purple Power". Will not run the nitrous, untill after some base line runs.

Sounds like you're off to a good start. All I see missing is a better ignition system and some suspension work. I used to race a 64 Valiant on a 1/2 mile dirt oval. It was a "stock" 6 cyl class so tweaking was what made the difference.

The front torsion bars are adjustable and that can be a help in preloading the chassis. Cost = FREE. A cheap way to lock the rear end is to remove the cover and the 2 spider gears that are on the center pin. Weld in between a couple of the teeth 180 degrees apart and reinstall them. If you want to go back to an open drive you only have to replace the spider gears. This works better than welding the spiders to each other in that you can remove and replace them easily.

Have fun with the car it sounds like it has much potential.

Mike

I agree on the ignition issue, but it is not in the $800 budget. If I find that it is absolutly neccessary, I have a MSD-7 I can use. I have a ton of parts on the shelf that I can use, but I'm trying to build the car, as if I were a newbe, with a very small budget and no parts on hand. It is a experiment, and will have upgrades added from time to time. As for welding the spiders, that is illegal by all drag race sanctioning bodies. For drag racing, the only suspension mods I have found neccessary, are a pinion snubber and loose front shocks, with the torsion bars lowered some.
Some parts available for future upgrades:
3.91 suregrip
5.13 suregrip
8" 3500rpm converter
MSD-7 ign
Fully ported/big valve head
490 lift cam
512 lift cam
fiberglass front end
slicks

Will be documenting everything, for a cost/performance basis.

PS my 66 Cuda at 3250 lbs and a 170 engine, running thru the mufflers, will turn the 1/4 mile in 13.5's at 93 mph. Will 60 foot at 1.79 seconds on a 7 inch wide slick.

I didn't mean to suggest side stepping the rules Charrlie. My racing experience is all oval track and certainly rules differ among sanctioning bodies even in the same type of racing.

Your low budget approach is quite interesting. It reminds me of a few years back one of the magazines got an old Volare or Aspen and did the same thing, although it had an 8 in it. It was one of the few project cars that didn't get so far out of hand the original intent was lost.
With everyone in all forms of motorsports shoving money around its a miracle any back yard builder can get involved at any level.

I belong to slantsix.org and slantsix.com fotums. We get a lot of posts over there from newbees, about what will work and what will not, how much nitrous can you add to a stock slant piston, etc. So I am going to try and find out first hand. I have never run stock cast pistons in a slant. When I started in 1974, I used TRW forged pistons, that were available for $9.00 ea, and that is what I still have in my engins. Also I have never built a performance 225 cid slant, only the 170.
I mentioned my idea to "Mopar Collectors Guide" magazine. They told me to take lots of pictures, and keep lots of notes, and they will consider it for an article. During the racing season, they report on the "Slant Six Racing News" point series.

Hi Charley,

What a deal on the Valiant hardtop!! If your plan goes awry, I would be interested in the Car. I'm going to be interested in your progress. Good luck.
Jim

I found the car in a junk yard. Actually, they called me and asked me if I would be interested in it. The body is not too bad. Paint is trashed, with some surface rust, No interior at all. Just came in from the shop. Got the cam degreed in. It fell in at 1* advanced at 106 degrees, without haveing to adjust it. Measured my deck hight and cc'ed the head. have to run the numbers, and see what my compression ratio is. Set the head on the block, with checking valve springs, to check valve to piston clearence, and see if I have to cut down the guides, for retainer clearance. Will do that over the weekend. Still need to cut the spring seats for dual springs.

Jim, you are not that far from me. You'r welcome to come for a visit and see the progress first hand. Actually, all inliners are welcome to come over.

Charlie,
I was in Silver Springs Thursday. I thought about you and your project, but didn't know how to find you.

Jim

Hey Charlie Are you interested in another 225?
There is one sitting Right next door to me car and all Cars not worth much.Needs front end Body work. It has been sitting for about a yr now. But it did run pretty good Just Looks Uglyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy LOL. Email me If your interested and I'll find out how much for it. If nto it may have to go to the grave yard Part owners here want it GONE. }[oooooo]

Just came in from the shop. Got the cam degreed in. It fell in at 1* advanced at 106 degrees, without haveing to adjust it. Measured my deck hight and cc'ed the head. have to run the numbers, and see what my compression ratio is. Set the head on the block, with checking valve springs, to check valve to piston clearence, and see if I have to cut down the guides, for retainer clearance. Will do that over the weekend. Still need to cut the spring seats for dual springs.

Well, it looks like the $800 budget is going to take a hit. I completed the cylinder head, but ran into a glitch. This is something novice engine builders most times over look. It has been awhile since I built an engine from scratch, rather then a refresh, and I fell victim, also. A cam needs a matching valve train. My freebe Crane cam, needed dual valve springs. I had planned on using 340 springs and retainers, but they were nowhere near enough tension. I wound up using Mopar performance springs, #P3412068, and retainers #P4529823. Had them in stock, but cost was $134.64.That brings the total to $707.14. Along with this, I had to machine the spring seats for the dual springs. I had the tool on hand, but otherwise this would require the purchase of the tool from Comp cams for $64.68, cutter and arbor, or have a machine shop do the job. I did not cut the valve guides, as there was no interferance, with the retainers at max lift, and I used stock seals, cut down with a sissors, to fit inside the spring. The cutter to cut the guides is $45.99.
The engine is now assembled, on the stand with the intake and headers on for a trial fit.

As far as ignition, did you consider a stock elec. distributor with the orange box and advance springs? That would be fairly inexpensive.

I am going to use a single pickup computer dist with no advance in the dist. Junk yard $5.00 and a stock used mopar control box. Max rpm for the motor should be about 5,000, which the standard module can handle. After we get the car out and get some base line runs, we will start tuning and then adding upgrades (slowly).