I know the Signet isn’t the most sought after classic around, but there is something appealing about this little convertible. I love the lines and how they converge on the front fender, it just looks great. This example was recently discovered in a garage and is still covered in dust. It was still seeing occasional use up until 1999 and then it was parked and forgotten. The seller already has it running, but it’s going to need work to be a driver. You can find this little Mopar here on eBay in Mount Olive, Illinois with a BIN of $2,500 and the option to make an offer!
Like I said earlier, these cars don’t have much collector value, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t great cars! At $2,500 or possibly less if you make an offer, this seems like a great and cheap way into classic car ownership. The slant 6 isn’t particularly powerful, but offers great low end torque and should be adequate for this little convertible. Of course, they did over a 273 V8 as an option, so you could always drop a V8 under the hood and have a mean little sleeper!
Personally, given how cheap these cars are, I would leave this one stock. If the engine runs, I would save my money for getting a new top, tires, and whatever parts the interior ends up needing. If you are careful with your spending and do as much of the work yourself as possible, this could be a sweet little classic to enjoy on a tight budget! Just make sure you can get replacement floor pans and that the rest of the underside isn’t rusted. If it is, this one might be past saving. So if you were to take on this Plymouth, would you leave the engine alone or would you swap in a V8?
It will be interesting to see if it sells. The body is remarkably straight and rust free. Here in the NE that is very rare.
Another great entry level car, that no one has ever seen before! I hope the front bumper and grille are still lurking around.
I agree love the lines!
my first car was a ’64 three-on-the-tree Slant-Six Valiant. It appeared to have been hand painted (with a brush!), had no AC nor a factory radio. The after-market variety got one channel: 24-HR news – perfect date car!! I paid $519 for it in Aug ’71. Less than a month after the purchase it was one of five vehicles parked on the street next to our high school band practice field smashed by a gentleman who’d fallen asleep at the wheel. My car was officially totaled and the insurance co. paid me $400 and I got to keep the car! Drove it two more years until I bought a brand new Toyota Corolla.
Always liked the styling of the Signet in general, and especially liked how big the rear window is on the convertible model, very unusual styling cue. Neat car, and I agree that keeping it stock would be the best way to preserve it.
check millsupply.com for the floor pans. click on classic vehicles for cars prior to 2000. reasonable prices and shipping costs. this is one of those “love to have” a convertible, with great gas mileage and decent looks, not seen to often. somebody make an offer, and enjoy it as a good weather/summer driver.
As far as entry level classic cars go, this one looks like a deal. The buyer won’t need to spend the rest of his life doing body work to fix the rust that these are so prone to. If it needed some floor work, that’s ok, the outside of it looks great, and the missing bumper and grille are not hard to find.
I had 2 Valiants, a ’63, 2 door 170 slant 6, and a ’64, 2 door with a 273. The Signet, I believe, was the top of the line for Valiant. This is not the original motor, as blue slant 6’s came out in 1970. Before that all 6’s were red. I always thought the Dart of this era was a much nicer car, and not many Valiant convertibles were sold, so it is rare. Limited appeal will make it a tough sell. I respectfully disagree with Josh, these motors were some of the most powerful inline 6 cylinders made, and were used in trucks for many years. There’s a bunch of aftermarket speed parts for these and some could really run. Still a lot of work here.
Had it running, but couldn’t even wipe it down, or fill up the tires?
New top and tired and a good clean, check over the brakes, fluid flushes and I’m ready to go!
Late model engine – looks straight – like the fuel tank on the passenger seat
Looks like the front bumper sticking out rear window.
You are right Howard about the blue engine which means this is probably 225 six. It’s not a V8 but that six will push that thing down the road pretty good! I had 1970 Barracuda with a 225 in it and it was surprisingly quick.
leaning tower of power!!
The slant 6 was a great engine and at 225 cubes it will run down the road just fine.
Slant six is hard to beat for reliability. I owned a Dodge Town Wagon with a 225 slant six for about 30 years. Never let me down…
Just think that the 1964-66 Barracuda was the same car
The body looks great .Is it a unibody our full frame/I’m gessing unibody
It wasn’t all that long ago I sold a nearly perfectly restored ’64 Valiant Convertible with bucket seats and a floor shift and could only get $14,000 for it. It ran perfect too – I drove it across Oregon, California and Death Valley to deliver it to the buyer in Las Vegas. Considering the obvious amount of work the car under consideration will require, I think it’s current economic value is about a negative $5,000!! as I’m sure it will easily suck up $20,000 or more before it’s equivalent to the one I had!
Most folks need a car, why not this one? Every car is going to cost you money.
It will also save a lot on the insurance bill compared to a tote-the-note car that needs full coverage. A car does not need a restoration to be driven, ask me, I drive a bunch of old turds that do not cost me much to keep, and I will not lose a penny on any one of them.
You could have gotten more for yours, had the front bumper been straight!! j/k
I do not understand why folks dump a truck load of money into a restoration, just to have it go back to needing another restoration at a later date.
Hi randy, I think this pic is a file photo, unless it was Brakeservo’s car at one time ( I thought it looks like a ’65, but I’ve found ’64’s with that grill, anybody?). I also question why people stick a ton of money into restorations, only to get what they paid for the paint job. I never get an honest answer why, except, “it was a labor of love for that person”. Well, be that as it may be, I’d “love ” to have the money, instead of losing $20g’s, ( or more) but I guess it just shows, how some people have more money than they know what to do with.
Time heals all financial wounds…
Your red car is gorgeous – I would love to drive it through Death Valley, like I did once with my Rangoon Red 1964 Falcon Sprint conv, w/ 260 V8 and 4-speed.
There’s nothing like a red convertible, a manual trans and wind in your face!
I literally just pulled one of these from storage yesterday, a 63 convertible. Has been sitting since 1996. It is a one owner,slant 6,push button automatic. The car is complete and I have the original book and window sticker. I will be getting it running this week and selling for an older relative who has fallen ill and needs the money.
Great find Steve! We’d like to feature it on the site once you get it up and running.
Absolutely . The motor is def free and it was driven into this garage spot so I don’t expect any major hurdles aside from the normal fuel problems. I’m sure the current owner would be excited about seeing it here . Having it get a little recognition would hopefully ease her upset about losing it. I’ll be in touch and Thank you .
The red Valiant convertible was my ’64 that had been completely restored over a 10 year period (but not by me – I’ve not got that sort of money to throw away) including a mechanical rebuild and I was only able to get $14,000 when I sold it so my point was that the $2500 project Valiant is an absolute money losing proposition unless the seller A) gives you the car free and B) also throws in at least another $5,000 in cash towards what will be at least a $20,000 restoration resulting in a $14,000 or $15,000 car when done so that the new owner could at least break even.
Yes, it’s a good thing people restore cars out of enthusiasm, love, passion whatever beyond economic reason. Otherwise so few cars would be restored and the world would be a poorer place because of it. I’m just not one of those who’s able to do so without regard to economic consequences – I have to work too hard for my money!
But then for my $14,000 I’d rather have the Valiant convertible than a new Kia Rio or similar Hyundai or whatever is really “cheap” to buy new these days – I wouldn’t know, I’ve never ever bought a new car and can’t imagine I ever will.
I think the front end on my old red Valiant convertible was actually ’64 Barracuda parts – apparently they bolt on and keep the car from looking like what everyone’s grandmother drove fifty years ago! The man who restored the car and from whom I bought it included the correct original grill and it was in the trunk when I sold it too.
I thought it looked Barracuda, also, including the wheel covers. But what a beautiful transition!
Money-wise, if you had kept that car (instead of cashing it out) it would have been a much more stable investment than a worthless, ugly Japanese Rice Grinder Van, plus it would have been much more fun – which is priceless.
In the late 70s I had a 64 Dart GT 225 slant six 4 speed w/ factory Hurst linkage, bought it from the original owner, anyhow was good on gas and peppy (would chirp second gear easily) wish I still had it!
As stated earlier, all of them don’t need $20,000 frame-off or rotisserie restorations to make them fun, usable, or enjoyable.
It’s better if most of them ‘don’t’ get that treatment.