Another in the “They used to be everywhere” series, this 1968 Plymouth Valiant 100 sedan appears to be nice in the photos from what we can see. The seller doesn’t mention the body condition, but it looks nice in the overall photos. They have it posted here on craigslist in Port Charlotte, Florida, and the seller is asking $10,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Zappenduster for the tip!
I was hoping to read that this Valiant was all original or that it had no rust and no bodywork or something like that, but the seller says that it’s a great restoration project. The body sure looks nice, doesn’t it? Being in Florida and having Kentucky plates, or a rear plate, those are humid areas and rust can be a concern. There are a few things I noticed, mainly in the trunk area. Pages 22 and 23 of this brochure show the ’68 Valiant.
This is my favorite photo; it looks like a classic 1960s photo of a company town with small, affordable houses for workers at some giant factory or maybe a mining town or something. There is a photo of the trunk compartment, and that’s always nice. I noticed what I thought were pine needles on the top part of the trunk opening, but then I noticed the paint. Also, there’s some rust in the top corners and on the bottom, and the rear bumper chrome looks a little rough. I hope the lower portions of the doors and fenders are as nice as they look in the photos.
I’d want to see this car in person before sending $10,000 several states away and then waiting for it to show up on a trailer. I’ve been bit before, and that’s not happening again. Not that I’d be a buyer anyway; I’d want a three-on-the-tree transmission in my base model Valiant. The front seat is the only one we see, and it has a couple of rough areas; hopefully the back seat is ok. I’d bet that the seller would send more photos to any serious buyers.
The third-generation Valiant (model years 1967-1973) came with a variety of drivetrains; this one has a 225-cu.in. OHV slant-six with 145 horsepower and 215 lb-ft of torque. The seller lists it as a 205, but that has to be a typo. The three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels, and the seller says it runs well but needs a new fuel filter. That’s about a five-minute job, so I’m not sure why it wasn’t changed. There are new drum brakes, so that’s good. Any thoughts on this ’68 Valiant?
While I certainly like this car and have a historic attachment to Valiants, this is way overpriced.
My first car was a ’74 Valiant, so I have a soft spot for them too, but that price is waaaay too much! It’s gonna be sitting there for quite awhile unless it comes way down.