The 1963 Valiant was redesigned, much to the delight of hoards of Plymouth fans. The previous look was a little “different” for a lot of people but the ’63s were smooth and a bit easier on the eyes. This 1963 Plymouth Valiant V100 is all original according to the seller. It can be found here on eBay in Amsterdam, New York. There is an unmet $4,000 opening bid price and a buy it now price of $6,000.
Compared to the first-generation 1960-1962 Valiants, the 1963 models were a breath of fresh air. I personally like awkward, ungainly cars so I loved the previous cars but these new models sure looked modern and crisp comparatively. The seller says that this car is all original and I’m wondering why the RF fender is a bit shinier than the surrounding panels, maybe it’s been repainted at some point or who knows.
This is the base model, the V100. Next in line was the V200 and finally the Signet. This example looks great but the seller mentions a that it has a few “small rust spots.” Plymouth built almost 730,000 second-generation Valiants between 1963 and 1966 and just under 200,000 1963 Valiants were produced.
The interior looks pretty nice from what is shown in the few photos. The front seat appears to be somewhat faded and/or stained. This car has a “3 spd on the column, very solid car with original everything. New brakes and clutch about 1500 miles ago. Driven on occasions only. Been garaged it’s entire life.”
This is really the base-base-base model car, since it has the standard 101-hp 170 cubic-inch slant-six. A 145-hp 225 slant-six would have been optional. A V8, in this case, a 273 cubic-inch model, wasn’t available until 1964. Finding an all-original car doesn’t happen that often and even a base-model car like this would make a great first classic for someone. Have any of you owned a second-generation Valiant?
Thank you Scotty and BFs for another visual blast from the past. This was my 3rd car, senior year in HS. A lighter blue, but this exact car. It, like this, had absolutely no options, not even sun visors. Amazing you could get a car like this. I put mags and chrome wheels on, jacked up the suspension, put a 2 barrel carb on, moved the shifter to the floor, and a Y pipe for dual exhaust. For a 170, it had a lot of pep. Fooled a lot of people with that car. My 4th car was a ’64, same thing, basic Valiant, except one option. The 273 V8. I did pretty much the same thing to it as the ’63. Man, that was a long time ago. Thanks again for the memories.
great story and familiar! my older brother had one in the late sixties, put wood blocks in to jack up and any unusual turn had them flying out and an uneven rear end. we painted the car with paisley doilies and spray cans then changed it the next year to multi colored house paint. it was the first hippie car in our neighborhood and a blast for a couple years. thanks barn finds and howard a for bringing back nothing but good times.
It’s the ultimate candidate to build a 6=8 sleeper! Though V8s rule, I’ve always had a soft spot for I6 engines,had a 250 Chevy modestly modified years ago with great results.
I’d just leave the car as is, it’s the ultimate gramma’s cheap ride and the 2door post body and poverty caps just wrap up the package.It already has the 3spd manual which works great with an I6, rather turn the attention to the engine:
Use the present 170 or replace it with a bigger 225, bump the compression,different cam and a modern Hyper-Pak intake with a 4bbl carb.Let it breath through true dual exhausts all the way back.
Result: a lightweight stoplight killer with true el cheapo look.It’ll humiliate many a mullet head lazy 350Chevy equipped ‘hot’ rods…!
Just add a radio, sunvisors, buff out the
rest of the car, and you’ll have a wimner.
Those 225’s are bulletproof and will run
happily on any grade of gas. Use this
car as your daily driver, and I’ll guarantee
that you’ll turn heads wherever you go.
A friend of mine bought one well-used
(200K miles) and logged close to 300K
more before the engine finally quit.
Don’t think he ever found such a reliable
ride after that. Sure beats anything the
carmakers are slapping together these
days. Wonder if you could drive it from
New York to my home in Florida.
It may very well make the drive from NY to FL but probably should not be attempted at I-95 speeds. lol And when you get there to start looking for a classic AC installer. I would love it in Texas but would have to have AC for about 9 months a year.
Cute, cute little Plymouth.
I agree with local_sheriff – Maybe tune the engine a mite and drive as is!
Love to have it in my driveway!
Nice find!
I’m normally not a fan of plain-Jane cars but this one is just so downright honest that you can’t ignore its appeal. I knew a guy in high school who had a 4-door like this, same color, same drivetrain. He was a big guy with a positive attitude. He had an older brother who was a handsome badass, a real James Dean type. Nothing like him. One of the most enduring memories I have of that era is going for a ride in that slant 6 and marveling at how fast it was. Of course he was driving like a maniac, the look of pure 17-year-old joy on his face I will never forget.
Honest is a great description, left as is I’d be inclined to make it my daily driver in the salt free months, maybe upgraded brakes if it can be done painlessly.
I have a second generation or at least I am a second owner of a Valiant, a right hand drive Valiant Barracuda that was made in Canada and shipped to Indonesia in 1965. I bought it 20 years ago in Sumatra, I live in Singapore where the car is… being from Australia I love Valiants. The Slant Six just keeps going… and I get a lot of looks in her in Singapore where it’s a bit different to have a classic American car. It doesn’t have a heater, but being 200 miles from the equator you don’t need one… love Valiants!
This is my favorite year Valiant. (1964 and 1965 are ok also) Upgraded brakes are as easy as swapping over front spindles and rear diff. from an Aspen/Volare if you can find one. This would also give you 5 on 4.5 bolt circle wheels so you can have many, many choices on wheels and offset. (15″ Diplomat wheels from a police cruiser gets you the width and you can still use the dog dish hub caps. ( I think they swap, or you can use the dog dish from the Diplomat and no one would be the wiser) The mentioned upgrades are what I would consider doing to this. Some more rear gear, Clifford engine options and a T5 speed would make a great little daily driver. Then again, stock is still pretty cool!
I had a ragtop 63,got married in it.
Hopped up 318 /904 it was a fun car.
My new bride wanted to ride from the church with her dad?
She was afraid of me doing a burn out leaving church! I did,cars long gone bug still got her 23 years later
This would make a great sleeper . A hemi , 4 speed and narrowed rear with 33 inch tires oh my !
Love this.
I’ve owned a 63 Valiant Signet since 1980. Three speed manual. Unboosted steering.
Came with the 170, radio and heater and probably whitewalls.
It got a 225 when the beat down engine was replaced with a rebuilt 225 back in 1988. It’s condition was why I think it had actually gone 213,000 miles rather than the [1]13,000 the odo read when I got it.
It’s honesty and simplicity has influenced every car purchase I have made ever since.
I am 99.9 % sure this is the car I missed out on about 10+ years ago , It was solid then and looks solid now .Not so sure about the price then, but not like they want now , some place between 4 and 6000 ,but closer to 4000 would be a good buy. I had a 65 dodge Dart with the 225 slant 6 and 3 on the tree , beat the crap out of it and it never failed me ,except for big puddles , if you got water any where near the distributor it would stall . I sold mine with almost 100k on it and still saw it driving around 10 years later .
Wait….can it be….a turning of the leaf…..?
I can imagine these sitting next to the full size cars back in 1963.
This car had to look tame next to the big ones.
Nice find.
If you were near here you could probably scoop this for way less than asking price.
This would be great for a 360 transplant and some paint and TLC
My First car was a 1964 Valiant 4dr. with the 273 V8 and a push button auto. But I hit a Cow with it, so the engine went to a Barracuda owner, and the tranny went to a convertable owner.
One of my favorite old cars that I’ve owned in the past. Wish I had never let it go. The slant six was basic and easily fixed. Lifting the hood and popping the gears back into position was easy fix and always made me feel accomplished😏. What I wouldn’t do to get my hands on this and restore it to its original glory with my grown son.