The Valiant was a staple in the Plymouth lineup from 1960 to 1976. Its quirky appearance was gone by 1963, and the last redesign of 1967 brought solid sales results. In 1970, the Duster fastback debuted for the youth movement, but a ton of basic 4-door sedans like this one were sold. While it has a Slant-Six engine, not much else may be original about this former grocery getter. Located in Pittsboro, North Carolina, this 4-speed custom is available here on craigslist for $7,500 OBO. Thumbs up to Tony Primo for the tip!
When this black sedan (original color?) was built, the Valiant was likely in third place in compact car sales, behind the Ford Maverick and Chevy Nova. More than 50,000 of these 4-doors were assembled with 225 cubic inch sixes or 318 CI V8s. But a 4-speed wasn’t a common transmission choice, even if offered. The A833 in this car may have less than 2,800 miles, as that’s the number associated with the overall automobile, perhaps since its transformation.
The VIN identifies this as a Slant-Six car, but the front bumper (from a ’68 Barracuda), the interior (totally customized), and likely more are among the changes made by the seller. The said party has owned the car since 2020 and has been working on it all along, but too many projects are getting in the way of devoting more time to it. Newer to the car are the clutch, flywheel, suspension bits, air shocks, rear brakes, and the addition of front disc brakes.
Even with the I-6 power, performance upgrades include a Hurst shifter, Howard’s camshaft, Holley carburetor, headers, and a front spoiler. The little car even has air conditioning. The shifter linkage needs some adjustment, but otherwise the car seems perfectly roadworthy. The floorboards were installed before the interior was redone. A bit of rust remains unchecked in the trunk. If you like departures from the original, would this 4-speed Valiant warm your heart?
Deathproof 2 vibes
My only question on viewing this Valiant is…..WHY?
I guess the answer is, “Why not?” I had a ’62 Chevy II with a 6, Threw some carbs at it, a cam and some headers, ditched the 3 speed and added a close ratio 4 speed. It surprised many a 289 Mustang owner,
It’s not going to appeal to everyone, but the addition of AC and the mechanical upgrades will make for a better driving experience than stock. Vinyl dye will mute the interior if someone objects to the choice of color and most of the other stylistic choices are inexpensive to change and nearly as easy. I’m not sure about the price, someone will have to see it in person, drive it and try to work out a deal, but a stock 6 cylinder 4 door valiant isn’t going to highly sought after.
Steve R