This has been a great weekend for me...I went and picked up my Valiant, some Sprint car parts and a 400 Pontiac in the last three days. Been getting up at 5:30 or 6 to get started on the brakes, got stymied by advance auto... Soooo, installed the 400. Man, it looks great, fills up the bay and shit, can't wait to get this one running.... Bryan's my buddy in the pics, one of the baddest motherfuckers in the WORLD on a manual lathe. No shit. Yup, it's a '66 Valiant with a 400 Pontiac big stupid block. Summon the demons because they need their asses kicked,
That somewhat strikes me as a challenge...D'Artagnan, pick up your sword as I slap thee in the face with a kid glove.
Nice work! The only obstacle I can see you might have is the exhaust manifold by that steering box...but I have faith in you..."I fart in your general direction you English kinigot! Now go away, before I taunt you a second time!"
Good luck on headers with the steering box in the stock location. That was the main reason i didn't run my 392 hemi in my valiant. I also had a small block on hand, witch realy helped my dicision. Mopar wedge motors (big and small) dont hane down turned exhaust ports like that poncho. Hint hint hint
The Ponchopar is gonna rumble!!! Keep goin' at this rate and you'll be test drivin' that hog by Valentine's Day!!
Well, good luck with this. That exhaust is going to be a pita. I had a 454 hanging between the fenders of a 64 Dodge Coronet once. Would have worked out fine if he didn't need brakes or steering.... Ended up putting a 440 4 speed in that 64. The guy still has the car. Everything you do to it fights you all the way, even simple shit. I think the car is still pissed off about the BBC hanging between the fenders. Worst part was he pulled a sweet 40K mile slant 6 auto out of the 64 and put in the 440 4 speed. He has had the car about 8 years and he has only driven the thing like a little old lady, just putts around. What a waste. The car, the 440, and the 4 speed could have been used in something fast and cool, but now its just a expensive dog. Oh well, his car, his money. Gene
Cool project! I have had both Mopars and Pontiacs over the years and I love them both. In the last pic where you have the motor mount installed it looks like the stock log Poncho exhaust manifold could fit. I hope you have better than the tiny valiant slant six drum brakes to stop that beast on the street.....
6x heads on that Pontiac too, that's cool. I don't think it would be that hard to move that steering box out of the way. Everyone tries to modify their exhaust to clear steering, but no one seems to want to move the steering out of the way of the exhaust. Why is that?
Just thought you would enjoy another valiant gasser with a gm mill. This one was on ebay six months back.
Cool pics. Actually, we were considering moving the steering box but there's a good amount of clearance there...and I've got to make headers anyways ("Yeah, '66 Valiant with a Pontiac 400 and a '66 A100 frontend, I need some Blackjack fenderwells....what's the part number on those?"). And for all of you accepting the challenge, it's only a flesh wound..come back and fight. I'm not that confused...
You would never have thought this one up if you were normal. I just read an article in a 1963 Hot Rod, "How to Install a 389 in a 57 Thunderbird" Not for beginers. Does this buggy have a roll cage? If not weld in subframe connectors at the very least so that you do not twist the unibody in a rude fashion. K-frame and torsion bar suspension removed? A100 axle? If you do find a good alternate location for the steering box I want to see it. Moving the box means a whole differnt pitman arm at the very least. I'm looking for ideas to make room for headers in my 65 Cuda. It's a tight setup.
Is the pitman arm forged? I would think it could be cut and welded if it needed it, but I don't know. The engine sits higher than a stock location, but that's the look I was after anyways....I would have like to set it back more, but too much stuff got in the way. Who said anything about normal? No roll cage but it has frame rail connectors. I'll probably add a cage after I drive it once. After I shit my pants.
that engine is just screaming for a dual quad intake (if you dont get stacks on it that is) nice ride, have fun with it ....
He brought some help with him. His quote was that the car did not weigh that much, we could push it up on the trailer! We did, but I was beginning to wonder if we were going to make it!
Ooops - I forgot to give him a come-a-long that usually rides with the trailer. Very sweet ride there, cant wait for a ride in it.
Well now..... I would have to say that even I, who at times conger'd some rather strange rides would have never give'n this combo a thought..... Could it be that at another place in time there will be a shootout in order to see who haz the fast'st Pontiac Rat rod? But is this a rat rod?? A gasser?? God that boy moves south and ya can never tell whats gonna take place!!! Pontiac Slim
I had a com-a-long and offered to get it so we could use it, that is when the quote about it weighing very little came up. I really do not think the car weighs that much, but when you are pushing it up those angle iron ramps and the wheels drop between the angle iron, you would think the car would stay there,WRONG!
We were in Tampa about 45 minutes total..I was fricken excited to start in on this thing! It was one of those, "Look at it from all angles at every piss and gas stop" sorta deals. Sure woulda been a LOT bigger of a pain in the ass if it weren't for dixiedog's sweet assed trailer.
The Jalopy Journal
