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If someone tells you that you can't purchase a collectible Mopar today for anything less than the contents of your 401K, try a Plymouth Valiant on for size. Chances are it will not have a Hemi hiding under the hood, or even a 440-cu.in. big-block. But so what? You don't need to have a big V-8, bucket seats and a four-speed to enjoy the collector-car experience.
Replacement vinyl upholstery kit for the rear will start at $160, while the front bench seat upholstery kit starts at $250
Plymouth's conservatively styled compact, officially called a Chrysler A-body, might not be for everyone, but for those on a tight budget, or if you've thought about breaking away from the ordinary, it's an ideal car with which to step into the world of collector cars; well, at least in baby steps. Period advertising from Plymouth listed the four-door as having been "a pacesetter in the economy field for over ten years...and it still has the roomy interior, rugged construction, and proven economy."
Often the subject of some kind of poor joke, everybody--it seems--knows somebody who owned one; ironic that the Valiant is certainly out of the norm at car shows across the board.
ENGINES
Even though it seems little changed on the third-generation Valiant, an adjustment to the Slant Six engine did occur in time for the 1970 model year, which is one of the primary reasons for focusing our attention on the 1970-'72 models. Eliminated from the lineup of horsepower offerings was the 170-cu.in. version. Instead, buyers found that a 198-cu.in. straight-six came from the factory as standard equipment.
Trim pieces are—simply put—hard to come by due to low demand for the four-door. Items such as replacement taillamp lenses might relegate you to searching through piles of used lenses at the next swap meet in your area
The 198, with its 3.40 x 3.64-inch bore and stroke, 8.4:1 compression ratio and one-barrel carburetor, produces 125hp at 4,400 rpm and 180-lbs.ft. of torque at 2,000 rpm. With the change in measuring horsepower and torque, from gross to net, between the 1971 and 1972 model years, these numbers dropped to 100hp at 4,400 rpm and 160-lbs.ft. of torque at 2,400 rpm--at least on paper.
If you like the idea of an economy six-cylinder, but would prefer a bit more power, you might be able to find a Valiant with the optional 225-cu.in., 145hp Slant Six engine. The torque rating also jumps to 215-lbs.ft. at 2,400 rpm, thanks to its increased 4.125-inch stroke. Bore and compression ratio remained the same as the base 198 engine, and again, a one-barrel carburetor is utilized. This engine offering was in use under the hood of the Valiant starting in 1964, so finding a replacement block might be a bit easier and internal parts are readily obtainable. Ratings dropped to 110hp and 185-lbs.ft. of torque in 1972.
Of course, there was always a V-8 for those who desired more power in 1970, and it arrived in the form of the 230hp 318-cu.in. small-block. Should you be able to locate a Valiant sporting the 318--as seen in our feature car--keep in mind that variations of this engine exist going back to the Valiant introduction in 1960, among them, the use of a four-barrel carburetor.
Beginning with the 1970 model, the compression ratio dropped from 9.2:1 to 8.8:1, and then to 8.6:1 for the following two model years. Torque also dropped from 340-lbs.ft. in 1968-'69 to 320-lbs.ft.; it dropped again to 260-lbs.ft. in 1972. The 230hp rating fell to 150hp in 1972. What didn't change during our three-year window are the bore and stroke--3.91 x 3.31 inches--and the use of a two-barrel carburetor.
Over the years, the Slant Six and the 318-cu.in. V-8 have proven themselves to be extremely durable engines. Finding internal components to rebuild either engine is significantly easier and less costly than exterior trim parts.
TRANSMISSIONS
The Valiant exhibited only one standard transmission, and one option. Yes, the standard offering was the three-speed manual, with a column-mounted shift lever. As an option, the shifter could be mounted on the floor, rumored to cost as little as $14 when new. No matter the location of the shifter, second and third gears are synchronized.
For those who prefer the comfort of just climbing aboard the compact and driving without thinking about gear selections, look for a Valiant equipped with the column-shifted TorqueFlite automatic. It's long been known for its smoothness and durability, and is quite capable of lasting a lifetime with nothing more than the occasional maintenance.
Tucked off to the left of the dash, yet still visible, are the other necessary gauges
It doesn't seem to matter which domestic make you prefer, most transmissions are rebuildable today, and the units installed in the Valiant fill the bill here, as well. Specialists, hometown mechanics, and even the enthusiastic beginner can obtain the necessary rebuild kits to get the job done.
DIFFERENTIAL
The differential in the rear is a standard Hotchkiss drive, hypoid gearset unit with floating rear axles. Again, engine choice means a difference in final drive ratios; Slant Six models feature a 3.23:1 no matter which transmission, while V-8-equipped models utilize a higher, 2.94:1 ratio. Scrolling through spec pages, we found additional gear ratios listed at 2.76:1, 3.55:1 and 3.91:1. Also available was the optional Sure Grip differential.
SUSPENSION
The suspension is the same system that Chrysler used from 1962 to 1976. Torsion bars and direct-acting hydraulic shock absorbers with ball joints reside up front, while semi-elliptic leaf springs and direct-acting hydraulic shock absorbers keep the solid axle in the rear planted to the pavement.
Valiants were fitted with two different sized wheels, depending on which engine package was installed. Valiants with Slant Sixes were equipped with 13 x 4.5-inch wheels, while the V-8 cars came with
Owner Lori Benge
14 x 4.5-inch wheels; all had a five-lug bolt pattern. Both wheel styles were used for multiple years, which makes finding replacements easy.
BRAKES
By the time the 1970 models hit the showroom floors, hydraulic drum brakes were still listed as standard equipment with internal expanding, self-energizing shoes. However, power brakes could have been obtained for an additional $43. Different sizes are present here, as well. Slant Six-equipped models sport nine-inch drums, while V-8 Valiants should have 10-inch drums. One source listed the power drum brake system as being installed in only 1.6 percent of all 1970 Valiants built, which includes the Valiant Duster and Duster 340. All rear brakes were 10-inch-diameter drums.
That being said, if you should find a four-door Valiant sporting front power discs, don't be alarmed. This option cost buyers a mere $28 in 1970, which surely had an effect on the above percentage.
If the brake drums on the Valiant you're scrutinizing retain a significant amount of metal, a simple "cut" can equate to smoother stopping. On the other hand, NOS drums, while getting scarce, can still be obtained for about $100 each. Master and wheel cylinders can be resleeved, although a new set of wheel cylinders can be purchased for $90.
UNIBODY
The Valiant underwent a significant change, of sorts, for the 1967 model year, which carried straight through to 1976 when the Volare replaced the badge outright. Styling changes were minor, most of which were relegated to facelifts of the grille and taillamps. Subtle alterations to the side markers also aid in detecting differences in model years.
In fact, from 1967 through 1972, the 108-inch wheelbase and 188.4-inch overall length stayed constant. After the 1972 model year, the overall length stretched to 195.8 inches. During our Buyer's Guide three-year period, a vinyl roof was an available option, as were front and rear bumper guards, adding to the minor individuality of the Valiant you might find.
Since most Valiants were used as everyday family transportation, rust is usually an issue in spite of Plymouth's widely promoted "seven-step dip-and-spray rust protection process." Patch panels are available for both the quarter panels and door skins, and reproduction full-size quarter panels are now available, including front and rear floorpans and trunk floors.
INTERIOR
For some, simplicity can be a thing of beauty. The Valiant certainly fits the bill: all-vinyl bench seat, AM radio, basic gauges nicely clustered near the speedometer, hand-crank windows, and color-keyed rubber floor mat. These basics, along with the aforementioned engine/transmission packages, remained unchanged during the 1970-'72 period. That's not to say Valiants lacked optional appointments.
The vinyl bench seat could have been upgraded to a combination of vinyl and cloth. The rubber mat could have been swapped for carpet for an extra $19 in 1972, and an AM/FM radio could be ordered, as well. A left-side "remote control" rearview mirror was a $10 option, but it had to be adjusted manually.
Of course, the biggest option that seems to have more of an effect on muscle car values, rather than other car types, is air conditioning--an attribute that's installed in our feature car. It cost a then-whopping $347 in 1970, $384 in 1971, and $353 in 1972.
Supplies of NOS upholstery material have dwindled; however, it's not impossible to find reproduction vinyl and cloth to replace worn bench seats. Molded carpet sets are available in all the original factory colors, and cost little more than $100.
RESTORATION PARTS
Unlike 'Cudas and Dusters and even the Scamp of the same era, many Valiant parts are a bit more difficult to source. Mechanically speaking, their recent late-model status still affords the collectors the ability to visit their local auto parts store for everything from fan belts to water pumps. Even suspension components can be obtained through a variety of sources. Reproduction body panels are basically limited to sectional patch panels, quarter panels and floor pans, which means used fenders, hoods and doors are your only source for replacements.
Replacement vinyl upholstery kit for the rear will start at $160, while the front bench seat upholstery kit starts at $250
Factory air is nice, at least until it's time to recharge the old R12 system. With R12 replaced by R134, options are limited. Using R134 in the R12 system is not efficient, so factory air conversion kits are available starting at $460-$500, depending on model
Most sources agree that a Carter BBD two-barrel carburetor is supposed to be sitting on top of the 318, as shown here. One source claims that if air conditioning is installed, 1972 models with the 318 are equipped with the Rochester 2GV two-barrel; rebuild kits are available for both carbs
Trim pieces are--simply put--hard to come by due to low demand for the four-door. Items such as replacement taillamp lenses might relegate you to searching through piles of used lenses at the next swap meet in your area
Variations in the grille from year to year are slight, but noticeable. Clean replacement parts will have to be sourced from parts cars. Front and rear bumpers can be rechromed; prices will vary depending on overall condition
The 14-inch hubcap was used from 1972-1976, and near-perfect replacements cost $65 each; prices for other model year styles are similar
Specialists
Auto Body Specialties
888-277-1960
www.autobodyspecialt.com
New reproduction and used body panels
Goodmark
770-339-8557
www.goodmarkindustries.com
Reproduction body panels and trim parts
Kanter Auto Products
800-526-1096
www.kanter.com
New brake, engine and suspension parts
Sherman & Associates
888-774-8363
www.shermanparts.com
Reproduction body panels
SMS Auto Fabrics
503-263-3535
www.smsautofabrics.com
Factory-correct upholstery
Steele Rubber Products
888-840-7833
www.steelerubber.com
Replacement weather seals
The Paddock
800-428-4319
www.paddockparts.com
Extensive selection of new body, trim, mechanical and electrical parts
YearOne
800-932-7663
www.yearone.com
Extensive selection of new body, trim, mechanical and electrical parts
CLUB SCENE
WPC Club
P.O. Box 3504
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49003-3504
www.chryslerclub.org
Dues: $30/year; Membership: 4,000
PRODUCTION
1970: 50,810
1971: 42,660
1972: 52,911
Parts Prices
Battery tray $20.75
Camshaft, Slant Six $115
Carpets $105
Floor pan, front $75
Floor pan, rear $89
Gasket set, V-8 $146.48
Idler arm $35
Inner shield, left front wheel $84
Intake valve, Slant Six $8
Leaf spring $475/pair
Main bearing set $60
Oil pump, Slant six $95
Oil pump, V-8 $47.50
Piston, Slant Six $25
Piston ring set, V-8 $50
Quarter panel, repro $200
Rocker arm, V-8 $8
Trunk floor, left, outer $104
U-joint, rear $72
Weatherstrip, hood to cowl $30.20
Weatherstrip, windshield channel $114.20
Wheel cylinder, repair kit $7
WHAT TO PAY
Owner's View
"When we purchased the Plymouth Valiant in 1996, it was initially a daily driver, finished in its factory B3 blue exterior with 30,000 miles," recalls Lori Benge, of Lebanon, Indiana. "It was in remarkable shape; it was literally a little-old-lady's car. We were going to sell it, but I convinced my husband, Mike, to restore it instead. We never removed the engine--just detailed it--and all we replaced in the interior were the seats and carpet. We also repainted the car in B5 blue to match the interior. These days, we put only 3,000 miles on it annually going to car shows. With the factory air converted to R134, it's a cool ride home from the shows on those hot summer days." -Lori Benge
Recent
Porsche
Porsche has confirmed the official arrival of its hybrid 911 model, which will see its full debut on Tuesday, May 28. Whether or not sports car enthusiasts and Porsche aficionados accept the new hybrid as the newest 911 model, the sports car’s performance capabilities can’t be denied.
In its press release, Porsche boasted that its engineers logged over 3,000,000 test miles on the new 911. The hybrid was subjected to testing in the Artic Circle’s extreme cold environment and the unbearably hot deserts of Dubai, but Porsche didn’t stop there. Stop-and-go traffic scenarios were vigorously tested for drivers who plan to daily drive their new 911.
Perhaps the most impressive tests took place on the famous Nürburgring circuit. Porsche claims that Le Mans World Champion driver Jörg Bergmeister took the wheel, piloting the hybrid-powered 911 around the course in just 7:16.934 minutes, which is reportedly “8.7 seconds faster than the corresponding version of the predecessor model.”
Porsche has not yet released full performance data for the 2025 911, so it’s difficult to say exactly what those comparisons look like. Since the math makes sense, Porsche could be comparing the hybrid 911 to the 992 Carrera 4 GTS, which lapped the Nürburgring in 7:25.632. What we do know is that the 493-horsepower GT4 RS completed a lap at the Nürburgring in 7:03.121 minutes, just 14 seconds quicker than the road-going hybrid.
“For the first time in our icon’s 61-year history, we are installing a hybrid drive system in a roadgoing 911. This innovative performance hybrid makes the 911 even more dynamic,” Frank Moser, Vice President of 911 and 18 said. “We left nothing to chance during development and tested the new 911 under all sorts of conditions all over the world. Whether at a high drivetrain load in the demanding conditions of mountain passes or in the stop-and-go traffic of an urban environment, the new 911 has mastered even the most difficult challenges with aplomb."
Stay tuned for more details on May 28, when Porsche is scheduled to reveal the beginning of a new era, the hybrid 911 sports car.
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In the early 1960s, Lotus debuted the Elan, an extremely lightweight, exceptionally small sports car. With its backbone chassis and fiberglass body, the Elan—available as a roadster or fixed-roof coupe—weighed a little over 1,500 pounds. A Ford Kent-based engine with a twin-cam, 16-valve cylinder head gave the diminutive sports car brisk performance, allowing the tiny Elan to punch well above its weight class. One thing thin the Elan was never noted for, however, was comfort, nor convenience, what with only two seats.
Enter the Elan +2, a much larger car built with the same design and engineering features, but with space for two children in the back and more comfort for the driver and front passenger. The Plus 2 debuted in 1967 and not long after an updated version, the +2S, was released with additional luxuries. Unlike the Elan, the +2 was only ever produced as a coupe. This 1972 Lotus Elan +2S 130 now offered on Hemmings Auctions appears to be a road-ready example of the first four-seater from Lotus. The “130” portion of the name came from the revised, higher-output 126-horsepower engine in the model released in the early 1970s.
Like the original, the Elan +2S featured a backbone frame and a fiberglass body. Though still compact by almost any definition of a car from the 1960s, the four-seater was bigger in every dimension. Lotus designers and engineers were tasked with creating a car that “must be capable of transporting two adults and two children 1,000 miles in comfort with their luggage.” The Plus 2’s 96-inch wheelbase was a foot longer than the original. And its overall length of 169 inches was a full two feet longer than the earlier car. Additionally, it measured 10 inches wider and two inches taller. The Plus 2 was still relatively small, itself measuring one foot shorter in both wheelbase and overall length compared to a 1965 Ford Mustang Hardtop.
Those plus-size dimensions greatly contributed to the comfort inside the car, but with road testers of the day still praising the car for maintaining the Elan’s adroit handling. Motor Sport magazine from the U.K. described the Plus 2’s steering as “incredibly light and precise.” In detail, they wrote, “The all-round independent suspension with its racing-like wishbone and link lay-out gives the car superb handling, of that there is no doubt. The glory of it is that you can whip along country lanes with their twists and turns without drama, in complete safety and not working hard while drivers in lesser vehicles struggle to keep up.”
Powertrain
The “big-valve” version of the 1,558-cc Lotus-designed/Ford-based twin-cam four-cylinder engine in the +2S 130 was rated at 126 horsepower and 113 lb-ft of torque, giving the car brisk acceleration, as it weighed a little over 2,000 pounds. A four-speed manual directed power to the rear wheels. Road testers of the +2S and +2S 130 models reported 0-60 mph times at right around, or even just under, eight seconds.
Technically, by 1972, there was no such model as the Elan +2S. Rather, Lotus dubbed the car the +2S 130, or alternatively the Plus 2 130. In either case, despite the obvious origins and former use of the name with the model, “Elan” was dropped from the moniker by that time. The Elan name did reappear the following year. Though Elan production ceased in 1973, the Elan +2 continued through 1974.
Restored Elan +2S 130
The notes on this 1972 Lotus Elan +2S 130 currently listed on Hemmings Auctions indicate that this Plus 2 has been restored, including a rebuild of its original engine and four-speed manual transmission, completed some 3,000 miles ago. The seller shared that the water, oil and fuel pumps were replaced, while the radiator was rebuilt. Additional fresh components are said to be the brake discs, updated Rotoflex drive couplings and wheel bearings, all as part of a chassis rebuild.
The seller reports that the fiberglass bodied was disassembled, repaired and professionally refinished before reassembly. The original brightwork was rechromed as necessary and the original glass reinstalled with new seals. Fresh Pirelli Cinturato rubber was mounted on refinished original Lotus 10-spoke alloy wheels. According to the Classic Lotus Elan Register, this +2S 130 is one of 1,879 +2S and +2S 130 models built out of a total production run of 5,139 Elan +2’s.
Take a look at this 1972 +2S 130 at Hemmings Auctions to see what a right-sized Lotus Elan looks like.
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