Primary Plymouth - 1964 Plymouth Valiant V-100

Barn finds come in all shapes and sizes. Some are the sort of once-in-a-lifetime, pre-war, coachbuilt specials that are akin to the automotive missing link, cars that might very well end up with their own Discovery Channel special. But, let's face it: Those finds are few and very far between and getting even scarcer by the day.

That's not to say that there aren't other opportunities out there. Because more than likely, if you were to come upon a barn find, it would be something more common, the sort of car used to take people to work or school and not to the grand promenade, a car that probably made few waves when new, but for some reason was put away, secured behind closed doors, allowed to pass its later years in seclusion while its contemporaries braved the weather, traffic, being passed down to teenage drivers and eventually went off to the scrap yard. They are survivors.

The pushbutton control of the TorqueFlite automatic, a Chrysler innovation introduced in 1956, saw its last use in 1964. The lever to the left of the buttons engages and disengages Park.

New Rochelle, New York, resident Gene Breunig's 1964 Plymouth Valiant V-100 is about as grocery-getter as it gets, the smallest and most stripped-down sedan available under any Mopar banner in 1964. And he came upon it like so many other barn finds get united with new, caring owners: He knew somebody who knew somebody who had a car sitting for years that she needed to get rid of. Being a mechanic, Gene was the first one they turned to.

In 1991, Gene's aunt was caring for a neighbor, who, at 86 years old, was no longer driving. Her Valiant had been sitting for some time. Gene had also known her, as he grew up in the same neighborhood and remembered that she was part of a Mopar family. "When they each bought a car in 1955," Gene fondly and vividly recalls, "her husband bought a Belvedere and her brother bought a Hemi: a Dodge Royal Lancer Hemi. It was black and white and purple."

Not long after they bought the Belvedere, the woman's husband became ill and could no longer drive. "At some point," Gene continues the story, "she decided that she needed to know how to get around, so she decided buy the Valiant. And I am sure it was with the brother telling her 'You don't need a fancy one. You don't need a lot of junk.'" Although almost 60, she had never driven before buying the Valiant. And she really didn't drive much after that. "It wasn't the little old lady who goes to church," Gene says. "She belonged to the American Legion. That's where she would go with the car, and once in a while to the diner to meet her lady friends."

That American Legion and diner must have been on the same block, because the car was barely driven when it came to Gene's attention 27 years later. "She said, 'The car's got 3,000 miles on it.' But when I looked at it, it didn't even have that. It was about 2,600." No, we're not missing a zero there. With just 14,000 miles on it today, the odometer reading surprises everyone who sees the car.

Despite the low mileage, the Valiant was not perfect. The heater core leaked and had flooded the floor, ruining the plastic floormats. There was also some poorly repaired damage to the left rear quarter panel that included plenty of body filler and lots of pop rivets. The color was different in that area and even today is starting to crack, as the filler has not aged well. The original owner claimed the car was never in an accident, but it's possible she simply didn't remember or that the damage was repaired before she bought it, a practice of some less scrupulous dealers. That dark blue metallic paint also shows its wear. Gene reports that, "Time takes its toll and the paint gets thin in certain areas, so you must stay on top of paint chips." He also reports the need to chase rust under some weatherstripping that holds water.

As Gene's first old car, the Valiant is indeed a car that shows its age, but that's perfectly fine with him--the Valiant now shares space with a 1939 Plymouth P8. "Most restored cars," Gene tells us, "are nothing like they were when they left the factory. The paint and chrome are flawless. An original car at least gives a better idea of what the car was like, and you can see some of the factory flaws."

In 1964, most of the flamboyant and bulbous curves of Virgil Exner's original 1960 design were gone, replaced by simple square lines and flat surfaces that would remain the Valiant's signature design feature until 1976.

To get the Valiant roadworthy, Gene says, "I went through the entire car, though it was never restored. I rebuilt the whole brake system including new lines, replaced all the hoses, belts, brake shoes and that's pretty much it." He replaced an aftermarket outside mirror that interfered with the vent window and that coolant-damaged floor with a new carpet set, something originally available as an option. He also installed a dual master cylinder "for safety reasons" and an electronic ignition for driveability. Radial tires replaced the dry rotted, original bias-plies.

Gene spent the better part of his career a Volkswagen mechanic, seeing his share of stripped-down automobiles even as the level of sophistication of the People's Car grew far beyond air-cooled flat-fours. The 1960 Valiant compact was Chrysler Corporation's answer to the post-war European small car, epitomized by the VW Beetle. Although it's hard to compare the cars today, the impact being made at the time by the Beetle, which surpassed 200,000 annual sales in 1962, would be hard to overstate. The Big Three and the independents were all on their toes, introducing four- and six-cylinder-powered compacts in an attempt to fend off this challenge.

The first Valiant in 1960 featured distinctive Virgil Exner styling in addition to being the first in a long line of Chrysler products powered by the venerable Slant Six engine, as well as any mass produced car with an alternator in lieu of a generator. With unibody construction and a torsion-bar suspension, that 106-inch wheelbase Valiant was a bit of a breakthrough and ardent competition for the Corvair, Falcon and Rambler that made up the rest of the class of American-made compacts. The Valiant was an immediate sales success, eventually spawning a slightly larger, 111-inch wheelbase Dodge Dart in 1963.

By 1964, Exner's overwrought embellishments had faded into history, leaving the Valiant with only vestigial traces of the designer's handiwork on the fenders and rear quarter panels. The original's rounded, trapezoidal grille and twin headlamps had evolved into a six-bar, horizontal affair (with a bit of that trapezoid still extant) and single, large headlamps on either side, punctuated by the stylized blue and red V in a center circle. Understated compared to previous model years, the 1964 set the tone for future Valiant and Dart models.

For variations on a theme, the 1964 Valiant was available as the stripped-down V-100 in two-door and four-door post models, as well as a station wagon, mid-range V-200 (which could also be ordered as a two-door convertible), or top-of-the-line Signet, only available as a two-door hardtop or convertible. Six-cylinder engines were standard, with a 273-cu.in. V-8 optional. Plymouth launched the pony car craze with the introduction of the Barracuda fastback variant in April 1964.

Although a 273-cu.in. V-8 was offered in the Valiant range for the first time in 1964, the standard powerplant remained the 170-cu.in. Slant Six, good for all of 101hp, with a 225-cu.in, 145hp version as another option. But Chrysler never designed the engine for performance. It was built for economy and reliability. While overshadowed in the 1960s by mighty Mopar V-8s, the Slant Six proved its worth, quickly gaining a reputation as a bulletproof engine that delivered quite reasonable fuel mileage, two traits that kept it relevant for more than two decades in passenger cars--nearly three if you count its use in trucks and vans.

Mated to the engine is Chrysler's equally venerable TorqueFlite Six A904 three-speed automatic transmission. While not as legendary as the high-torque TorqueFlite Eight A727, the A904 has proven its durability over the ensuing decades right along with the Slant Six.

Gene takes special pride in the absolutely pristine interior of his Valiant, its light blue cloth and vinyl interior a nice complement to the dark blue metallic exterior. Unlike outside, the interior shows no signs of weathering and virtually no signs of use, the bench seat as springy and supportive as ever. The rear seat has even less wear of note, if that is possible.

Stepping into Gene's Valiant and sitting down on the seat reminds us why they call these things bench seats. The Valiant's bench is firm and flat, a mix of vinyl and cloth that does nothing to mask the car's mission as an entry-level economy special. The large-diameter, thin steering wheel, with its twin spokes at the four- and eight-o'clock positions, leaves plenty of room to see the simple instrument panel with a large speedometer and small fuel and alternator gauges. Although Gene's car is equipped with the faster-ratio power steering, that big wheel helps with cars not so equipped, giving the driver plenty of room to wrestle with it to develop the torque needed to steer the car. But with that higher, power-assisted ratio, turning is hardly a challenge, the over-boosted steering taking some getting used to on the road. As Gene tells it, "The steering is just so quick and it's so easy. If you haven't driven it in awhile, when you first go out on the road with it, you find yourself overreacting. You have to get used to it. It just turns like nothing. There's hardly any resistance."

Pushbutton control of the TorqueFlite automatic is nearly as simple as operating it with a column or console shifter, with the exception of engaging or disengaging the Park position. Instead of selecting a button to shift into Park as you would other gear positions, you slide a lever, with the transmission ideally in neutral. When ready to roll, you simply select "D," or first or second gear, and the transmission slips into gear.

Although the Valiant was having some carburetion issues on the day of our drive, throttle response off the line is good, but then acceleration is leisurely at best. As our West Coast Editor Jeff Koch puts it, Slant Six-powered Mopars "don't accelerate so much as they accumulate speed." Even the Valiant's relatively light 2,780-pound curb weight is enough to challenge the engine's 101hp. The Slant Six might have been a bit of an engineering marvel at the time of its release in the 1960s, but the single-barrel, 170-cu.in. version would never win a drag race. The drum brakes all around seem more than enough to haul in the lean A-body Plymouth, with reasonable feel. However, with no power assistance, a firm and positive push on the pedal is necessary to bring the Valiant to a halt.

It was in 1964 that Gene was first exposed to the Valiant. After having worked for five years as a Ford mechanic, Gene moved to a Volkswagen dealer. At the new job, Gene befriended the shop foreman, who had recently arrived from a Chrysler dealer and drove a shiny, dark blue metallic 1964 Plymouth Valiant that caught Gene's eye. "He had this same car-- same color and everything--except it was the deluxe model. And I was impressed with the car. I liked the looks of the car. It's not unusual like the first Valiant; it's kind of a normal-looking car. But I liked this one the best out of the whole group even before I got it." Nearly 30 years later, Gene finally got his chance to get that Valiant.

Gene still plans to keep the car as original as possible, though he does say that he will have the damaged quarter panel taken care of in a more correct way "one of these days. But the rest of it, I like having it original. I think there's a lot to be said for a car that's still original."

Owner's View

I always liked Chrysler products and this car became available with only 2,600 miles on it. I like the size of the car and the style. It has a front grille that's not busy or overdone. It's not different like the earlier Valiant, but it still gets the occasional thumbs up.

Although it's 48 years old, it handles well because of the torsion-bar suspension, and the braking isn't as bad as some old cars. I also like the patina that the finish has developed. It's a very easy car to maintain and parts are easily available."

1964 Plymouth Valiant

SPECIFICATIONS

Base price -- $1,992

Price as profiled -- $2,272.25

Options on car profiled -- Three-speed automatic transmission, $171.55; power steering, $82.05; backup lights, $10.70; deluxe wheel covers, $15.95

ENGINE

Type -- OHV straight-six, iron block and cylinder head

Displacement -- 170 cubic inches

Bore x Stroke -- 3.4 x 3.125 inches

Compression ratio -- 8.5:1

Horsepower @ RPM -- 101 @ 4,400

Torque @ RPM -- 155-lbs.ft. @ 2,400

Valvetrain -- Solid valve lifters

Main bearings -- 4

Fuel system -- Carter BBS one-barrel carburetor

Lubrication system -- Pressure, rotary-type pump

Electrical system -- 12-volt

Exhaust system -- Cast-iron manifolds, single exhaust

TRANSMISSION

Type -- Chrysler TorqueFlite A904 three-speed automatic

Ratios:

1st -- 2.45

2nd -- 1.45

3rd -- 1.00

Reverse -- 2.20

DIFFERENTIAL

Type -- Hotchkiss drive, hypoid gears

Ratio -- 3.23:1

STEERING

Type -- Integral, power assisted

Turns, lock-to-lock -- 3.5

Ratio -- 18.8:1

Turning circle radius -- 39.7 feet

BRAKES

Type -- Hydraulic drum/drum with power assist

Front -- 9 x 2.5-inch drum

Rear -- 9 x 2-inch drum

CHASSIS & BODY

Construction -- Unitized, all-steel body and frame

Body style -- Four-door, six-passenger sedan

Layout -- Front engine, rear-wheel drive

SUSPENSION

Front -- Upper and lower A-arms, longitudinal torsion bars, anti-roll bar; telescoping shock absorbers

Rear -- Semi-elliptical, longitudinal leaf springs; telescoping shock absorbers

WHEELS & TIRES

Wheels -- Steel, with full wheel covers

Front/Rear -- 13 x 4.5 inches

Tires:

Front/Rear -- 6.50 x 13 (original)

Front/Rear -- 75/80R13 (now)

WEIGHTS & MEASURES

Wheelbase -- 106 inches

Overall length -- 188.2 inches

Overall width -- 70.1 inches

Overall height -- 53.5 inches

Front track -- 55.9 inches

Rear track -- 55.6 inches

Curb weight -- 2,780 pounds

CAPACITIES

Crankcase -- 4 quarts (without filter)

Cooling system -- 11 quarts

Fuel tank -- 18 gallons

Transmission -- 8.5 quarts

CALCULATED DATA

Bhp per c.i.d. -- 0.59

Weight per bhp -- 27.5 pounds

Weight per c.i.d. -- 16.4 pounds

PRODUCTION

Four-door sedan 44,208

Total -- 227,585

PROS & CONS

+ Simple Plymouth style

+ Excellent mechanical parts availability

+ Economical to drive and maintain

- Not designed for today's roads

- Could use the more powerful 225 V-8

- Lost in the shuffle of 1960s muscle cars

WHAT TO PAY

Low:

$2,000 - $3,000

Average:

$4,000 - $5,000

High:

$7,000 - $8,000

CLUB CORNER

Plymouth Owners Club

P.O. Box 416

Cavalier, North Dakota 58220-0416

www.plymouthbulletin.com

Dues: $32/year

Membership: 3,500

WPC Club

P.O. Box 3504

Kalamazoo, Michigan 49003-3504

www.chryslerclub.org

Dues: $35/year

Membership: 4,000