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Neat As A Pin: A 1963 Plymouth Valiant Clean Enough To Eat Off Of


Neat As A Pin: A 1963 Plymouth Valiant Clean Enough To Eat Off Of

By the late 1950s, the Volkswagen Beetle and the Morris Mini Minor had started making inroads on American soil and the natives were getting nervous. 1960 showcased just how much these little foreign units bothered them: vehicles like the Corvair, the Pontiac Tempest/LeMans, the Edsel Comet, and the Ford Falcon all showed that Detroit wanted a smaller car, but wasn’t ready to go tiny just yet. That didn’t matter, though…virtually every model sold was successful in some shape or form. Buyers were tired of heavyweight, chrome laden land barges and wanted simpler, smaller vehicles that would last.

These weren’t powerhouses. These were simple, day-to-day vehicles that got driven until the wheels fell off. In order to have any kind of standing, they had to last…and last, they did. The Ford Falcon’s platform lasted, in various guises, until 1980. The Corvair didn’t fair so well, but the Chevy II, later the Nova, did. And Chrysler’s A-body car, the Valiant, was a knock out of the park. Simple, clean, with a six-cylinder legendary for durability…it’s amazing that Chrysler killed it off in 1976. Spawning nameplates like Dart, Duster, Swinger and Demon, the simple, rugged Valiant was Genesis.

The 1963 Valiant we found on eBay isn’t so far removed from it’s original roots. Under hood, a .030 over 318 sits where you’d expect the buzzin’ dozen and an A-833 four-gear on the floor makes use of the power. But the paint, the interior and the overall appearance say “time capsule” and the stance and Cragars say “fun time capsule”. Our only lament is that there has to be a hoodscoop for the small-block to fit properly…but at least it’s necessary and not just an add-on to look racy.

Basic and simple? Sometimes, that’s the best choice there is.

eBay Link: 1963 Plymouth Valiant


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13 thoughts on “Neat As A Pin: A 1963 Plymouth Valiant Clean Enough To Eat Off Of

  1. ram50boosted

    i disagree, a hood scoop is NOT a requirement for the v8 to fit. look at where the air cleaner sits. I think it would look better without the scoop. but that is just my opinion. Very sweet car though.

  2. DanStokes

    I could live with this! A slightly shorter air cleaner and a different hood and you could switch looks at will. I’d proudly rock this lil’ MOPAR!

    Dan

  3. Matt Cramer

    While the hood scoop isn’t my thing, I wouldn’t kick it out of my garage for that. But I would try to rework the air cleaner to seal to the hood to get the most out of that scoop. Overall, a very clean and very cool build.

  4. ANGRYJOE

    What a fantastic little car! Man, I would love to own this thing, clean, simple and green…very much my tastes. The scoop would get swapped in favor of a max wedge or 6 pac style but otherwise I would not change a damn thing…I might consider a second set or wheels and tires just to change things up a bit now and then…maybe some wide steelies for the back and torque thrusts for the front….

  5. Chevy Hatin' Mad Geordie

    A Ford reversed teardrop hood scoop would have looked better, but this is still a beautiful car apart from the colour. It just seems too modern and out of place – a respray in the Ramchargers livery would cure that!

    1. Singapore Hot Rod

      Just curious how the paint colour can be “too modern and out of place” when it is an original paint car?

  6. Gump

    Almost peed my pants out of excitement when I saw the A-833. Then I noticed the price… No way for a regular A-body with a 318.

    1. Mopar or No Car

      Apparently you have not been paying attention to the A body price appreciation. And what part of “fully restored” are you not understanding? You will pay a pretty penny to bring any 50-year-old car to this condition. Bottom feeders stay home.

      1. Gump

        Fully restored economy car with a 318, not worth it in my eyes. It is a great car, but still just a Valiant. Better sell mine while the market is so inflated.

  7. Bill Greenwood

    Swap that hood scoop for a 72-74 a-body snorkel, and you’ve solved the hood dilemna. I’ve seen it on multiple early A’s and it works well. Regardless of your opinion on the scoop, that is a nice piece of iron.

  8. Gary Perkinson

    LOVE the paint…I’ve actually been looking around for that color…it appears to be Plymouth’s ’63 metallic green…this car’s a little too rich for my blood, and I wish the stance was a little lower in the rear, but all in all, very nice…

  9. Ronnie T.

    “Buzzin’ Dozen”? What the hell is that supposed to mean? You talking about a slant six, emphasis on “6”? And that hood scoop is not needed. Would look much better without it… Just my $0.02.

  10. Ken Craft Plainwell, Mich

    I am now the owner of this of which I\’ll call Frog, and totally happy with time capsule. Plan on keeping it!

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