A Valiant effort by Chrysler Corp. (A-Body)!!!

It was about the summer of 59′. The hype started to build for the new compact from Chrysler. The car was the Valiant. Originally intended to be it’s own marque along side Plymouth, Dodge and Desoto. In 1960 the Valiant was just the Valiant. The Valiant and it’s relatives were produced up to 1976. Being replaced by the Plymouth Volare/Dodge Aspen. So, for 1960 the Valiant was offered in a 4-door, and station wagon only. It came with the famed slant-6 motor, although it initially came with 170cid version. A year later the 225cid would be offered optionally. The engine was cast iron, and the intention was to go to an all aluminum. In fact many parts such as water pump and things like that were aluminum. And from 1961 to 1963 about 50,000 all aluminum engines were produced. As of yet I haven’t figured out how they determined what cars to stick them in. The cast iron remained the norm though. So you had about 3 trim levels to choose from. The V-100, the V-200, and the Signet. The 100 was the base model, the 200 was basically a 100 with a few goodies thrown in. The 200 would have a combo vinyl/fabric interior, extra badging an trim, little rain gutters on the sides of cars around the window frames, and maybe 1 or 2 other smal items. The Signet had many luxury items and quite a bit more trim. I won’t delve into it here, because that info id readily available elsewhere on the net. Throughout the first year there were consatnt mechanical refinements. So an earlier production model will be slightly mechanically different than the end of the model year. I try to stay away from the muscle car aspect because there is already so much info out there. But I can’t pass this by. A performance option was available called the Hyper-Pak. It was a 225cid aluminum engine with a four-barrel carburetor, and maybe a few other minor performance modifications. In 1960 NASCAR ran a short-lived compact class. It was a road race at Daytona that coincided with the Daytona 500. The Valiant Hyper-Paks placed 1st through 7th in that race. And went on to have a powerful impact on the sports car road racing circuit. The cars over-all European feel was complimented by a European style handling thanks to the torsion-bar type suspension, and uni-body construction. Throughout the life of the Valiant-based platform it was an awesome handling machine. In basic form it was just a tick better than most of the other American compacts, but with a few upgrades it was quick car, that could take a corner better than all the others.

 In 1961 a two-door coupe was added to the line-up. And a few basic changes in the grill, tail-lights, and trim for the new model year. And the line was absorbed into Plymouth, becoming the Plymouth Valiant. Sales were very good for new car, and Dodge basically protested to Chrysler that they too needed wanted an A-body to compete in the economy market. They got a Valiant made a few minor changes, slapped some Dodge badges on it and called it a Dodge Lancer. The noticeable difference’s were the hoods slightly pointier front, and grille to accomodate it. And the instrument panel was laid out a little differently. And I can’t forget to mention all these cars had the forever cool push-button automatic transmission, or a column shifted three-speed manual transmission. The Lancer had a few trim levels also. But the coolest was the 2-door coupe GT. It had bucket-seats optional floor-shifted manual transmission. And typical sportier looking trim additions, and wheel coverings. And by now you could get things like air-conditioning, and power steering and breaks. 1962 saw significant changes, but was still the same body. Most of the changes were in appearance, just to make it different from the previous year(ie. grille, emblems, trim, lights). I’ve Signets called Signet-200’s which are very similar to the Lancer GT. Not so much sportier, but it did have bucket seats, a leather-like interior, carpet, extra emblems, etc. The 62′ Valiant also recieved a new instrument panel.

 For 1963 the A-bodies were completely redesigned. Valiants had an all new body. The Lancer was gone. And the Dodge Dart was completely redesigned using the A-body platform. So now Plymouth and Dodge A-bodies were very different in appearence while remaining essentially the same under the skin.  Other than visual changes and a few mechanical updates the cars were relatively the same. The Dart came in 170, 270, and GT trim levels. I won’t break that down, you can kinda figure out by now how that works.  A convertible was added to the line-up. The convertible and and hard-top(coupe) were only available in the upper level trim. Early in 1963 the aluminum slant-6 was discontinued. The aluminum engines are a mystery to me. I don’t know how many went into the 1963 year model. And I don’t know the decision making process for determining where they went. 1964 was an interesting year. The A-bodies went unchanged other than minor stuff for appearence purposes. It was also the last year for the push-button transmission. The feds deemed it unsafe, as people were mis-operating it…. Leaving it neutral and the cars would roll away. Another example of stupid people dictating how we live our lives. Also this year the all new LA273cid V-8 was revealed. It was optional in all A-bodies. And this year also saw the release of the Valiant-based Barracuda. Most people think of the Mustang as the first “pony” car. But the Barracuda beat it by 3 weeks. It was a Valiant in every way except it had a fastback roof. And the bucket seat GT type treatment. And with a 273cid motor, was on it’s way to becoming a potent car.

In 1965 The 273cid was beefed up into the performance version. It had domed pistoms, more agressive cam, larger valves, a 4-barrel non-silenced Carter carburetor, ribbed performance style valve covers, a dual-point ignition, and a chrome aircleaner. That took it from 180hp to 235hp. It was only available in the Barracuda, and the Dart GT. Plymouth called it the Commando 273, Dodge called it the Charger 273. Both Plymouth and Dodge had a Hurst shifter with that package. Dodge even offered a small number of Darts called Dart Chargers(The Dodge Charger would appear a year later). They had the Charger package, plus extra ”Charger” emblems, and extremely rare 13″ Cragar Tourque-Thrust wheels. The cars were all painted a kind of powder-yellow. I believe about 1,500 were made.  Incidentally the Barracuda and GT Darts also came with with the base slant-6 engine, Hurst shifter included. 

1966 both Plymouth’s and Dodges stayed essentially the same. The major change was in the front fenders. They were more squared off. All engine options were still the same. A noticeable difference in the performance package was the absence of the Husrt shifter. Although a floor shifter was still there. For those of you interested in the pefromance advances in the Dart look-up the 1966 D-Dart. That goes beyond our scope here, so I’ll refrain. And there were the minor trim and taillight changes.

1967 was an interesting year for both makes. This was the year that transitioned into the final body style that would last through 1976. They were getting away from the original idea for the cars, they were now bigger mid-sized cars.. There were no major changes in the other areas though. Power-plants stayed the same. Although the new 318cid V-8 started appearing later in the year. There was an older 318, but this was completely different. It was a 273cid with a bigger bore and stroke. And bigger heads. But the block was exactly the same as the 273cid. And later the 340cid and the 360cid. And once again very slight appearence changes. And I believe the convertibles had been discontinued after 1966. Valiants were only available in 2-door post, and 4-door sedans.

1968 introduced a whole new A-body. The basic style would last all the way to the end in 1976. Valiant and Darts became more similar than in previous years. They shared basic body panels, and had different front grille areas, and were different in the tail-light section as well. The Valiant was still available in the 100, 200, and Signet levels. The Dart still had the 170, 270, and the GT. But this year the Dart revealed the GTS. This car could have a 340cid, and the 383cid big block. And there were even the famed Hemi-Darts. But once again, that’s beyond the scope of what we’re discussing here. This was also the last year for the 273cid, and it did not come with any performance options. Valiants had settled into the family/grandma market, and Darts still went for the younger buyer.

1969 The Valiant had settled into it’s normal slight changes each year. The Dart Swinger appeared this year. It was the 2-door coupe with a vinyl top, and a few other trim items specific to that car. Meant to attract the younger price concious buyer. The 318cid was the optional V-8 and came in a 2-barrel form. The GT was gone, but the GTS was still available with a variety of performance options.

1970 Not much worth mentioning this year. Just kinda more of the same with minor cosmetic differences. But a new Valiant based car did make it’s debut. The Plymouth Duster. It was, in the spirirt of the Barracuda, a fast-back Valiant. Could come with a 190cid six(replaced the 170cid), 225cid six, and a 318cid, and the peformance marketed Duster 340cid. And the Swinger offered the same performance package.

1971 saw the introduction of the Plymouth Scamp. After years of the Dart borrowing from the Valiant…. Plymouth took the Dart Swinger and put Plymouth Scamp badges on it. And that was that. And again slight appearance changes in the rest of the Valiant, and Dart lines. And in turn Dodge took the Duster with a few cosmetic changes and Dodge badges, and had the Dodge Demon. It basically had the same offerings as the Duster, including a 340cid performance option.

1972 the Valiant and Dart rolled on as a bread and butter car for Chrysler Corp.. And all cars recieved basic cosmetic changes.

1973 the Dodge Demon had changed to the Dart Sport due to pressure from religious groups over the name.  And everything else still recieving only minor changes.

1974’s notable introduction was the the Dart SE (Special Edition). It had a very plush velour interior, and many luxury grandma friendly appointments. By this time the performance V-8 had worked it’s way up to 360cid. But emission controls had choked horse-power down to a snails pace. So although the engines got bigger the horse-power was on it’s way down. The Valiant Signet was very similar to the Dart SE. Both were appealing to the older crowd. But the Valiant and Dart lines were the vehicles with the widest appeal. They had something for everyone. No other make or model had that broad of an appeal at the economy level.

1975 saw minor changes cosmetically, and more smog control was creeping it’s way into the picture. California cars had catylitic converters now. But interestingly the Valiant was offered with a 4-speed manual transmission for the first time since 1965. It was mated to a slant-6 motor. But still a cool footnote as the Valiant neared the end. By this time Dart Sports And Dusters had seen a lot of theme oriented cars. In California you could buy a Gold Duster, it was gold with emblems depicting a graphic from the gold-rush era. There was the Hang Ten model with the folding rear-seat to make room for a surf-board. And I’ve heard there was bathing suit material for upholstery. I just wanted to mention those, if you dig deep you’ll see a few things like that. But we won’t go into it here.

1976 Was the final year for the A-body platform. It’s repacement’s the Plymouth Volare and Dodge Aspen were already available and almost no effort was put into the Dart and Valiant. They basically just used up the remaining parts, and it quietly slipped away. Now there were obviously more changes than I documented here but I just wanted make note of the basics for those who don’t know much about these car. But there are great resources on-line that go into more depth. But this should help steer you in the right direction as far as helping you figure out what you’re most interested in.

 

Studebaker and AMC compacts (a brief history)

 

  I will try to keep this short and easy to read, but also informative. And hopefully this will be a simple guide you can refer to often, if you’re looking for an old car. The bulk of my knowledge is with Dodge/Plymotuh, and AMC. But I’ve been studying Studebakers, Chevy’s, and Fords along the way. I’ve tried to not use a lot of internet sources for my information. I’ve found some of them to be unreliable, although there are some that are invaluable as well. I try to use publications from the time period. I’ve found many old Motor Trend magazines (and others)that are full of great road test, and comparisons. Two really good issues to get a hold of are Motor Trend.. Dec, 1959– and — Oct, 1960.

The American manufacturers war of the compacts started in about 1959. Although there had been some efforts before that. But it was about 1960 before it really took off commercially. So out of the those cars it was the 1959 Studebaker Lark (and the Rambler, but thats next) that really kicked it off. It was offered in 2-door(post), 4-door, 2-door hardtop, and a 2-door station wagon. There were 2 trim levels, the Deluxe and the Regal. The Deluxe was the base model, and the Regal featured more trim and luxury items. Engines offered were a 170cid in-line six cylinder L-head. And unlike any of the bigger manufacturers, they offered a V-8 259cid(225hp). The V-8 seems to have rated very high in road tests done at the time. The 170cid six-cylinder is most likely what you’ll find though. This was an older Studebaker mill, and was refined a bit for modern fuels. It had great low-speed acceleration, but was not fast by any means. I personally love the engine, and the way it sounds. But it is a bit more difficult to source parts for than some the other more modern overhead-valve designs the other comapnies had. The Lark and it’s variations would last until 1966, when Studebaker finally went under. Through the years it came with many other trim packages, and drive-train options. In 1960 a convertible and a 4-door station wagon appeared. In 1962 the Lark Cruiser was offered as a more luxurious model, based on the longer wheel-base taxi frame. And could even be had with a fold-back canvas “sun-roof”. Also a bigger V-8 was available, the 289cid. It was primarily marketed as a ploice package, but could be ordered by the public too. And, lacking funds for a complete re-tooling, the 170cid L-head motor, was basically converted to an overhead valve design. In 1962 came the Lark Daytona(Larks actually ran well at the first Daytona 500 in 1959), it was to replace the Regal as the high-end product, although Regals were still available. The Daytona came with bucket seats, center console, etc.. The most noticeable change in 1962 was a change in the glass. The cars had thinner pillars, and flatter glass giving the interior a slightly roomier feel, and better visibility. Also the Standard series appeared. It was a completely stripped down model, with no trim, or options. Not even an emblem designating it as a Lark. It only had a Studebaker emblem. However for those “in the know” in 1963, you could order many more performance options than previously available. Things like disc brakes, and super-charged V-8’s. For the remainder of the Larks life it recieved a few name shuffles and additions. The Lark Challenger replaced replaced the low-cost Standard, and the Lark Commander replaced the Regal, and Custom lines. The Lark name eventually disappeared and left only the Studebaker Commander, and Challenger. By 1966 operations had moved to a single factory in Canada where the last car rolled off the line.

Next is the AMC Rambler. This can get confusing. Nash and Hudson had merged to become AMC in 1954. Initially the Rambler was sold under both Hudson and Nash names simultaneously in 1954-56. Then in 1959 it came back as it’s own marque(similar to Chryslers Dodge or Plymouth, etc.). AMC, In an effort to save money used the old mid-50’s tooling for the new model. The Rambler name was attatched to a whole host of AMC cars, large and small. But here we will focus on the compact Rambler American. It had a life-span from 1958-1969. The 1958 Rambler only came in a 2-door sedan version. The following year a 2-door station wagon would be added, and 1960 a 4-door sedan. All came with the 195.6 ohv in-line six engine. This was an incredibly basic and reliable engine. And has not recieved it’s due in the history books. It’s not a perfomance motor by any means. But it runs great, and it goes forever. And the basic design lasted in the Jeep until last year(2007). It also had the most horse-power of all the compacts intitially. The 2nd generation of the Rambler was from 1961-1963. It was identical mechanically, and chasis wise. But the body became more square. And a convertible became available. In 1963 a trim option called the 440-H had bucket seats with various sporty looking appointments, and a version of 195.6 motor that had a little more power. Also available was a 2-door coupe with no pillars. The third and last generation of the Rambler American was from 1964-1969. The cars became even more square, but sleek. And was a down-right cool looking car. And although AMC was late in the muscle car game you started seeing the little Rambler with some crazy high-performance options. All the while maintaining the economy treatments too. The 440 was still around, and new were the 330, and 220 trim designations. Also things like more advanced suspension came around. Also appearing on the scene was the new and venerable 232cid in line 6 cylinder engine. It was optional over the reworked 195.6cid(now a 199cid). It had 7 main bearings and was tough as a tank. By this time the body styles offered were 2-door coupe, 2-door post, 4-door sedan, 2-door convertible, and a 4-door station wagon. The 64-65 models featured a tunnel shaped front fender that looked like it extended off the headlights. Starting in 1966 the fender became completely sqarue. In 1966 the 440-H was renamed the Rogue. A new 290cid V-8 “Typhoon” was available mid-year. The 330 trim package was dropped also. Cool things started happening in 1967 with the Rambler American. In the Rogue and 440 you could order the 343cid V-8. And over the next couple years the Rambler American would be offered in less and less options. When in 1969, it’s last year, The name American was dropped. And it was just a Rambler. BUT!!! A magical car sprung from the Rogue package called the S/C Rambler “Scrambler”. These cars were assembled by Hurst Performance, and treated to some of the coolest “upgrades” ever. It had AMC’s 315hp 390cid V-8, a Hurst shifter attatched to a manual 4-speed that spun a “Twin Grip” rear-end. Also a massive and unique hood-scoop that looked like a mail-box, a Sun tachometer strapped to the steering column. And a bitchin’ red, white, and blue paint scheme(actually two paint schemes “A” and “B”). They only made a little over 1,500. But man what a car!(The first Rambler was built in 1902, by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company, a predecessor to Nash. So, there is quite a bit of previous Rambler history to dig into).

Now you have the basics for those cars, there are a lot more sources with way more detail on many web-sites. But I hope this helped give you a basic understanding of how those cars came and went. Next time I will be discussing the Plymouth/Dodge A-bodies(Valiants/Lancers/Darts/Demons/Dart Sports/ Dusters/ Scamps/Swingers). So if you’re shopping, don’t make up your mind yet. We still have Fords and Chevy’s to tackle too.