I have owned this wonderful Valiant wagon for 9 years. During that time I have had people follow me home asking to buy it. At red lights I often had people honking and wanting to buy it but it was not for sale. Until now.
The car needs a full restoration. This must be one of the most stylish car ever made during this era. Just look at the unique curves and style that we don't see in modern cars. But unlike some of the big fin cars this is the perfect size for today. Not exactly easy to park without power steering but at least it fits in the smaller spaces.
Engine is good with no noises or smoke but the head gasket has recently blown. Auto trans is excellent and shifts just as it should. This engine and trans combo is well known to be bulletproof. There is no choke so difficult to start when cold.
Body is sound with just a few rust spots; behind the rear wheel and corners of the tailgate. Dings everywhere as you would expect from 50+ years of use. These are all easy fixes.I don't think the car has ever been repainted. It was in aged primer when I bought it. The original color was pale green which can be seen in the rear window pictures. Surface rust on the roof and hood. Front floors have been repaired but badly. It was like that when I bought it. No bondo except in the tailgate and I think that was to repair dents rather than rust.
Nine years ago I had plans to restore this car but I have used it too much to ever take it off the road. The only things I did was to replace the crazy 13" wheels and the ugly rear window gaskets.
I made temporary (8 years ago) adapters to fit the Oldsmobile wheels shown in the pictures. 14s at the front and 15s at the rear with very rare center caps. After all these years they still look perfect in size and syle to me.I also made the rear windows fit like on modern SUVs. Metal was welded into the openings to move the glass 5/8" out to fit flush with the body, s shown in the last pictures. The rust in the C pillars was also repaired. The work around the windows is not finished as the filling was done without the windows in place. The stainless trim that fits to the drip rail at the rear is not installed but is shown in the last picture. The crank handle to open the rear window is not fitted as I always wanted to fit electric windows. The crank handle comes with the car.
Now it is time for someone else to add their touches and enjoy this classic.
Please call me at 619-425-0367 with any questions.
A custom tow hitch is fitted as I have towed my micro cars around town. If you do not want the tow hitch I will deduct $100 from price. Mirror on right fender is not included, t is off my Fiat Topolino and was used to make towing legal.
I reserve the right to end this auction early as it is advertised elsewhere.