Valiant SV1 in Ireland finally gets some attention
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 16 11:12 pm
I bought this car about a decade ago and between working abroad in the desert and having to build a garage the car has stayed as it was when I bought it. I finally got a block of leave time that allowed for playing with my car. I picked easy jobs and have finished test fitting the new seats and will finish the front suspension and disk conversion on my return.
The seats; Full electric all leather. They have fore, aft, back rake, squab rake and height adjustments. The motors are smooth and really quite. I will manufacture the spacers that will be used for fitment once the body work is done and the new carpet is fitted. I also need to run the battery feeds to each seat.
The seats fit great and work a treat - I will have the rears reupholstered in the same style and color while the car is in for panel and paint.
I fitted a full set of OEM NOS gauges and a new one of those laser cut fish scale dash plates
The other task I started (and will finish on my next leave break time permitting) was all new QA1 front suspension. Unfortunately some of the parts did not arrive before I had to return to the desert so it was basically a test fit.
The car had had a front disk conversion at some stage but the old parts were pretty much worn out and the hubs were a 4" PCD so limited the selection of wheels etc. Also the disks were on their limits and needed machining. Along with QA1 suspension I sprang for a disk conversion kit from Classic Performance which has 11" disks 5 x 4.5 PCD. The kit comes with a booster which unfortunately wont fit this model. The steering arms are heavier and longer than the OEM ones. The tie rod sleeves are the QA1 ones and these are nicely manufactured and good and sturdy. All new ball joints and tie rods and the car now has a light smooth feel to the steering - did not drive (has not had a proper alignment yet - waiting for some parts as mentioned earlier) just moving it around the garage - it used to pull the arms out of you before and now is like a different vehicle - sweeeet.
I have ordered an idler arm bush to bearing kit which had not arrived when it was time for me to return to the desert.
The Classic Performance disk kit required some modification of the backing plate so that the attachment bolts for the steering arms would seat properly. When the parts arrived the clip on the caliper was damaged and the backing plates were buckled - poor packaging and heavy boxes - I think they were dropped rather than stacked during shipping. A little metal bashing, some snipping and a powder coating and you'd never know.
There is some superficial oxidation on the caliper, which will clean off easy enough and I will find a coating to prevent it re-occurring.
The brake reaction rod in the photo is the original one. They were rusted and pitted so I sand blasted them and had some blue powder left over from another project which I used as protective coating until the new ones arrive. I bought some stainless ones from Hemi Performance; they got them away to me really quickly but the post my end post slow so they arrived the day after I return to work. I have since looked deeper into these - Dynamic Strut Bars | QA1 Suspension Components | Drag & Street and I am checking with QA1 to see if these will fit the vehicle
The car originally had Cragar Drag Star?? (I think that was the type) rims which did not suit it and I was able to find a set of Jelly Bean mags which were more period correct - got them from Queensland Valiant Spares - whom unfortunately has ceased trading after the floods there.
I wrapped the Jelly Beans in some Toyo 205/70 14's around them and now that the new disks are fitted the Jelly Beans which are 5 x 4" wont fit the new stud pattern 5 x 4.5". So it was time to pick new rims and tyres. I chose Wheel Vintiques 10 Series Chrome Smoothie Wheels With Caps and Toyo 205/60 15.
I am talking with Hemi Performance to see what will be involved in getting one of their rear axle drum to disk rear ends (shipping to Ireland being the concern) - using spacer converters to change the rears to 5 x 4.5" PCD at the moment so I can move the vehicle when required.
I hope to have time to get more done on my next leave break - but I also have a 1979 HZ Ute which is currently having its rust removed and just about to be resprayed which also needs attention.
That's what I did this summer - well for a few days anyway
The seats; Full electric all leather. They have fore, aft, back rake, squab rake and height adjustments. The motors are smooth and really quite. I will manufacture the spacers that will be used for fitment once the body work is done and the new carpet is fitted. I also need to run the battery feeds to each seat.
The seats fit great and work a treat - I will have the rears reupholstered in the same style and color while the car is in for panel and paint.
I fitted a full set of OEM NOS gauges and a new one of those laser cut fish scale dash plates
The other task I started (and will finish on my next leave break time permitting) was all new QA1 front suspension. Unfortunately some of the parts did not arrive before I had to return to the desert so it was basically a test fit.
The car had had a front disk conversion at some stage but the old parts were pretty much worn out and the hubs were a 4" PCD so limited the selection of wheels etc. Also the disks were on their limits and needed machining. Along with QA1 suspension I sprang for a disk conversion kit from Classic Performance which has 11" disks 5 x 4.5 PCD. The kit comes with a booster which unfortunately wont fit this model. The steering arms are heavier and longer than the OEM ones. The tie rod sleeves are the QA1 ones and these are nicely manufactured and good and sturdy. All new ball joints and tie rods and the car now has a light smooth feel to the steering - did not drive (has not had a proper alignment yet - waiting for some parts as mentioned earlier) just moving it around the garage - it used to pull the arms out of you before and now is like a different vehicle - sweeeet.
I have ordered an idler arm bush to bearing kit which had not arrived when it was time for me to return to the desert.
The Classic Performance disk kit required some modification of the backing plate so that the attachment bolts for the steering arms would seat properly. When the parts arrived the clip on the caliper was damaged and the backing plates were buckled - poor packaging and heavy boxes - I think they were dropped rather than stacked during shipping. A little metal bashing, some snipping and a powder coating and you'd never know.
There is some superficial oxidation on the caliper, which will clean off easy enough and I will find a coating to prevent it re-occurring.
The brake reaction rod in the photo is the original one. They were rusted and pitted so I sand blasted them and had some blue powder left over from another project which I used as protective coating until the new ones arrive. I bought some stainless ones from Hemi Performance; they got them away to me really quickly but the post my end post slow so they arrived the day after I return to work. I have since looked deeper into these - Dynamic Strut Bars | QA1 Suspension Components | Drag & Street and I am checking with QA1 to see if these will fit the vehicle
The car originally had Cragar Drag Star?? (I think that was the type) rims which did not suit it and I was able to find a set of Jelly Bean mags which were more period correct - got them from Queensland Valiant Spares - whom unfortunately has ceased trading after the floods there.
I wrapped the Jelly Beans in some Toyo 205/70 14's around them and now that the new disks are fitted the Jelly Beans which are 5 x 4" wont fit the new stud pattern 5 x 4.5". So it was time to pick new rims and tyres. I chose Wheel Vintiques 10 Series Chrome Smoothie Wheels With Caps and Toyo 205/60 15.
I am talking with Hemi Performance to see what will be involved in getting one of their rear axle drum to disk rear ends (shipping to Ireland being the concern) - using spacer converters to change the rears to 5 x 4.5" PCD at the moment so I can move the vehicle when required.
I hope to have time to get more done on my next leave break - but I also have a 1979 HZ Ute which is currently having its rust removed and just about to be resprayed which also needs attention.
That's what I did this summer - well for a few days anyway
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