1974 Plymouth Valiant Review - What Normal People Drove In The 1970s & 1980s!

[@benila3992]

The movie Duel is the first thing that comes to my mind when I see one of these!

[@LakeNipissing]

Dang, as a kid I was in so many of these... grandparents, aunts, hockey coach picking us up for games... later driven by friends and cousins once they were 500$ to 700$ used cars to use for school. Even though it was only abut 100 HP, the Slant 6 is one of the most durable and reliable engines ever made.

[@rightlanehog3151]

👏👏👏👏

[@saigoncowboy8149]

I had an emerald green 74 Valiant back in the 90's that I bought from an abandon car auction for $60. The car actually ran with a new battery but the radiator needed to be flushed and the carburetor rebuilt. Great looking car inside and out. The biggest eye soar was that the vinyl top had deteriorated and much of it on the top came off. At the time I didn't appreciate what I had. I thought it was a grandma's car and since I was still in my 20's decided to sell it for something more sportier. I wish I had held on to it. I had been looking for a Plymouth Valiant video on YT but like you said, they are usually very short videos, mostly people trying to sell the vehicle. It's nice to see something a little more detailed.

[@tomb7382]

Our neighbor, a "spinster" in her late 50's brought the Dodge version, The Dart Custom, brand new. A little darker blue, same blue interior, but with a black vinyl top. I believe it was a 1975 model. Funny thing is, she also learned how to drive on that car. Her brother -in-law would take her out through the streets of Brooklyn NY. Once she got her license, on Saturday afternoons, she would take her niece, and all of us (the kids on the block) out for lunch and to the movies. She was a nice lady and treated us all so nicely. She ended up getting married when she was in her early sixties for the first time. Her and her husband moved off our block, but she would still come by and take her niece and use kids out for lunch. Lots of great memories based around that Dodge Dart !!!

[@michaelneufeld1334]

At $4,200 in 1974 dollars during the gas crisis this was a lot of money. Even my Mom and Dad solidly suburban Northern Virginia middle class could only afford a $2,600 1974 Chevy Vega. That craptastic rusting pile of garbage only made it 8 years and about 85,000 before heading to the junkyard. Now I only buy cars that are at least 7 years old with 90-100k miles. Run them to 220k miles then repeat.

[@misterwhipple2870]

Crap-Tastic. Now that's a Bart Simpson word for you. But you're right: cars were not cheap in those days! And when the gas crisis started, I was stuck with an 11-mile-per-gallon monster. It took me until 1980 to afford something new and better.

[@ceasarjamestolentino9749]

The cars you said that run 220k miles can run longer up to 700-800k miles until it starts having problems at 900k miles then completely stops working at one million miles then it goes to the junkyard at 2 million miles then the cycle repeats I know that because a lot of my families cars well the older cars are nearly 200k miles while some of my families cars well the even older ones are nearly 300k miles some of my families cars well the even even older cars are nearly 600k miles

[@warrenjr527]

That figure must include many options or is incorrect. I purchased a '72 Duster with larger 225 slant 6 auto transmission, AM radio for $2900 new. My parents bought a '74 Duster similarly equipped. It cost a bit more, but not that much. Those vents he showed must have been ad on AC. Our's didn't have that.

[@Dankcatvacs]

had a shiver of nostalgia when i saw those door handles on the inside. my mom had a green dart like this when i was 3 or 4 . the starter sound the smells ,vanillarama, vinyl. awesome cars total gem.

[@markhealey9409]

Those inside door handles,side view mirrors,gear knob, & top of fender turn signal indicators' design are SO Chrysler!! 🤣🤣

[@Foxonian]

My first car was 1975 Plymouth Valiant Custom. I got it when I graduated high school back in 1983 and had 100,000 miles on it. It ran like a top for years and I put another 25,000 miles on it before I got rid of it for something slightly newer. Never did any maintenance to it except oil changes.

[@joemartin7251]

When I was a teenager, these cars were a dime a dozen. Went through so many of them. Not that they were easily destroyed, but we (friends and I) would pick one up for no more than 200 bucks, usually under a hundred and just thrashed them to smitherenes. One late Saturday night, after much tomfoolery, we drove home after barrel rolling it through a ditch! The steer tires were so malined that they cambered in about 20 degrees. Still managed to drive. One of my buddies face smacked the hard metal dash, breaking his teeth, had an emergency dental appointment. Pulled the suspension apart and made repairs. Put plexiglass in where the glass had broken and continued to drive and have fun. Miracle we are still alive. Great times. tho!

[@larryk731]

I was a high school senior in 1985 and remember seeing many of these in my high school parking lot - probably handed down from parents.

[@rightlanehog3151]

By 1985, most 1974 cars had been sent to the scrap yard. The Valiant and Dart were some of the longest lasting cars of their time.

[@christopheryoung3356]

I had a 1974 slant-six Dodge Dart. The interior looked exactly the same except for the badging and the exterior was the same except for the front grill and the badging. It was almond-colored with a tan vinyl roof. I kicked that car around all through college. You couldn't kill it.

[@daphnevandervalk273]

Oh wow, this is wonderful! My parents bought a new ‘74 Valiant back in the day, and it did indeed become the car I drove to school in the late ‘80s. Ours was brown with a white top. I recognize every inch of what you showed from the cool turn indicators to the dome light to the exact same dashboard…what memories! After the Valiant died my “new” car was a ‘67 Dart, which also happened to have that crazy concave rear window. I’m so happy to see such a well-preserved specimen of this Valiant - thank you!

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

Dennis Weaver drove one in the movie ‘Duel’.

[@joediaz1984]

Duel with tanker truck and won

[@mbd501]

That's what I think of when I see this car. And they were slow, if the movie is to be believed. He couldn't outrun a big tanker truck.

[@McLarenMercedes]

@@mbd501 He wasn't Mario Andretti. Try driving at 95mph on twisty mountain roads using a modern car, let alone a early 70's Plymouth Valiant and you'll soon understand why he couldn't outrun the truck from hell. Some people quote quarter mile times, horsepower numbers and top speeds not realizing that *most roads aren't nice, grippy drag strips or smooth, wide highways* . 60's and 70's cars weren't renowned for their "nimble handling" so I can only imagine how a Plymouth Valiant handles like on the roads portrayed in the movie.

[@mbd501]

@@McLarenMercedes A big truck would be even worse in the twisties. But IIRC it was on the straightaways when the truck would catch up to him, which is more realistic.

[@VA3DSO]

Yep! My buddy had a 74 Valiant in high school with the slant six. It was a lot of fun! Thanks for bringing back the good memories!

[@bwofficial1776]

I'm told that my great-grandparents had a green over green one back in the 70s. I like the styling of these, it's simple but effective. The reverse-curve back window is unusual. I've always liked Chrysler's fender turn signal lights.

[@davidzatz]

The stylists wanted that window, it's nice looking but horribly bad for the aerodynamics. Dusters went with a flush window that bulged outward based on lessons from the Charger 500. I once asked someone in the program why they never changed the window on the sedan, and the answer was because the Valiant barely broken even most years at that point, so there wasn't money in the program for that sort of thing. (If there had been money for it in the planned 1967 facelift, it would have been spent on the 1970 Duster! After the Duster was a success, they still didn't get that facelift money back.)

[@johnfrakes4746]

Indeed. The slant 6 is one most bulletproof engines ever made! Albeit, not overly powerful.

[@bldontmatter5319]

It's like a Toyota engine. So weak it can't hurt itself.

[@damilolaakanni]

​@bldontmatter5319 not modern Toyota engines though.

[@bldontmatter5319]

@@damilolaakanni eh, most modern Toyota engines feel gutless too.

[@spider_hoss]

My grandma had a 72 Valiant. Basically the same setup as this one. Brought back memories.

[@johanvangelderen6715]

This generation Dodge Dart /Plymouth Valiiant originated in 1967. Engine horsepower decreased considerably by 1972, and again in 1974. They had to cope with more strict emissions before the catalytic convertor was introduced in 1975. I drive a 1973 Dodge Dart Swinger for nine years between 1982 and 1991. It was a 318 ci V8. The car was good as a family car. It was not sporty. But handled alright. Your review is quite accurate.

[@jonathancunningham8739]

Most sawed those converters off though I see some of these old cars and they definitely don't have one.

[@dtshifter]

I had a 1970 Valiant and the wheelbase and length were shorter than the Dart and the later Valiants like the 74 in this video. The early 60's Valiants were even smaller than my 70' was.

[@vashawndiromano]

'73 Valiant (with vertical tail lights) is actually Homer Simpson's pink sedan so the everyman's car description is spot on 😁

[@currier207]

My first car when I was 16 and 2012 was a 1971 Plymouth valiant. Slant Six with an automatic, I love that thing to death. painted red and white like Christine,.

[@mikuro7992]

Valiants are popular here in Switzerland aswell. They were even built here till 1972, after that they were imports from the states. I've bought mine 2.5 years ago at 24y/o and it is very interesting how many people still recognize this car because many people drove this car in Switzerland/Europe aswell. Mine also is a '74 with the 225/3spd auto, 4 door body but in "Deep Sherwood" dark green with a non-original beige interor.

[@timothykeith1367]

I love these Valiants. They hark back to the staid Ford, Chevy and Mopar family sedans of the '50s - before the horsepower wars, before family cars got huge. Function over style. They didn't change much from the '67 redesign. Chrysler had planned to replace the Valiant and Dart, but lacked the budget. In '73 the company had high hopes for the restyled big '74 C-bodies - the previous "fuselage" version had sold well, then gas prices tripled over a few weeks. These 60s-ish Valiants kept selling well. Consumer Reports loved them.

[@rightlanehog3151]

In 1974 a Valiant or Dart with a Slant 6 was very likely the most reliable American car you could buy.

[@1983rush]

REALLY GREAT EFFORT in having cars clean in review!

[@shept.7736]

My family owns the dodge version of this, last year 76' dart swinger special 2dr hardtop (pfp). Wonderful car, the slant makes fairly adequate power for what it is, no roasting tires or anything of that nature. It does have suspension mods as well as drivetrain so even with the overboosted steering it corners super well and is very planted. The pillarless looks so incredible!

[@richardhansen7915]

My girlfriend, soon to be wife, had a Swinger when we first started dating. It was a reasonably fun and dependable car. She still talks about it 40 years later.

[@Jeff-bd5yo]

We here in Sweden used these as fleet vehicles used by police and taxi companies. Families also had them primarily as station wagons.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Zack, First off, I too would like to thank Dave for sharing his car with us. This prosaic Plymouth Valiant, equipped with the Slant 6, was one of the most popular cars in 1974 and probably the most reliable American car made that year. As the Japanese brands had not yet fully found their stride, it was also one of the most reliable cars in the world. Those who find the powder blue colour a bit unusual may find reassurance in the fact Plymouth offered 20 other paint choices in 1974. Those who lived through the 70s will remember the baby blue hue ruled for a few years in cars and fashion. 🤩

[@billj8527]

Had a 72 Satellite Custom in the same color but with a black vinyl top. The baby blue was very popular back then. Rust eventually killed it; wouldn't pass the state inspection by 1981 because of rust underneath.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@billj8527 Baby blue was everywhere until suddenly it was nowhere. Our 73 Duster and 75 Fury were both equipped with Slant 6s. Both eventually succumbed to terminal rust damage here in Ontario with the engines still working fine. I have learned from traumas of the past and today I drive a rust-free 2005 car that gets taken for rustproofing treatment every year. BTW did your Satellite have a 318?

[@billj8527]

@@rightlanehog3151 Yes, the trusty 318 with Torqueflite. Got about 13-14 mpg any way you drove it.. easy or hard. Still drive Mopar, a lot different than they were back then.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@billj8527 My last Mopar was a 1980 Diplomat that I bought with low mileage in 1993. Once again it had a Slant 6 but this time it had a 2 barrel carb. Like the ones before it, the engine easily outlasted everything else.

[@billj8527]

@@rightlanehog3151 Loved the Diplomat/Fury of the early 80s and then the Dynasty in the later 80s. Not as crazy about the 'cab forward' designs of the 90s to early 2000s; made maintenance a nightmare. Unfortunately Chrysler is a shadow of its former self. When it comes time for a newer car will probably have to go elsewhere.

[@chrisallen766]

These used to be in the classifieds as a "good station car". Something you can drive to the train station and leave all day there

[@exc911ence_channel]

Plymouth was actually the lowest Chrysler division, below the (slightly) more upmarket Dodge. Hence why the Valiants had shorter wheelbases (108") than the more 'luxurious' Darts (111"). Even the E-body Barracuda rode on a shorter wheelbase than its sister Challenger for that reason. Of course the exception to this rule was the 1971 Dodge Demon that used the body of the 1970 Plymouth Duster with Dart front sheetmetal added... both these cars shared the Valiant's 108" wheelbase. This 1974 Valiant was the first year that it shared the Dart's 111" wheelbase as Chrysler was in major cost-cutting mode and streamlining its production processes. The sad beginnings of the badge engineering era that eventually bankrupted the company.

[@kevinfestner6126]

I drove a 74 Dart 4 door, brown, black vinyl top, auto, with the 318 V8.

[@flashnmb1]

Ooh Speed!

[@MillerMeteor74]

Back in the 70s there was little old lady who lived across the street from us, and she had one of these.

[@highlycaffeinated6864]

This reminds me of my grandfathers car, it was called a Plymouth Scamp. I dont remember much about it because I was so little when he drove it but I do remember the smell of the vinyl covering the seats made me sick once on a really hot day and I threw up in the back of car lol.

[@markhealey9409]

My evil Step 'Father' had a relative w/ a purple Plymouth Scamp...she drove my Mum & him from their church wedding to the reception in it,in rural Pennsylvania in October 1972! 🤣🤣

[@rickloera9468]

Your grandfather's car was a two door hardtop. Same car with two more doors.

[@BuccWylde]

Yep, my first car was a 74 Scamp. Exact same car as the Dart and Valiant. Chrysler loved to make two or three of the same car and then just pop a different grill and side badge on them and pretend they were offering three different cars, lol. All three models came with your choice of a 3spd manual or 3spd automatic, a puny 198 six, 225 slant six, or 318 V8. My Scamp had the 225, automatic with a white vinyl hardtop. Produced 95 hp and had a very sad top speed of 90mph. Bought it for 500 bucks in '85 with 40k miles on it. Massive amenities like AC/heat, floor mats, and an AM radio !!! In all seriousness though, it was transportation for highschool and to my after school job, so broke me wasn't complaining.

[@MrTPF1]

My Dad had a '72 Dart, and it hauled our family of 6 all around with no problems. The Valiant you have in this video had dealer-installed A/C which ours did not have. Ours didn't have power steering or brakes either.

[@markhealey9409]

I think that even on most small American cars in the early to mid 70s,a/c,power brakes & power steering were still options,not on base models. Someone correct me,if I'm wrong?

[@rickloera9468]

Actually, this is factory A/C. From 1967 to 1976, this generation of Dart, Valiant, Duster, Demon, Scamp, etc. had underdash A/C. It definitely looks like its 🎉dealer installed, but it isn't. My grandparents had the Ubiquitous Dodge Dart Swinger, which was the vehicle that let people know that you had made to senoir citizen status. It had Factory A/C, which was underdash exactly like this one. My aunts 71 Duster had the same A/C too.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@markhealey9409 Our family had a 1973 Duster when I started to drive. It was green with a green vinyl interior that froze you in winter and seared you in summer. The only options it had were an automatic transmission and AM radio. The steering was non-power as were the four wheel drum brakes. Eventually the Duster was replaced with a 75 Plymouth Fury sedan. It was also green with a green vinyl interior. It had the same Slant 6 engine as the Duster. It was substantially bigger than the Duster but its only upgraded creature comforts were power steering and an AM/FM radio. The brakes remained non-power but in front they were discs rather than drums.

[@exc911ence_channel]

My first car was a 1973 Dodge Dart sedan, basically the sister car to this Valiant. Mine was also a 225 slant-six but had the cool 3-on-the-tree manual transmission.

[@klwthe3rd]

3 on the tree kicks ass!

[@BlackheartCharlie]

I think you may have missed an important feature. On my Dodge Dart (virtually the same as this Valiant) there were small vent doors down in the footwell of the front seats. You could open these and get a nice flow of fresh air down around your feet as well as using the vent windows for airflow around your face.

[@daphnevandervalk273]

Oh yeah! I forgot about those!

[@rjtobin59]

@@daphnevandervalk273 and the hinges always broke on them.

[@curtcollett2893]

My bronze 75 was almost a duplicate of this. Loved the comfort, pull out parking brake, hood mounted turn signal lights, great AC. Did not like the ballast resistors blowing, anemic horn and power, rain leaking into interior and trunk, and vinyl top discoloration. Appreciate the review!

[@fjcrod]

I learned to drive in a Valiant. I was 16 and I'd never driven a car before. The instructor said, put it in gear and let's go. So I did. By my second lesson, I was driving on the expressway. Still have many fond memories of those early lessons. Such an easy car to drive.

[@eddieschwab864]

The gauge cluster inside the 74 Valiant is actually the same gauge cluster in the 66 Belvedere... Forward indicators for the turn signals is a pretty common thing in the seventies. I forgot that Valiant and Dart had them, but across the aisle at GM I know that my parents 72 Cadillac Coupe Deville had them as well.

[@jumpinjehoshaphat9075]

4:34 those were the air conditioner vents only. They were not "integrated" because most cars did not have a/c, it was an option. They had a good heater and heater vents would be central and up near the firewall and of course defroster. The air vents were little rectangular "garage doors" up near the wall on each side and they were wonderful. You could really move some air through the car because of the large air vents.

[@bb_lz9790]

I've never been into Mopars, but that's gorgeous! I love the simplicity (and affordability) of cars of that era. I recall my parents buying cars then and my dad ordering basic, basic versions to save money. I distinctly remember when they ordered their '72 (Pontiac) Luxury LeMans and splurging for the rear speaker for the AM radio. They even went a step further when they ordered their '78 Grand Prix and got an FM radio!!! Oh, those were the days!!!

[@richardhansen7915]

Thanks so much for this video! My parents bought a 1974 Valiant new, and I took my driver's license test in it in 1976. Red with a black vinyl top. Not necessarily a great car, but I liked it a whole lot better than the 1974 Impala they bought soon after!

[@royperry2859]

My first car was a 1971 Dodge Dart Swinger 2 door hardtop. Brings back memories😊

[@CravingClassics]

Great cars , simple, and get goin with the right setup! I had a sedan with a factory 318 mild modification. Lil sleeper. Great review as always

[@kirksway1]

That is such a good looking car. I love the color and the styling. Fun fact: the emblem in the steering wheel was not the Plymouth logo (that was a image of the Plymouth ship)it was the symbol for the highest trim level of the Valiant.

[@davidzatz]

By then they had changed logos to the rocket ship, reflecting their work on the moon rockets, which most people have forgotten.

[@klwthe3rd]

@@davidzatz So that symbol is of a rocket ship??? Was the above comment correct about it only being used on the highest trim level?

[@motalesdave]

@@klwthe3rd Yes, it's a rocket ship, no, it wasn't only used on the highest trim. My car is *not* the highest trim. It's a base model with a couple of added features.

[@klwthe3rd]

@@motalesdave I love that steering wheel with the fake wood insert with that emblem. I have seen it on other 1974, 1975 and 1976 Plymouths. I wonder how many years Plymouth used that emblem?

[@golfboy83]

Love it! My sister and I had a 1975 Dodge Dart Swinger, a 2 door with a 318 V8 with a 2-barrwk carburetor. It was a great cruiser. We had that car in our family between the two of us for 12 years until I sold it in 2007. It was such a great car, so reliable. That is one fine example 💙

[@midlifelit5315]

Just had to mention (in case no one else has) that a red Gen 3 Plymouth Valiant is the co-star, along with Dennis Weaver and a VERY threatening Peterbilt truck and tank trailer, of the movie "Duel" (1971), directed by a fresh-out-of-film-school Steven Spielberg. Perfect automotive casting in a great movie that helped propel Spielberg to stardom. Also, the Valiant/Dart models were so popular, that when the Volare/Aspen replacements came out, the Valiant and Dart were held over in the model line for at least another year! (We had a '76 Plymouth Volare Premier station wagon, I learned to drive on that car and a ''66 Chevy Camper Special.)

[@BELCAN57]

I'm an AMC guy, but I have a real soft spot for these cars.

[@rightlanehog3151]

To be fair, the Hornet's engine could be very good as well.

[@BELCAN57]

@@rightlanehog3151 258 ci l6 7 main bearing. Nearly indestructible.

[@JakubSemoda]

Hey Zack, as a guy from "Eastern block" it's so interesting for me, to see, what car normal people drove, in comparison with what I'm used to see here, and also in comparison with what we think, was normal, here in Slovakia (Challengers, Broughams, Rivera's, and so on). J

[@andydanko7074]

I think the best word to describe this car is utilitarian😊

[@mat13174]

My first car ride when I was brought home from the hospital was in my dad’s 69 Valiant Signet. It was blue with a white top and interior.

[@bobtepedino5661]

Throughout the '60s and '70s, we working-class Italian kids would put on our school uniforms and ride to Church in Plymouths like this one, parking it over by the softball field so it wouldn't get dinged. Our fancy Sicilian cousins - who call Sinatra "Frankie" and (GASP!) take the Eucharist in their hand - glided their gleaming Oldsmobiles right up to the sacristy, arriving like Pavarotti with the windows rolled up to feign air conditioning. Now those WOP-wagons are gone, and with them disappeared a cultural touchstone... 🥲😪

[@markwilliams2620]

"WOP-wagon". Have to add that one to the automotive vernacular. Grazie paisano!

[@Mark-zu6oz]

Wow! This takes me back. My grandfather owned a green 1974 Dodge Dart. When he stopped driving he gave it to my father. It was the first car I drove after completing my Driver's Ed. course in high school. We kept it in the family for many years until one day ( I forget the cause) most of the oil leaked out while on the highway and the engine seized.

[@rickloera9468]

If you want to compare the car to something from 1967, then look no further than a 1967 Dodge Dart four-door. Exactly the same green house as this car. The 67 Valiant four-door had a shorter wheelbase than the Dart. So, a 67 Valiant roofline looks slimmer and better to me. Just watch Duel from 1971. Dennis Weaver drives a 1971 Valiant, and you can see the slimmer C post. The 67 Valiant roofline stayed until 1973. For 1974, the Valiant shared the roofline and longer wheelbase as the Dart.

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

My mother had one of these when I was a kid, then my older brother smashed it.

[@chriswright2250]

My sister had the same model. Her model had a black roof. Basic but Great.

[@davidp2888]

Learned to drive in one of these.

[@ohdiverdoc]

My parents had one like that in gold. It was a decent compact car and did the job just fine. Had the 225 Slant Six with the three speed automatic.

[@dangeroreilly2028]

The AC, map light and padded steering wheel were options, probably a "passenger convenience" package. The baby blue looks like B1 paint, which Plymouth called Powder Blue. The Duster and Dart Sport were essentially the same as this you're right; but the other 2 models were coupes and considered more sporty.

[@karoltakisobie6638]

We're Valiants ever made with manual transmission? That would be interesting to drive.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Yes. Some models had 3 on the tree, 3 on the floor or 4 on the floor.

[@glennso47]

The slant 6 was probably the best engine Chrysler ever made.

[@markhealey9409]

​@@rightlanehog3151yes! My evil step 'Father' had a relative with a purple Plymouth Scamp w/ a 4 on the floor in 1972!

[@johanvangelderen6715]

Yes they were. Engine choices were two six cylinders, a 198 and 225 ci. The V8 choices were the 318 and 340 cubic inches.

[@timothykeith1367]

My '74 Duster was three-on-the-tree.

[@robertchristie9434]

Loved those '63--'76 A-body Mopars. Owned a ton of them from a $200 rusted '76 6-cyl Duster that I swear is running somewhere today to my aunt's '67 383 Hi-Po Dart GTS. Great, reliable, easy to work on, cheap parts & fun to drive cars. Chrysler couldn't have made them any more basic vehicles. As long as you kept an extra ballast resistor in the glove box, you had a bullet proof car.

[@kennethmanning9984]

We had one in orange with black roof

[@fredmott1397]

My first car!!! Grandpa bought a 72 Valiant in Florida so had a/c with the tower of bigger power (225!) - ran great when I got it in 77 after he gave it to Mom and it was the family car for a while. Just a great car until my sister borrowed it and put it into a pole! Changing the points in it was a challenge!

[@bluemouse5039]

My dad used to buy those for years, they always rusted out in a few years the metal was paper thin

[@tomomiko202]

I really enjoyed this. My great aunt had a 1972 valiant in the same color, interior and exterior. What a beautiful car.

[@jeffcharlton9660]

My Dad had a '74 Scamp (2 door version), the exact same color and hubcaps but with a black vinyl top.

[@joseluisguajardo3616]

I was 15 when I drove my mothers 1974 Dodge Dart sedan taking my brothers and sisters to school back in Mexico, this car had the 318 v8 engine, this car was so good and fast I loved it. The only thing it was hard to start in the mornings, it was aqua blue with a white top, we put about 150,000 miles in the six years my parents kept it,. Very reliable. That was when the cars were cars.

[@jrbeeler4626]

This is exactly the car I learned to drive on in 1979. But what secret storage complex was it stored in, to have so little mileage? One funny thing about our Valiant: There was one intersection that we frequently drove through on warm summer afternoons (Windsor Mill Road and Forest Park Avenue in Baltimore). If you forgot to turn off the air conditioning, our Valiant would stall in the middle of the intersection! This only happened at that one intersection, and we never figured out what was different about it.

[@CaesarRoyale]

I can tell you as a 6'1"+ guy, I do not fit in the back seat of my Dad's Dart Swinger. My head touches the roof and there's about what feels like 6 inches between the front of the rear seat and the backside of the front seat. According to the brochure, the Hardtop (2 door, but not the Sport 2Door Coupe) has a 1 inch lower ceiling but same wheelbase as the sedan. Although the front seat was adjusted all the way back of course. I should say that car was his grandparents', and back in the day my dad's single mom had a 67 and then handed it down to him when he started driving to work at 14 years old in 1976. By then it already had a rust hole in the floor so big you could see the road!

[@leethorp2164]

Reminds of a 71 2 door Dart I used to have. My pastor told me to get rid of it, get something else so I bought a beat up old Dodge work truck. He said that that wasn't what he had in mind. I wish I still had that car. That would be so cool.

[@genericsomething]

"It was made before catalytic converters, so it runs on regular gas."

[@moparguy37]

In 1983 I bought my very first Mopar a 73 Dodge Dart Swinger in the same robins egg blue, white vinyl top and medium blue interior with the slant 6 and automatic.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

Two of my all time favourite Mopars; The 1967 Plymouth Barracuda, and the 1974 Plymouth Valiant. Although, to be fair, my list of all time favourite Mopars includes just about everything Chrysler ever made. I have a particular fondness for the Slant Six cars. Love a leaning tower of power.

[@Gary_Le_Strange]

Mine was a '74 Dart Swinger with a 318 2bbl. It had a 2.45 rear end so it was by no means quick. It did have long legs and was very easy to wind it up past the 100 mph maximum on the speedo.

[@klwthe3rd]

I just wanted to add that you often when reviewing Chrysler Corp cars get the hierarchy wrong. Plymouth was the entry level division, not a step above Dodge. The correct order is as follows from highest to lowest: Imperial/Chrysler/Desoto/Dodge/Plymouth.

[@markchapmon8670]

Factory installed AC would have been neatly integrated. In those years, dealers across most brands could and would be happy to install an aftermarket type AC in anything on the lot that wasn't factory equipped with AC. My mom bought a brand new Pinto in late 1980. She wanted AC so she had to wait about a day for them to install it before she took delivery.

[@selfdo]

The original reason for the Slant Six design was indeed to fit under the hood of the early "A" body cars, which were actually designed as a platform all the way back in the early 1950s as both an entry-level Plymouth or separate marquee, and also for either export, knock-down kits, or outright manufacture abroad. Many engine designs were kicked around by the Mopar engineers, including a 180 cube 60-degree OHV V6, and even an OHC inline four with a crossflow head! The "suits", while more than willing to make four-banger engines for Mopars sold outside North America, wanted commonality among the domestic lines. The original design was actually a vertical inline six with a HEMI (sort of) combustion chamber, based on experience with early Hemi and "Poly" engines then in production (but already planned to be phased out, due to production costs). The success of smaller imports, especially VWs and Renaults, starting in 1957, led Chrysler, along with Ford and GM to go ahead with the "compact" lines (AMC already had that in its Ramblers and Nash Metropolitans), so the "Hemi-Six", due to its overall height, was "out". This engine's tooling would be sent to Chrysler's Australian subsidiary and produced there, earning its own fame "down under" in the 1960s and 1970s. The "trick", of course, was to have a common platform that nevertheless could fit into the new Plymouth Valiant and Dodge Lancer "A" body cars. It should be kept in mind that Chrysler did not intended to produce a Chrysler "Windsor" as an A-body, and that these cars were supposed to come ONLY with the Six, figuring that any bigger engines would have them competing internally with the larger Chrysler passenger cars. The 30-degree slant to the passenger side of the vehicle enabled the "A" body to have a fairly narrow track, keeping its weight down considerably, as well as fit under the low-sloping hood. Two block versions, with differing deck heights, were proposed, but both had a cylinder bore of 3-13/32 inches (3.40625"), and also used the same main and rod journals sizes and bearings as the new "B" big-block. Unlike the sixes of other makes, which typically had seven main bearings, the "Slanty" had but four, but it was figured, correctly, that the stouter crank didn't need any more; and their flathead six, long renowned for its own durability, enough that a special tank engine (Chrysler A57 multibank) had been made from FIVE of them during WWII, likewise had only four mains. Four different crankshafts, of which only the smaller two could be used in the "LG" (lower G-engine) block, were designed, with strokes of 2.625" (143 cu in), 3.125" (170 cu in.), 3.625" (198 cu in.) and 4.125" (225 cu in.). The smallest engine, which was to be the base engine for the Valiant and export/overseas cars, developed only 83 horsepower. After market research indicated there simply wasn't a need for the Slant Six for European Chrysler products, the smallest engine was dropped altogether. The 170 then became the base engine for the Valiant and the Lancer (this vehicle with standard shift only), while the 198 was shelved for about ten years and the 225 Slanty became the better-known of this engine family. Even though it put out only 145 ponies and was considered a "dog", it's very long stroke by even 1960 standards, let alone today (4.125" against a 3.406" bore, a VERY undersquare engine), it had very good low-end torque, enough to suffice as the base engine for full-size Dodges and Plymouths (note: once Chrysler switched Dodge and Plymouth full-sized lines to the "C" body, Dodge dropped the Slant Six for them, using the 318 "Poly", and, after 1966, the 318 LA engine as the base engine) and Dodge light trucks. The 225 Six also was used in quite a few "medium" applications such as dump trucks and/or school buses, where its torque was more than adequate for what was essentially a slow-moving vehicle anyway. FWIW, Chrysler also developed a lighter, smaller version of the Torqueflite automatic gearbox, the A904, as it was more than adequate to handle Sixes and even the 318 two-barrel for "A" and "B", and later "E" bodies. One feature that kept the overall engine length short was also that the water pump is on the left, front side of the engine block, and the thermostat housing likewise facing the driver side of the vehicle. There were some VERY interesting early developments of the Slant six...including that 50K of them had ALUMINUM blocks! This was one of the first forays into building lightweight engines, so the casting was designed with aluminum in mind. This made for a quite heavy, but STOUT engine block when cast in iron! Chrysler gave up on the aluminum engine after 1962, due to casting problems (too many rejects), the technology was simply not sufficient at the time. There were also high-performance versions of both the 170 (148 hp) and the 225 (190 hp) that came with a four-barrel carburetor and required premium fuel, known as the "Scat Pak" Six. Slant Sixes for the Canadian and Latin American markets also had a optional two-barrel version that put out 160 hp on regular gas (about 150 hp on that Pemex or Petrobas crap). The "Scat Pak" was dropped after 1962, and the "suits" refused the two-barrel for the US market, on the basis that it competed with V8s which were more profitable. The 170 Six was re-rated at 115 hp as of 1967 (at a higher RPM) to help with sales. As of 1970, with the "A" bodies haven gotten larger, and the new "E" body (Dodge Challenger, Plymouth Barracuda) being introduced, the 170 was simply too puny, so the entire "LG" line was dropped, which also cut production costs with one block casting. The 198 used the shorter crank which made for a slightly undersquare engine, but this was simply, as "Uncle Tony" puts it, an engine promulgated by "Bean Counters", who were wanting to actually sell the larger, somewhat more powerful 225 as an optional engine, along with the profitable option packages. This size was dropped in 1975, as the new emissions regs, along with catalytic converters, impacted power output BADLY. Few buyers were ordering mid-sized "B" body cars with the 225 Six anymore, fairly much, there were seen only with rather parsimonious fleet operators. The 225 actually enjoyed a resurgence after the 1973-1974 "Oil Crisis", and, by 1976, Chrysler was also offering the two-barrel version, which helped somewhat with the anemic power output. By then, the company was financially on the ropes, and the Slant Six, venerable and durable, was seen as an obsolete design, useful mainly as a base engine for pickups and industrial applications. As the "A" bodies were dropped after 1976 (there was, for 1975 and 1976, a "Feather Duster" with the 225 one-barrel and a four-speed overdrive manual gearbox that had rather impressive fuel economy numbers), being replaced that same year by the abortive "F" body Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare (a Chrysler version was considered, given the success of the 1975 B-body Cordoba, but rejected due to concerns it'd only eat into Cordoba sales, which were saving the company at the time), which lasted but through the 1980 model year. By that time, the classic A, B, C, and E body lines were gone, with Lee Iacocca converting Mopar passenger car production to much smaller FWD models based on a common platform to drastically reduce production costs; of the RWD lines, only the ill-fated "R", "J", and "M" bodies remained, each with the 225 Slant Six as the base engine. The "R" body, though it started strong, fell absolutely flat in the second oil crisis of 1979, and was cancelled mid-way in the 1981 model year. The "J" body, which was the new Chrysler Cordoba and the Dodge Mirada, failed as compared to their respective predecessors, and 1983 was their last year. The "M" body, essentially a slightly-lengthened "F" body, after 1980 was offered only as a four-door sedan, and sold decently enough, mainly as a police car, especially to departments that needed "old school" power and durability, but had to watch the operating costs. Since such packages were typically offered with either the 318 or 360 LA V8 engine, there simply was no market anymore for the Slant Six in Mopar passenger cars, so it was dropped from them after 1983. In 1987, with a tentative deal already in the works to use the AMC 4.0 liter inline six (Chrysler had already contracted, since 1982, to build M-body cars at AMC's Kenosha plant, enabling it to shut down its Windsor, Ontario RWD passenger car plant), Chrysler bought AMC entirely. With few trucks being ordered with the Slant Six, 1987 was it's last year in trucks, but it did continue to be made in Mexico for industrial applications until 2000. Many interesting engines were proposed based on the Slant Six, including a V12, an OHC, crossflow head design, Bosch Fuel Injection, and even a DIESEL. None of them ever made it to market, but it showed how durable and versatile this engine design was! Many believe that the Chrysler 2.2 and 2.5 engines were derived from the Slant Six, but aside from being slanted (towards the rear, as these are typically FWD applications), they actually have nothing in common from the Slanty. Chrysler did initially propose doing what Pontiac had done in the early 1960s, that is, "half a V8", using the LA block and the cylinder bore of the 1964-1969 273 V8, as a 2.25 liter (136 cu. in) "Slant Four". Although the production cost savings were intriguing to Chrysler, as their four-bangers could be produced on the same line as the LA engines, it was rejected for the reason that an IRON version would simply be too heavy, especially for a FWD vehicle, and having to redo the block in aluminum would negate the production savings and then some. But, recently, the "Slanty" has been revived as the Hurricane engine, although with its DOHC, all-aluminum, turbo-charged configuration, , it's a far cry from its well-known "grandfather".

[@glennso47]

Dennis Weaver drove a Plymouth Valiant in the movie Duel. A 1970 model I think.

[@misterwhipple2870]

'71.

[@mbd501]

According to Wikipedia, multiple cars were used in filming, including a '70 and a '71.

[@misterwhipple2870]

@@mbd501 Damned Hollywood Directors! Why wreck just one Mopar when you can wreck fifteen? (Dukes of Hazzard, The Blues Brothers, etc.)

[@OnlyTheFinest125]

It's most known for me from the movie DUEL

[@timmcshan3881]

I had a 71 valiant scamp. 2 dr hardtop. V8. Bucket seat. Auto in floor console. Wish I’d kept. 10:40

[@sbukosky]

I took my driver's test in a 66 Valient. A very reliable and adequate car. It had the push button transmission selectors.

[@0Happīkā0]

My friends mom had one in the 90s. Sooooo many memories of having to be picked up by her in that car...lol. Eventually my grandmother bought me a 76 Scamp in 96 for my first car. If you haven't done one that would be so damn rad to see. 😅 My second car in *cough cough, 97, was a Fury III 4 door sport. Another that would be awesome to see.

[@misterwhipple2870]

I had a 1969 Fury III, and it was a good-looking car and I loved it - except for the 11-miles-per-gallon part . . .

[@foggy634]

The bench seat with a fold down armrest, upgraded steering wheel, turn indicators, remote outside mirror, passenger mirror....maybe the vinyl roof..an option package ?

[@richardwilliams5842]

My family used to have one in mid 80's 👍👍👍

[@joycebrackbill-henderly8311]

I never focused on the stiff suspension , I do remember that . I went to school with someone , who bought a slant 6 Sebring That's practical and cool !

[@Imnotyourdoormat]

*255 WTF? Thats a ... **_"225!!!"_** The legendary **_"Slant-6"_** came in 170, 198, and 225 c.i.d. Although it was the 170 that was engineering perfection.*

[@olikat8]

Weird trivia; it's got the '76-only amber front turn signal lenses in the grille. I got a '76 sedan several years back for $0 out-of-pocket with 88K original miles on the odometer. I peeled the vinyl top off, painted it gloss white over the factory beige lower. The 318 was pulled & built with a '70 340 crank, forged I-beam rods, KB pistons, windage tray, better cam, Air Gap intake, '308' cast heads, thermal-coated headers, 2.5" dual exhaust with an X-crossover. Suspension & suspension are full Bergman Auto Craft up front, rear leaf springs are XHD V8 springs with poly bushings and a Firm Feel rear sway bar. The brakes are 12" rotor swap up front, 11.2" rear discs on the (retrofit in) 8.75" rear axle, 3.23 SG gears in a '489' case. The chassis has subframe connectors, torque boxes, A-pillar to the shock mount top reinforcements, and the core support stiffening kit. For giggles, I put 60-series BFG's on American Racing Vectors and slapped them on. Taking people on rides in it, those who have never been in an "Old" car that has been resto modded, are always a little stunned when they get to experience the Plymouth

[@dangeroreilly2028]

I wondered about those parking lights. I had a 76 , 360 Duster with amber, so I thought they came with the 360 package. You say they were 1976 only? All engines?

[@olikat8]

@@dangeroreilly2028 Yes, '76 only across the A-body line. '73-'75 is clear

[@joealvarez4157]

A slant six Mopar would have a Torqueflite A 904 automatic transmission, the baby brother to the legendary A727. 904s were light weight but very tough.

[@misterwhipple2870]

The Pork-Flite was the successor to the famous 1950s Slush-O-Matic.

[@daviddesmond2143]

My frugal Dad went out on his own and bought a new 1965 Dodge Coronet 4 door back when I was 16. It had NO OPTIONS! No radio or antenna, no rear window defroster (in Connecticut-it snows) NO Power steering, NO Power Brakes! No nothing. 3 on the tree with the slant 6. It was a very crude car. The dash full of poorly aligned plastic that would squeak at times. Dodge was definitely quite a few rungs down on the cool pole. This tan turd had a vynal interior and no carpeting. When I was 19 I hit some black ice at 45 mPH and hit a phone pole head on. I passed out. Woke up and the pole had put an 18" indentation in the front end. I was way out in the country with no one around so I took off my belt and used it to drive the car 30 miles to home. The radiator was so far back it did not get damaged. Fixed the body damage myself.

[@philipp9481]

Great review! As i said at another video - it would be really cool for future-videos to just a 1-2 minute POV without talking. Startup and a short drive. 👍

[@4yules]

my mom had one of these with a 340 engine in it:))))))))))))) flying out the passenger door..haha...i remember that feeling going around corners back in the day:)

[@WizardOfWhoopee]

I drive one of these daily. Great car. One-finger steering. That Slant-6 with Air is cool. As you probably found, the seat won't go back far enough for my liking.

[@arnesahlen2704]

Two TWENTY-FIVE Slant Six! I had a '73 Duster, Valiant's sporty sib, then its cousin a '74 Dodge Dart (same colour.) Reliable! So sad the Aspen & Volaré replacements were so recall-prone.

[@michaeltutty1540]

A beautiful car. The Valiant Signet was the equivalent of the Dodge Dart Custom. There is one item incorrect on this car. The turn signal lenses were clear through the end of the 75 model year. The engine in a 225cid. Light steering means it has the optional power steering. There were 3 steering box options. The base equipment was unassisted slow ratio. One up was fast ratio unassisted. Last was the power assist with a ratio between the two unassisted ratios. There were also 3 different brake systems. All were dual. You had the base 4 wheel unassisted drum brakes. Next up was unassisted front disc. The top was vacuum assisted front discs. Plymouth was below Dodge in the Chrysler hierarchy. 74 was the first year Valiant sedan shared a body with Dart in the 4 door lineup. Scsmp was always on the Dart platform. Dart Demon/Sport were in the shorter Plymouth platform. If there was no foot pump for the windshield washer, the car has the optinal 3 speed wipers. One thing you got ALMOST right is the basic design of the csr. That body started like as the 67 Dart, Dart 270, and Swinger 2 door hsrdtop. When the designers showed the rear windo to Pittsburgh Glass, they were told that it was impossible to make the rear window. One of the designers picked up a front windshield and put it in place. Pittsburgh was forced to admit that just maybe they could make tge glass. One last thing: The 225 has an undeserved reputation. I learned to drive on a 72 Dart sedan that was replaced with a pristine 75 Dart Swinger. Both has the 1bbl 225. When laden, they were painfully slow. They were thirsty laden or not. Neither Dart matched the fuel consumption of my 78 Buick Electra Limited with the Buick 5.7 litre (350) V8. They also took a fair bit of maintenance to keep them running right. A major tune up twice a year, and that included gapping the valves. It was not until 1980 that the 225 got hydraulic lifters. The interior of this car is the base Signet seats. There was a 40/20/40 bucket seat with fixed centre armrest that wax quite comfortable. If I were to buy one of these cars now it would have to be a 75 Dart Special Edition 2 door hardtop with the 318 4bbl. In Canada, cars with either 1 or 4bbl carburetors were not equipped with a catalytic converter. Cars with 2bbl carbs came with a cat.

[@thomasnowicki5844]

The slant 6 was indeed pretty reliable, but the torsion bar mounts were notorious for rusting out and breaking.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

The Yanks were well behind us in Oz. Our 74 Valiants had an entirely different more modern body as well as a big range of engines. And no drunken slant 6s!! Big old lump that got drunk and fell over! 215 245 and 265 202hp std, 218 HP 770 engine and the range of triple Webered Charger engines. As well as the 318 and 360. AC was integrated in 71 on Valiants. Yes our early look ones had the hangon underdash air

[@derkommissar4986]

Dude your killing it with these car reviews! Personally I think the malaise era had some of the most beautiful cars, i know I'm weird but I adore this 70s 80s era!

[@claylyons6447]

Those Darts and Valiants were very popular in the 1970's. The slant. 6 was a very reliable engine.

[@GruesomesGarage]

I have a 4 dr sedan 1936 Terraplane. Like you pointed out, it’s what the average person owned, not the fancy coupe and roadster variants. This Valiant is like that, solid basic transportation. Thanks for the video

[@planetwisconsin9901]

Dad traded his Fiat 124 sedan in for a 1975 beige Valiant. In 1975 brand new car. Took him twice to New York once with the family. No problems at all!

[@Olimpeace]

Valiant evokes both delight and respect after watching the brilliant film "Duel".

[@jacobtonge5386]

Less than 20,000 miles, a real example of 70's steel

[@FATBOY2222]

Loved mine…my car was cream color with green interior and green vinyl top. Engine purred like a sewing machine and I miss its Side vent windows.