1969 Plymouth Problems!!! PLEASE VIEW!!!
KingTerror
06-27-2006, 11:29 PM
Hi. I'm new here, so i'll introduce myself, I'm kingterror and im having problems with a 1969 Plymouth Valiant .
The car is in general good shape. The car only has 31,000 miles and the interior is pristine. No huge dents or scratches or anything either. But mechanically speaking, it's a whole different story.
I "inherited" the car from a relative when she went from a nursing home. Having an interest in cars, I wanted to see it. Well, first i found out that it hadn't (and still hasn't) been started, at all, in 10 years. I cringed, but said hey ill deal with it. So I took a friend over, we popped the hood, and took a look. First dissapointment: Slant 6. We were hoping for a V8 (we were pretty sure the Valiants came in both 6 and 8). On top of that, Everything is COMPLETELY covered in rust, no joke. We ignored it and dealt with it. So first, we took the battery out, it was totally dead, and wouldn't charge on a battery charger. So we would need to invest in a new one to get the car running. Well we wanted to see the engine so we worked our way down to a clear view by removing the radiator, etc. Well everntually we get down to it and, the biggest dissapointment: the engine won't even turn over. We thought this could be the end of the road, but we didnt give up hope. So we connected my jeep's cables to the Valiant cables to jumpstart it. We poured starting fluid into the carbeurator, and tapped the starter some. We try starting it.....a clicking noise. Tap the starter again, try again....clicking. So we thought, ok lets try the solanoid, so we tapped it a few times and try.....just get a whirring sound. We asked some mechanics we saw at lunch about a seized engine, and they said we were done for.
So I guess my question, is.....now what? Is there still hope without investing too much money? I personally do not like the car too much and do not want to invest money into it. I dont want to donate it, the tax write off isn't too good (from reading other posts), i dont really want to take the time to find a buyer and pay to tow the car to them, but im sure theres somebody who would want it. my idea was stripping it down and selling it for scrap to junkyards, but i truly dont know. I'd really appreciate input from EVERYBODY telling me what to do! I'm desperate! Can I save the Valiant without too much money? PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
The car is in general good shape. The car only has 31,000 miles and the interior is pristine. No huge dents or scratches or anything either. But mechanically speaking, it's a whole different story.
I "inherited" the car from a relative when she went from a nursing home. Having an interest in cars, I wanted to see it. Well, first i found out that it hadn't (and still hasn't) been started, at all, in 10 years. I cringed, but said hey ill deal with it. So I took a friend over, we popped the hood, and took a look. First dissapointment: Slant 6. We were hoping for a V8 (we were pretty sure the Valiants came in both 6 and 8). On top of that, Everything is COMPLETELY covered in rust, no joke. We ignored it and dealt with it. So first, we took the battery out, it was totally dead, and wouldn't charge on a battery charger. So we would need to invest in a new one to get the car running. Well we wanted to see the engine so we worked our way down to a clear view by removing the radiator, etc. Well everntually we get down to it and, the biggest dissapointment: the engine won't even turn over. We thought this could be the end of the road, but we didnt give up hope. So we connected my jeep's cables to the Valiant cables to jumpstart it. We poured starting fluid into the carbeurator, and tapped the starter some. We try starting it.....a clicking noise. Tap the starter again, try again....clicking. So we thought, ok lets try the solanoid, so we tapped it a few times and try.....just get a whirring sound. We asked some mechanics we saw at lunch about a seized engine, and they said we were done for.
So I guess my question, is.....now what? Is there still hope without investing too much money? I personally do not like the car too much and do not want to invest money into it. I dont want to donate it, the tax write off isn't too good (from reading other posts), i dont really want to take the time to find a buyer and pay to tow the car to them, but im sure theres somebody who would want it. my idea was stripping it down and selling it for scrap to junkyards, but i truly dont know. I'd really appreciate input from EVERYBODY telling me what to do! I'm desperate! Can I save the Valiant without too much money? PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
KManiac
06-29-2006, 12:12 PM
The easiest way to check for a seized engine is to put a socket on the crankshaft pulley bolt and try to rotate the crankshaft clockwise. If it doesn't budge, you are seized. If it turns, it should be able to run.
If it rotates, pull all the spark plugs and drop some oil down the holes to help prelube the cylinders.
What you described previously sounds like a bad starter to me. The solenoid is integral to the starter and cannot be replaced separately. Rebuilt exchange starters are plentiful and cheap.
Before you start cranking the engine any further, I would disconnect the fuel line from the carburetor to prevent any old gas from the tank from going into the engine. Flush out the old from the tank and replace with new.
This car sounds like a good project for someone interested in a Valiant. If you don't want to take on this project, advertise the car and look for someone willing to take it on. A low mileage car like this one is a diamond in the rough that many collectors can only dream about.
If it rotates, pull all the spark plugs and drop some oil down the holes to help prelube the cylinders.
What you described previously sounds like a bad starter to me. The solenoid is integral to the starter and cannot be replaced separately. Rebuilt exchange starters are plentiful and cheap.
Before you start cranking the engine any further, I would disconnect the fuel line from the carburetor to prevent any old gas from the tank from going into the engine. Flush out the old from the tank and replace with new.
This car sounds like a good project for someone interested in a Valiant. If you don't want to take on this project, advertise the car and look for someone willing to take it on. A low mileage car like this one is a diamond in the rough that many collectors can only dream about.
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