When you think about performance cars of the 1960s, Plymouth’s compact Valiant model rarely, if ever, comes into the conversation. With its no frills look and economical powertrain options, the model sparked little interest from the performance-minded public. However, when spec'd with the right options, this under-the-radar, compact cruiser could become a force to be reckoned with. Case in point: the sweet small-block, four-speed infused Plymouth here.

Background

The Valiant was redesigned for 1967 to be a no-nonsense two-door or four-door sedan. The station wagon was dropped and the hardtop and convertible, as well as a new fastback coupe, were available as the Barracuda.

Matt Kurek of Mullica Hill, New Jersey is no newbie to the barnfind craze. This enthusiastic young gun has been out scouting the Mid-Atlantic States for collector iron for more than half his years, looking for long-lost and forgotten cars, parts, and associated goodies. Though Matt’s specialty is hunting down and verifying rare muscle car and hot rod parts, there are those rare times where he finds a car interesting enough for him to pull the purchasing trigger.

The story on this particular Valiant is typical of many of his recent finds. “I got some help on this one. My good friend Ed Dougherty gave me the scoop on the car. It was for sale by the original owner, a guy named Tony V. He was moving out of state and couldn’t take the car with him. I reached out to him and made a deal for his ride,” states Matt. Turns out Tony was a lifelong volunteer fire fighter for the Kennett Square Fire Department in Southeastern Pennsylvania and used this car to respond to local fire emergencies. “The Valiant was set-up with an emergency radio and a fire light. Some of the equipment is still with the car, underneath the seat,” states Matt.

First introduced to the car buying masses for the 1960 model year, the European-flavored Valiant was Plymouth’s foray into the compact car world. Though the meaning of the word “compact” has changed over the years, the Valiant was one of the smaller cars offered to the masses during the Sixties, competing against models such as Chevrolet’s Corvair, Studebaker’s Lark and Ford’s Falcon.

During the opening salvos of the pony car wars, Chrysler offered up an all new small-block to help keep up with the competition. The 273 cubic inch LA engine was all new for the 1964 model year, and this mill helped the company put a little motivation under the small A-body platform. At 180 horsepower, this two-barrel V8 wasn’t putting the scare into the high-output big-blocks that were engaging in stoplight battles on the street. However, when the upgraded, 235-horsepower 273 Commando made its appearance the following model year, the potent small block did just that. Boasting a hotter cam, dual point distributor, increased compression and a four-barrel Carter up top, this hot little number put some grunt into the Mopar compact line.

The 273 Commando would continue on through the ’67 model year, giving a performance boost to anyone willing to pony-up a few extra dollars for the added punch under the hood. However, this engine option would not make it to the ’68 model year, as Chrysler replaced the 273 with the workhorse 318 and the performance-minded 340 cubic inch LA small-blocks.

The Rescue

Recovery day. This is the last time the tarp was removed from the Valiant before the extraction from it's 40-plus year resting spot began.

Turns out this Valiant is one rare ride. “It’s one of just eighty-two Valiants built with the 273 Commando engine and four-speed transmission in 1967 according to Mopar guru Galen Govier’s White Books. Besides that, the only option is the Signet trim package,” states Matt.

The car was parked in 1986 and covered-up in Tony’s backyard until Matt recovered it. The car was tweaked while in the care of the original owner by the world-renowned Steve Kanuika Speed Shop, of Jungle Jim Liberman fame. Looks like Steve or his crew were responsible for the installed set of gnarly headers that now flank the 273. The rest of the car seems basically untouched, even the original Carter carburetor graces the top of the intake.

What is in store for this rare ride? “I’m going to continue to clean it up, and then offer it to the Mopar hungry public,” states Matt. After our visit Matt had good friend Charles D do his magic on the paint, which cleaned up nicely around some typical Pennsylvania patina. With its classy compact looks, potent mill and sleeper attitude, this mini-muscle ride could be the ride that will continue to impress your friends for years to come.