Flipping to the year 1963 marked the start of a fresh styling cycle for the Valiant calendar. Virgil Exner's flamboyant '60 to '62 design was toned down aplenty, but the public liked it. Total Valiant sales jumped by 43.15 percent-from 157,294 (1962) to 225,166 (1963). Yeah, this one's a four-door, but as two-door and even station wagon prices ratchet up each day, multidoor sedans are a great third choice, especially when they're rust free and wearing the original factory-applied paint like this treasure from Desert Valley Auto Parts (dvap.com) in Phoenix.Flipping to the year 1963 marked the start of a fresh styling cycle for the Valiant calend Question: What comes to mind when you think of an early '60s Mopar equipped with a stick and both radio- and heater-delete? Gotta be a factory Max Wedge or Race Hemi, right? Not so fast. Though Mopar factory Super Stock and FX package cars were often thoroughly stripped for . . . strip duty, lots of no-frills customers were on hand for cars emerging from the shallow end of the Mopar gene pool. This '63 Valiant V200 is a great example of bare-bones transportation, Mopar style. It's also proof that Chrysler (like most of Detroit at the time) was willing to give the customer exactly what he wanted, even if it meant pneumonia. Groovy Factoids •'63 Dodge and Plymouth A-Bodies (Dart/Valiant) have a unique one-year-only firewall stamping. There's a small pyramid-shaped protrusion to clear the underdash-mounted windshield wiper motor. This protrusion interfered with the distributor of the new-for-'64 273 small-block V-8, so a new firewall stamping-without the hump-arrived for 1964. •When it was introduced in 1960, the Valiant was intended to be a stand-alone make available from any Chrysler, Plymouth, or Dodge dealership. At the time, many Plymouth dealerships also handled the DeSoto line, which was scheduled for termination in 1961. To appease these larger dealers, in 1961, Chrysler chose to make the Valiant a Plymouth model, thus filling the sales void left by DeSoto. The stamped-metal radio-delete plate is attached by two threaded studs and covers the empty hole in the dash face. Since the '30s, an ever-growing number of Americans ordered their cars with radios. By the '50s, radio equipment was in the majority, so manufacturers designed dashboards with the assumption of radio fitment. It was more cost effective than stamping two distinct dash assemblies (radio/nonradio). Each manufacturer then whipped up delete plates to fill the void for customers preferring the sound of silence.The stamped-metal radio-delete plate is attached by two threaded studs and covers the empt Radio-delete status isn't particularly rare, but heater-delete? C'mon! Even in Arizona, the temperature can drop below freezing in the winter. You gotta have heat! A simple metal plate covers the hole in the firewall where the heater fan motor usually fits. The two circular, black, plastic plugs seal the holes where the hot water supply and return hoses ordinarily pass into the cabin to feed the heater core. A nearly identical block-off plate was used in 1968 on the Hurst-modified Hemi Darts and Barracudas.Radio-delete status isn't particularly rare, but heater-delete? C'mon! Even in Arizona, th Wish we could say the sexy clutch pedal was connected to a four-speed. Rather, it's part of the austerity strategy. Apparently, the $219 charge for the push-button 904 TorqueFlite automatic was too stiff for the original buyer, so the clutch pedal is connected to a three-on-the-tree manual tranny. Underhood is a trusty Slant Six-the only engine choice until the arrival of the optional 273 small-block V-8 in 1964.Wish we could say the sexy clutch pedal was connected to a four-speed. Rather, it's part o By Steve Magnante Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
