This is only a very brief outline of the history of Chrysler Australia Limited and the Valiant. There are several comprehensive books available from the Marque Publishing Company which describe the story in detail.
The Valiant range used four basic body shapes, covering the following models:
The RV-1 model was Chrysler's first Valiant in Australia. Basically the same as its US counterpart except for RHD conversion and the fitment of 14" rims, the RV-1 was equipped with the 225 c.i. "Slant Six" motor which would be used until the introduction of the "Hemi" in the VG series. Local reviewers were impressed by the power of the vehicle, especially in comparison with other local offerings from Ford and (General Motors-) Holden.
Following the success of the R Series, Chrysler quickly followed with the S Series - little was changed except for grille, tail lights, some trim (including the deletion of the fake spare-wheel cover on the boot lid) and the relocation of the gear lever on manual models from the floor to the column. Australia was still offered only the sedan version, not the two-door or station wagon models.
AP5, 1963; AP6, 1965; VC, 1966
Chrysler began manufacturing cars locally with the introduction of the AP5 (Australian Production 5). These were partially based on US models, sharing some body panels with Plymouth and Dodge. A station wagon variant was introduced.
What happened to AP1, AP2, etc? Well, these models did exist but they weren't Valiants - they were Chrysler Royals.
With the AP6, a moderate makeover to the previous model kept the Valiant fresh. This series was the first to have the V8 option (273 c.i.) available. Also introduced in this range was the Wayfarer utility.
The VC, while still based on the platform of the previous model, had significant panel changes and a new range of options available.
VE, 1967; VF, 1969; VG, 1970
An all-new body shape was at last introduced with the VE Valiant. Squared-off styling brought an updated look to the model. By this time local Valiants had less in common with their US relatives. The VF series was essentially a refinement of the VE range.
Chrysler's "Hemi" motor was released in the VG model series, with the emphasis being on the new motor rather than any major bodywork changes. The Hemi engine was initially produced with a capacity of 245 c.i. (4.0 L), and later made available in 265 c.i. (4.3 L) and 215 c.i. (3.5 L) versions. This type of motor was also unique to the Australian Chryslers - the Hemi engine in the US was a big-block V8 which was not used in local Valiants. (The largest capacity motor fitted to Australian Valiants was the 360 c.i. small-block V8, which was not a Hemi.)
VH, 1971; VJ, 1973; VK, 1975; CL, 1976; CM, 1978
The VH was a big car, and looked the part. By this stage the bodywork was an all-new and all-Australian design. The basic design of this series would continue through to the CM series and would effectively be the last new body shape of the Australian models. Chrysler introduced the Charger variant soon after the release of the sedan.
My own VH Charger started out as a base model but had been modified with a worked motor by the previous owner some time ago. This setup had apparently suffered a major fire at some stage and when I bought the car it had a very tired 245 engine and a worn-out 4-speed gearbox. That was okay because I only needed a good rolling chassis, and it had registration as well! Notice the blue bonnet - the original one was distorted from that fire, so I replaced it.
After a lot of work and searching state-wide for parts, the Charger was well on the way to completion. A rebuilt 265 motor was fitted along with a single-rail 4-speed box, Borg-Warner LSD and modified suspension. The engine is now roughly similar to that of the E49 but without the triple Weber carburettors. Brief specs of the car are as follows:
Block: 265 c.i., honed, forged pistons. Head: High compression, double valve springs. Carburettor: Carter 625 c.f.m. 4BBL with electric choke. Camshaft: Modified to E49 specifications. Extractors: Pacemaker. Exhaust: 2.5" single system, turbo-type muffler. Gearbox: Borg-Warner single-rail 4-speed. Diff: 3.23:1 L.S.D. Ignition: Custom H.E.I. system.
Currently this vehicle is in storage, as more work is needed to get it on the road again. It's the old story - not enough time to work on the car and not enough in the budget! Oh well...
With the CL series, the entire model range took over the "C" designation since Chrysler no longer produced long-wheelbase variants. Changes included a new nosecone with double headlights, new taillights and a revised engine range to comply with new emission control standards. A panel van was also introduced, which would be produced in this model only.
My own CL Valiant has been kept pretty much stock-standard for reliability. (A Bosch sports ignition coil is about the most radical modification I have made - almost everything else has been kept the same way in which it left the factory.) This car has covered a lot of miles over the years and has always been robust and dependable. I have owned it since 1987 when it was just approaching ten-years-old; it was my first car and for the amount of service it has given, it has repaid its purchase price many times over. Interestingly the original owner of this vehicle was the workshop foreman of a Chrysler dealership in a N.S.W. country town.
There are a few features of this car which aren't really heard of in modern vehicles (apart from the unique mustard-colour which is officially known as Harvest Gold). It sports a three-speed manual gearbox for a start, and the gearshift is on the column too. (We call it "three-on-the-tree", readers from the US would know it as "shifting on the quadrant".) This is a real antique among today's six-speed manuals and five-speed autos. And the handbrake is on the floor on the right of the driver's seat.
Oh, and although there are bucket seats in the front, the centre arm-rest folds out to an extra seat so the car can legally seat six people... and yes, three adults can quite happily fit in the front. If a tune-up is necessary then you can sit in the engine bay to do the work as there is plenty of extra room there too. Another unusual feature is the complicated front suspension - a torsion bar design which can be height-adjusted by simply turning a bolt under each lower control arm. If it is wound down too far though, the steering geometry can get upset.
Valiants and their derivatives were exported to various countries at certain times - and the Australian-made ones retain a certain distinctiveness, a "home-made" flavour if you like. I think, though, there is a definite American influence to their styling - maybe even more so in the later ones like my CL where the design was theoretically all-Aussie. By this time though, European styling was more in vogue and the other two members of the "big three" were about to release brand-new models.
Don't look too closely at my own Valiant as it is fairly battle-scarred (rust, patchy paint and damage from minor accidents where the protagonists invariably came off second-best). I have learnt a lot about panelbeating and spraypainting through fixing up the Valiant for its yearly roadworthy inspections (no longer applicable now that I live in Queensland...). In fact I've also discovered heaps about engine tuning, auto electrics, you name it! Unfortunately there are relatively few cars around now on which motor enthusiasts have much chance of performing any maintenance or repairs.
Ironically it was announced in April 2000 that DaimlerChrysler had purchased a controlling interest in Mitsubishi Motors! So it seems what goes around, comes around... Chrysler's presence in Australia is not large, but noticable with Neon, PT Cruiser and several Jeep models. What about if DaimlerChrysler were to take the current model Concorde, convert it to RHD, bring it to Australia and call it the "New Valiant"? Just a thought.
My Valiant CL sedan had a reconditioned engine fitted in 2000. The original motor had done over 310,000 km and was suffering badly. One cylinder had almost a complete loss of compression - down to 20 psi - and the amount of blow-by was ferocious. Oil consumption had been high even before this one cylinder failed entirely, and the level of valve-train noise (and smoke) was also quite excessive. So I now have a fresh 245 c.i. motor and a new clutch, plus the gearbox has been repaired (the front bearing assembly had collapsed and was making alarming noises).
If you are in the NSW/Sydney area and need repairs done by a Valiant specialist then I would personally recommend Blue Star Spares & Repairs at Punchbowl for top-quality work and sensible advice.
Steak is a neat, slick-looking website with a wealth of great material about Chargers and other Chrysler models in Australia and New Zealand. The webmasters, Chris and Mat, have gone to a lot of effort to compile useful info and plenty of pics on their site. Mopar or Nocar! Check it out at:
http://steak.freewebpage.org
Time to Fix the Valiant
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