Critique my purchase: 1962 Dodge Lancer

Cool car!!

I remember seeing those and the Valiants around often when I was a kid. A neighbor had a Lancer in white.

If I had that car I'd have a lot of fun just getting it into a reliable, local ride.

Enjoy!
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by user52165
Clean title?

Licensed for the street?

DMV can be brutal on this. Back fees up the kazoo.
mad.gif



It's a '62. And $1500. Would you care if it had salvage history? Come on now. And I can't imagine it needs to pass any state inspections for something that old.


You have no idea what what you are talking about.

Spend some time on the CA DMV website.

I never mentioned smog or salvage.

Title and license.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by krismoriah72
If it starts, stops, goes down the road, smokes and leaks oil its a keeper!

Question about California- is this grandfathered in on the emissions stuff? do you have to get it tested or anything?




We do not have safety inspections here only emissions. 1975 model year and older is emissions exempt.
 
Originally Posted by Convert
From memory.

To answer your ? .

If the engine is painted turquoise its probably a 225 cubic inch.
If painted red it's probably a 198 cubic in.and was also used in stationary engine apications.

Color change to turquoise color ---- well at least in my 1973 Plymouth Scamp was a 225 ci.

Dam good engine. Not so much after the emissions were applied. My car only had a PCV and no
CATS

As a side note one thing you should check and keep a couple extra in your car is the nylon gear that goes on the end of the distributor that also works off the camshaft it's sacrificial if it's a problem with the distributor the nylon gear will shear if it's been in there long enough it's probably cracked and was held in with a drive pin

TOMB

My dads 68 valiant with a 225 was red. Back when I sold auto parts I was the only person at that store that knew what that little plastic gear in the help section was for.
 
Originally Posted by user52165
Clean title?

Licensed for the street?

DMV can be brutal on this. Back fees up the kazoo.
mad.gif



Yes, clean title.
No back fees
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted by Convert
From memory.

To answer your ? .

If the engine is painted turquoise its probably a 225 cubic inch.
If painted red it's probably a 198 cubic in.and was also used in stationary engine apications.

Color change to turquoise color ---- well at least in my 1973 Plymouth Scamp was a 225 ci.

Dam good engine. Not so much after the emissions were applied. My car only had a PCV and no
CATS

As a side note one thing you should check and keep a couple extra in your car is the nylon gear that goes on the end of the distributor that also works off the camshaft it's sacrificial if it's a problem with the distributor the nylon gear will shear if it's been in there long enough it's probably cracked and was held in with a drive pin

TOMB


Interesting. Thanks. I'll look more into that.
 
Originally Posted by ArtDecoWorld
Originally Posted by Kira
Missing heater core, or what?
Love the original color
Front bench!
The radiator has a tag
FACTORY AIR, hot darn
LOVE the PCV orifice line
WOW, dual headlights
Push button trannie on the left?
What is the array on the right?
Custom center panel
Watch your left leg on that gauge
Single circuit POWER brakes!
My money's on it being a 198 but maybe the AC got it a 225. Did the 225 exist in '62?
Here's the BIG ONE......this was my first model car! I swear.


Cool that you had one!

-I am not sure what that missing area is, seller thought it was AC related, but I am not sure.


Looks like the heater box has been gutted-the heater core, A/C evaporator, and blower motor are missing. All are easily found.

Quote
-Seller said the radiator was recored. What is the tag?


Part number at a guess.

Quote
-Push-button is on the left. Those slots on the right are empty, not sure what was there.


The HVAC controls...which might be a very-rare piece of unobtanium on a factory-A/C early A-body.
frown.gif
 
Originally Posted by ArtDecoWorld
Originally Posted by Chris142
I do not know how to tell if it is a 170,198 or 225. Lose the single piston master cyl asap.


Is it a safety issue?

Yes, an extreme one! Any leak at all and YOU HAVE NO BRAKES!

You need the April 2004 issue of Mopar Action magazine to do this. Article is "Dual-ing Brakes".

Also, be aware: base A/bodies had 9" drum brakes. (Yours may have 10" drums, being a reasonably high-option car.) Check the ball joints carefully, because they can fail! Disc swap is not especially difficult, and the time to do it is when you are pitching the single-bowl master cylinder.

Do exactly what Rick Ehrenberg says and you will never go wrong.
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by ArtDecoWorld
Originally Posted by Chris142
I do not know how to tell if it is a 170,198 or 225. Lose the single piston master cyl asap.


Is it a safety issue?

Yes! If you blow a line or the master goes bad you have no brakes what so ever. With a dual piston system you still have some brakes. Not much but more than zero.


But wouldn't he have to really give it a retrofit? Rockauto still sells the master cylinder and they look to be the same single piston master cylinder. You'd probably have to redo the brake lines in order to go with a dual piston setup. Then I think there were proportioning valves if you did a front back split but maybe don't need it if you do a cross?

You could easily spend tons of money if you start fixing it up. You could go completely modern and try to retrofit collision avoidance, ABS, traction control 4 wheel disc brakes, etc. The question is where do you stop?


Brake upgrade is a 1-day deal with basic part store stuff and no special stuff beyond a double-flare tool.
 
Originally Posted by ArtDecoWorld
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
That's a wild one-Mopars of that era seemed so rust prone that most of them were lucky to make it into the '70s without falling apart (around here). Something weird going on with that heater box, maybe somebody hacked it & duct taped it (?). I agree on the original one-piston master cylinder-lose one brake line, brakes completely disappear! Cool to see factory A/C, factory power brakes, maybe even power steering on a car that was normally considered an economy car. That is one of the last Raymond Loewy/Exner designed Chrysler built cars-love them or hate them, nobody could ever call them boring! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgil_Exner


Ah, ok. Definitely seems like something I should attend to.


Repair, renew or replace those fuel line hoses and fuel filter
 
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by ArtDecoWorld
Originally Posted by Chris142
I do not know how to tell if it is a 170,198 or 225. Lose the single piston master cyl asap.


Is it a safety issue?

Yes, an extreme one! Any leak at all and YOU HAVE NO BRAKES!


OMG, how did people before the mid 60's survive.
 
Originally Posted by user52165
Is it factory AC?

No AC vents on dash.




Dash vents weren't around. The A/C mounted under the dashboard with its own vents.

My grandfather had a Valiant with the push button transmission. This brings back memories of that
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by Convert
From memory.

To answer your ? .

If the engine is painted turquoise its probably a 225 cubic inch.
If painted red it's probably a 198 cubic in.and was also used in stationary engine apications.

Color change to turquoise color ---- well at least in my 1973 Plymouth Scamp was a 225 ci.

Dam good engine. Not so much after the emissions were applied. My car only had a PCV and no
CATS

As a side note one thing you should check and keep a couple extra in your car is the nylon gear that goes on the end of the distributor that also works off the camshaft it's sacrificial if it's a problem with the distributor the nylon gear will shear if it's been in there long enough it's probably cracked and was held in with a drive pin

TOMB

My dads 68 valiant with a 225 was red. Back when I sold auto parts I was the only person at that store that knew what that little plastic gear in the help section was for.
 
Originally Posted by spasm3
Engine bay looks too small for a hemi swap.

It is...that's an early "narrow" A-body. Even a small-block is tight.
 
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