It has been a few weeks since Scotty has dropped a video on his dad’s VE Valiant ute project. Not because he isn’t frothing to drive the thing – he simply hasn’t been able to get all the parts he needs.

It is a story any Aussie working on cars at the moment will be famililar with, thanks to major delays in supply chains worldwide. Even click and collect rules at the local parts shops slow things down.

Those parts in question included a new flexplate and an assortment of accessory drive pulleys for the mighty 318.

The flexplate was the first on the to-do list. This is because the first one Scotty fitted to the freshly rebuilt 318 wasn’t going to work with any readily-available starter motor, so he had to jump back online and sort out a new one. This did mean dropping the transmission back down, but thanks to our Tecalemit hoist and Hare and Forbes transmission jack, the job was relatively painless.

The transmission also needed a dip stick, so Scotty set about bruising knuckles while squeezing the brand new dipstick tube between the trans tunnel and the ‘box. Being this Mopar is a right hook Australian made model, Scotty had to tweak the dipstick tube angle at the top to avoid hitting the brake master cylinder, as the dipstick is designed for US models that have the master cylinder on the other side of the firewall.

The beautiful alloy radiator Scotty commissioned for the Valiant from our friends at Aussie Desert Cooler is a big unit. In order to make it fit with the 318, Scotty had to order a new set of front pulleys to avoid any clearance issues.

While the water pump and lower pulley went on with ease, the alternator was another story. Because the pulleys are pressed onto the alternator, Scotty had to split the alternator in half to press the new one on. Fun!

In the coming episodes we’ll see Scotty install the radiator, rebuild the tail shaft, join the exhaust and edge closer to making this Valiant run and drive under its own power. Stay tuned!