1973 Chrysler Valiant VJ Regal 770 review from Australia and New Zealand
"A cruisy lounge-chair on wheels"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The windshield washer reservoir sprung a leak, fixed with silicone in about 2 minutes.
Heater also sprung a leak, dripping anti-freeze on the passenger's (left) side footwell. This was fixed by by-passing the heater and "looping" one of the hoses back into the engine (rather than back through the heater).
This also took about 2 minutes.
General comments?
This is my "weekend" car, the mileage is documented from new (still has the original service book). It has travelled a total of 2000 km since April 1988!
I got it in March this year, me only being the second owner. It was sold due to the previous owner having failed his eyesight test for his license renewal.
And, yes, despite its 1973 vintage, the odo is calibrated in kilometers.
That's 35000 miles in the old money, probably one of the lowest-mileage ones around, which means I will NEVER sell it.
BTW, this one was built in NZ by Todd Motors, the Kiwi Regals are different to the Oz version eg, my one has the four-headlight and grille set-up of the LWB Chrysler by Chrysler, and other minor trim and chassis differences also.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.3 Hemi 6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 10/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 54501 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 57117 kilometres |
| Previous car | Holden HK Kingswood 186 |
| Date of Entry | 16th June, 2003 |