‘It’s a survivor car’

Strong fixing up 1963 Plymouth Valiant

BELLA VISTA — After surviving nearly 60 years on this planet, a little over 60,000 miles, towing duty and a tornado, a 1963 Plymouth Valiant four-door has found its way to a garage in the Highlands.

Dwayne Strong said he bought the car from someone in Highfill after a tornado caused a tree to fall on it, leaving a few dents and busting the front windshield and right-rear window — but the car is in surprisingly decent shape otherwise.

Despite the dings, this is exactly what Strong wanted. It’s a four-door, which is especially important because he plans to cruise with his father and 5-year-old son, and it came largely complete, with the chrome trim almost entirely intact, he said.

“It’s a survivor car,” he said.

He’s not planning an indepth, showroom-condition restoration, he added, but he’s working to fix the dings and dents and render the car safe to drive, with hopes of taking it on cruises and heading to car shows, including the upcoming Sept. 19 car show at the Highlands Church.

Strong added he’s planning to get involved with at least one local automotive club.

He’s spent the past few weeks cleaning the car inside and out, going through the wiring and making sure everything works, he said.

“Just kind of doing little things here and there,” he said.

Strong said he was able to drive it on and off the trailer. The 225-cubic-inch slant six engine fires right up and the push-button automatic gets it in gear.

As he’s gone through the car, Strong said he’s found evidence of its previous use, including an American Airlines luggage tag dating back to the 1960s and a trailer hitch suggesting the car was used to pull a trailer at some point.

There are likely a lot of unknowable stories attached to the vehicle, he said.

“My dad and I have wanted a project,” Strong said.

It’s been good for the family, he said, and also particularly helpful for him personally.

Strong said he’s been dealing with depression and anxiety, but having something to keep his hands busy and mind occupied has been a real help.

His father, Allen Strong, said his son has been working on the project almost daily and he thinks it brought some much-needed positivity.

“In the past three weeks … he has just been vibrant and excited,” he said.

Allen Strong said, as a teen, he spent time on Friday and Saturday nights driving and gathering to socialize with other automotive enthusiasts and he believes his son wants to participate in a culture like that.

Allen Strong said he’s extremely happy to be involved and helping his son and grandson enjoy themselves.

In addition to making friends, this project has been a great opportunity for all three generations in his family to work together on something, he said.

“Even the 5-year-old grandson jumps right in and just loves tinkering with it,” he said.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Keith Bryant) Dwayne Strong stands with his recently acquired 1963 Valiant, a car he intends to enjoy with his father and 5-year-old son.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Keith Bryant) The interior of the Strong family’s Valiant was recently cleaned and primed. A dent on the left-hand side of the dash was caused by a tree falling on the car during a tornado and is directly over the controls for the vehicle’s push-button automatic transmission. A lever on the steering wheel activates the horn, and an old-school aftermarket air conditioner sits to the right-hand side.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Keith Bryant) Strong said he’s extremely happy his Valiant still has the majority of its chrome accents, including this combination emblem and trunk handle.