Obviously, Mopar Muscle is a magazine for U.S.-built performance cars, and even if a German company now basically owns Chrysler, diehard fans will continue to purchase cars and trucks built in the States. In fact, many Mopar fans would rather drive another manufacturer's domestic model before getting into something from overseas. So why is there an import shown here on these pages?
Well, because it qualifies as a "real" Mopar, of course. This is a 1965 Valiant Wayfarer utility truck, or, as it is commonly called in its birthplace of Australia, a "ute." Fans of A-Bodies will quickly recognize that U.S. new-car buyers never had a chance to get a mini-truck with this body style; the nearest thing in 1965 would have been the Dodge A100, made famous as Bill "Maverick" Golden's Little Red Wagon. The fact is, the Australian car market got something that probably would have been quite popular here, fighting with the Ford Falcon Ranchero on the open market. Ah, what might have been.
This ute spent its first 23 years in Australia, coming to the States in 1988 when long-time Mopar enthusiasts Brian and Kenny Bayer bought it and had it shipped across the Pacific. The Bayer Boys run a Mopar-only parts and repair/resto shop in Douglasville, Georgia, and Brian had spent some time corresponding by mail with Australian Chrysler fans. Living in Miami at the time, he jumped at the chance to put an example on the road stateside, having only seen pictures of the ute in magazines. Sold sight unseen, a money order went across the water, and soon after, the car was on its way 12,500 miles around the world via the Panama Canal. According to Brian's research, it is the only one of this year and model to be registered in this country.
It spent the first portion of its life as a farm vehicle and was a far cry from a showpiece. Though showing its age and accidents, Brian drove the Wayfarer as a daily driver the first few months the car was stateside, and then The Boys did a quick Duraglas-type restoration to get the car to the '89 Mopar Nats in Columbus. Unfortunately, on the way to the '90 Nats, it was involved in a hit-and-run accident on I-75 around Atlanta and needed some new sheetmetal as a result. It took 18 months before a Down Under connection named Graeme Jenkinson was able to locate and ship some clean (actually N.O.S.) panels to replace the damaged ones. Together with parts from a Valiant wagon and a Barracuda, the car was redone better than new. The diminutive truck was originally painted baby blue as one of the 2,000 or so built at the Chrysler of Australia plant in Adelaide, but The Boys covered the fresh sheetmetal with Corporate (Petty) Blue paint for all-American visual appeal.
Under the hood was Chrysler's universal workhorse, the 225-inch Slant Six. Brian will be the first to admit that he and his brothers have a soft spot for the Slant Six packages, which were, and are, almost indestructible. Since the machine was purchased to be a regular driver, an engine was built up just for the project, and the Wayfarer now sports the equivalent of a Hyper Pak, complete with a Dutra intake cast by Clifford, a Carter four-barrel, .030-over pistons, and a Mopar Performance cam. Behind this is a 904 automatic and an 83/4 rear with a 3.55 SureGrip. The stock bench seat (which Brian says were like two pieces of plywood covered with foam) and three-speed-on-the-tree column shift were replaced with a '66 Dart GT console/shifter layout and a pair of cushy, late-model buckets from an '80s Shelby Charger. A later set of Rallye wheels were put on the truck to give it an even sportier appearance, but it still maintains its original flavor.
Of course, the truck retains its right-hand drive, which takes some getting used to. It's great for conversation, though, and Brian and Kenny both talk about the looks they get while cruising to the store in the passenger seat. Nothing like having a police officer do a double-take as you look at him through the passenger-side window while tooling down the highway. A crowning moment for the project came several years ago when the Valiant-based truck from Australia was displayed at Chrysler's old corporate headquarters in Highland Park. There, Brian was able to talk to many of the engineers involved in these projects, including one who had been in Australia helping with design work at the time. It has also been displayed at the DaimlerChrysler Tech Center in Auburn Hills.
As built, the ute was made to be used, and like U.S.-built trucks, many were likely used up, so how many may survive to this day is not known; Brian's sources in Australia figure less than 500 remain at this point after decades of chasing kangaroos through the outback. Thanks to the efforts of the Bayer Boys, we know at least one will remain on the road for a long time to come.