Project Cars--You Get to Vote on "Hold 'em or Fold 'em"

omarman

Well *any* car with all the weight on the rear bumper comes with an oversteer learning curve. Add a turbo to the mix and the margin gets pretty thin! :surprise: Failing physics is a fool's move there. Hard to argue against modern race cars putting the engine ahead of the rear axle. I mean if the only thing which makes the 911 tail happy is an undeserved bad reputation then have yourself a good time and ignore the Cayman! I'm okay with that.

May not matter now but my original reply to Andre was the fact that in 1979, a $10,000 Corvette ran as quick from zero to 60 as a $20K Porsche or a $40K Mercedes. Proof of how difficult it was for any car maker to build performance and comply with emission standards back then. Better engine control technology was still many years away.

My later reply mocking the Porsche 911 Inertia Denial fan club was even delivered with a "pblt" emoticon. :P

Mr_Shiftright

Well I could put a V-8 engine in a rusty 41 Plymouth and beat a Miata, but does that make my rat rod a better car? 'Course not, you'd say. And I'd agree.

A 79 Corvette is a generally unloved thing, really. You can't hardly give away a '79 Corvette these days if it needed any work. It would not be my candidate for a Corvette restoration. The 78=83 Porsche 911SC was a great car, All turbos were designated 930s, and, as you say, pretty deadly, but the SC n/a was a fab handling car. They are not tail-happy.

A 930 Turbo is probably worth 4Xs what a '79 Vette is and is a fantastic car to drive....IF you respect it. But you never want to lift the gas in a turn---no, no.

Most people I think who harp on the 911s handling never owned one for any appreciable time I suspect. Eveyone says the same about the 300SL, but most people who are lucky to own one never sell it.

andre1969

the 5th Ave rides again!


This evening was the first time in about 3 1/2 months that I started the sucker up and moved it out of the garage. The power steering pump started going bad, and the mechanic I had been dealing with wanted too much $ to replace it, so I had been considering just cutting my losses and unloading the car. But this week, I found a guy, a friend of a friend, who said he could do it for $300. He's very local, and came by this evening to look at the car.

I guess that's one problem when dealing with cars this cheap. Just about any little issue can total them. And, if it's sort of a guilty pleasure, which is my case, rather than everyday transportation I have to depend on, so sometimes it's really a hard call as to whether to keep it or not.

Here's a pic of it posing with the LeMans and the other NY'er...

They were all very well behaved. All three of them started up and moved under their own power!

Here's one more shot of the old beast...


Wow, I just realized, my 10th anniversary with this car just came up! IIRC, I brought it home on October 20, 2001. I remember it was a Saturday. I guess, all things considered, it hasn't aged too badly, over these 10 years.

explorerx4

Is that a 'For Sale' sign in the bottom left corner of the windshield?

andre1969

Is that a 'For Sale' sign in the bottom left corner of the windshield?

No, that's the placard from the Mopar Nationals at Carlisle, which, incidentally, was where the power steering pump started to go south.

xwesx

Aside from the mismatched tires, it doesn't look too bad from 20 feet! If I lived a few thousand miles closer, I'd help you indulge your "guilty pleasure" for free! I like to turn wrenches now and again.

andre1969

Aside from the mismatched tires, it doesn't look too bad from 20 feet!

Thanks. The tires/wheels are my next project. A couple years ago, I bought some aluminum Cordoba/Mirada wheels,
that look like this.
Eventually, I'll get new tires mounted on them, and put them on the car.

If I lived a few thousand miles closer, I'd help you indulge your "guilty pleasure" for free! I like to turn wrenches now and again.

Any time! Come on over! :shades: Actually, I wonder how hard a power steering pump really is to replace? Lemko mentioned doing one once, and said that the big hassle was getting the pulley off the old pump and putting it on the new one. I had thought about trying to get a used one from the junkyard, presuming they'd leave the pulley on it when they sold it.

I wonder if there's anything special you have to do with regards to the high pressure/low pressure sides, or if you just put the fluid in and it sort of bleeds itself out?

tjc78

You need a special puller tool so the pulley doesn't get damaged. Most auto parts stores will rent it for free. I know on some Ford's you can't get the pump out of the car without taking the pulley off first because the pump bolts are behind the pulley.

lemko

You need two tools - a puller and an installer. The pulleys are pressed onto the power steering pump shaft. The puller tool goes into a groove on a cylinder welded onto the pulley. It takes a lot of brute strength both to pull and install the pulley. I did save a lot of money doing the job myself, but for the time it would've taken for a professional to do the job took me 5 hours.

I just had my 1989 Brougham to my local mechanic for inspection/emmissions, oil change, and coolant flush/fill yesterday. Good thing I took it yesterday as the weather is lousy this morning whereas it was beautiful yesterday. The car, once again, passed with flying colors. I drove it back to Philly from my Grandmom's place upstate on Sunday and the car got phenomenal fuel economy. I thought the gas gauge was broken, but I filled up the car yesterday and it really did only use about 5 gallons for the 106 mile trip! I swear it gets better fuel economy than my 2005 Grand Marquis!

tjc78

I swear it gets better fuel economy than my 2005 Grand Marquis!

Straight highway the older General Motors cars did really well. The OD gear is so tall that at 65-70 the engine is just loping along at a really low RPM. That is great for FE, but they do tend to downshift on mild hills.

Speaking of FE, my new LaCrosse is not doing so hot. First tank was around 17 and the second tank is hanging on at 15.8. I think it will get a little better after break in, but, my previous cars did better being driven in the same manner (and they were similar in size/power too).

srs_49

I wonder how hard a power steering pump really is to replace?

Can't be any harder than removing an alternator, can it? Biggest problem I would see is breaking loose the hoses that run from the pump to the steering unit (recirculating ball on that car?), and even that should be fairly easy if you enough room to work.

I had thought about trying to get a used one from the junkyard, presuming they'd leave the pulley on it when they sold it

If the pulley is that hard to remove, I think they would leave it on the pump. How many people are going to want just the pulley?

xwesx

As with everything, it depends a lot on the car. Even in a best-case scenario, it is generally a little more involved than an alternator replacement, which tends to be the easiest automotive repair one can perform.

As for bleeding the system, I have not experienced any problems with them when simply removing and reinstalling the lines, then topping off the pump. After running it, you may need to re-top the fluid level.

Oh, and Andre, those wheels are going to look great on that car!

andre1969

I went home on my lunch break because the mechanic wanted me to double check whether the car had a smog pump or not. I was almost positive that it didn't, but then started second-guessing myself so I checked it just to be sure.

And, sure enough, it didn't. I'm pretty sure by that time, they were only putting smog pumps on California and high-altitude cars. And the 360-2bbl is one of the engines that was actually banned from CA.

While I was under the hood, I looked at the pump. Honestly, it doesn't look like that big of a deal. It looks like it has two bolts holding it in place, the one it pivots on and the one that adjusts it. The low pressure hose is just held in place by a little clamp you can take off with pliers, and the high-pressure hose narrows down to a metal tube that screws into the back of the pump, and looks like it might take a 9/16" or so wrench to loosen it.

My guess is the biggest issue would be that high pressure hose, if it's rusted on and breaks. I probably could do it myself if I could muster up the ambition!

tjc78

Give it a shot! If you screw it up, its not that long a tow to the shop is it?

If you do try it, soak all the bolts/fittings with PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench to break up some of the corrosion.

What happened with the V6 Altima?

lemko

If you buy a new or rebuilt pump, the pulley is not included.

andre1969

Give it a shot! If you screw it up, its not that long a tow to the shop is it?

I'm tempted, but at this point, I already promised this friend of a friend he could do it, and he gave me what seems like a fairly reasonable price. Plus, he's already ordered the part!

What happened with the V6 Altima?

That was just wishful thinking, although not totally ruled out. I'm trying to hold off buying a new(er) car for as long as possible. Eventually though, my pickup is going to probably have to be retired, and at that point I was planning on selling the Park Ave to my roommate (he's been using my truck) and then I'd get something new when that time comes.

If I do buy a new car though, I'm going to get something in a color that I like, unless it's a really killer deal. And those white, gray, and silver Altimas just weren't exciting me that much.

michaellno

If I do buy a new car though, I'm going to get something in a color that I like, unless it's a really killer deal. And those white, gray, and silver Altimas just weren't exciting me that much.

I hear ya .. with 2 silver and 1 gray vehicle in my household, I'm hoping my next car will be in a more vibrant color.

However, $21K for a V6 Altima is certainly the "killer deal" you are looking for.

The ION will pass 60K either today or tomorrow.

stickguy

do something radical. dump them both, and get something like a Mark LT (whatever that lincoln F150 is). double duty! And Big!

tjc78

If I do buy a new car though, I'm going to get something in a color that I like,

I don't blame you there. I am frankly tired of the lack of color choices today, so I bit the bullet and bought black. I always stayed away because its hard to keep clean, but the heck with it. I've had enough white cars, and silver or gold just doesn't do it for me.

tjc78

Nah, sell the truck and convert the park ave!

ab348

Funny thing about paint colors. I just swapped my silver '09 Buick Allure (Lacrosse) - a paint that I really liked - for a 2011 Buick Regal Turbo. Because it was a demo, I had the choice of 2: black/black or white/cashmere (tan). I dislike black intensely, so I reluctantly picked the white one, mostly for the interior color. I was less than thrilled with white paint but figured it was better than black and was glad to get the cashmere interior.

I was surprised to find that people are saying they love the white paint! It seems especially popular with some of the ladies in my life. Bizarre. I think of white as a non-color and it would neve rbe my first choice. But you never know.

On another note. I think those Cordoba/Mirada wheels are some of the best-lookiing ones Detroit ever produced.

xwesx

Oh my! That is the ultimate in hideous! What "inspires" people to do things like that? Haha; it cracks me up, but it's still hideous.

omarman

With 6 days to go the bidding is up to $23,900 for this Mopar relic. I don't know about the 25k mileage claim but there's still a lot to like here. Wonder what it will ultimately go for?

Mr_Shiftright

Basically you are buying an engine, with an $8000 sport fury body thrown in.

gsemike

Impala

First, it's a 1965 and second who would put that much work to restore a straight 6 sedan? If it was a big block 4 speed 2 door, it still might not be worth restoring. What is he warrantying? That the plants will keep growing through the floor?

srs_49

My dad had a '62 with the straight 6 also. What a boat!

Wait, boat->artificial reef! That's what that car is good for.

gsemike

My first car ride ever was in a 65 Biscayne that my father owned. Same basic car with 2 taillights on each side instead of 3.

andre1969

my '79 New Yorker has a new lease on life. Mechanic came over tonight after work, and replaced the power steering pump. And, after watching him do it, I'm glad that I paid him to do it, rather than trying to do it myself! He actually made it look easy, but that's because he knew what he was doing. Although, if I had done it myself, I would have tried to get a used part from the junkyard, so at least I wouldn't have had to mess around with swapping the pulley. Oh, and it turns out that's not all you have to swap. The part where one of the hoses attaches has to be swapped as well, and there's some spring inside it you need to change, as well.

Anyway, I'm satisfied. And not as damaged in the wallet. My regular mechanic estimated at least $500 to fix it!

lemko

Next is the rear window motor and/or regulator! :P

andre1969

And with luck, the problem will just be this $12.44 part and not the whole motor!

Oh, and at some point I still want to get some new tires mounted on those aluminum Mirada wheels, and get them on the car.

gsemike

Costs a lot to keep a car running these days. My wife's Sienna's steering wasn't feeling right. I had it checked out and the diagnosis was that it needed an intermediate shaft. I was told that the part alone was Toyota only and was like $570. I was able to go online and got it from a partshouse in FLA fir a little over $200 bit I almost fell over at first. I remember paying $350 for a rebuilt transmission... installed

omarman

Just checked the Fury ad and found: Winning bid US $30,100.00

Mr_Shiftright

Yep, the Max Wedge engine can easily double the value of the car, or more. Basically like I said, you're buying an engine with a plain ol' Plymouth attached to it. People love 'em, though, because they are real tire-burners--it's a pretty ferocious engine in the old Mopar style. I don't remember all the details, but it might be an okay buy if the car isn't all screwed up underneath and the credentials check out.

texases

"People love 'em, though, because they are real tire-burners"

Yep - my dad's '63 Polara with a 383 4bbl had smaller tires than my 198cid Duster. You had to work to NOT light them off!

tjc78

Brougham

'Vert

Great Winter Beater

Gold

Catalina

Needs Resto

qbrozen

Porsche has 1 too many zeros.

I'd put my money on that Buick residing in Lakewood.

au1994

Brougham: looks familiar, like maybe it has been for sale for a while and made the rounds onece before.

'Vert: I can practically see it shaking and twisting in hte pictures.

Beater: Sure, why not.

TA: Gold chains and hairy chest required for test drive.

Catalina: looks nice and fair price.

912: run far, far away. $500 at the absolute most to part out. The subframe is most likely swiss cheese and you are instantly so far underwater that daylight is just a speck.

omarman

At first I didn't click on the link for more pics on the 912...but then couldn't resist and took a look anyway. Unibody + Rust = not nice

tjc78

I don't know what that 912 is worth in pristine condition, but, I can't believe you would be in the black after restoring it. I am sure there is some value in unique trim pieces, but not 5K worth.

lemko

That blue Park Avenue "winter beater" looks like my old ride. It would make an excellent choice for that task, especially at that low price!

Mr_Shiftright

I looked over the 912 photos---you can literally just toss that body in the dumpster. This is a parts car. $500 would be generous.

omarman

I've always liked these old trucks but never heard of the swivel frame option before. This '58 W300M Dodge Power Wagon looks like fun - but a bit pricey.

jrosasmc

What do you make of this particular Volvo?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150694857553+&view- item=

That could be a nice, fun project car for you - it looks good enough

Mr_Shiftright

Well someone might like to have it if the price wasn't too silly...I trust it's not going to be too much more than the current bid price of $2700.

Personally I think these cars are dogs---clumsy, slow, heavy..about as much fun as driving a Prius through a school zone at 25 mph.

This one has the typical biodegradable seats that have gone south--and in this case, the manual transmission was probably not the best choice, as the M41 feels like a truck tranny and then you have a very finicky and expensive overdrive unit to deal with.

Not that the original Borg Warner slush-box was any better, but seems to me an automatic suits the car more.

I think the car is already fully priced at $2700. They are hard to get parts for, too.

This was Volvo's attempt to compete with Mercedes in the late 60s, early 70s.

ER......no.

qbrozen

So, I had posted a while back about my change in insurance for the wife's Benz. Since then, Hagerty had asked me to take a survey. In it, I commented about their strict policy. Well, a rep called me today to chat. He informed me that their policies are not strict. I could, in fact, drive my car however I want, without mileage or use restrictions. It just can't be my daily driver.

Anyway, just wanted to post that in case my comments before had scared anyone away from Hagerty. Apparently, I was mislead by other sources.

texases

Do his comments match what's in writing?

tjc78

Well preserved.... If I had a spare 20k and a garage.

As new

qbrozen

I didn't have anything in front of me to confirm. He claims, however, that any verbal agreement with an agent is binding, and if the agent tells you that you can drive your car for pleasure, then that's how it is. I don't know if any of this is true or how you could possibly prove it. In any case, i'm not going to switch the wife's car BACK after going through the trouble of finding another company that clearly states how I can use the car.

Mr_Shiftright

if it's not in writing, you got nothin' IMO.

explorerx4

I just read the Lincoln Lawyer. Tempted