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'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
A cousin of mine ordered one of these in '79 with the same engine, part time 4X4, the black bumpers (chrome was extra), etc. I remember the back seat was an option and he didn't order it for whatever reason. :surprise:
Anyway his Bronco cost $8,200 back then and this ebay "survivor" was probably a bit more with the additional options/trim. My cousin's Bronco was a good, dependable truck which lasted a long time and I understand why they're still popular. But still I'm surprised to find bids like this on it, and apparently refused too.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Anyway, I put it all back together yesterday and had it fired up by about 3pm. What a relief! Now I have to put new spark plugs and wires in it, adjust the carb & timing, and I should be good to go.
I just hope the engine lasts on it. I was disappointed to see that one of the oil drain ports on the donor engine was clogged and that side of the head was (in my opinion) heavily sludged, but the engine ran well and has good compression, so I decided to move ahead, clear out the sludge, and take a chance on it.
It has been beautiful, perfect weather here for more than a week, so there were many folks outside yesterday afternoon. They all know I am working on that thing, so when I fired it off successfully for a few moments, I heard a round of applause through the trees. Hah, I bet that will turn to gunfire pretty soon if I don't replace those glass-pack mufflers with something more appropriate for civilized life. :P
I helped him swap out the original 351 to a 429, then to a 460.
He did all the technical stuff.
One time, we went out for a day of boating and we followed in our car.
On the way back, a state cruiser pulled up and tried to get in between us, i was thinking to check the trailer plate, but I wouldn't let him.
He eventually drove on.
I put new plugs and wires on yesterday, which made a big difference. The engine now runs smoothly (turns out one of the wires wasn't getting a good connection, resulting in a "dead" #7 cylinder), but I still need to adjust the ignition timing and carburetor. I put the timing light on it last night and cannot see any of the marks on the balancer! I'm thinking that maybe marking it with chalk will help the lines to show up?
Beyond that, it has been a long, long time since I adjusted timing on one of these engines... can any of you remind me of the procedure? I know the basic stuff like turning the distributor, but cannot remember details like if I should disconnect the vacuum advance, whether engine should be warm or cold, etc. I think it has been a solid ten years since I did any adjustments on my other rigs. :sick:
Do you have a timing spec? If not a couple of degree before TDC would be a good place to start.
A little bit of white paint helps the timing mark show up.
Yep, pull and plug the vacuum line, make sure the points are gapped correctly (going way old school on that one!) to set the dwell before setting the timing.
Back in the day, Olds points were set to 32d on new points. After a brief time, they would settle at the correct 30d. The best thing GM had going for it back then was that the dwell could be set with the engine running by using a flex-shaft hex tool through a small door in the side of the distributor cap.
Anyway, I have bigger problems... my oil pump is not working properly. :sick: This PITA may just have to sit another winter, because the season is coming on strong now and I do have other things to finish other than fiddling with this blasted thing. :mad:
I expect we will have snow (that stays until spring) within the next two or three weeks. I suspect we will get some before that, but it will likely melt.
New guy working at the MB specialist I patronize thought it was a great old car, too. Either he's being sincere or just thinking of job security :shades:
I hope it's nothing serious...just an adjustment or shift modulator.
I tried using the "img" tool but it wouldn't work... it used to, anyway...
https://www.msu.edu/~steine13/image001.jpg
Available locally for, I am told, hundreds rather than thousands of dollars, owned by a little old lady, it's an '89 New Yorker. Mileage unknown, let's assume 90k.
What can you tell me about it? ;->
I believe it's the last of the rear-drivers, no?
I should mention it's 3 years almost to the day that I bought any car....
Cheers -Mathias
The one pictured, would make a great winter beater.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Yup, and they were in production for so long that they were the only car, AFAIK, to be marketed as a compact(1977-79), intermediate(1980-81), and full-size! (1982-89). Overall though, I'd say they slot in as midsize. Pretty good legroom, and headroom that's more like your typical modern car than something dating from the 70's, but shoulder room is only about 56", which to me was roughly the border between compact and midsize, so it's a far cry from the 60"+ that most "true" full-sized cars would have. The trunk is also a bit shallow, small, and oddly shaped. If you have a full-sized spare, it eats up a lot of space.
The 318 engine was sturdy, although in 1989 there was a run of bad camshafts. The #8 lobe would usually disintegrate in the 70-90000 mile range. If you got a "good" one, they'd usually last, basically, forever! It has 140 hp, which may not sound so hot, but 265 ft-lb of torque! In comparison, the copcars, like my '89 Gran Fury, had 175 hp from a 4-bbl, but torque actually dropped, to 250 ft-lb.
The biggest problem I had, as I recall, with my '89, was those little lightweight starters. My car had a hefty appetite for them, although I think part of the problem was shoddy rebuilt units.
The engine and transmission were solid, though. In these civilian models, they shoved an extra-tall 2.26:1 axle, in an attempt to compete with the overdrive transmissions of competing cars, but they still couldn't quite compete. Something like this would've been EPA-rated at 16/22, and been hit with the guzzler tax, while something like a Crown Vic or Caprice V-8 would've scored a slightly better 17/24. Acceleration wasn't *too* bad though, as they changed first and second gear in the transmission to compensate for that tall rear.
As for handling, I know this sounds contradictory, but in day-to-day driving, they feel vague and sloppy and floaty, but in emergency maneuvers they're actually pretty good. Comfort-wise, my biggest issue was with the steering wheel placement. While legroom was excellent, the steering wheel was too close for my comfort. I guess that was its 70's domestic compact roots showing through!
Overall, it would make a pretty good beater I think.
The little old lady obviously delivered lumbbr or propane on weekends...
Parts car Since this is the least desired iteration of these cars, put the drivetrain and whatever else into a 70-73
Could this price be right?
Could be fair enough for a work truck
Why wouldn't you fix the gas leak? I'd be afraid to sell it like this
Never used as a taxi but it surely will be
Crying uncle He went as far as downloading the diagram and then decided F that
He can laugh about it now Actually looks real good for 10 grand
Here's one, for example, with a good top and less miles for the same price, and a California car (no rust) to boot. I could post ten like this.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/1965517554.html
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1995 Saab "Easy Fix" --- yep, easy once you remove the gearbox. The clutch slave is inside the bell housing. Been there, done that.
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Capri Convertible --- I wonder if the battery charger comes with it. That would be handy. He should have left the empty oil cans and tubs of Bondo in the photos.
From experience, there are good S10's, and there are bad S10's. A good one will serve you long and well, a bad one will put you in the poor house.
and that 4x4 for a grand looks like an interesting work truck, for a farm, something like that.
too bad I missed the SAAB before it got flagged.
the S10 looks nice enough. and that capri ad is quite something.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I did not want to buy the car, just see the ad!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The ad was....well....either the work of an indefatigable (there's that word again) optimist, or some still grappling with the reality of their disaster and unable to give it a true voice.
At best, it would have sent a buyer down the garden path. Not nice.
You've also less formally presented interesting cars that aren't lemons, but do require an ATM in the trunk, such as a 928. I'd be interested in seeing these lists again as a reminder.
But it is interesting to at least dare to think that there are classic cars out there that are either a) unfixable or b) punishing to own.
One problem with putting lists like this out into the Internet is that you will always find some aeronautical engineer who DID manage to keep a TR7 running (so he claims) by a few simple modifications, like re-casting his own cylinder head in his basement forge, or machining engine parts out of spare alloys laying around at his old NASA workbench.
So lists like this would be for the 99% of us who have neither the skill nor the budget to correct factory defects or factory engineers' perverse ways of accomplishing something.
Actually I'd like to hear others' opinions on cars that they deem "UNFIXABLE" and others they deem "BRUTAL TO OWN".
I might learn a few more! :P
parts availability, and lack of anyone that knew what to do with the darned thing.
Getting a 1 year only car with relatvily new/novel technology, that sold in small numbers new, bad idea.
and in 1983 (I think), any parts for it were in Germany, and it was not easy to find someone thta could debug and fix the FI system.
That got replaced by a well worn 1975 Corolla. Needed a carb rebuild. Kit was ~$12 at the dealer, and a local mechanic did a basic job for about $40. MPG jumped from 25 to 32 highway.
There is a reason to go with a '65 mustang as your hobby car, instead of something that would be a stumper on the mystery car thread!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Well, here's the new trick. I had to stop to make a left turn in front of oncoming traffic to get to the repair shop parking lot. When I had room to go, the car seemed really sluggish, like it was trying take off from second gear.
I really HOPE this isn't a major deal, but like Han Solo and a few others said, "I have a baaaad feeling about this!" :sick:
Other than that, I've had really good luck with cars. Well, after the Scirocco I chose a lot more carefully. But that car was incredibly fun to drive during a time when almost nothing else was.
I think sometimes when quality takes a "nosedive" nowadays, it's not that the cars are worse than models they replaced, but just that the competition has improved, so they look worse, when viewed against their peers.
For example, let's say in 2005, VW was having a complaint rate of 3 problems per car when the industry average was 2.5. But fast foward to today, and VW is actually improved, to 2.5. But, the industry average has improved more, to 1.5.
Circumstances like that will make a newer car show up with worse reliability ratings in publications like CR, even if the car really IS better than older models.
And, in many cases, sometimes someone just happened to get one of the "good" ones, with an older car, and with the newer car they got one of the "bad" ones.
For example, comparing my 2000 Park Ave to my grandmother's '85 LeSabre, so far I'm gonna have to say the LeSabre was the more reliable car. I broke a sway bar link at 59,000 miles, and now, around the 63,000 mile mark, the rear window defrost stopped working. And the gas gauge acts funny whenever it starts getting low, so I think it may need a new sending unit.
None of that is really anything major. However, my grandparents bought that LeSabre brand-new, and I finally got rid of it when it had 157,000 miles on it. The only problem I can remember it having, until it started getting old, was the tape player breaking when it was about a year old. Otherwise, that thing never really needed anything other than maintenance until beyond 100,000 miles. And the gas gauge and rear window defroster NEVER stopped working, even at 157K miles and almost 18 years of age. And that car never even needed any suspension work until 144,000, when it needed new upper ball joints.
However, on average, I'd expect the typical 2000 Park Ave was more reliable than the typical 1985 LeSabre. And over the long haul, I'd imagine the typical 2010 LaCrosse or Lucerne should be better, still. Probably more expensive when they DO break, and eventually becoming cost prohibitive toward the end, but, say over the first 10 years/150,000 miles, give or take, I'm sure the average experience would be better.
He now has a newer Passat wagon. 2005 "4motion" or something like that. Hasn't said anything bad about it...yet!
Now I did have a friend who had a 2002 Jetta, and that sucker leaked coolant all over the place a couple weeks after he bought it. I forget now, how long he kept that car.
I am with you on that. I wouldn't even walk into the dealer. I know of two horror stories. One was a new beetle that the entire wiring harness was shot and on fire behind the dashboard, VW bought it back with about 200 miles on it. Second was a Passat that was so bad it was lemon lawed. I can't remember the specifics, but it basically wouldn't run for more than a few days between service visits.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
I had this notion, that the next car might be a Jetta TDI Sport Wagon...and then I drop into the TDI forums, and I'm freaking out again with these *stories*...
To be honest, I can't say I would warn against any of my project cars. Believe it or not, only my newer volvos would get a "boo" from me. The 5-speed geartronic is a problem, as is the AWD.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I guess what I'm saying here is that buying a VW is like hiring a convicted felon who appears completely rehabilitated, but in the back of your mind....... :shades:
There is always the possibility someone got rid of it because of all the problems. It did just have 50k miles... the end of its bumper-to-bumper.
So far, though, not alot of big problems on the GTI/Golf board. The most major is a cam follower for the fuel pump. Seems they wear away and can eventually destroy the cam and head. But if you know about it, you check it periodically and replace once in a while. Checked mine, it had plenty of life, but I replaced it anyway. A more minor issue is a PCV system with a habit of clogging. Eventually, you'll start pushing oil out the cap. I found my cap just wet a couple of times, so it seems to be just starting for me. The aftermarket system that eliminates the problem will be arriving on my doorstep today.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
It's sad but true...the most expensive German cars can't match the reliability of a Scion.
Shifty, I've forgotten what year your MINI is ... turbo- or supercharged?
And, do your preventive measures apply to the NA version as well? My daughter bought a '10 MINI back in April and your comments above have me wondering. No sunroof on hers, and it's an automatic, so there are two things we don't have to worry about.
I don't think there's anything in particular to worry about with a '10 model. They got rid of that CVT transmission, and pretty much corrected all the defects on the pre-2006 models.
Thanks .. yep, I think the transmission in ours is the same 6-speed Shiftronic (named for you?) that BMW puts into its other vehicles.