Project KBA, KMA

[Matt Timion]

Wow... sounds like you have a real "fixer upper" on your hands, eh? From the description I would have never guessed these problems.

Is the smell a rotten egg smell? if the o2 sensor was bad before odds are it also tore up the cat. That's an easy fix, only 7 bolts.

I say put those HXs on right away and sell the VX rims. you should be able to get around $200 for the rims, so that should pay for the new cat and then some.

Sorry for all of the hassle you had with the axles. Axles are kind of a PITA it seems.

that crazy fuel gauge could be a number of things, including wiring, the gauge itself, or even the fuel sender unit in the gas tank. Worst case scenario you'll have to drop the gas tank to replace the sender unit.

I'm seriously baffled as to how a person could abuse their car as much as the previous owner appeared to.

[SVOboy]

Dan, I'm starting to agree with the bad news about the calibration, even though the MID has shown much nicer for this tank it appears like my mileage will be lower, so I might not have gotten a complete fill the first time, even with the same pump and all that stuff. So yeah, I'm a little miffed, but who knows,

How's the gearing?

[Compaq888]

Granted any car can be abused, this is the reason i buy newer cars. I just don't have the patience or the money for "fixer uppers".

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by Compaq888

Granted any car can be abused, this is the reason i buy newer cars. I just don't have the patience or the money for "fixer uppers".

Newer cars are "any car" too.

What's funny is that krousdb will spend less buying and fixing this car than most people will spend on a "newer" car. His gas and insurance will also be much lower. This car can be fixed and made to be "like new" for not much money.

[95metro]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

What's funny is that krousdb will spend less buying and fixing this car than most people will spend on a "newer" car. His gas and insurance will also be much lower. This car can be fixed and made to be "like new" for not much money.

That was my thinking when I bought the Metro. It was either a big car payment or a really tiny loan payment plus some relatively cheap repairs. If I own the car for only 5 years it's less than $1,000 a year.

krousdb may have some headaches to begin with (I feel for ya man!), but it will be so worth it when it's done. I think his 63 mpg first run proves that.

[SVOboy]

Yep, , I bought my 91 in mint condition for 2k (Which was too much) and it's never had a single problem except those I've caused.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

Wow... sounds like you have a real "fixer upper" on your hands, eh? From the description I would have never guessed these problems.

Yes, the listing wasn't quite accurate.

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

Is the smell a rotten egg smell? if the o2 sensor was bad before odds are it also tore up the cat. That's an easy fix, only 7 bolts.

Not rotten egg smell, more like unburnt fuel. It is what a car smells like in limp mode, only not as strong.

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

I say put those HXs on right away and sell the VX rims. you should be able to get around $200 for the rims, so that should pay for the new cat and then some.

One center cap is missing and the rims need a good cleaning before I can tell what condition they are in. Is $200 enough for a cat?

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

Sorry for all of the hassle you had with the axles. Axles are kind of a PITA it seems.

No need to be sorry, twas an acceptable risk.

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

that crazy fuel gauge could be a number of things, including wiring, the gauge itself, or even the fuel sender unit in the gas tank. Worst case scenario you'll have to drop the gas tank to replace the sender unit.

Im not inclined to do anything about the gas tank. Once the MID is dialed it, I don't need a gas gauge.

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by Compaq888

Granted any car can be abused, this is the reason i buy newer cars. I just don't have the patience or the money for "fixer uppers".

There is no such thing as a "newer" VX.

[SVOboy]

A cat shouldn't be too expensive, but you have a nonstandard design, so iono exactly what it'd cost.

Do you have an upshift light?

[krousdb]

So I'm on I-90 in Indiana, and I start hearing a bump, bump, bump sound over the Thunk, thunk, thunk sound caused by the the rear tire with the bulge in it. The bumping soon turned into clunking then clattering so got off the toll road and limped to the nearest town which was Grainger IN. Remember now, it was the 4th of July.

I found a Advance Auto parts store that was actually open. I asked if they could fix my car. They said nope, but we have the axles. They gave me directions to a number of repair shops but all were closed on holiday. I went back and asked if I could change the axles in the parking lot. The manager says OK and lets me borrow tools. So I get out my Haynes manual and start following directions. I get to the part where you remove the axle nut. Holy hell! Those things aren't coming off. I also noticed that my warped rotors are dangerously thin and pieces of the brake material are missing.

So I go back in the store about to ask where I could find a motel. An older guy was getting parts for a repair and he asks if he can help. I said that he certainly could if he can help me install the axles. No problem he says but I only take cash. I had cash so no prob. Then I say, do you do brakes? He says no problem. Then I ask the clerk if he has rotors and brakes, he says no prob. So I buy the axles ($60 each) the rotors ($18 each) and the Pads ($22 each). Total was $190 minus the core.

So this guy Fred is a retired state corrections dept guy drives my car while I follow him in his van. 6 miles later we are at his house over the state line in MI. Over the next 3 hours I learn how to replace axles and install new rotors and pads. The worst part was removing the axle nuts. He had to get out the "Fire" wrench. He charged me $125 for his time and by noon I was back on the road again.

Spent so far:
$1800 for car
$110 for plane ticket
$325 for O2 sensor
$215 for muffler
$315 for axles and brakes

Total $2765. $1735 left over to spend on the body and paint. Hopefully the sale of the VX rims will pay for a cat if I need one.