Need recommendations(kinda long)

89FORCEFED95

Registered User
I have an '89 SC 5-speed that I bought back in '94. It currently has 245,000 miles showing on the odometer. It hasn't been driven everyday since '98 when I bought my '95 SC(POS, glad I got rid of it), it hasn't been driven regularly since 2003 when I bought my Civic, and to make matters worse, right before Easter, I bought my Harley and it hasn't been driven at all. Well, the transmission grinds going into 2nd, it smoked real bad but I'm blaming that on condensation since it sat for so long(it did go away, and the coolant level is good), the A/C wouldn't take a charge(squeeled like a banshee when the R-134 hit it). Other than all that its still a good car, i.e. rides good, minimal squeeks and rattles, and all of the accessories work. My inclinanation at this point is to restore it, but I don't know where to start. I do need to make sure it can beat my brother's Trans Am when I'm done and it has to be RELIABLE. Its completely original all the way down to the head gaskets, I haven't changed a thing but the radio. If it were your car, what would you do and in what order?
 
245,000 miles

MILES :eek: engine rebuild for starters ...tranny rebuild second ..at least 2nd grear sycros ..on the AC ..may be a problem ..if the seals haven't been changed to accept R-134 ...came with R-12...sitting can be the worst thing for a car ...besides my right foot ... you get alot of dry rot .. in rubber...and there's alot of rubber parts ...on our girls [motor/tranny/diff mounts,stabillizer bushing ,IRS control arm bushing ,harmonic balancer .streering yoke and more ..they will shrink and loose there flexablity.. if they haven't allready...with 245,000 miles on the clock...at this point in time ...she sounds like a real money pit ... with no real return ...dave
 
I'd rebuild the top end, head studs, valve job and a mild port/polish possibly. Next, rebuild that tranny, or at least fix 2nd gear. Next, replace your rubber bushings with poly; not necessarily the rear knuckle bushings, but the front end for sure, and definately the motor mounts and diff mounts, possibly the tranny mount also. For suspension, I'd go with Eibach lowering springs and Koni shocks. For the boltons, I'd get a nice exhaust, overdriven blower pulley, and an upgraded intake tract (ported blower, raised top). Between that and the head work, you should be making decent power.

The fastest way to beat the Trans Am (assuming it's a 350) is a nitrous kit. That way, when you melt your pistons, you can rebuild the short block and start making some real power. I don't know if I'd trust the short block if it's that old, been sitting and smokes. Is the smoke oil, fuel, or coolant, or something else?

Oh, as for the AC... Who needs it. Weight reduction.
 
The restoration project has begun in earnest.....

I did the simplest of things today and put a new battery in her. I ran her for a while to get things warmed up. It didn't smoke out of the pipes so i'm assuming what I saw earlier was condensation from sitting so long. Tomorrow I think I'll change the hoses and flush out the radiator, and change the oil:)

As far as it being a money pit, I have two already(a girlfriend and a Harley(chrome is expensive)), a third won't hurt me anymore than the other two:)
 
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