New SC Owner from Oregon.

KMT said:
That keeper that locks the thing together sits flush when committed, as I think you've figured out. You push it up, as I recall, just a bit to unlock so that the end slides free a bit, then pull the end of the cable just enough to take out all slack, then attach the end to the throttle body lever, then set the keeper. This is how it's set at the factory, but there are subtleties that some owners apply case-by-case that vary the process.

With it together right now, how much slack can you see if you grab the cable end with pliers and pull gently towards the front of the car, or is it very tight?

My '90 takes it's time going from reverse to drive too...



Just don't want to see you smoke it in the mean time :)
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The little black clip on the TV cable doesn't slide at all. At least the black parts don't slide separately from each other. The cable itself will pull out of the end pretty easily and has about 4 inches of slack when I pull it until it stops, but it just slides back into it's original position when I release it. The little white pin that slides in and out and locks the clip into place when you put the grommet back onto it won't budge no matter how hard I try. I've pushed from both sides but it doesn't want to leave the black piece.

The transmission has always been the worst in the mornings or when it's particularly cold out, so I thought (hoped) it might just be low on fluid but I was having a difficult time getting an accurate reading on the transmission fluid level. I eventually got it worked out and it was nearly a quart low! The fluid was pink and clear, but it was very low. After adding a quart of fluid, the transmission doesn't slip at all, not even going from reverse to drive on a cold morning. I've got my fingers crossed that this holds out.
 
Sounds like you got yourself a really affordable daily driver. Nice going Dave - I'll stumble upon you and your car one of these days.
 
Well, the transmission is still holding up. After owning this car for a while now, I've noticed a few other things that aren't working properly. The Stereo was replaced with a Sony head unit at some point (I'm guessing early-mid 90s, since it's a tape deck) and it appears that when they installed it, they disconnected all of the stereo equipment in the trunk. I'm not sure what's in there, exactly, but it looks like three devices held in place with a large plastic cover, and then there's a separate subwoofer and amp on the side. None of those work, but I checked the power to the amp on the sub and it's getting power so who knows. The A/C, which was converted at some point but probably not the right way, doesn't work at all. The fans blow, but it's only hot air. When I got it, the fans didn't blow but they made a horrible grinding sound. I cleaned out a ton of pine needles from the vents and now it blows ok. Lastly, the VMM doesn't work at all. It's getting power, but shows no signs of life.

Anyway, I'm liking this car more and more each day. I've never driven a car that made you feel so involved (for lack of a better word) when you're driving it. Quick, comfortable, handles amazingly, and looks tough and fast yet still somehow classy and refined. I can't wait for summer when I'll have some time to do the body work. The only downside is that it's pretty tough to find replacement parts in junk yards around here.
 
Good info here on the stereo: http://www.35thatr.org/Tips/ServiceTips.htm With an aftermarket head unit, someone may have picked up the Scosche harness to bypass the rear sub & amp.

Yes, the junkyard SCs have pretty much dried up, I think. I used to be able to find one or more at a time, then nothing for the last year or so. I grabbed what I could, while I could, and now have a metal shed filled with 32 plastic containers full of spares, etc.
 
KMT said:
Good info here on the stereo: http://www.35thatr.org/Tips/ServiceTips.htm With an aftermarket head unit, someone may have picked up the Scosche harness to bypass the rear sub & amp.

Yes, the junkyard SCs have pretty much dried up, I think. I used to be able to find one or more at a time, then nothing for the last year or so. I grabbed what I could, while I could, and now have a metal shed filled with 32 plastic containers full of spares, etc.
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The harness was made by Metra and doesn't appear to have any RCA jacks on it, though the stereo has them on the back. I messed with it for a while today, but it doesn't look like the equipment in the trunk is getting any signal at all. I'll probably yank all of it out and replace it over the summer. I'm not sure what kind of subwoofer it has, but my old Explorer had a 6.5" sub that didn't really add a lot to the sound quality. Thanks for the link to that site, though, lots of valuable info!

I think my best bet would be to buy a complete SC with engine problems and take what I need from it. I know there was one for $650 recently, but it would probably be closer to double that when you add the cost of towing it home. There's also a 91 Thunderbird that "runs" for $500 that I could probably strip a lot from and then sell for scrap to recoup some of the cost. It's even the same Vermillion color as my SC so the body parts wouldn't even stand out too badly until I got it painted.
 
Just a quick question for anyone who might know, could a bad transmission cause the car to sputter and lurch forward? Just routinely driving today and suddenly the RPMs dropped to nothing and the engine felt like it was choking to death, but never actually died. The car drove forward until I could pull over, but it was sputtering and jumping the whole time. After sitting with the engine running for a few seconds, the RPMs went back to normal and the car drove fine afterward. Probably a long shot, blaming the tranny, but IIRC my old Sebring had torque management sensor that would cut fuel to the engine during shifts and this happened the instant that first gear engaged and it felt like the engine was gasping for fuel the whole time.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Tach dropping/engine on~off...starts after a few tries - yep, usually cam sensor. Make sure the wiring is in good shape. AZ has them for less than $40, I think.

Check the codes.
 
thesecretblack said:
Just a quick question for anyone who might know, could a bad transmission cause the car to sputter and lurch forward? Just routinely driving today and suddenly the RPMs dropped to nothing and the engine felt like it was choking to death, but never actually died. The car drove forward until I could pull over, but it was sputtering and jumping the whole time. After sitting with the engine running for a few seconds, the RPMs went back to normal and the car drove fine afterward. Probably a long shot, blaming the tranny, but IIRC my old Sebring had torque management sensor that would cut fuel to the engine during shifts and this happened the instant that first gear engaged and it felt like the engine was gasping for fuel the whole time.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice.
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That's not Typical of a transmission related issue. If the stall speed convertor was locking up early it could stall the engine at idle or low rpm, but what your experiencing in my experience is not the issue. :D

Deff sounds possibly sensor related! Or fuel supply related!
 
Tire size feed back?

George95PearlSC said:
That's not Typical of a transmission related issue. If the stall speed convertor was locking up early it could stall the engine at idle or low rpm, but what your experiencing in my experience is not the issue. :D

Deff sounds possibly sensor related! Or fuel supply related!
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I need everyone's input!

I am Installing 18" wheels From Brad at "The Custom Wheel Shop"!

Should I go 245/45R18 all around
or
245/45R18 on the front and 275/40R18 on the rear?

What will look better? And what's the risk of rubbing in the rear without lowering it and with lowering it?
 
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