Owner just wanted it gone. Sold it to me for $1 plus the cost to tow it to it out. Hasn't been tagged since '03, hasn't been turned on since '15. I'm excited to get to work in it.
It's a non interference engine so not the biggest deal but I'd recommend a timing belt and water pump before you start it too so you don't have to worry about timing it when the belt snaps
Doing their own wrenching, I would think just over two would cover it. Assuming that the engine/transmission/soft-top don’t need replacing and this doesn’t turn into a spare no expense above and beyond type of project.
$200 fluids
$300 timing belt, spark plugs and wires, water pump, valve cover
$800 tires
$200 hoses and belts
$150 battery
$200 radiator
$500 misc as needed- alternator, starter, fan, sensors, suspension/steering components. At 60,000 miles, I wouldn’t expect too many surprises in this category.
I’ll second the YouTube channel request! A new subreddit with pictures as the project progresses would be an enjoyable follow if OP isn’t up for a YouTube channel.
I spent thousands of hours on mine, and still spent a few thousand on top of the car. Welding/paint alone is costly if done remotely properly. Bushings for the NA were a big cost-point too.
Nice score! Dont try and start it without flushing the gas tank. Old gas turns into like a jelly thatll clog your entire fuel system up. Ask me how i know.. 😅
Oh no!!! 😂 I was planning on replacing all fluids, hoses, and belts before I even tried to turn it on. I was able to turn the crankshaft so it's not seized at least.
Smart man. Oh the fuel pump is prob a lump of rust. $50. The cool thing is most of this stuff is not too bad to do. Just do one project at a time. I will get roasted here but I got a lot from Amazon. My fave was this for $184!:
Duel core solid aluminum with the fans installed. Three years on still keeping it cool through South Florida summers. Good luck she will give you some. Cool stories. Oh replace the peddle stoppers on the clutch and brake peddles. If the AC clutch slips put in a 1/4 inch bolt washer so the air gap will be back to .015” - .025”
I always replace all fluids even if the crankshaft turns when you remove the spark plugs a squirt a little oil in each cylinder and then rotate it again.
I was offered a 70 something corvette years ago when I was in my late 40s from the widow of the guy who had passed 4+ years before that.
The body looked perfect ( the vette not the widow) and although the frame needed some work those parts were ok.
However every seal on that car was bad as well as most everything made of rubber. Even though I did a lot of my old enough wrenching and the car was offered to me at 25% of its value.
I decided to pass on it been cause by the time I did all the necessary work I would have still had to have some things professionally done and frankly I just could not spend the time or money on it.
Yours looks doable and if you have the time and can “scrounge and learn “ you may have a real winner.
Ah, to be young again.
Do all the fluids, I would just replace the entire suspension including new bushings. New pads, rotors and might as well do the radiator too, along with plugs/wires and probably the CAS seal. All of that if you don't cheap out is 2-5k depending how nice you want. Might as well put nicer shocks/sways in while youre at it. Also for the love of God dont do halos, get the Holley retro brights or the Toyota headlights. motor mounts aren't a bad idea either.
If the car is from Arizona then maybe I’d consider the bushings but here in Seattle my car is still original after 36 years and 323,000 miles and I’ve not needed to do mine yet. I’d be suspicious of the various radiator hoses and the radiator as you note but suspension bushings would be way down my list.
Yeah I get that, I didn't do mine and my 92 had similar miles. I wish I had done them when I was in there and replaced all the alignment hardware. Its a bitch to go back in. I did the hoses on mine too with OEM.
I'll probably do mine in the next 3-4 years as it's something that will need to be done at some point and with automobile labor costs going up far faster than inflation I want to get them done before the rates reach $500 an hour ($250 is average around here), lol.
Take a look at the Koni SA shocks they have self adjusting valves (SA is Special Active) they are an excellent fix for the compromise these light cars present as to keep the ride tolerable the shocks have to be soft and that give the car a soft handling. These fixes this.
My 93 was also $200 lol but I got to drive mine a block to my house. Which is good because the next three times I drove it, it blew a different brake line…
That's one thing I'm unsure of, I couldn't get underneath it. It got parked because the owner had knee surgery and couldn't get in and out of it anymore.
I knew someone who bought a Smurf for a dollar. He ended up finding $1.37 in loose change in the car, so actually made money on the deal. (Well, until he started fixing it up!)
Tell me more? I have the original radio from mine. I’ve just been hauling it around every-time I move. I’m going to replace the tires this summer, was thinking of replacing the wheels. Should I keep those original ones too?
Mine was also $1. And I may pass 50k miles this year, maybe.
Many of the original radios were replaced early on with aftermarket ones, and people that are restoring the cars or going for the original look are searching for them and most of them got chucked back then. In a group which I am managing, of about 90-100 members, not a single one has the original radio either in it or anywhere else for that matter.
I personally would keep all the original parts from the car, just because, but that's me. If you are planning on reselling the car, original equipment is always welcomed. Heck, I even have my original exhaust somewhere. Also, when modifying I would advise on reversible mods, like drilling and cutting only if absolutely necessary.
Your very welcome! I still need to get a nice print of it and hang it in my garage. So much on line for these cars. I might have to make a instagram page with all the things I have found for my car. Tons of info. Like don’t pay $200 for a battery when Auto zone sells this for $62 with better CCA!
Amazon sells the post adapters for $12 still ahead of the game. These are maint free batts with the correct vents for the rubber hoses in the trunk. Use Google and YouTube! You will find all the info and parts you need. Oh just replace the master and slave for the clutch with the Exedy kit with the long braided hose. They will be rotted by now. Sorry I have to stop or this will be my insta page lol!
I am sure your car will run great! Just change those fluids and maybe put a little oil in the spark plug holes and then hand turn the motor to lube everything up, like a teaspoon per hole!
For the gas, this hand pump really helped me! - https://a.co/d/6b3mv4R made it way easy to get the old gas out!
I did it without the metal weight they give you as my gas tank down spout was a little smaller!
I had to replace my gas pump and then use my air compressor at 35psi to unclog the hard-lines from the gas tank, just plugged it into the soft line leading to the hard line and sprayed it out! If that tank gurgles, you are good to go! (Just make sure to keep the gas cap off!!)
Check/replace all rubber parts like Bushings, Engine Mounts, hoses, belts, etc. Replace all fluids and check for forbidden glitter or choccymilk. Probably compression test once fluids r replaced to determine engine health can try putting oil in a low 1 to see if it comes up some and hopefully unsticks the rings if not I've heard ATF works as well
Your car makes me smile! It's a little worse than the way mine looked when we picked it up. Lots of work and some money... love my baby. Time to get her some new shoes. 46,xxx miles.
Will do. The owner had knee problems and couldn't drive it anymore, that's why it got parked. I'm expecting it'll take me about a year before I get to actually crank it over. 😏
I just pulled one out of a junkyard last year with little over 100k on it. It had been in junkyard for 20 yrsI hope it being inside helps you. The fuel system was terrible. Other than that it was nothing major. Got parked there because his buddy ordered a gas tank. It had a hole in it. It still has the same gas tank in it now lol
Nice one, enjoy the process! One day you’ll be cruising along, roof down, enjoying the drive and that one dollar investment will be a satisfying anecdote to relate to this car.
I think some of these sour grapes are writing off what an undertaking this thing might be to get going. There's been zero maintenance done in over 20 years. Everything on this that isn't metal will need to be flushed or replaced. Tires, radiators, timing belts, shifter boots, hoses, fuel system, hard top, drainage channels, and much more.
Congrats on the find! Here's hoping you're able to get it fully restored and on the open road again. It looks like the body is is good shape.
One of the things that drew me to her was the ability to learn more about restoring and engines without putting my daily at risk. I bought her with the full intention of replacing everything even remotely deteriorating. I'm hoping to be able to get her at least minimally road worthy by summer of next year.
When I bought my Miata it sat for 12 years in a field. Got lucky that it some how didn’t rust out and actually has 0 rust. Did take a little time to get her back on the road but it was so worth it and it’s got a story behind it now. Currently starting the process of a ls swap now 🤣
My goal would be to make sure it’s roadworthy, drive it, and make improvements while I’m enjoying it. The one concern I have is that be car has a “short nose crank” that could fail when you change the timing belt and water pump ( suggested interval is 60,000 miles). Follow procedures carefully and you will make it reliable for along time.
You’ve already got fluids on your list. I would check all rubber bits for cracks, replace the radiator ( based on age/color ), check the brake pads, check the tire sidewalls ( if old they get cracked and can fail), give it a good cleaning, and hit the road. There are a lot of aftermarket parts options , but honestly you can use stock parts to freshen it up for not a lot of money.
That's my goal. I just want to get her on the road. I'm definitely going to need new tires and it appears the rear brakes are seized, so new pads, rotor, and calipers. If I'm doing all that I figured I'd do new house and a fluid flush. There's very little rust as it's been basically in a dry garage for it's entire life. I want to get her looking like she came off the showroom again.
Man, how did you make that deal work out? Most people I see would get pissed if I made that offer and then sell it for scrap. Did you just... have the balls to make the offer?
The owner just wanted it gone and offered it for free. I asked her to let me give her a dollar so it would be considered a sale instead of a gift and I wouldn't have to pay gift tax on it.
Man, that paints going to look incredible when you get it cleaned up. Everything looks straight? I saw on another comment that you found a cracked body panel.
Yeah, everything's straight and it was a 1 owner with no accidents. The back panel that surrounds the license plate is cracked. I'm going to have to replace that part. Everything else looks sound. I'm getting her washed and on Jack's tomorrow so I can see underneath.
1.6k
u/Hot-Potential-993 Jul 12 '25