Finally getting around to posting some intro pictures for my next project car. The Calypso Cash Pit (CCP) 'vert is about as far as I want to take it so on to the next one. I'll probably sell the 'vert this coming spring and roll the proceeds into this project.
I've been wanting a hatchback for some time now but they're getting harder and harder to find (as you all know), especially unmolested. Add to that finding one that met the price I could afford that met the criteria I wanted and you start hearing the Mission Impossible theme song in your head! Specifically, I wanted a reasonably all original, straight and rust free as possible, '91-'93 LX hatch, oxford white exterior, gray tweed sport interior, 5.0, 5 speed. I like the GT rear spoiler and planned on swapping one when I did whatever paint/bodywork was needed. Yep, mighty tall order there!
This past spring, roughly March/April, I ran across an ad on Craigslist. Yeah I know, nobody does CL anymore, they use Facebook Marketplace. Well, I don't have FB, never had, and never plan to! Anyhow, I find an oxford white '92 LX hatch that ticks off almost every box on my wish list with one exception..trans. It was an AOD car but unbelievably also had the GT spoiler swap already on it! The motor and drive train were all original with not so much as a cold air kit on it. The asking price was almost unbelievable! Because I'm sure someone will ask, no, I won't say how much, but just say it was under $3000.
After clearing a MAJOR hurtle (that's right, permission from the boss lady), I tried contacting the seller over the next several days with no response. Then..poof! The ad was pulled. No not a scam, the car was sold that quick. At the beginning of Sept. I ran across another ad. The car sure looked REALLY familiar. The price was a little higher, but not a crazy increase. My best friend called me that night and asked if I'd seen it. I told him I had and said the car sure looked like the one from the Spring. He agreed it was indeed the same car, different pics. I immediately contacted the seller and got a reply. It was still available and he was indeed the person who'd beaten me to it! I made arrangements, I had cash in my pocket, an empty car trailer and was on my way a few days later. He'd bought it because the original price was low and he lived near it. After reflection during the summer, he decided he already had too many projects and would just flip it. I bought it literally on my birthday! Sure, the seller made a few hundred over what he bought it for, but I don't begrudge the man a little profit. The fact I knew the original asking price when he bought it AND that it was my birthday helped drop his asking price down. That allowed me to have the car AND still have a few hundred left in my pocket!
I plan on leaving the interior relatively stock. I want a Dakota Digital dash and a cup holder console but that's about it. Exterior mods are pretty much done, e.g. the GT wing and I already have a new 2" cowl steel hood for it. Most of the mods will be a T5 swap, mild engine mods (heads,cam, intake, headers), 2 1/2" exhaust, 4 wheel disks with 5 lug conversion, 3.55 gears and a little suspension work (lowered, CC plates, torque box reinforce, MAYBE subframe connectors) , 18" wheels and tires. New paint, smoothed engine bay and wire tuck are about it.
Through this past year I've followed a lot of the great posts here that have dealt with the mods I want to do. The knowledge and recommendations that have been passed along on here have already helped me with putting together shopping lists so I can plan/budget accordingly. Can anyone guess what my Christmas list will be mainly comprised of this year?! LOL With some cash already set aside and (hopefully) a nice Christmas bonus it'll be a good start. If/when I do sell the 'vert it'll be a good injection of cash which should cover the project cost nicely.
Hopefully I can post progress stuff a little more frequently than I was able to do with the 'vert, we'll see though. I'd love to have it done for next year's Foxtoberfest but I'm not holding my breath. I had the same plans for the vert the year I bought it. I went, it stayed home that year! I have MUCH less bodywork than I did on the vert. That was what really slowed down the vert build. So without further adieu here's where I'm starting....
Since the car is awaiting a garage cleanup/reorganizing before I start it's still on the trailer and hard to get decent pics. Below are some the seller took.
I did a full inventory when I got the car home and have about 98% of all of the pieces that are taken off of the car. The quarter windows are nearly perfect! Most of the body work is also already done. The chrome ponys won't stay and will be off when I have the 5 lug conversion done.
There you have it! I'm sure it's now understandable why I decided on the project name of "2nd Chance Pony". Thanks to everyone on here sharing your knowledge and experience!
I've been wanting a hatchback for some time now but they're getting harder and harder to find (as you all know), especially unmolested. Add to that finding one that met the price I could afford that met the criteria I wanted and you start hearing the Mission Impossible theme song in your head! Specifically, I wanted a reasonably all original, straight and rust free as possible, '91-'93 LX hatch, oxford white exterior, gray tweed sport interior, 5.0, 5 speed. I like the GT rear spoiler and planned on swapping one when I did whatever paint/bodywork was needed. Yep, mighty tall order there!
This past spring, roughly March/April, I ran across an ad on Craigslist. Yeah I know, nobody does CL anymore, they use Facebook Marketplace. Well, I don't have FB, never had, and never plan to! Anyhow, I find an oxford white '92 LX hatch that ticks off almost every box on my wish list with one exception..trans. It was an AOD car but unbelievably also had the GT spoiler swap already on it! The motor and drive train were all original with not so much as a cold air kit on it. The asking price was almost unbelievable! Because I'm sure someone will ask, no, I won't say how much, but just say it was under $3000.
After clearing a MAJOR hurtle (that's right, permission from the boss lady), I tried contacting the seller over the next several days with no response. Then..poof! The ad was pulled. No not a scam, the car was sold that quick. At the beginning of Sept. I ran across another ad. The car sure looked REALLY familiar. The price was a little higher, but not a crazy increase. My best friend called me that night and asked if I'd seen it. I told him I had and said the car sure looked like the one from the Spring. He agreed it was indeed the same car, different pics. I immediately contacted the seller and got a reply. It was still available and he was indeed the person who'd beaten me to it! I made arrangements, I had cash in my pocket, an empty car trailer and was on my way a few days later. He'd bought it because the original price was low and he lived near it. After reflection during the summer, he decided he already had too many projects and would just flip it. I bought it literally on my birthday! Sure, the seller made a few hundred over what he bought it for, but I don't begrudge the man a little profit. The fact I knew the original asking price when he bought it AND that it was my birthday helped drop his asking price down. That allowed me to have the car AND still have a few hundred left in my pocket!
I plan on leaving the interior relatively stock. I want a Dakota Digital dash and a cup holder console but that's about it. Exterior mods are pretty much done, e.g. the GT wing and I already have a new 2" cowl steel hood for it. Most of the mods will be a T5 swap, mild engine mods (heads,cam, intake, headers), 2 1/2" exhaust, 4 wheel disks with 5 lug conversion, 3.55 gears and a little suspension work (lowered, CC plates, torque box reinforce, MAYBE subframe connectors) , 18" wheels and tires. New paint, smoothed engine bay and wire tuck are about it.
Through this past year I've followed a lot of the great posts here that have dealt with the mods I want to do. The knowledge and recommendations that have been passed along on here have already helped me with putting together shopping lists so I can plan/budget accordingly. Can anyone guess what my Christmas list will be mainly comprised of this year?! LOL With some cash already set aside and (hopefully) a nice Christmas bonus it'll be a good start. If/when I do sell the 'vert it'll be a good injection of cash which should cover the project cost nicely.
Hopefully I can post progress stuff a little more frequently than I was able to do with the 'vert, we'll see though. I'd love to have it done for next year's Foxtoberfest but I'm not holding my breath. I had the same plans for the vert the year I bought it. I went, it stayed home that year! I have MUCH less bodywork than I did on the vert. That was what really slowed down the vert build. So without further adieu here's where I'm starting....
Since the car is awaiting a garage cleanup/reorganizing before I start it's still on the trailer and hard to get decent pics. Below are some the seller took.
I did a full inventory when I got the car home and have about 98% of all of the pieces that are taken off of the car. The quarter windows are nearly perfect! Most of the body work is also already done. The chrome ponys won't stay and will be off when I have the 5 lug conversion done.
There you have it! I'm sure it's now understandable why I decided on the project name of "2nd Chance Pony". Thanks to everyone on here sharing your knowledge and experience!