Progress Thread Grover: Window motor replacement & OEM rebuild

In addition to what's mentioned above, the lower dash panel in front of the driver is missing and so is the passenger speaker grill, looks like there might be a tear in the passenger door. I admit that they're minor things, but I am most interested in this car's interior as a swap. If I'm going through the pain of buying a car to do it, I don't still want to need a lot of pieces. Also, whether intentional or not, I don't like the seller telling me that the interior is nice and not mentioning this obvious stuff.

Hmm... man... it feels nit-picky for a $5,800 car. I wish he was closer so it would be easy to go check out.

Just noticed the missing passenger side a-pillar cover and passenger mirror. Yeah... the car might make someone else perfectly happy, but that's all she wrote for me. Enough concerns about the owner and car.

Yeah, lol, I've never regretted walking away from a deal. I have, however, regretted the one deal that I almost walked away from. Hehe. It worked out in the end but I got mom into a 7.3 Powerstoke F250 for what seemed a great price. I almost walked away when after the abs acted up on the test drive and there seemed like there a weird chiming in the truck that a quick google search turned up as a possible airbag issue. I agreed to give the seller a chance to replace the driveshaft speed sensor and that fixed the abs problem. On the drive to the auto parts store he grinded once between gears. I asked what happened and he quickly dismissed it as not pushing the clutch down far enough, which stupidly convinced me to overlook my concern.

Bought the truck with around 125k miles for ~$12k. Then, took it to my garage to work through the "minor problems". Well, turned out, the seller had pulled all the bulbs that were lit from the instrument cluster and that's why the airbag chime was sounding. The grind in the trans actually was a bad 2nd gear synchro, and the seller was pretty sly about the way he covered it up on that drive. Everything that seller touched on that truck, he did half-assed. I spent every night for 3 weeks under and around that truck going through everything, the electronics, drivetrain, etc to make up for my mistake to my mother. Bought a synchro kit for the trans and pulled it, but don't have the rig needed to tear into it. So we paid a shop for that. That was all last Summer right in the middle of getting ready to move out here to cali.

Even after addressing everything I could find, she had to go to a shop for oil consumption, the injector o-rings leaked and upon replacement, the mechanic found that the baffles were just completely removed from the valve covers. The alternator went out and wiped out the batteries. Mom's got $15-16k in it now. Right about market value, but I've got 40-50 hours of my own labor in it, and it sure would have been easier buying a nice truck without any concerns to begin with. I'm just glad she's got something reliable to pull her horses and RV around.

Needless to say, I will forever lean in the direction of walking from a deal and trusting my gut, even when I can't quite work out why I don't like a deal.

Now that the problems seem to be behind us, they (mom and step-dad) really love it. (yes, I removed the stickers)


My truck, on the other hand, seemed to good to be true at $6,500 with a little over 150k miles, but has been a dream. So far, it moved me across the country twice already and towed up to 19,200 lbs gross.

HotFox said:

I understand about the junk out there. But it seems like there were a few nice cars in this thread that sold before you got serious about them or timing was just not right. You still have your black car right? What's going on with that car?

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I've been working out the driveability tune in my car and have cold start and idle down pat. The around town driveability is coming along and I've made a lot of progress in learning the ins and outs of the BS3 system, while eliminating bucking at low rpm and substantially reducing the jerkiness, hesitations under transient conditions. The alternator wasn't putting out enough juice, so I recently played around with varying pulley sizes and learned a lot about the alternators and pulleys out there. I noticed a pretty big oil consumption issue that I believe is the lower intake gasket, and I'm waiting on parts to do the swap. I ordered 17x8 black Weld S71 wheels and Michelin Pilot Super Sports to put on the front of it back in October, and I expect to receive them this month. It'll also have to wait until the new year before I can start digging in to the motor because finals are coming up for this school quarter (earning my masters.) Until I address the oil consumption I can't drive it. My car is only set up for the straight line, though. It would be terrible to drive on Leguna Seca with it.

Regarding the cars I'm looking at, the one is post #40 I really thought I'd get for my very serious offer. Before the thread started, I thought I'd locked in a deal on another one, but then the seller sold it out from under me after agreeing to sell it to me. I would have pounced on that American Iron car, but the guy didn't respond to the message I'd sent on another site, and it was gone before he responded to me. This last car actually looks like a decent car for the price, but things aren't shaking out as the owner is representing them. However, rest assured, another fox will be in my garage, soon.

Mustang5L5 said:

That car is missing a bunch of panels. Center console gone too. Your probably looking at about $500 or so in black plastics and a console if he doesn't have them. Also, something's up with those seats. That's not OEM coverings.

Is that a brake pedal lock?

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Yeah, I assume that's one of those old anti-theft devices that probably would take about 20 seconds for a determined thief to defeat. I agree. I actually have door panels, some dash pieces, and a center console armrest/storage compartment that I built out of a few I've found over the years. However, I do not have a complete center console. I don't have the extra panels or speaker grills. And mostly, I really don't like the way the owner came across in the ad or when I talked to him.

Took a little time over the holidays without seriously looking. Now I'm back on the hunt. If you just want to check out foxes I'm seriously considering, you might as well skip this post. I've found these interesting ebay prospects, today, and although none are quite what I want, I just offer them up in case anyone else enjoys looking at the market as much as I do.

This one with the 2000 Cobra R brakes would be a lot more interesting at a lower price. It's stock motor for that price is holding back any further interest. If this car has an MM or griggs suspension, then I'd also be interested even above it's current price point.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335821607&icep_item=173065629869


This one makes killer, most-likely b-splitting power, low miles, and a beautiful black interior. It's priced accordingly though at $12.6k and still hasn't hit the reserve. The suspension seems straight-line oriented. I've already got a powerful one that goes in a straight line, though.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335821607&icep_item=192411189015


Here's a bit of a beat up '93 Cobra at a reasonable price. This is not a car that's what I'd be looking for, given what I laid out earlier in the thread, though I can see someone restoring it without losing much if any value.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335821607&icep_item=202166653648


This super clean coupe is interesting merely as a spectacle to me. I can't imagine it selling at over $32k. That's insane for a merely mid-low-ish mileage and not even stock, beautiful though it may be.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335821607&icep_item=162824341339

95BlueStallion said:

That first one in your latest post looks like a great start for something special, and aside from being super dirty, looks solid. I see that car going for $12k or so.

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I don't know, man. Dirt and dust doesn't scare me, at all. It's got the wrong suspension, completely stock motor, and a few problems that I have to hope are inconsequential for 12k? Nah. Not for me. I mean, brembo Cobra R brakes are cool, and the mileage is low, but for $12k, I'm wanting a complete suspension and decent little motor combo to go with it. Honestly, it's an $8-9k fox in my book, but $9 is already bid and doesn't meet reserve.

Nice foxes really are starting to command more money, and I would prefer one like that over a heavily modded version that you have to hope was done well.

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I believe that. It's kinda funny to see the tides turn a little and they're out pricing their LS1 counterparts when those cars were always worth more back in the day.

Edit: What the hell makes that last notch worth $32k in their eyes? It doesnt even have the original engine? Yes its clean, but maybe $17k clean?

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Haha! I think they've just got their fingers crossed that some rich dumb ass that has no clue comes along.