first car.

[blaze15301]

i was wondering since we have some racers and car nuts in here if anyone can recommend a good starter car. the things i want are power and upgradable. when i say upgradeable i mean i want to mod the body and the engine later down the road for more power. it dosent matter weather its a muscle car or a tuner. i just want something nice to work with. so any recommendations on engines, types of cars to look for. also i dont want to spend a fortune.

thanks in advance guys.

also i know its my first car. i shouldn't want or need all of that, but if im gonna do something i wanna do it right the first time around.

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Plenty of room inside and under the hood, reasonably safe, mechanically reliable, available in good shape for around a grand, acceptable stock power and nearly unlimited build-up/swap options, rear-wheel-drive, invisible to the cops, and nice enough that a potential date's folks will probably approve...

...what you want is a Volvo 740/940 Turbo.

I'm not joking, and I speak from experience. (A naturally-aspirated car is a good call, too - slow enough to keep you out of trouble - as is a 240 if you live somewhere where rust isn't an issue.) If you get a wagon, the back seat will fold flat so that you and someone else can sleep comfortably (if you're both under six-foot-two or so).

Of course, this is easiest in the Northeast or Pacific Northwest, where people bought 'em in the first place.

[blaze15301]

that looks like a pretty nice car. now if i can find one under 2 grand around my area. if i cant find that i was thinking maybe a eclipse.

[altec]

I'm fond of the Nissan Maxima's. Performance scene is there. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gens can be had for cheap, and the VG/VE engines are tanks. 200K on the odometer is just getting broken in... They are like Cummins redheaded stepchild, or something. :p

What are you looking for though? Car, truck? FWD, RWD? Compact, Sedan?

[blaze15301]

I'm fond of the Nissan Maxima's. Performance scene is there. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gens can be had for cheap, and the VG/VE engines are tanks. 200K on the odometer is just getting broken in... They are like Cummins redheaded stepchild, or something. :p

What are you looking for though? Car, truck? FWD, RWD? Compact, Sedan?

deffinatly car as for the wheel drive i have no idea. i was going to get a nova, camero, older mucle car but cant afford that right now so a tuner is the next best thing.

[altec]

Honestly, for a first car you really should be looking at something simple, that will get you around, and start in the morning without worry. And the ever important mileage.

There is a million choices out there. I suggest hunting around to see what you can find in your area, and researching the specific cars.

For 2k your options are limited, and considering things like tags, insurance, and gas play a role you are limited. A maxima might be the car for you. I have a 89 myself. They have 3.0 v6, and have a ton of power options. And being a higher end Nissan you have a nice car that you can cram 5 people into.

I believe in having the daily beater, and the toy. I am building my toy truck, and am going to tag the maxima for my daily. Better to start with the beater, and save for the toy then the other way around.

[dr.walrus]

first car

power
what an excellent combination!

[blaze15301]

what an excellent combination!

the power will come over time.

[diluzio91]

the power will come over time.

first car + power = big ass ticket... trust me, i speak from experience:facepalm:

[xr4man]

i'd say look at a vw. the 2.0 engines are fun, not too powerfull, but fun. also they handle well. so much aftermarket you won't know where to start. they can be had pretty cheap. the downfall is when the electrical gremlins rear their ugly heads and when the oil light starts coming on at random. that signals the demise that is iminent.

of course you can't go wrong with a nice toyota corolla. also oodles of aftermarket suport for what ever fun level you can afford. you can pick up a geo prizm real real cheap and they are just corollas with different badges. so either one will provide you with major reliability.

now if you really want fun and a learning experience, you could look at the mk2 celica supras. they usually can be had from anywhere between 1500 to about 4 or 5 g's. rust is an issue with them though.

another good choice that would suit your need to get tickets very well is an early (92) lexus sc400. they can be had for as little as 1200 bucks. then you get toyota reliability along with a toyota v-8. the lexus sc300 is much more expensive though because everyone wants the 2jz engine in them.

if you want something to just get around and won't last very long, then a good used cavalier would work.

personally i'd stay away from civics. used ones go for way more than their actual worth and any that you could afford as a first car would be ragged to the point of being not much more than a 1:1 scale model.

don't forget to look at mazdas as well. there really is something to their zoom-zoom marketing. depending on model, they can be really fun to drive.

[blaze15301]

i'd say look at a vw. the 2.0 engines are fun, not too powerfull, but fun. also they handle well. so much aftermarket you won't know where to start. they can be had pretty cheap. the downfall is when the electrical gremlins rear their ugly heads and when the oil light starts coming on at random. that signals the demise that is iminent.

of course you can't go wrong with a nice toyota corolla. also oodles of aftermarket suport for what ever fun level you can afford. you can pick up a geo prizm real real cheap and they are just corollas with different badges. so either one will provide you with major reliability.

now if you really want fun and a learning experience, you could look at the mk2 celica supras. they usually can be had from anywhere between 1500 to about 4 or 5 g's. rust is an issue with them though.

another good choice that would suit your need to get tickets very well is an early (92) lexus sc400. they can be had for as little as 1200 bucks. then you get toyota reliability along with a toyota v-8. the lexus sc300 is much more expensive though because everyone wants the 2jz engine in them.

if you want something to just get around and won't last very long, then a good used cavalier would work.

personally i'd stay away from civics. used ones go for way more than their actual worth and any that you could afford as a first car would be ragged to the point of being not much more than a 1:1 scale model.

don't forget to look at mazdas as well. there really is something to their zoom-zoom marketing. depending on model, they can be really fun to drive.

im not really trying to get a ticket. i just want a car that i can customize and mod. i know cavaliers are ****. we have had 3 in the past 5 years. i was looking at the vw

[AmEv]

We drive a '00 Sunfire.

Keep up with the maintenance (which there isn't too much of), it almost combines a family car and a luxury car.

[xr4man]

a sunfire is a cavalier.


im not really trying to get a ticket.

i'm sure. i was just joking about that.

[blaze15301]

i'm sure. i was just joking about that.

yeah i know. i was just clarifying for other people as well becuase i know people probably think i want a fast car and ill be irresponsible and all that. i mean it is a good judgment based on first time drivers and most teenagers.

[x88x]

also i dont want to spend a fortune.

Well then muscle cars are out. Even if you don't spend a lot on the initial car, gas will cost you a fortune. :P

Where do you live? If there's a lot of snow, I would definitely go FWD or AWD. Otherwise, personally I would go RWD. That is one of the few things I would do differently with my car, looking back.

Aside from that, pay serious attention to the weight of the car. You can get a lot more performance out of, say, 100HP in a 2000lb car than in a 2500lb car. Plus, you'll get a lot better mileage.

Overall, I would say look for a early-or-mid-90's Japanese or continental European (sorry, UK) sedan, hatchback, or station wagon. From my experience, in the US similarly spec'd Japanese cars tend to be cheaper. During that period you start to get the engine improvements that started giving a lot better efficiency, but you get out of all the weight that they started piling on later. Get airbags and ABS if you can, for insurance, if not just safety, purposes.

I'll put another vote of confidence in for Mazda. My 96 Protege is far from a performance car (4-door, <100HP), but when it's in good health I can pull some relatively pretty nice performance out of it. :D

Oh, and get a manual transmission. Not only are they more fun, you'll get better performance and better mileage. If you don't know how to drive one yet, learn. You'll thank me later. ;)

..oh, and get a motorcycle. :whistler:

[Snowman]

I love the vw 2.0 ask me why...
http://knoxware.org/snowman/mkiv/2010-07-14%2019.38.54.jpg

[Collinstheclown]

Plenty of room inside and under the hood, reasonably safe, mechanically reliable, available in good shape for around a grand, acceptable stock power and nearly unlimited build-up/swap options, rear-wheel-drive, invisible to the cops, and nice enough that a potential date's folks will probably approve...

...what you want is a Volvo 740/940 Turbo.

I'm not joking, and I speak from experience. (A naturally-aspirated car is a good call, too - slow enough to keep you out of trouble - as is a 240 if you live somewhere where rust isn't an issue.) If you get a wagon, the back seat will fold flat so that you and someone else can sleep comfortably (if you're both under six-foot-two or so).

Of course, this is easiest in the Northeast or Pacific Northwest, where people bought 'em in the first place.

Beat me to it. lol I was gonna suggest the 240.

[BuzzKillington]

first car + power = big ass ticket... trust me, i speak from experience:facepalm:

My first car was a '69 Nova. No tickets here. :D

Acura Legend
Toyota MR2
Mitsubishi Mirage
Old school BMW's

In high school you'll probably want to go with a 4 door. I wouldn't throw any money into your first car... a sub-2000 dollar vehicle isn't the platform you want to turn into your money pit. Save your money for a down payment on a nice car come sr. year-ish.

[Snowman]

My first car was a '69 Nova. No tickets here. :D

because they couldnt catch you

[BuzzKillington]

Actually it was geared for 1/4 mile so it road comfortably at 70 and got close to redline around 100, though it got there damn fast.

[xr4man]

i can't believe i forgot to mention subaru. older imprezzas are cheap. and subaru is a close second to toyota in reliability. BUT, subaru puts items that may break right on top of the motor, so you can save a lot in labor costs if you need the alternator replaced or something. or you save a lot in personal time if you do it yourself.

btw, my first two cars were both supras. i owned the first one three times.

[blaze15301]

:
Oh, and get a manual transmission. Not only are they more fun, you'll get better performance and better mileage. If you don't know how to drive one yet, learn. You'll thank me later. ;)

..oh, and get a motorcycle. :whistler:

yeah i plan on getting a bike sooner or later. i do want manual for that reason. but automatic is just as good.

[msmrx57]

i do want manual for that reason. but automatic is just as good.

Nope. Not even close. 2011 cars with automatics are getting closer but anything older than 1-2 years get better perfomance and mileage with a manual. Also for the most part better durability if you're easy on the clutch.

[x88x]

Nope. Not even close. 2011 cars with automatics are getting closer but anything older than 1-2 years get better perfomance and mileage with a manual. Also for the most part better durability if you're easy on the clutch.

/\These. With an automatic you have no control over what happens or when. With a manual, you can increase the power available to you at any given time by shifting the gear ratios around, you can squeeze more life out of the transmission if you're good to it (not necessarily gentle ;) ), and you can get better mileage by keeping your engine's RPMs in the most efficient ranges all the time. Plus it's just a lot more fun. :D

On a side note, I had a friend in high school who had a late-60's Mustang....with an automatic...heresy! I take solace in the fact that it was like that when she got it though. At least she wasn't the one who screwed it up.

[blaze15301]

/\These. With an automatic you have no control over what happens or when. With a manual, you can increase the power available to you at any given time by shifting the gear ratios around, you can squeeze more life out of the transmission if you're good to it (not necessarily gentle ;) ), and you can get better mileage by keeping your engine's RPMs in the most efficient ranges all the time. Plus it's just a lot more fun. :D

On a side note, I had a friend in high school who had a late-60's Mustang....with an automatic...heresy! I take solace in the fact that it was like that when she got it though. At least she wasn't the one who screwed it up.

im just really worried about burning the clutch up. aren't hey expensive to replace?

[x88x]

im just really worried about burning the clutch up. aren't hey expensive to replace?

They're a bit expensive, yeah. Not horribly so though, if you do the work yourself. Plus, if you do it yourself you'll learn a lot about your car since you have to practically take the whole thing apart to do it. :P That being said, as long as you treat it properly, learn how to shift well, etc, you shouldn't have any problems. I'm not exactly gentle with my clutch, and my car is just now starting to let me know that it's wearing (get a little 'thunk' if I let it out too fast while accelerating)....and I'm almost at 160,000 miles on, I'm pretty sure, the original clutch (at least, I've never replaced it, and I have no paperwork saying the previous owner did). And a little over 30,000 of those miles were me.

[FuzzyPlushroom]

im just really worried about burning the clutch up. aren't hey expensive to replace?

I wouldn't worry too much. I'm not the most coordinated person, and I learned to drive manual in a New Beetle turbo - I don't think any modern manual gearbox is weaker than a VW five-speed, and I didn't kill either the clutch (which was a bit wonky when Mum bought the car... 105,000 miles ago) or the transaxle. Flimsy (though precise) linkage, combined with a tendency to eat reverse, then third, then... Of course, the four-speed automatic used through the '90s is somehow worse.

VWs are fun, but if you don't get a good one with a stack of service records, the odds are fair that you'll regret it.

Hondas are solid choices, too - either manual or automatic gearboxes will stay together (aside from '00-'03ish automatics) but you need a manual to get anywhere quickly in most of 'em. Watch for rust on earlier cars, artificially inflated values on any of 'em, and don't be that guy who rices out his crapbox and annoys everyone on the block.

Oh, a Mazda would be a good bet as well. Maybe hunt down a '90s 626 with a five-speed and see how you like it. The Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique are in the same class and are decent as well, provided the one you're looking at is free of electrical gremlins. On those as well as the 626, you definitely want to avoid the failure-prone automatic, so if you decide you don't want to take on a stick shift yet, you may as well look elsewhere. The Protege is an enjoyable, and undervalued, econobox.

[x88x]

The Protege is an enjoyable, and undervalued, econobox.

Heheh, yup! I like mine. :D Nice and simple, surprisingly rugged, even if you...don't exactly care for it as well as you should for a while.. <_< >_> .. Light enough that you get good gas mileage (~40mpg when it's in good health, though atm with a wonky O2 sensor and an alignment issue with one of the wheels, it's more like 35-36 :( ), and just enough power that if you play the transmission right and rev the nuts off the engine, it's a god bit of fun. All in a rather boring-looking body, so cops don't look twice at it. There is definitely something to be said for a good, basic car...and mine is as basic as they made the Protege...even more so now that the A/C is blown. :P IIRC the 626 is basically the Protege with a bit more extra bits and a bigger engine. Same repair manual covers both. :P

Oh, something else I thought of. If you plan on doing any...shall we say, 'interesting' driving, try and get one with at least semi-bucket seats. Mine has nowhere near real bucket seats, but they're enough that they give me a nice amount of lateral support when such is needed. ...makes driving my dad's pickup with a bench seat bloody terrifying though...once you get used to not moving at all in a hard corner, it's hard to adjust to sliding half way across the seat if you're not careful. :P

EDIT:
Oh, and a lot of people will get freaked out if they're looking at a car with a manual transmission and no tach. Don't worry about it. The car I learned on had a tach, but the car I drove most for the first year or so after that, and my car too, both have manuals and neither has a tach. Personally, I've gotten so when I have one, I don't pay any attention to it any more; not having one forces you to develop a better feel for the vehicle.

[blaze15301]

I love the vw 2.0 ask me why...
http://knoxware.org/snowman/mkiv/2010-07-14%2019.38.54.jpg

i gotta ask why.

also x88x your car does look pretty cheap and it s a 4 cylinder so not a gas hog. what about upgradability?

[xr4man]

if you're talking about the protoge for upgradeability, you may have to hunker down and do a little research. i don't think it was a popular car to upgrade, so there my not e a huge aftermarket for it. but all that means is you have to research and find what items from other mazdas will fit it. or fit with little modification.

otherwise EVERYTHING is upgradeable. it all has to do with how much money you have.

[Snowman]

i gotta ask why.

also x88x your car does look pretty cheap and it s a 4 cylinder so not a gas hog. what about upgradability?

the 8 valve 2.0 may not be the fastest boat in the water but it is darn near indestructable. My motor has been through a lot that a normal one wouldn't survive. One of the biggest pluses in my eyes for the VAG (volkswagen automotive group) cars is they are still using iron instead of aluminum. You can build and rebuild this motor all you want to and the only concerns really are the aluminum head. I am watching a project now where a guy is building off of a 6 cylinder and it is going to be putting down at least 200 whp at each wheel. They are fun little cars and most are mechanical tanks so to speak. I am currently looking for a mk3 jetta or golf:banana:

[x88x]

also x88x your car does look pretty cheap and it s a 4 cylinder so not a gas hog. what about upgradability?

I've never really gotten into it, but there does exist a Protege tuning community. Just search for Mazda Protege tuning with your search engine of choice; some stuff should pop up. I remember a while ago finding an entire forum dedicated to tuning/modding/etc Protege's, but can't for the life of me remember where it was.

As far as 4-door sedans go, yeah, it's a great little car. Personally, though, if I were to do it again I would go for a hatchback. Largely though, because I have occasion to carry bulky cargo more often than I have occasion to carry passengers. One I've always loved the design of is the Honda Accord mk2 hatchback. Partially, I think, because it's what I learned to drive in (when I was 13.. :whistler: ), but I just think it offers a great compromise between a sedan and a hatchback (though the backseat probably isn't nearly as large as I remember it..). I probably wouldn't buy one anymore (gen2 was '81-'85), but I still like the design. :D

I miss slant-roofed hatchbacks. :( They seem to have died in the 80's in everything but a few sports cars. :( There is definitely something to be said for finding a happy compromise between style, aerodynamics, and practicality.

[Twigsoffury]

I've never really gotten into it, but there does exist a Protege tuning community. Just search for Mazda Protege tuning with your search engine of choice; some stuff should pop up. I remember a while ago finding an entire forum dedicated to tuning/modding/etc Protege's, but can't for the life of me remember where it was.

man that mazda would explode if you went and tried to put some aftermarket equipment on it after running so long like that. especially if its got a ton of miles.

Cold air intake today, New intake EGR valve/Gasket/o2 sensors/TPS/MAFS tomorrow!

I'm a sucker for a quality station wagon myself

http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2009/10/26/03/30/2005_subaru_impreza_wrx_wagon-pic-6090630610882540727.jpeg

You can say "that station wagon is ghey" as its dustin' on your a@# like a wheat crop.

[altec]

Other then the nasty looking wheel offset, that wagon looks nice.

[Spawn-Inc]

first car + power = big ass ticket... trust me, i speak from experience:facepalm:

haha, me to, and i don't even have much power (sunfire)


I love the vw 2.0 ask me why...



nice air horns, do they sound like a train? and are you running a system or is that the power wire from the alt?

[x88x]

man that mazda would explode if you went and tried to put some aftermarket equipment on it after running so long like that. especially if its got a ton of miles.
lol. Quite possibly. It more fills the role of 'good dependable car that gets me where I want to go, looks ok doing it, and gives a bit of fun when I want it to'. I've never been one to pour money into my car...instead I pour money into my computer...which depreciates a lot faster... :whistler:


http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2009/10/26/03/30/2005_subaru_impreza_wrx_wagon-pic-6090630610882540727.jpeg
Nice car, looks like some nice additions too...just one problem. ...those spoilers..I'm no aerodynamics expert, but I would be willing to bet money that the bottom one doesn't really do anything...and I wouldn't be surprised if the top one doesn't have much affect either. Take those off and it's a nice little car. :P

[blaze15301]

well i want to thank all you guys for your in put and ill still keep this open. i unfortunately wont be buying a car anytime soon because i just lost my job.

[farlo]

that sucks man, sorry to hear it.

[x88x]

Damn, sorry to hear that. Hope you find another one (assuming you're looking).

[Snowman]

nice air horns, do they sound like a train? and are you running a system or is that the power wire from the alt?

No, they broke I am getting a deeper set of horns and finding somewhere else to mount them. That is the main fuse box that sits on top of the battery it loks like this http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e266/sdoherma/jetta_vflow/batterySmall.jpg

I am running a system but you can't see the wires because I am ninja like that. I actually have a full set of ground and power running the full length of the car, as well as the switch wire from just inside the firewall to the trunk. This car was by far the easiest I have ever wired (did it on my lunch break) and has great accoustics.

To the OP sorry about the job loss that always stinks.

[altec]

Nice car, looks like some nice additions too...just one problem. ...those spoilers..I'm no aerodynamics expert, but I would be willing to bet money that the bottom one doesn't really do anything...and I wouldn't be surprised if the top one doesn't have much affect either. Take those off and it's a nice little car. :P

I don't know about two, but the top one adds character. Hatchbacks/mini vans/wagons normally suffer from that look where the back just falls off. A fiberglass spoiler adds something to break it up.


well i want to thank all you guys for your in put and ill still keep this open. i unfortunately wont be buying a car anytime soon because i just lost my job.

Shame. Good thing this happened before you dropped the money on a car though.

[blaze15301]

I want to thank you guys for helping me out, but my dream of owning a older mucle car is coming true. i just bought a 1973 monte carlo 350 automatic for 500$. The motor starts and runs just needs a ton of body work here are pics.

engine
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp190/blaze15301/monte%20carlo/DSC_0866.jpg

back end
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp190/blaze15301/monte%20carlo/DSC_0844.jpg

interior(those are captain seats for those who didn't know.)
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp190/blaze15301/monte%20carlo/DSC_0854.jpg

front
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp190/blaze15301/monte%20carlo/DSC_0840.jpg

side
http://i410.photobucket.com/albums/pp190/blaze15301/monte%20carlo/DSC_0842.jpg

[billygoat333]

http://jumptheturnstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/leftviewprep.jpg

I see much low rider action in your future. :D

[blaze15301]

http://jumptheturnstyle.com/wp-content/uploads/leftviewprep.jpg

I see much low rider action in your future. :D

nooooo never lol im going to restore it then put some nice performance parts onto it.

[x88x]

Nice haul blaze. IDK about your state, but in MD I think bumpers are required on the road even if it's licensed as a historic vehicle...so I would look into that first if I were you. :P BTW, definitely look into licensing it as a historic vehicle. If you meet the requirements (sometimes there are none, sometimes you are limited to driving it less than a certain number of miles a year), it will save you bank on insurance and may make getting it on the road a lot easier. I know at least in MD if you register a vehicle as historic you don't have to pass any safety or emissions inspections. :twisted:

[msmrx57]

Nice ride for a first car. :up: In the Midwest just about ALL of those have been turned into race cars.

[Snowman]

Just stay away from the rich kids in vipers http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/200608/the-fast-and-the-fur-9_460x0w.jpg

[AmEv]

Definitely a fixer-upper, Blaze.

[blaze15301]

I forgot to mention it comes with everything its missing. The bumpers ,back seat , passenger seat,ect... Theonly reason i got it cheap is because the lady dosent want to see it go to the crasher next month.

[msmrx57]

The only reason i got it cheap is because the lady doesn't want to see it go to the crasher next month.


That's great too much old iron has already been crushed.

[lynn's engraving]

maybe a taurus six-banger. other than for one year (2006?), they made 67 gajillion of them, so parts are easy to find and are cheap... ish. :) cops see a hundred of 'em a day and don't look twice at 'em. they've made them for a long time, so 2K would definitely get one. they are one of the best-selling cars of all time, but research the year of it first (that should be standard practice for any car you're interested in, but it's worth saying again).

sorry you lost your job, btw.

[blaze15301]

sorry you lost your job, btw.

Thank you. I got a new better job in no time. The owner of the place loves me he actually just gave me the janitor position because he found out i got this car. 25 a day cold hard cash ill take it.

[Twigsoffury]

[edit] ooh a monte carlo.

well its easy to work on. i know for a fact those timing chains on those old montes like to snap mid drive. so you'll probably want that instantly replaced. (100$+400 in labor if you can't do it yourself) your A/C system is probably shot to hell and can't hold a vaccum. its the old R-12 system so that'll need to be entirely replaced and upgraded to a R134-a system or better as r12 is highly illegal as f@#k to use. (new standard coming out next year......yay) so thats another 1,800~2,400$ if you ever want air conditioning in your vehicle again.

Gaurentee it needs all new bushings on the suspension, 300$. new struts 210 and up$ per side. those drum brakes are a living pain in the a@# to work on. another 200$ spark plugs about 100$ depending on the style you use. New distributor 100$, guessing a new carb since that things probably sat for years and just dumps fuel into the intake manifold at this point.. 225$ + 175$ for adjusting if you can't do it yourself.

I'd probably pull the intake manifold gasket and replace it. i'm assuming you want to haul ass. and if that gasket is 20+ years old its probably flakes at this point just waiting to bubble and spew coolant into your pistons TKO'ing your engine.



I bet your about to dump a used 2004 honda civic into that monte carlo to get it to a point where its a reliable driver. (5,200~7,000+) and can be legally on the road.


If your state/country requires emission standards to be met before you can tag your car.... man your f@!ked. but if you live in a place like oklahoma.. your styling! i've seen cars driving around with open headers and half the body panels missing.

No way you would make it more then 2 miles in california with out a officer emptying his citation book on you though.

[Snowman]

If your state/country requires emission standards to be met before you can tag your car.... man your f@!ked. but if you live in a place like oklahoma.. your styling! i've seen cars driving around with open headers and half the body panels missing.

No way you would make it more then 2 miles in california with out a officer emptying his citation book on you though.

If I am not mistaken because of the age of the vehicle he is exempt on a lot of the certifications and testing.

[Twigsoffury]

If I am not mistaken because of the age of the vehicle he is exempt on a lot of the certifications and testing.

well i'm sure they still want you to have a functioning EGRV valve, a hole-less exhaust and functioning o2 sensors (if that car even has those lol)

I'll have to snap off some photos off all the work my buddies done on his towncar. it's insane. No low-rider action or racer action. hes just well. restoring i to what a 86 towncar should be.

[x88x]

well i'm sure they still want you to have a functioning EGRV valve, a hole-less exhaust and functioning o2 sensors (if that car even has those lol)

Not necessarily. In MD at least, if you license a vehicle as historic it never has to pass any inspections. And actually, outside of certain areas surrounding DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis, emissions inspections are not required in MD, so those three parts wouldn't need to be in working order on any vehicle regardless of age or registration status in order to be road legal outside those few areas.

[blaze15301]

just to clear everything up. in the state of pa any car that dose not have a catalytic converter stock does not need a emissions test. this car is in great shape in sat in a garage for 14 years and only sat out side for 3 i think. im getting it this coming Saturday so ill take some better pictures and post them. as far as the exhuast card and spark plugs im getting a better carb eventually and im replacing the plugs + distributor with a performance racing one. in the next 2 years ill have the entire car redone. it will hopefully be on the road come December.

edit. x88x is right about the historic thing. as far as the air conditioning unit its all goign to be pulled. thats why they have windows.

[Twigsoffury]

just to clear everything up. in the state of pa any car that dose not have a catalytic converter stock does not need a emissions test. this car is in great shape in sat in a garage for 14 years and only sat out side for 3 i think. im getting it this coming Saturday so ill take some better pictures and post them. as far as the exhuast card and spark plugs im getting a better carb eventually and im replacing the plugs + distributor with a performance racing one. in the next 2 years ill have the entire car redone. it will hopefully be on the road come December.

edit. x88x is right about the historic thing. as far as the air conditioning unit its all goign to be pulled. thats why they have windows.

well there ya go!

oklahoma sounds exactly the same,

oh heres his towncar, its got 15" Triple chrome daytons in the trunk, needs a alignment before the rims get thrown on.

http://i51.tinypic.com/xc1y6x.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/2q31ytx.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/2uen3g3.jpg

wish i had some before pictures of the interior. it still looks sorta dirty (got to steam clean it next week or so) but jesus H christ before it was insane. that carpet was more of a mat of just nastyness and those seats were black in some spots. some of those panels on the dash were missing, others were dented, still looking for a new glove box.

The exterior took almost a whole can of carnuba and finishing wax. it'd just suck it up and suck it up and suck it up. boy its glossy now though.

The whole front end is new, new control arms, new bushings, new sway bar, new ball joints, new bearings, new C clips, new rotors, new pads, new calipers, new lines, new master cylinder, new gaskets, new distributor new solinoid, new coil new cables new plugs, new injectors. new ignition (you can see it in the 2nd picture) and what ever we removed we ran through the acid bath and painted it.

hes in it about 2,400$ now. but the way its running, seems it'll easily get another 100,000 miles off of it!


Oh! when you replace your distributor, make sure you replace your coil deal to, and your supposed to re-program your ECU as well. but thats something you'd have to ask majorbud about or research yourself. hes the mechanic.


anyways at this point its about two more trips to pull-a-part for cosmetic stuff like the broken trim on the front end, the glove box and maybe a interior door panel or two.. oh yea needs another passenger door handle as that just broke again (lincoln door handles blow chunks. next time you see a towncar look at the door handles and they'll all be bent and broken lol)

[Snowman]

Ummm... Why would you not align the car with what your going to be driving around in it on. They are also called wheels not rims but thats not a big deal :P, but I doubt his monte cas a ecu/ecm scratch that it doesn't have one this is good old fashioned mechanical muscle so he is good to go.

[blaze15301]

i got the car yesterday already started to do some work on it. the fenders have to go the doors probably as well. the gas tank has a hole in it and 4 others that were patched so i may just grab a new one. and the rad has a bad leak in it. so i have gas and antifreeze leaking in my garage. makes a nice concussion.