What would YOU guys do with this S13?

[kennedy8383]

Originally Posted by youcancallmedrew

Hey guys, I've been reading this forum for yeeeears now, and this is my very first post. I guess it belongs here, not really sure.

So I've had this car (a 1992 S13 hatchback) for about a month now, and I don't think I've seen a week without a problem yet. Here's a list of the pros and cons, all jumbled up.


-Flat black paint, dent in rear left quarter panel
-Kouki 180sx tail lights (trunk dun open)
-Pignose front end
-300 ZX brakes
-TEIN adjustable coilover suspension
-Megan racing exhaust (3" test pipe?? SO loud.)
-S13 blacktop SR20DET with 40-50k miles
-Circuit Sports FPR
-" " FMIC
-New Koyo radiator, ugly ass cracked overflow reservoir
-Genuine HKS SSQV BOV ---> venting
-T25 turbo, HKS mushroom air filter
-Stock S13 E5 ECU
-Fuel pump unknown, been keeping up just fine. Likely a Walbro 255
-18" Sportmaxx whatever wheels, charcoal color. Would look better on a BMW
-Momo steering wheel missing two screws, fixin' to fall off if I don't pay attention and screw dat shiett back in
-Wired 10" subwoofer and 1,000 watt (or 2,000, whatever) amp
-SONY in dash CD player/radio/aux in
-None of this is presently connected properly, if at all
-Stereo wiring ALLLLLL up in the cabin
-Unknown brand "racing" driver seat, looking kinda old
-Original S13 passenger seat with two large cigarette burns probably dated 1999
-Some janky looking, barely functional mickey mouse wiring (more on this later)
-CRACKED dash, mexican looking red AC vents (this is confirmed, I have a mexican friend)
-JDM cluster in KP/H only, tach reads a 7.5k redline
-Door panels make noise and window switches are slightly loose
-SR motor has phenomenal compression, also no leaks
-Disconnected/rerouted manual boost controller (underneath hood release? WTF?)
-Tuned for 12 PSI, running stock 7

So I bought this car on a Friday. On Friday the brake master cylinder went out (like completely), and in an emergency I had Pep Boys install one, bleed brakes etc. Everything seemed great, I was in boost heaven. Later in the day I go over a bump at WOT and I suddenly have a very expensive paper weight. Car won't start no matter what. I tow the car to a local mechanic (who has never seen an SR, and can't stop telling me it's not the original motor). The man "fixes" the loose ECU ground wire by Sunday, and sends me on my merry way. Three tires, two oil changes, a BIG ass rock and a welded intercooler later, this car sits immobile on my street.

In the major fuse box to the left of the motor, the EGI Pump relay is sitting at a twisted angle, and the latch to the green fuse is broken. It won't stay in place so well, and if you tap it on the side the fuel pump cuts out. This means that with my RETARDED STIFF suspension, simply going over a Los Angeles pot hole or crack in the street can cause my engine to die. It happens once a day, and I've gotten used to driving with latex gloves on. All I do is get out, tap the fuse back into place once, and I'm good to go again. Was very scary at first, but now I have a better idea of what's going on.

That's problem number one. Problem number two is this.

I knew they were on the way out and should have changed them, but didn't. Clutch master (and or) slave cylinders are not functioning at all right now. Mechanic told me it was time about two weeks ago. Reservoir was empty, so I filled it and was able to drive home from work pretty well. Now I couldn't get it into first, even if I had the strength to force it. Not that I would want to destroy my transmission or anything.

I know changing these cylinders is a relatively easy two man job, but I have neither the second man nor a jack to prop up this POS, and even once I have a driveable car again I have this retard wiring to deal with.

I'm running out of cash quickly, and have little time to work on this car. What would you guys do? I'm in about $6,000 already with everything and can't really afford to spend more.

Do you guys see a potential light at the end of the tunnel with a car like this, or would you in all likelihood ditch it? I've been pondering a pre-made wiring harness, but I'm not installing it myself (otherwise I've defeated the purpose of fixing the wiring) and I'd reckon it'd be another $250 on top of that $350 or whatever for the harness.

Then I still need to smog it.

Then I need to fit a resonator so I'm not setting off car alarms everywhere I go.

Then I need to adjust the suspension so it doesn't shake my wiring and steering wheel loose.

There's also this. Last night I was coming home from a friend's house around 2:45 AM. She called me around the time I got home to tell me that her neighbors had called the police on my car, and that FIVE minutes after I left there were cop cars, a tow truck and a muffukin' CHOPPER IN THE SKY to haul my car to the impound lot. If my clutch cylinders had gone out last night and not this morning, I would have been out $6k.

The car is fast, and before I disconnected the MBC it could have kept up with a Ferrari in the canyons with no problem. But like a tire salesman told me, when I've had enough fun I'll probably end up tossing the keys over a fence to somebody and telling them to take it.

So guys? Keep it, fix it slowly, and be poor all the time or sell it at a big ole loss and get an FF corolla?

Photo of the car body.. How much was the car worth when you brought it?

Kennedy

[joeboo1]

It don't seam that bad.......i would stick with it

[Copper280z]

Buying a car like that you really need to expect problems. I'm not entirely of the opinion that buying someone elses project is a bad idea, but you need to know what you're looking at, what it's worth, and be willing to put some work into sorting it out if it's worth it.

If I were you, I'd buy a set of jackstands and do a thorough inspection of everything. It doesn't sound like you have big problems, but it could take a few weeks to completely sort stuff out. A place to work on it other than the street is important too.

A $500 beater would probably be the best investment you could make right now.

[youcancallmedrew]

Originally Posted by ShadowMan

Nothing risked, nothing gained. If you can make it to Camp Pendleton, I will help you. I have everything needed to remove the tranny, except beer, so that will be all that I require, you can keep ur money.

I do greatly appreciate that offer! If I can't find anybody less than two hours away I'll be getting you a case of beer. What do you drink?

[mnight]

Stick it out. You will not be disappointed with the satisfaction you get from fixing up the car yourself (or with some help from a mechanic for those terrible jobs). Scour the interwebs for every piece of information you can. Set a goal for yourself to learn about something new everyday. Eventually things will start to click in your head and suddenly the lightbulb will go on and you will be on your merry way to a prime s13.

Just takes hard work and dedication, and it sounds like there's numerous people on here that are willing to help you out. Don't give up now. Buckle down and do work.