Nizmo Buys Another Beater!

Sizzle Chest said:
Should sell quickly with looks like that!
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I hope so. I need to quickly do the headliner, scrub the carpets again, and do a serious cleaning on the engine bay. Still waiting on Penndot for the title so the signs on the car just for some feelers. I did put in the work to get it through inspection and the sticker is worth its weight in gold in PA.
 
Nizmo- Hope it sells OK. Getting that sticker oughta be a huge plus.

Already wondering what you`ll get next ;) Between you and The Driver (who just got a fixer-up C63 Benz) I`m living vicariously, and thoroughly enjoying it :D
 
So several months later, while I have the title finally, it seems to not have sold yet. Several inquiries and low ball offers, but being a somewhat rare car (despite slightly rusty on the rockers) I know what I got. If I don`t sell it before fall it`s going in the garage for a slight restoration. Suspension refresh, rocker repair, and pull the cylinder head and rebuild. I have tinkered with it here and there, so I`ll share so far.

The wing/spoiler thing was looking sad. Faded, and peeling. Quick wham-bam job and it looks pretty good. If you`re wondering why I didn`t remove it, the seal underneath is un-obtainable now-adays so I wasn`t going through that pain.

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Next is a couple randoms when I finally adjusted the parking brake...

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And some cleaned up shots I took for the sale ad.

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And for fun, since it likes to use oil (valve stem seals are dried up and done) a for fun picture of the leftovers I use in it. Although my leftover oils are pretty darn good if I say so.

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I`ve had fun with this car. Been frustrating at times, but has kept me occupied. It`s still for sale, but I`m not losing my butt on it, and I know what these cars are worth. So, hopefully you guys have been entertained along that way!
 
Had some leftover paint and the wheels needed some attention, so here we are...

Because racecar... :P

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Nizmo:
I see that you mentioned that the valve stem seals are "dried up and done" with the pic of the "leftover" Castrol Edge motor oil, but I also thought you pulled the head and rebuilt it. So you did not replace those seals at that time?

Let us know when it sells. I think that the manual transmission is a hindrance more than an asset in this day-and-age of used vehicles. Young people who may be interested in this vehicle just never learned to drive a manual transmission. It`s going to take a" special person" who understands what they are getting. Add to the fact that you have mentioned this is NOT a good car for driving in your locale in the winter snow and hills only compounds the challenge to selling this vehicle.

I just like the original silver paint OEM wheels with the white exterior a little better visually/aesthetically, but the "new" black-painted wheels do go with the roof & newly repainted rear wing color.

On a completely different note, I must commend you on your mechanical repair and body shop and painting skills. Not everyone has those abilities . It has been said that English sports cars (MGBs, Triumphs TR7`s, Lotus`, Jaguar`s) have made more mechanics out of their owners by necessity. Your Mitsubishi-sourced Eagle Talon may be an extension of that adage.
 
Lonnie said:
Nizmo:
I see that you mentioned that the valve stem seals are "dried up and done" with the pic of the "leftover" Castrol Edge motor oil, but I also thought you pulled the head and rebuilt it. So you did not replace those seals at that time?

Let us know when it sells. I think that the manual transmission is a hindrance more than an asset in this day-and-age of used vehicles. Young people who may be interested in this vehicle just never learned to drive a manual transmission. It`s going to take a" special person" who understands what they are getting. Add to the fact that you have mentioned this is NOT a good car for driving in your locale in the winter snow and hills only compounds the challenge to selling this vehicle.

I just like the original silver paint OEM wheels with the white exterior a little better visually/aesthetically, but the "new" black-painted wheels do go with the roof & newly repainted rear wing color.

On a completely different note, I must commend you on your mechanical repair and body shop and painting skills. Not everyone has those abilities . It has been said that English sports cars (MGBs, Triumphs TR7`s, Lotus`, Jaguar`s) have made more mechanics out of their owners by necessity. Your Mitsubishi-sourced Eagle Talon may be an extension of that adage.
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Evening Lonnie,

I haven`t pulled the head yet at the moment. I`ve found if the car sits and I only putter around town it will show visible smoke at idle. Couple weeks ago I pretty much smoked out the folks behind me at the McDonald`s drive thru... I`ve taken the car on some longer, more "spirited" (IE Italian Tune-up) drives and it clears it up for the most part. It`s about due for an oil change so I`ll probably go with a 15w40 syn. I have 6 qts of some Euro 0w40 leftover from the Mercedes and VW I might try. Not costing me anything, so that might be the ticket.

For these cars the manual is the preferred transmission of choice. Most of the inquiries have been folks my age or slightly older that had these in high school. The problem is finding a buyer that is interested in a project. But you`re right, if we went to stick shift and crank windows we`d lose an entire generation.

I know the black wheel isn`t the look for everybody, but the silver was flaking and corroding in some spots on the aluminum. I had some black semi-gloss paint left over, so I figured I`d use what I got. I kind of like it, so I guess in the end that`s all that matters?

Far as the mechanical/autobody skills, alot of it stems from necessity and budget. I could have never afforded or was cost preventative to outsource work on my stuff. That and I don`t trust most to do what I do to my standards. I`m super anal at alot of stuff. Jack of all trades, master of none it seems.
 
So incase any one around here is wondering what happened to this little car, well, it`s still here and just got pulled in the garage for the winter to do some restoration. Sounds completely absurd, but here we go!

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So, strait to doing some rocker work. Took my air grinder and started to see what we have to work with...

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Ok, now we`re gonna go all in, no turning back!

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So most of the rot is cut out, still have to do some more around the lower wheel-well, but one step at a time. Got it prepped for and made the inner patch.

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But now we`re at a standstill temporarily. My old flux core welder is not up to the task. So, I placed an order for a new gas MIG setup. Definitely an unexpected cost. Plans go to fix the rust, replace the suspension, and paint the car. If you guys want to see the progress along the way let me know, if not it might just be an after 6-8 months down the road.
 
Nizmo said:
So incase any one around here is wondering what happened to this little car, well, it`s still here and just got pulled in the garage for the winter to do some restoration. Sounds completely absurd, but here we go!

LTKgGLE.jpg


So, strait to doing some rocker work. Took my air grinder and started to see what we have to work with...

pRrio3P.jpg


Ok, now we`re gonna go all in, no turning back!

CaIeZKv.jpg


So most of the rot is cut out, still have to do some more around the lower wheel-well, but one step at a time. Got it prepped for and made the inner patch.

ux6N2DC.jpg


But now we`re at a standstill temporarily. My old flux core welder is not up to the task. So, I placed an order for a new gas MIG setup. Definitely an unexpected cost. Plans go to fix the rust, replace the suspension, and paint the car. If you guys want to see the progress along the way let me know, if not it might just be an after 6-8 months down the road.
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Im in! Keep us posted


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Nizmo - Amigo !
Wow, you have been busy !!!

Well, that work you just did was great !

Hope it continues to go well with no major surprises..

Happy Thanksgiving !!

Dan F
 
Hey, wasn`t sure how much you guys would like a plethora of pictures. I guess metal/body work can be considered "detailing" in its own little way. Some think I`m a little crazy "restoring" this thing, but hey it`s something to tinker with and I get to keep something on the road for 2-3 more years. The drivers side is WAY worse and will require some ingenuity to make it go back together and look right.
 
Following too. Looks like a lot of work to get that rust fixed. I once did a bit of patch work on an old CJ7 I had. The thing about rust is it hides well. You always find more. In my case I should have just gotten a new tub!
 
Nizmo:
I am following this thread because I find it "interesting" that you are using this vehicle kind of like a classroom laboratory experiment to enhance and develop your metal working and auto-body painting skills. Like I said in a previous post in this thread, I am amazed at your mechanical prowess and quite honestly, am envious of many Autopians in this regard simply because I do not possess this natural ability to do so.
I doubt you will be get your time and money invested in this vehicle back from its resale value, but I am sure that you are gaining a metal-working and painting education/experience and maybe some more tools, like the MIG welder you will be (or have) buying, to work with in the future.
It is funny because I kinda do the same thing in auto detailing as a hobbyist. The little money I do make detailing I tend to buy detailing products or equipment to replenish that which I used up or has worn out, so I never really "make money" at detailing. It just kind of financially self-supports itself. And not really because, as any truly OCD detailer knows, there is ALWAYS that new buffer or piece of equipment to buy or some new detailing car-care product you REALLY want to try or upgrade to. As many Autopians know and have said, the detailing hobby is a financial "rabbit hole" that you can easily fall into, and that adage is true of almost any hobby of interest that is seriously pursued.

Back to the Eagle Talon! Keep us informed what you do to it and when you sell it. I know it is a limited market/buyer that this Eagle will appeal to, BUT then again, you just may fall upon that right buyer who, like you said, had one in their younger day and want to relive that time period again with such vehicle and buys it with the heart and not from the head (not to imply the this Eagle is a "bad" vehicle to buy, but the pragmatist in me does not see this vehicle as a sound investment to make money on OR as a practical daily driver. Then again, if the price is right........). You also have pictorial documentation of what has been done to this particular Eagle Talon by you, so the next owner knows that certain problems have been addressed which can only help sell the vehicle.
 
Lonnie, at this point I doubt I`ll sell it now. I do believe there`s a curse with this car that it can only be sold inbetween friends/family, lol.

My father is a bodyman/painter and while he isn`t in my life right now (for various reasons) I picked up how to do stuff over the years. Also being an industrial maintenance technician, welding and fabrication is part to my job.

This winters repairs and upgrades are gonna probably total $1200-$1500 including paint/supplies for when it gets warmer. Lets not forget additional tools! My recent welder acquisition was $800 all in; the initial gas bottle buying set me back $334 alone. However, I can use this for all kinds of stuff! I`ve been wanting one for a long time now, so I got a legit excuse to buy one.

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Nizmo:
That is quite the Eastwood MIG welder you have purchased. Aren`t they the automotive restoration tool and equipment supply company? I am sure you it will serve you well on this "cursed" project beater and other vehicles or projects in the future

Sorry about your father-son relationship. You know more of this situation and as you say, "for various reasons", and I will leave it go at that.

Your industrial maintenance work fabrication and welding experience extends to this project as well. Now I know where some of this ability comes from.
 
Ran into a little bit of unexpected rust. Started cutting some of the curve and something looked off. Grabbed my screwdriver and started going through more of the rot. Went alot further than I expected. It almost got into the torque box (where the trailing arm connects). Luckily it didn`t or it woulda been scrap yard time.

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For the good side, it was sure deceiving. Poked around the other side and it seems to be the same story. Oh well, just gotta get a little more creative.

I will say, my forced air heater has been keeping it warm. Was running on the same tank of Kero since last year, but I noticed today the tank was about empty. Kerosene has been running about $5 a gallon in my parts I switched to Diesel. No difference really.

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In case you`re wondering, yes I crack a door for ventilation...

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Some more progress today.

Got the inner patched and primed with high zinc weld-through primer. Doesn`t look pretty and has different weld styles per patch, but was a great experimentation. It`s ugly, but strong.

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Next was cutting more of the wheel area out. I cut a little bit much out, but it`s just metal...

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So I started on one of the more difficult task, making the arch bend for the wheel-well. Started off with the inner as it doesn`t have to look pretty...

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Now that I have a "routine" going, once I get all the other patches done that outer curve piece should be "easy."
 
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