1997 neon acr coupe 2012 challenge/DD build

I grabbed one quart of that last night at the parts store to go with my quart and a half of mopar friend synchromesh that's left over from my Dakota's

3 hours of thrashing.  Went on test drive. 

Wont restart. Acts like a bad starter....

It is officially generally functional garbage. 

10 miles (approximately) tonight. Speedo/odo dont work. Have gps speedo on phone.

No cel.

Trans is meh.

Runs cool.

Fairlyquick

Good heat

All lights wirk

Ugly as homemade sin

Rattles everywhere 

Power steering pump pulley hits the core support under deceleration 

Radio only has one speaker

Drivers seat is GARBAGE. 

Good enough for work tomorrow. Its only a hundred mile day, and i broke both the company car and the truck today, so this is it! Probably need to at least put insurance on it....

Insured. Tools in the trunk.  No phone charger or license plate.  At inspection station now. Actually a fairly decent beater so far. Lots more to do, but its officially a drivabeater. 

It doesnt look to bad. 

In reply to Professor_Brap :

Especially in the dark

117 miles today. Good enough shake down.

Mission critical stuff for the next 2 days(estimate 500 combined)

Fix sunroof rattle 

Registration and plate

Swap drivers seat with one from acr

Replace vss

Attemp manual clutch adjustment of the automatic adjuster.

Dusterbd13-michael said:

In reply to Professor_Brap :

Especially in the dark

Giggity

Sun roof rattle i bet is something loose. 

In reply to Professor_Brap :

I agree. Im thinking the horizontal torx bolts.

Angrycorvair: like last call at the bar, it always looks better when out of other options. 

Dusterbd13-michael said:

In reply to Professor_Brap :

I agree. Im thinking the horizontal torx bolts.

Angrycorvair: like last call at the bar, it always looks better when out of other options. 

just get it home before the lights come on

In reply to AngryCorvair :

This car will be proof when I'm finished that you can put lipstick on a pig

Don't be so hard on yourself, or the car.  That was some feat getting this one running along with life, and other projects.  Get it running good, enjoy getting reacquainted with Neons.  Make it safe/reliable, if it goes to family.   The ACR will be the real hair puller.  Nice job, by the way.

Thanks. I make fun of my wirk a lot so it doesn't seem like im bragging or cocky or anything. The r/t isn't a car i wamt to own, and didn't anticipate getting this deep into. However, its a daily that i jave a legitimate 1300 bucks in, that was slapped together from spare parts, in a one week thrash. And is now truly my daily while my other stuff is broken. Not the planned schedule or project. But, its actually a pretty good car for what i have in it. Better than many ive spent much more on, to be honest. The paint, rattles, and filthyness bother me far more than the pricepoint should allow it to. But thats a bit of sweat away from a solved issue. 

Its safe and legal. Step one accomplished. Reliable is step 2, and that waits to be seen. So far, ive got a good feeling. Step 3 is cool. Thats a whole different chapter in the saga. That one is going to have to wait. Other, bigger fish to fry.

Step 2 should be pretty easy, they are simple and easy to get sorted. 

Professor_Brap said:

Step 2 should be pretty easy, they are simple and easy to get sorted. 

 

And a little spit and polish, and you're good to go.

Seat swap is a glorious success. 

Sunroof is mangled to the point that ill have to drop the headliner and pull the whole assembly 

Vss wasnt dead, i dont believe. But it has a different one and still no speedo. The professor and i think wiring issue. 

1 out of three aint bad, right? I did find a car charger for my phone, so at least ill have a speedo tomorrow. 

I missed neons. So much fun to drive. Running to church for shrove Tuesday was a RIOT.

117 miles this morning. The extra high rates and konis in the r/t handle fantastic. However, they beat you up pretty quick, even with a good seat. I love them, and they will go into the acr. The eibach progressives in it will go in here for now. Much more grans touring ride with them.

HI rates and konis arnt the best street ride, the base suspension is pretty good just a Fyi, still zippy yet compliant. 

I laughed at Shrove Tuesday being a riot.  Shrove/Fat Tuesday seems to be a lifestyle around my house.

A more compliant suspension is better for DD activities.  Save the rough stuff for when playing rough. Glad to see the Neon is endearing itself.  Driving a car that brings a smile to your face, is one of life's little pleasures.

finished cooling system flush tonight, and put actual antifreeze in it. now i can leave it outside without worry in the cold snap were having. 

117 miles home were fine, except the last working speaker died, and the sunroof rattle got worse. 

so i swapped the old JVC that was still in the ACR into the RT. starting to irritate myself that im robbing parts from the car i want to own for the one i dont. but theyll all get back around, or replaced with new. so no big deal i guess. anyway, both rear speakers are back now, and same with radio reception. still no front sound (im not sure theres actually any speakers hooked up at this point. i did look, and theres no dash speakers, as they were removed at some point)

i went ahead and swapped the plastic drive gear on the VSS. i didnt last night because it wouldn't come out. figured maybe it was chewed up (it was) and would possibly fix the no speedo issue (it didnt). so tomorrow night ill check the cluster solder joints. i doubt it, as the VSS signal is not showing consistently in the scan tool. my fear is that the drive gear inside the transmission (on one of the shafts in there, not the plastic one on the VSS) has broken loose. ive found reference to that on the internet, but no pictures or real explanation. if anyone has any experience there, im all eyes. 

did some nut and bolt checks. odd noise from the accessory end of the engine has me nervous. started after draining and filling the coolant, was not consistent with rpm or load. went away without finding the source of the noise when the car got warm. ill keep an eye/ear out. no coolant or obvious metal on the dipstick oil, so hopefully not catastrophic. i truly think (hopefully not wishful thinking) that the power steering pump is hitting the core support again. it really does sound accessory related.....

In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :

There is a plastic gear on the differential that is notorious for coming loose.  As far as I am aware, there's no way to repair that without cracking the case.

In reply to wae :

thats my fear. but, if thats the case with this, ill do what i have to. 

So, i fixed the sunroof rattle!

Ozzy on 2 working 6x9s at most of the volume. Rattle goes away. 

The FSM I sent you should have the trans take down in it.