80's Car Restoration Thread

Hey all.

I have been thinking about the complexity of modern cars quite a bit lately. My Fiesta, while cool, has a ton of electronics and I don't even want to think about what it would cost to fix anything on that car after the warranty runs out. Not to mention, 119 hp (thanks CA smog regs!) just isn't cutting it for DD duty.

Thus, I found myself thinking about my first car, which was an 87 Mustang 5.0 notchback. That was a fun car which ran like a top. Granted, the brakes and suspension are... interesting, but there was no denying that it was a raw, fun, and simple machine. Then, I got to thinking, what other cars from the 80's or early 90's were fun, simple, and are currently cheap? Why not restore/mod one into a DD and save money on car payments at the same time? Is making an 80's car a reliable DD doable, or am I just asking for more trouble?

Here were some of the cars that came to mind:

Fox Mustang (88-93 for mass-air in CA) e28 535is e30 (duh) Saab 900 Turbo or, preferably, SPG MKII Supra 280zx RA65 Celica GTS

What would you guys want to build as a fun, reliable, cheap, quasi-vintage DD?

I did a cosmetic restoration on my 1986 BMW e28 M535i a couple years ago, there's a picture thread here: http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=77409 It's been a good car - mechanically reliable (and when things have needed repair for the most part they were DIY capable), gets decent mileage, and while it's not fast when compared to modern cars it at least feels fast.

'88 festiva LX with an escort GT mazda BP motor swap?

well, maybe its not the one I would pick with an unlimited budget, but its the one I'm working on. lol

Of all the cars that I used to own and don't have anymore, the one I miss the most is a C4 Corvette.

I've done this a few times with Saab 900s, and I could put my current one into DD duty if I removed the summer wheels and tires. It's very doable and can be fun, but I'd honestly rather get in my new Fiat everyday and not worry about it (aside from maintenance) for the next 4 years or 50k miles.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/3468965063.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/3459995411.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/3460927879.html - nice one

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/3384945208.html

You get the idea.

(edit) Shoot. That blue one is too expensive, but all the same, I want it for a DD.

I've often thought that EFI cars from the 80s are a "sweet spot" between old school and new school. I can tell you the Toyota EFI on my '84 is completely stock and hasn't needed anything at all. That's really kind of impressive for a 28 year old car. They're easy to live with, get reasonable mileage (thought I've heard going to MS can up the mileage a decent little bit) and reliable.

In reply to fast_eddie_72:

always loved the old rwd celicas... there are exactly 0 around here. Never saw one as a kid, never saw one as an adult, not at junkyards, not at car shows. first time I saw one was the turbo magazine feature on one with a turbo buick GNX motor.

I don't like the hatches as much. I guess I like the later ones better than the early ones cause I like the blue one better than the earlier coupe as well.

They still pop up in the junk yards here in Denver. I went to LA to buy mine. There are still a lot of them on the west coast. Seems like the North West is littered with them for some reason. I like the coupe too. It's kind of a weird 80s thing. '84s and '85s look exactly the same, but the motor was updated a bit in '85. The older one is actually a tic more reliable becuase of the double row timing chain. Earlier ones had the different headlights. I like them, but not as much.

I've often thought that EFI cars from the 80s are a "sweet spot" between old school and new school. I can tell you the Toyota EFI on my '84 is completely stock and hasn't needed anything at all. That's really kind of impressive for a 28 year old car. They're easy to live with, get reasonable mileage (thought I've heard going to MS can up the mileage a decent little bit) and reliable.

I was thinking of that in the "technology is evil" thread, that the "friendliest" efi to me is the pre OBD-II stuff, which is exactly the stuff half the people in that thread hated because of its inability to self diagnose compared to new stuff. But its just so much simpler! Maybe its because the old stuff is so simple to truck into doing what you want.

*note, this comment does NOT take into account vaccuum hose routings from 1978-1990.

Some are worse than others in the vacuum hose department. My old Merkur was a nightmare. But the 22REs don't have much. You could replace it all for less than $20 and not need a single tool. And around here, anyway, there are a billion 22REs in junk yards. They put them in the trucks up to, like, 93. A few EFI things changed, but there are a lot of parts. Shoot, I have at least three complete EFI set ups.

my festiva has more vaccuum hose than horsepower.

I am doing a "New England-Style Forced Restoration" on my 1987 CSX. That means I bought it as a project car and found out that it needed massive amounts of rust repair.

I probably could daily drive it when it's done, but I won't. There are a few reasons for that. One is that I have a really long commute, and driving a rare, finicky turbo car to work every single day would probably not be the best. I'd also be afraid that the inept drivers I share the road with every day would take it out. If someone hits my 3, I'll be mad, but it's replaceable.

There's also that thing called winter that helped degrade the car to it's current state. I don't want to deal with that again.

The first-gen MR2 could fall into that category. Mine has needed a lot of work, but if you find one that is relatively rust-free, you will save a lot of that. Also, if you use oil in the engine while racing, you will avoid the engine-replacement cost.

So outside of rust and stupidity, they are pretty reliable. 80's Toyota engineering was pretty good for it's day, and that little 4AGE starts every single time, no matter what. Parts are easy to get and it is easy to work on, aside from not having a lot of access room. Combining the trunk, frunk, and interior gives you plenty of room for most daily chores. Top models even had power windows, cruise, etc.

I have been working on my 87 924s for years. I DD it (for the winters it has studded snow tires at all 4 courners). It is a perpetual project. The next big hurtal is installing the semi plug and play MS and adding the M62 suppercharger.

Most 80's cars I've seen are rather easy to fix mechanically, but interior and trim bits are hard to come by

All of the 80's cars that I love, Rabbits, Omnis, that sort of thing, are done better now. I could put a lot of work into restoring a car that weights about 2000 lbs and has right around 100 hp, has a twist beam rear and front struts. Or I could just buy a brand new one that's pretty much the same thing. Yea, that costs real actual money, but the cars are so so so much better, even if they are basically the same.
I do want an 80's conversion van though. Those were dope.

I already DD an obd I e36. Previous car was an e28 - which was a great commuter - not so much for gas - just comfy, competent and nice feel to it. Mrs. Oldtin DDs a 1986 porsche 928. Scary complicated in its day - now - not so much, just a lot of wires and electrical stuff that wears.

mazdeuce wrote: I do want an 80's conversion van though. Those were dope.

OK so the photo was in the 90's, but there's my 80's Fiesta and my 85 E150 Conversion van behind it, the only pic I can find of it. Man I loved that thing. It must have left the factory under a full moon and been blessed by vestal virgins while druid's whipped themselves with hazel switches as it come down the line. That van drove straight and true. Every other Econolodge I've driven wandered down the road like at sailor 6 hours after hitting port for the first time in three months, not mine. I could literally take my hands off the wheel and fold my arms at 80mph and it would just sit int he middle of its lane never wandering. It got 14mpg city, highway, towing, coasting, sitting still I think, nothing changed its fuel consumption. Twin tanks, twin fillers with a switch to swap between them. Amazingly comfortable for a 24 hour drive to Florida, towed my race car, autocross car, went skiing and had a party or two in the back. Let’s not even mention that stunning two tone metallic brown and gold paint or the matching brown and cream full velour interior (walls and roof too) all with matching genuine wood trim. Man that van was cool and I miss it. Michigan salt mines got the better of it, although it’s 351W is still in a friends barn.

Back to the original topic Now I’ve been down memory lane it’s back to the original topic. I was day dreaming this same topic the other day and my fantasy settled on either a Megasquirted XJ’s or an LSx swapped into an E24 6 series. Both cars at least had ABS and air bags available on later version, if not stability control. In either case my fantasy ran to totally seam welding the main body structure within the wheelbase to add strength while leaving the ends of the car stock for a crumple zone. Modern tires on slightly larger than stock but period correct looking wheels. The interior would have lots of soundproofing under the carpet, in the body panels, roof etc to help with NVH

The Fox Mustangs won't be too hard to restore. Reproduction parts are available for them now. Same for 3rd gen F-bodies.

For the other stuff from that decade, it's a little tougher. Lots of the donor cars were crushed when they fell in the "just an old car" wasteland between still used for daily drivers and getting old enough to be appreciated and restored.

I have an '87 Daytona Pacifica that will be restored with some upgrades. Previous owner upgraded the engine/suspension/electronics to '89 Shelby parts. Scored some good interior parts at Carlisle this summer, and got a good dash out of a parts car the year before. Eventually it will get its turn.

Also have an '89 Shelby Dakota. The regular Dak based parts aren't too hard to find, and trucks seem to last longer in the junkyards than the cars.

Oh yea, and the '87 Comanche. Forgot about that one for a moment. Maybe I should just list it in the $200x classifieds.

Rob_Mopar wrote: The Fox Mustangs won't be too hard to restore. Reproduction parts are available for them now. Same for 3rd gen F-bodies.

Not hard, but not cheap. I have a friend who bought an 88 T-top Fox body Mustang new. 88 was last the last year for T tops and speed density not Mass air for 49 states. He kept the car for a few years and sold it. About 8 years ago he tracked the car through its VIN to California (now converted to mass air). Contacted the owner, bought it flew out and drove it back to Michigan at 50mph due to fragged wheel bearings. He's working on a full concourse restoration (he restored a concourse winning 70 something Firebird in the past so I do mean concourse). He's found finding correct trim bit's to replace harder than you think. If you mean resto-mod, then yes, they are easy and cheap. If you mean period correct restoration, bring out the checkbook already.

A REALLY nice 1st gen CRX DX popped up a while ago on CL for $1500 and was there for a LOOOONG time. Probably went for a grand. Devac, and add a modern carb, maybe suspension, drive forever getting upper 30's or better mpg. Slow as piss, but fun to toss around. Add sidedrafts and integra pistons, and that berkeleyer will scoot.

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

Rob_Mopar wrote: The Fox Mustangs won't be too hard to restore. Reproduction parts are available for them now. Same for 3rd gen F-bodies.

Not hard, but not cheap. I have a friend who bought an 88 T-top Fox body Mustang new. 88 was last the last year for T tops and speed density not Mass air for 49 states. He kept the car for a few years and sold it. About 8 years ago he tracked the car through its VIN to California (now converted to mass air). Contacted the owner, bought it flew out and drove it back to Michigan at 50mph due to fragged wheel bearings. He's working on a full concourse restoration (he restored a concourse winning 70 something Firebird in the past so I do mean concourse). He's found finding correct trim bit's to replace harder than you think. If you mean resto-mod, then yes, they are easy and cheap. If you mean period correct restoration, bring out the checkbook already.

An assembly line correct restoration on anything isn't cheap. Pretty unheard of for anything other than the "blue chip" cars.

Anytime I get introduced to somebody new to the hobby I explain to them that if it isn't a labor of love don't restore a car. And don't think of it as an investment, think of it as a vacation. The money is gone either way but you have a big piece of steel and plastic not just photos and a T-shirt afterward.

I give your buddy credit for diving into his old Mustang like that. I can respect it.

I am thinking more resto-mod than all original, this IS GRM afterall....

Fast Eddie, nice find on the Celicas. That 84 GTS coupe is just what I would want. I was thinking that would be a lot of fun with a used supercharger off of Craigslist or Ebay.

I can find CRXs all day long here in Southern CA. The only real issue with one of those is that they are 2 seaters and I would need to be able to get kiddos in the car at some point. I have been considering one for my dedicated track rat, however. Then there is THIS:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/cto/3462482384.html

WANT WANT WANT but sooooo afraid...

Need to get motivated and get it back on the road....