Very cool. Be sure to share the project with us when the time comes.
AKADriver wrote: Use it as a parts car and put all the good stuff into a cleaner 323 body. If you transfer EVERYTHING over, the V6 will fit into the other BG cars. That includes the KL 2.5L engines.
MMMMMMMMMMMM KLZE 323 HATCH. FAST.
integraguy wrote: Since everyone else has "chimed in" on the mechanical aspects of this car (MX3s are rare in my "neck of the woods"....and the 4 cylinders VASTLY outnumber V6s) I'll add my $0.02 on the "rot issue". It's my theory that in countries with driving on the right side of the road AND heavy salting in winter, the left side of the car gets WAY more than it's share of exposure to salty splash from cars and trucks passing on the driver's side. However, a car as rotted as you describe sounds like it was all that well cared for. Like the owner couldn't/wouldn't wash the underside in the winter. My Dad is nearly 88 years old, but he always washes the underside of his car after driving in heavy salt.
I don't know, I deliver to a guy with a 400k mile plus late 80s vw fox, with no rust. Daily driven in Michigan it's whole life. I asked him what he does and he said he oils the rockers, an doesn't wash it until spring. He said all the water will do is liquify the salt and flush it deeper into the body. Who knows if he's right, but the car is clean.
Joey
KLZE and MS it and youll be in great shape power wise. No the millenia SC wont work very well, clearance issues. Even a 2.5l KLDE/KL03 would be a good motor. IF you boost it your weak link will be the tranny, but those are 200 bucks used.... first thing i would get a motor mount inserts from RRracing, just google it, but the factory mounts are notoriously torn.
Cheap cat back is pacesetter, call them and order just the cat to muffler pip, IIRC its like 100 bucks mandrel bent 2.5inches, it is aluminized steel but shoot, paint it once a year with a rattle can..... They wont list it on their site but just claim you had the full system and broke it somehow....
Hot Shot knockoff headers if they will fit, SSautochrome used ot have them alll over EBay.
ANd a honda civic shifter can be had for 15 shipped and can be used as an STS quite nicely...
Got the GS home. mthe check engine light came on. Probably an O2 sensor or something. Does anyone know how to check codes?
Also power steering is barely working. I check the level and it was LOW! I added a bottle of fluid i had laying around and not much improvement. I am thinking that the rack may be bad. This could be a problem as no one seems to carry a rack. It could be the pump, but the fluid it put in was immediately pumped through the system. None came out on the floor.
I will take any and all info.
You should be able to jump two "holes" in the diagnostic port to get check engine light flashes. I doubt you'd be able to find a reader for this thing. Import OBD1 readers are few and far between.
Got the car on the lift.The floors are ok, other than by the drain plug in the spare tire well. There is much rust on the suspension, but it is still solid. Corrosion is developing on brake and fuel lines and fuel tank straps need to be replaced. The rear disc brake dust shields / backing plates are rotted. Frame / unibody is fine. The car seems rusty, but repairable.
I though the unibody was, but when I started brush rust off, the side of the unibody channel mid way back on the drivers side began to crumble. There was a 1 inch oblong cast in how which grew to four inches after brushing. I welded in a small piece of 28 gauge (I think) steel to make a patch, but I am concerned about the structural integrity of the car. There was rust everywhere. We ground, brush and scraped the entire underside of the car. We then sprayed the entire underside of the car with Rustoleum rust converter. I fear the car will just rot again when my son uses it in the winter. Not sure if I want to finish or sell.
Also needs new brake lines (all are corroded and flaking) and a power steering line. Muffler is shot and it needs some pipe repair. Even the struts are rusted!
Going to need a new exhaust from the cat back. Besides Pacesetter, who else makes one? I can't find another brand.
hotshot i think, greddy used to.... pacesetter midpipe with your own muffler choice is still your best bet....
Wow, I had no idea these cars were that capable of rusting. I had one, same year/model as yours, bought with 70,000 miles on it in 1996 and sold it in 2004. Never saw any rust on it, and that was a Massachusetts car.
I don't see these cars out in the wild anymore, but when I do, they're usually sporting completely dead faded paint, but I still can't recall seeing one rusting. That's too bad that the one you've got is disintegrating, since they're halfway decent fun cars when they're working right, which mine was about 70% of the time.
No one ever fell in love with the mx3/6/pgt in the aftermarket so you should be able to find another on the cheap, really an MS3 with a KLZE and bolton's is gonna be a fun lil DD or twisties weekend ride. If you wanna get into serious competition I dont know how it would fare, but shoot, i bet you can build one for like 5K maze with some nice suspension upgrades.... and itll be rare... keep looking!!!
$5k would be on the high end of that build. MX3 w/ blown motor, $500, KLZE, $1000 or under. Clutch, $300, spend whatever on suspension. Done.
Got the body holes filled sanded and smoothed. Trailering down to the body shop for some structural work and respray of factory color tomorrow.I should probably part it out but it is my son's first car and he loves it. He has done most of the work. Probably going to cost a total of $3K to get the car where we want it (including purchase price).
Got the car to the body shop and we are not sure the car is salvageable. A piece of frame is going to have to be replaced, the rear quarter sheet metal has had rust repair and is thin and the driver side rocker is M I A. The front sheet metal rear hatch and passenger side of the car is good. We are not sure what the left rear strut tower looks like. Before I proceed to either repair or dispose, does anyone here have interest in the car for parts? Again, it is a 1.8 V6 which runs well and the 5-speed trans shift well. Clutch works well, too.
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