Restore my car

Ther eis room on the drive for us to bring her home now :)

I knew from the very day I was a small child watching the original Knight Rider show… that, a Black Third Gen Trans Am was the car I wanted. My dad, for the longest time, only owned a little Subaru POS that was barely functional, and a Suburban. The Subaru was eventually replaced with a Jimmy, then a Blazer, and then an Envoy. I was also very bored with being the “tool lackey” when he’d do routine maintenance… so I was never really excited about cars. It wasn’t fun. He never figured I was really into cars. Truth is, I was…

Finally at Age 27, I got my dream car. An 83 Trans Am, Black with Gold Trim. The price was decent, but I soon learned all the things that were wrong with it. It has since become a project, and I’ve fallen in love with restoring her. And of course Driving her. I had no idea that owning a piece of machinery like this could bring so much joy. If goes for Transmission work tonight… I’m looking forward to another summer of – hopefully – many.

I’m slowly writing a list of things I want to do. Got to get her mechanically sound first. After the transmission… custom exhaust is next :)

I also want to learn how to weld and do body work.

yeah. I pore money on it and now its probably got a blown head gasket. BOOOOOOO.

Ok actually I think I blame my mechanic. Double BOOOOOOOOO.

That’s my car’s name. It just got smashed where it stood parked at the curb in Brooklyn. Someone slammed into the driver’s side door, shoved the tire on the other side more or less through the pavement, and drove away. Also, the windshield was shattered.

I’ve gotten the windshield and the tire replaced, but he’s going to need a new door eventually. Two new side panels, a new bumper front and back, and probably the hood as well, though that might be salvageable. The locks need redone. The radio casing needs replaced. I’ll probably put better speakers in him, too.

Also, and this is the first thing that needs doing, he needs an alignment.

And then I will give him a spankin’ awesome paint job and take him back out on the road. Billy Markham will ride again.

SO I finally got my tire looked at. It only holds the correct amount of air for about a day. Every 3 or so its so low that it makes my car shudder just a bit going down the road. Its really annoying and reason to not take it places when I dont want to be bothered stopping at a compressor somewhere.

So I finally got it looked at yesterday. I was hoping it was a nail or the valve stem but its the rim. I cant say I’m entirely surprised. THe previous owner wasn’t the brightest bulb and spent money on the looks of the car (obviously cheaply) instead of addressing the transmission which sounded like a can full of pebbles going down the road. THe rims though probably expensive are cheap. I’m sure material and craftsmanship. So the air is leaking from where the rim meets the tire. I now know for sure. THe place I took it tried to do a fix. I’m know if it works in a few days. I’m hoping so. The rims are the last thing on my list of items to address…

Especially since my hazard switch just broke. bah.

I installed door breaks finally too. OH soooo nice. My door closes correctly now and with a satisfying thud. I must say that I’m pretty pleased with my list. I really just need to start slowly purchasing replacement rubber and head liner to be ready for when I can afford to get the paint and body done. I’ll add them to my list.

• all new aluminium trim pieces
• window rubber
• Head liner
• Hazard switch
• cigarette lighter element
• washer blinker stalk… switch is bad.
• Under-dash trim parts
• windshield washer reservoir (TO REPAIR) and pump
• get compression test
• gas cap keys
• new horn or horn relay
• new shocks/maybe struts
• fix leaky tire/rim? purchase spare
• tune up/-oil change/points timing-
• replace passenger door trim
• fix shifter knob
• get exhaust leak looked at (valve problem not worth fixing until engine is replaced overhauled)
• wiper motor
• dome light button
• Door Breaks

SO this got bumped up recently. I took my car in for what I thought was going to be minimal work. My radiator has still been leaking and I thought for sure it was just the hoses. My mechanic took the car and a list of things i WANTED to do depending on the cost and did it all without talking to me. SO therefore I got “new” rear springs (used stock ones) a new radiator and a few other odd things. I was pretty pissed off. the grad total came to over $700 and I really didn’t have that money to spend, but I’m trying to stay positive about it. My rear wheels dont rub now at least now with just 2 people in the car and I rode someone in the back yesterday and it only rubbed once while going around a corner with a dip.

I didn’t want stock springs. I didn’t want to pay 400 for a new radiator (I’d found one for 120 out in pomona earlier this year) This is causing some financial stress but at least the card isn’t spilling coolant everywhere and I can have a functioning rear seat. sigh.

SO this is where I’m at.

• cigarette lighter element
• gas cap keys
• windshield washer reservoir (TO REPAIR) and pump
• new horn or horn relay
• new shocks/maybe struts
• fix leaky tire/rim?/purchase spare
• tune up/oil change/points timing
• replace passenger door trim
• fix shifter knob
• get exhaust leak looked at (valve problem not worth fixing until engine is replaced overhauled)
• get compression test
• wiper motor
• washer blinker stalk… switch is bad.
• Under-dash trim parts
• dome light button
• Door Breaks

After spending so much on my car last week I decided to go down to the junk yard and search for a few things that have been driving me crazy. I found the plastic bit to get my dome light to work again, found a less mangled passenger door trim piece and put it on and fixed my shifter knob. The car also got a bath and a vacuum. Now I need money to pay for all my repairs.

There should be room on the drive at the new house for my mini to sit there whilst we mend her. Hooray!

I’m obsssed with cars and they can be very expensive.
My husband crashed my 1959 Edsel wagon into a tree 5 months ago but now i have a 1959 Ford Fairlane.It would have cost me over $10,000 to fix my poor Edsel,it was a rare ride.
I need some break work and fluid leaks issues taken car of now but other than that she’s a real peach.

So much for the christmas money paying for my car to be done.

It paid my first couple of months rent in my new life as a single woman.

Anyway…

Looks like my new boyfriend wants to help me out mending my car which could be great fun. I’ve got a full item job now as well so progress will be made on this at some point :)

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and he told me he used to have a classic buick that he got painted for under 1k in Mexico. I know I can get a paint job like that here too but he mentioned they took the car and sanded it down to metal and did all the body work too. This is giving me some hope because I was quoted between 4-5k for the work. I simply cant afford that and pay for all the trim etc I need to replace as well. I’m really thinking this project may be a reality now. I just need my debt paid down so I can start saving for all this.