17prospective buyer

Project is taking too long and it'll probably never get on the road again. Wonder how much i could get for parting it out? 186 000KM on it, good motor, good tranny, essentially rust free.

At this point i'm sick of driving my daily and wishing i was driving a nice car around in this nice weather. For the cash i could get with the part out i could buy a late E36 M3 with either good body or average mechanicals.

It'd be nicer to sell it as a project though, it really doesn't need much at all, i took the torque tube out for inspection, motor out, have a bunch of new parts waiting to go into it, got all 4 calipers professionally painted, new front wheel bearings and repainted rotor splash shields/backing plates, re-done entire headlight/windshield washer circuit with new hose and pumps, EVAP lines all replaced and all associated hardware yellow zinc plated. Studs are also yellow zinc plated. Kevlar clutch, many aluminum parts bead blasted, stainless braided brake lines, fuel tank removed and emptied to avoid stale gas problems whenever the car gets done, PC'ed intake, cam covers with yellow zinc replated hardware all over the motor, new cam gears, tensioner, distributor rotor, all seals, rebuilt stock tensioner and more i'm forgetting. Torque tube is back in.

Someone convince me to keep going... as much as i love this car, i just want to god damn drive it. I wish i hadn't of taken it apart.

Rob Edwards

What is the to-do list to make it a running, driving car?

17prospective buyer

Motor needs to go back in. I used the opportunity to do all the stuff that's easier when it's out. Clutch master hose (btw it's easier just to unbolt the master to replace the "blue hose", and then to bolt it back in with those stupid spacers, have an assistant on the engine side hold it while you line up the sleeves and bolts. PS high and medium pressure lines, just need to get solder on hard line to -AN fittings from Greg Brown, rack bushings are done and the reinforcing plate is back on, new outer tie rod ends, front hubs completely disassembled and cleaned up (bead blasted hubs, studs cleaned and plated in yellow zinc, new bearings etc). Clutch pressure plate is fine, just needs new throwout bearing and guide tube, already have a stock Sachs disk refaced with Kevlar facings. Torque tube taken out for inspection, and deletion of front guide rod in favor of the "Lizard Shifter" that uses the chassis as anchoring point, new rear shift coupler. New fuel filter and all associated hardware replated.

Got a low mileage California car one cooler rad virtually brand new condition, even has good original stickers on top.

Also need a few trim miscellaneous pieces before motor goes back in. IE evaporator drain door, gasket for heater core/AC lines where they go through firewall.

Motor mounts are new and bolted to the crossmember, waiting for the motor. Mounting brackets were all sandblasted and powder coated black along with sway bar link clamps and hardware replated. What else should i do before i lower the motor back in? Also i was thinking it would be easier to take the motor off the stand, bolt up the bell housing and bolt in the clutch assembly before it goes in. I took it out with the bell housing attached (because i couldn't get one of the upper bellhousing bolts) and it came out relatively easy, should go in even easier with the rad out.

I do have the money to spend on it, but i'm only 20 and working for $11/hr, so i can't just plop down 5K for the parts i need to finish it.

Mrmerlin

your waaay too far into this project to start parting it out,
and any used car you buy could potentially put you right back to where you are now.

Take the energy your spending thinking about parting/giving up on this one and redirect it towards making a things to do list, like they use on Overhaulin.

Before you know it you will be driving your P car

Alan

Just stop doing all the little extras - and get it back together... Its good to do all those things while you can - but when you get withdrawal symptoms you just need to get it back together and drive it.

You don't have to do everything in one go - get it driveable and take a break from working on it for a bit till you feel ready again - then do one major system at a time.

Alan

Rob Edwards

If the engine's on a stand I would start by R&R'ing the intake if you haven't already.

On the PS lines, I'm interpreting that you have some sort of custom soft line segments that need to mate to modded hard lines? Holler if I can help expedite getting those bits from Greg.

Don't worry about the gasket and evap flap, easily done with the motor in.

Once the PS lines are in, drop the motor in- with the motor mounts bolted tightly to the crossmember I don't know whether you have the clearance to get the combined engine/bellhousing straight down onto the mounts. If it were me I wouldn't spend any time/effort trying to make that work, just bolt the bellhousing to the TT, drop the engine in, slide the trans/TT forward, bolt them together and then worry about the clutch separately.

Make it run first, then you can make it perfect

Ad0911

I am in the same situation but my age is 53. Due tro various reasons (family health, my own health, work, distance between me and the car) the rebuild takes years. But I am not giving up! I will drive this car no matter what. I will overcome all the problems and pursue my goal.

Don't give up. You are very young and when you take it step by step you will succeed. But indeed as mentioned by the others, stop the extra's and do what is necessary to get it on the road. Extra's cost a lot of money and time. How I know? well.....

BTW, I use a checklist to record what I've done and what needs to be done. It helps to keep me focussed/ See attachment. I can send you the spreadsheet if you think it may help you.

palric

Treat it like a project

List your work breakdown structure

Define objectives to deliver these (drivetrain, electronics, suspension, whatever)

Devise strategy to accomplish each (eg: invite friends plus lotsa beer and put drive train back together next weekend)

It helps to keep it to manageable bits...

Watch out for scope creep... avoid distractions

Seems to me if you have what it takes to get this far you have what it takes to finish what you started.

Ladybug83

I agree with all of the above. Don't give up now, you've come too far and it sounds like your doing an awesome job!

Ive been sorting out my '83 for 8 months now, and for sure from time to time I get antsy and just want it finished so I can drive it. I recently read another thread on this forum and the guy took 8 years to restore his car, that makes me feel better. If I spend a year or two, it'll be worth it in the end. And I'll know that I did a good job doing things the right way, just like it sounds you are doing.

You've already got the ball. Keep your head down and just keep running towards the end zone !

M. Requin

Follow the suggestions about organization and prioritization you have just read, and then, whenever you come to a decision point of do or defer, come back here for more advice. It's really easy to get mired down, not just in the details, but in all the indecision that comes along with them- almost all of us have BTDT, so the consensus of the list should be reliable and valuable when it comes to making decisions about what's next. Stick to it! I agree with palric, you got this far, so press on! You will REALLY be glad you did!

Livio928

Dont give up. You are doing an excellent job. I just finished the things I needed to rebuild my engine today. It is now just connections and installing back in the car. Still a ways to go, i know, but the excitement increases.

This has been a four year project to this date for me and you have done some extra stuff I didn't. There were a few times I wanted to pack it in, but it is a moment of weakness that with a good night sleep and some planning will be a mere blip on the radar.

Keep going and you will be happy and not feel the regret for the rest of your life that you didn't finish it.

As an older person, there are many things that I wish I had done and one of them was a 1968 Dodge Charger that I worked on in my teens and then lost interest in it. I had it running, but I wanted to make it into a nice driver. I regret selling it to this day.

You are very close to the end. Don't give up. You will live to appreciate your patience.

Adamant1971

Never give up. Come out on the 22nd, and ride along with someone. What you need is a taste to get motivated.

The Forgotten On

I'm 18 and in the same boat as you as I have a more limited budget than you. Keep going as you are so far into it. Get the engine put back in and running and do all of the extra stuff later.

That is what I am doing and is the reason why my interior is as stripped as a race car and has working A/C.

It is also my DD simply because I take each job one at a time and make sure to do it well, which is what I am sure you are doing or else you would have given up long ago.

Keep pushing forward or else you will regret it later in life when you look back on it. Plus SAVE A 928! Make the best of it.

17prospective buyer

Damn it i had written a reply but apparently didn't post it. I hate when that happens, you put all this thought into a post just to accidentally hit the back button and it's all gone.

Well thanks everyone for encouraging me to keep going, it really does make me feel better. It's just once in a while you have those break downs. Part of it is my pride, i do everything myself from paint to upholstery, it's a stubbornness if you will.