I meant to post these up here sooner, but better late than never.
I have already pulled the old top end and picked up a "new" top end from the U-pull (head,cam,cam housing) and brand new Felpro head set , timing belt, water pump , head bolts,etc. Picked up the top end yesterday , started bolting it all up today. Mostly done, just need to put my new wp and timing belt in, bolt the accessories (alt,ps pump,etc) back on , and do the tiny details like double checking all vacuum lines, connections , etc. Pics that follow are the car itself , the shots after the old head was pulled (which had a good 2 1/2 to 3 inch crack in it, in the pics) and progress from the new top end going on today. Enjoy. Feedback wanted and appreciated. Thx.
Oh, and the wheels and tires on it were temps as I borrowed the stock alloys with brand new Kumhos to put on my Beretta temporarily. They are going back on the Sunbird tomorrow or the next day. I know , the tri-stars are gay. They are my "I'm sitting here broke down and need wheels to hold me up" wheels.
The purple Sunbird in the first few pics was my "donor" for the head and stuff. The green spoiler came off a Z24 Cavalier in perfect shape at the salvage. Perfect paint and the same exact color as my car. Couldn't resist.
Car looks to be in very good shape for 100 bones!
Good luck putting her back together, and heres hoping it runs good when your done.
Scorpio1 bishes... wrote:Car looks to be in very good shape for 100 bones!
Good luck putting her back together, and heres hoping it runs good when your done.
x2
RIP JESSE GERARD.....Youll always be in my thoughts and prayers...
this site isnt like most craptastic ones that only allow a certain amount of pics in a post. next time, go ahead and put everything in one single post.
i like the car, cant say i would ever drive it though. maybe for a family beater or something.
more pics of the beretta...
And I should've been drown in the rivers I've found in token lost...
Nice for 100 bucks. Keep us updated on the progress.
~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ
reminds me of my old bird
i miss her now
Ah, I had one of these, except mine was a 88 GT. Oh, and it was factory turbo.
If its not to late, that would make a perfect donor for a turbo build. And you can do it with all OEM parts!
Also, there is a DOHC swap available. But your going to really have to do your homework on it. It involves the top end from a Daewoo I think. Only been done once or twice. The LT3 is a good motor both was though. Good on gas, reliable, decent power. and boost whore friendly.
Square bodies, are the best bodies BTW.
(had a 87 Z, 88GT, 90VL, 97 s10 single cab short bed, Now a Scion xB. Only round car I've owned between those my bagged 97 Cavy LS Sedan. lol)
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Aetsh wrote:I miss my 2nd Gen!!!!!!
I think anyone who had one, misses them. They were good cars for little money....
If I buy another J-body again, its going to either be a wagon, or a Z hatch.
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Thx for the replies guys! I didn't know I could post all the pics in one shot. MOST forums only allow 6 per post,lol. Thx for the heads up Z Yaa. I finished all bolt up , putting back together yesterday. Started her up and already have over 70 miles on her. Pretty much an entirely fresh top end. Purrs like a kitten. The NAPA T-stat I purchased though failed almost immediately. Thank god I think it's a fail-safe as it failed in the open position. Didn't do anything but make the car run just above cold,lol. I warrantied it out today and the new one works perfectly. Standard operating temp appears to be just under 1/4 on the temp gauge. I do believe I have a weak/bad motor/trans mount. You get a little clunk when putting it in Reverse, but you can tell it's the motor/trans shifting weight too much. No biggie, I'll just replace all the mounts.
I left the timing cover and splash gaurd off to eyeball things after initial startup and final "warmed up" torqued. Other than putting those back on and giving her the final few goodies tomorrow (new spark plugs and a fresh oil change), she's done. I washed her up today, and got the wheels/tires transferred back over to her last night. Will post some pics/vids tomorrow. All in all I'm QUITE happy with her. I have plenty of toys already, and this is just a VERY nice daily driver that needed a little mechanic lovin' ,lol.
As to the Beretta........ I just got rear ended, blew a trans after and got the front piece of a RARE body kit all destroyed all in the same day about a month ago. She's next on the "to do" list. But , I can shoot a few pics of her tomorrow too.
Thx for the feedback all.
Toaster (stenger) wrote:Aetsh wrote:I miss my 2nd Gen!!!!!!
I think anyone who had one, misses them. They were good cars for little money....
If I buy another J-body again, its going to either be a wagon, or a Z hatch.
I agree..I'd like a wagon, and add some Z bumpers, that would look pretty rad!
Wow I've haven't seen a 2.0L OHC in years!!! Good luck with the rebuild buddy! Pretty decent car for 100$.
The 3 spoke wheels made me laugh a bit. The last time I saw those wheels were on a Pontiac TransSport mini van LOL.
Isn't the 2 part radio the best invention ever!??? Just messing with you.
Ok, snapped some pics today and a vid before work. Didn't get a chance to upload them 'till tonight though. I got the oil/filter changed, the new plugs in and all the fluids topped off. New oil (of course,lol) topped trans fluid off (low one half pint), topped off PS (low a few ounces) , coolant is (of course again) all new, brake fluid good, windshield washer was thirsty (drank almost a full gallon,lol). New wiper blades installed, outer timing cover installed,wheel well cover installed, wiped her down again and snapped a few pics and some vid. Here's the pics, uploading the vid to You Tube as I type this. The oil filter in the pic is BEFORE the oil change,lol. Thank you all for the kind comments, and I must say , I'm actually loving this little car already!
Oh, that oil is the oil I drained today. Black as Satan's heart but free of debris, coolant,etc. And that whitish spot on the hood shows you just how hot they got the little engine in this poor car. I will probably get the hood and roof re-touched as the rest of the paint is perfect. The old head was not only cracked clean through the #3 cylinder plug hole from the edge of the head, it was also warped between every cylinder!
I don't think i've ever heard a 2.0 run that quiet and smooth. lol
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I'll take that as a compliment to my mech abilities,lol. Thx! Just rolled over 86k.
I have about 86060 miles on her as of today.
I DID find out the reason why the head cracked on the first guy today though.... It's good I found it, with a friend's help, but bad for my wallet. It appears the tubes leading into the header (the "tank" sides of the radiator) are bubbling and leaking ever so slightly. Not enough to drip, but enough to "burn the coolant" off as it hits the atmosphere. So.... parked until I get a new radiator this week as I'm not going to waste a new head and top end. It is still running perfectly , nice and cool, but we just happened to notice it while talking and looking it over. Better we caught it before it cost me another head! And , turns out my bad mount is NOT the trans mount but the front passenger motor mount. Ordering that this week too. Might as well do it all right the first time. Already had a few people offer to buy it....
Really is a sharp little car and GREAT gas mileage. I'm getting 25 mpg in town and that's letting it idle quite a bit when I first got her running!
