1st Gen Lunchtable Thread - General Discussion

No pic

 

If it runs and drives it's probably worth $2k, at least around here

 

They forgot to add the quote price for the lube! The top 8 things can be done for a few hundred and the motor could be done for a few thousand or less depending on how you source it.

 

I prescribe more beer to fix it

 

My concern with the ~$2000 route is what would he do with that money? Everyone wants $7K for their beaters these days. He's in no position to take on a massive car payment and buying even a slightly newer used car is ridiculous in this market.

Half of the things in the top 8 are bullshit anyway. Who truly cares about TPMS sensors? I'll just remove the bulb entirely for him if it bothers him. They failed in like 2011 lol. Brakes need to be refreshed but I could knock them out with the suspension for a lot less with OEM parts from another source. My only issue is where to source a good long block from.

I'd love to try rebuilding it myself but I can't take his car from him for as long as I know that would take me. I'm still having flashbacks to the hours of scraping away at the gasket remnants and old FIPG on my 5VZ.

 

One option is to just put oil in it frequently.

But a rebuild kit is $500 and there's a few videos online of how to do it yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQida-2k4fQ

Be a fun weekend/week project if you have the time and tools.

 

Someone put this in our neighborhood little free library and Sofia just had to have it. Took it home but I can't shake the feeling that I just brought a curse into our house

 

Yeah that definitely the start to a movie

 

That's what I did when I owned the car and that's what I did when a dealership refused to rebuild it under the extended warranty. For the last ~70K it was just burning a bit over a quart every 5K miles. It burns off the dipstick in just a couple hundred miles now.

As far as doing it myself he's hours away and I'd take over a weekend to do that job. I've already watched a few videos of someone else rebuilding one. I just don't work nearly as fast as those people. I'd take like a month (working weekends) if my 2004 engine out head gasket job is any indicator. Rental car fees would make the whole thing pointless for my brother.

 

I mean, it has a Home Goods sticker on the back, surely a Home Goods product curse can't be that bad. Like 10 years of corny interior design or something

 

I would be rich if I shared 1/2 the price of dealer charged.

Sourcing the parts local shouldn't be to hard. I'm sure there is a yard close that looks like this.

Time will be the hard part.

 

This came out legit

 

Is that for a 1st gen?

 

It is!

 

Holy shit that engine quote is high

 

You can buy that exact thing on Amazon and Etsy so they can't be that haunted right

 

Dang, gonna need a jacket on Saturday

 

So I'm leaning towards the following plan... I'll order motor mounts, random gaskets and hoses that I know will be ruined, and the suspension/brake parts. I'll call Kar King out of California and ask what their engine reman process is in regards to part brands. Drop that $2K long block in and call it a day. Then the following weekend knock everything else out.

I'm also concerned that his current motor might have some unseen damage. This will be the third time he's pulled the dipstick and nothing was on it.