| | | quote | Originally posted by Schertzpinball:
Went and looked at an '85 yesterday.
It's a GT with 113K miles. It's been unregistered for 10 years and last started two years ago.
Engine was replaced and has about 60K miles on it.
Here's what I found that's needed.
E-brake had been disconnected at the rear wheels. He couldn't rememberer why.
This could be a result of sticking cables or when doing a brake job, the cables were too hard to reattach.
Front clip is cracked/broken in two places.
The lift out sunroof has a slight leak.
Its common to have a leak, but it's significant if the headliner's stained. Cleaning the seal and the area around the glass and opening up the drain holes can prevent that. All the replacement seals for the latch, glass and seals are available.
Headliner needs replaced due to the leaking sunroof.
There's a big discolored spot on the dashboard.
If they are brown spots or streaks, you can get a vinyl spray of the correct color at The Fiero Store and respray it.
The plastic "Windows" are cracked
The plastic portion can be removed. If the frames are good, obtain a set of replacement windows from FieroSails.Com and install them. They look just like originals and it's a lot easier than trying to remove the whole framework and installing a different set of "Quarter Windows"
Battery tray rusted out. No other rust was found.
Again, The Fiero Store is your source for replacement pieces.
The trim under the passenger door is cracked and broken.
If you mean the long piece that runs between the front and rear wheel wells, that's the aero style rocker panel. The Mall would be a good place to start.
There's no battery in the car to check any electrical functions.
If you have an emergency jumper pack, take it along and clip it to the cables.
The hood was stuck down due to the seal. Had to use a lot of force to unstick it. Will probably need new hood seals.
The hood seals are the same for all years. Lots of good used ones are available.
Of course fuel and coolant need changed.
You can get a cheap antifreeze tester for a couple of bucks at most auto parts stores. It would be worthwhile to get one and test the strength of the coolant in the engine. Compare that to the average low temperatures in your area. If it's not strong enough to protect at least to -10 F, you may want to skip over the car. Check the dipstick for any traces of water on it.
It will definitely need a paint job.
|
|
If it's been sitting outside, it will need the heating system in the dash cleaned of all debris to prevent the possibility of fire and expect the seats to be sun-rotted. Little critters love to get into all the hidden recesses and build nests and they don't go outside to use the bathroom. They will also eat parts of your hoses, vacuum lines, wires and anything else they might find tasty.
The fuel tank will probably need to be dropped and flushed out. Plan to replace the fuel pump at the same time.
The front brake pistons will probably be stuck. Those are easily rebuildable. If it's a manual transmission, you will probably need to replace or rebuild the master and slave cylinder. RodneyDickman.Com is a good source for new or rebuild items.
I'm not trying to discourage you, just letting you know what you might find. I've bought 2 similar vehicles and even with having to replace the motor in one and major suspension parts in the other, I still managed to get my money back when I sold them.
Welcome to the forum and the worldwide Fiero Community. Don't be afraid to ask those "stupid" questions. Who knows, you might be the lucky one that asked it for the 100,000th time. What I'm staying is that it's probably been asked before, but we'll answer it again or tell you where to find the answer.
The NTFC, North Texas Fiero Club has a strong presence around the DFW area. I think blakeinspace heads them up and he's a member of this forum. See if you can make contact with them.
