Both motor mounts were also shot when I picked up the car, and the bolts for them I found were only hand tight. Gee I wonder...
Needless to say too much more, but the car has been a lot of work so far.
The transmission which came in the car came out looking like this:
After further inspection, the replacement trans didn't turn out to be much better. I didnt get a chance to have a look at it when i picked up the car, as it was already loaded in the trunk when I picked it up. (the seller was not present at time of pickup). Anyway, the fluid was muddy looking with gratuitous amounts of shavings. Additionally, the gear selector on the side of the case would barely move from gear to gear. Tom and I made the determination that it wasn't worth the risk of relying on it, and began to prep for a 5 speed swap.
Since the trans swap, I have started to drive the car daily, since the absence of my wagon, and have begun the process of fixing items along the way.
I did run into two hiccups within two weeks, such as a small alternator meltdown and a water pump failure.
Since then, the WP, timing belt, front seals, etc have been replaced along with the tie rod ends, brake rotors, pads, lines, etc. I have also taken time to try to tackle the cosmetic issues bit by bit. (The car needed a detail job in the worst way.)
This car has obviously been taking the majority of my time on weekends, but I have not forgotten about my Claret.
Sadly, this car has been parked since the head gasket failure became evident during my last trip home from OT's place.
On Saturday, I started preparations on a motor to be sent out to get powdercoating and machine work done. More good news to come for both of these cars!
