FS: 1996 LSi, Green, Tan Leather Interior

thumper_svx · #1 03-29-2007, 04:41 PM

She's for sale... and she's ready for whomever wants to make me an offer. If I get no interest soon, I'll be forced to list her on eBay... and I really want her to go to a member of the club who'll take care of her!

My SVX (my third... and my last) is a green 1996 LSi with a tan leather interior. She has 135,000 miles on the clock when I took her out for a drive the other day. Basically, she's in OK shape... good shape mechanically but in need of some TLC.

Pics here

Here's the skinny... and no, she's not perfect.

Rear passenger-side wheel bearing is bad (noisy), but still usable
Passenger window switch in drivers side "cluster" doesn't work reliably. Probably just needs cleaned; the window itself works fine from the passenger-side switch
Some body damage front left quarter panel and into the door. No rust, paint is not broken but she's going to need a little work to get her clean.
The usual parking lot dings you can see in the pictures. Repairable.
Cam position sensor is bad. I know which one... I might replace this before sale of the car. It trips the check engine light, but the car runs great.
Muffler rattles, I think it's a broken baffle. I have a new muffler (complete) but it's not installed.
Some minor damage to the front bumper and cross member under the hood above that. From a deer strike before I owned the car... I never noticed any problems because of it. The headlight there is new (ish)!

Now, beyond this she needs an oil change... I'll probably do that this weekend

She has been sitting for almost a year without moving more than a few hundred yards. I have kept the battery charged and started her at least once a month and let her get up to running temperature.

OK, so she's not perfect... but I've just found myself at a point in my life where I can no longer take care of a third car and a motorbike. I've got to pick one of my "fun" transports to maintain and the motorbike is just cheaper! She's a great car, though and rides great.

Here's the GOOD stuff;

Replacement muffler included. It was salvaged from a parted-out SVX and I've been promised it's in good shape. Easy install, just don't have the time!
Sony DEH-P700 head unit and subwoofer wiring. The stock head unit is long since expired! The speakers all work, though the front speakers are still stock and will "rattle" on bass without a woofer installed. Note I don't have a woofer any more, it suffered problems (punctured by some tools I had in my trunk), but the wiring's all intact and good quality.
Tires have only about 1000 miles on them. I replaced them before she went into storage.
Main oil seal and cam seals were replaced at around 110,000 miles. The timing belt was destroyed by an oil leak and was also replaced at this time.
Transmission is in great shape. Flushed and refilled at least twice in the last 40,000 miles (that I've owned the car). No smells or hard shifts.

I've loved owning this car, and I've loved being a member of this club since inception (heh... I predate this club as being an "active member of the SVX community")... but time has come for me to get rid of my last SVX. They're great cars, and I would love to keep it. However, I've already got two cars (well, a sport sedan and a minivan) and a motorbike... I can't justify another car at the moment, and it seems an awful shame if this car sits in my garage and rots. She needs to be driven, she wants to be taken out. I don't have the time... hopefully someone out there does.

Contact me through the site... I'll be checking in periodically over the next couple of days. Make me a decent offer... consider her condition. Yes, I've got an idea of what I'm looking for her... but make me an offer that you consider reasonable. Consider it a silent auction

ensteele · #2 03-29-2007, 05:02 PM

Sorry to hear that you are getting rid of her. Good luck.

thumper_svx · #3 03-29-2007, 05:36 PM

Thanks. It's sort of a bummer, but I just can't give my SVX the attention she deserves any more.

svxistentialist · #4 03-29-2007, 05:40 PM

Thumper, you do indeed predate the club on here. I remember you from the early Yahoo! days.

Sad to see you leaving the ownership fold, but I hope you car goes to somebody like yourself who will care for it and enjoy it.

Best of luck with the sale.

Joe

thumper_svx · #5 03-30-2007, 09:55 AM

Thanks. As I said, it's a mixed bag of emotions for me. I hung onto the car this long because I hoped when I got a better paying job (CHECK!) I would get more time and money to work on the car. Unfortunately, that never materialized... in fact I have less time... and now that money's a little better these days I find I lack the impetus to actually work on my own car

Ironic... improving circumstances lead to a loss of interest in working on cars! Of course, I've still got my bike

I actually predate Yahoo! as well (and the first non-founder post on Yahoo! was from me)... check out this Usenet post from 1997...

10 years. Wow. Still, time has come to move on. I'll remain a member of the club though... hopefully I can still make a meet or two here and there

Oh, and to anyone who wants to chat about the car... or anything for that matter... I'm on Yahoo! messenger most days. My user name there is the same as here... so say hi!

ensteele · #6 03-30-2007, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thumper_svx

I actually predate Yahoo! as well (and the first non-founder post on Yahoo! was from me)... check out this Usenet post from 1997...

When you look at that post, what comes to mind? What did you figure out was wrong? I have my guess, but wondered what you came up with.

I am going to tell you something that you probably already know. After you sell it, you will know that you did the wrong thing. There really is something to the saying "you don't know what you have until it is gone."

thumper_svx · #7 03-30-2007, 02:20 PM

Yes, I've had that "don't know what you've got until it's gone" remorse twice now... both times it led to ANOTHER SVX. But this time I'm done... I have a good daily driver (a Volvo S60), my wife has her minivan... and for the weekends I have my bike (Honda Nighthawk 750). As a result... not more SVXen for me... at least not until I get rid of the bike...

As for what was wrong... never got a definitive reason for a problem. The spindle was replaced, as was the axle and the problem never recurred... at least up until Dobbs Tire & Auto wrecked my car for me.

And for those who care, if you'd like to see my original page referenced in the article above, they're all archived at http://www.nodecaf.net/Oldsite/car-svx.html and it does make for some amusing reading.

pearlm30 · #8 03-30-2007, 04:38 PM

Too bad to see you have to sell the car. I also remember you back from the yahoo broad. Good luck with the sale.

ensteele · #9 03-30-2007, 08:52 PM

Could it have been packing grease that was the problem?

thumper_svx · #10 03-30-2007, 09:06 PM

In hindsight? Yeah, probably. Actually, I'd say 90% likely. Still, I do remember it being frustrating as hell at the time

thumper_svx · #11 04-02-2007, 07:55 AM

Bump...

No-one??? Not a single shred of interest?

Mike621 · #12 04-02-2007, 09:15 PM

You have a PM.

ensteele · #13 04-02-2007, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thumper_svx

Bump...

No-one??? Not a single shred of interest?

I am always interested, but I am sure that I can't afford what you are asking. I don't have a polo green or a 96.

thumper_svx · #14 04-03-2007, 09:59 AM

OK, the car's temporarily off the market. I'm putting some money into some basic repairs (fix the check engine light, wheel bearing), then I'll review putting it back on the market.

Thanks for those who did email me... I'll re-list this in the next week or so if/when I decide that it's ready to sell.

Bear with me