Is it worth fixing?

[wannarace928]

I have been asking myself this question a lot lately,

Is my svx worth fixing? Or should i find another one someday and keep this one for parts? Or should I sell it altogether. Right now the car is still on the road, but holding its own. I thought I would get everyone elses opinion before putting too much more into it.Unfortunately I dont have enough $$ to fix it up other than fixing the small things that really need fixed right away that dont cost a fortune. Here's whats wrong with it:


1.) Bad wheel bearing on the passenger rear (not too expensive and 1st thing on my list if I deside to keep it, will probably buy an assembly this week from fellow svxwn user or press in a new bearing myself if the hub is salvagable, I have been driving it broken for a couple months)

2.) Engine is leaking and burning oil. It eats a quart every 2-3 days. I have no idea when the timing belt/water pump was replaced but it doesnt look good.
So we will say needs a full rebuild or new engine.


3.) Needs a new rack & pinion, boot is off on the one side.

4.) All of the door locks are broken. The trunk lock is completely gone. I had to break into my own car twice now. The ignition is getting to the point you could probably start it with a screw driver. So I need a full set of locks w/ignition, this is the second thing on my list to fix.

5.) Needs a new TPS or throttle position sensor.

6.) Needs all of the splash guards (one under radiator, plus wheel well splash guards in the front)

7.) Needs a new starter (used one on the way)

8.) Needs a transmission cooler, before the tranny desides to go bad too, third thing on my list.

9.) Possibly needs new fuel pump.


These are just some of the very annoying things wrong with it. There are a lot more, and some I havent been able to figure out what the problem is.
Everyday I back it down the driveway all the neighbors look at it to see if it will fall apart. Some days I turn the key and it does nothing, (however it did this after the car was warm and the fan was turning but it was not doing anything else) and I take the key out and put it back in and it will turn but it seems like it is not getting any gas, so I give it gas, and it sputters to life then dies on me unless I rev it and ever so slowly let off the gas until it evens out, if I let go of the gas it will promptly die, then it is very hard to start a second time. Once it has evened out, I put it in reverse and it backs up, all the while the splash shields are hitting the tires and it makes a pinging sound from somewhere but not sure where. Then it usually dies when I hit the street. So I repeat the above then take off with it. It shakes and complains until I drive roughly 2 miles down the road to the highway then it is completely fine once you hit the highway other than the shaking and loud noises from the wheel bearing. However sometimes when you go to make a right hand turn it will make a loud knocking noise from somewhere in the rear, I am thinking it is the wheel bearing, or I should say, hoping it is . I think some of the morning starting problems are probably the TPS and the need of new spark plugs because of all the oil it burns, but I am not 100% sure. And I havent found a replacement TPS as of yet and am not fond of the idea of tackling the spark plugs, they look pretty hard to get to.


The good things about this car are:

New rotors
New brakes
New Joints on the front end
Very nice body, no dents or dings, but it was a salvage vehical with a rebuilt title and the body has a cheap paint job. The interior is good except the window switches do not all work (drivers window and passengers window switches are broken)


Body wise it is very good, mechanical wise it is a nightmare, but we can do a lot of it ourself if we got the parts. Which would probably cut down on costs quite a bit, but I have to get another car I have fixed and out of the garage first before we take on this one. It just seems like I could buy another svx with a bad tranny and put this ones tranny in it cheaper and in better working condition than I could fix this one for. However I hate seeing another svx used for parts.

Opinions?

[NikFu S.]

I pretty much skipped everything you wrote except for "bodywise it's good".

My answer is yes.

How much do you like the car?



I heard something something kills a kitten every time you part an SVX.


--
(Started reading it all, sounds like the knocking noise you are getting is a rear binding in the driveline, possibly due to a faulty solenoid C. I had the same thing before my AWD gave up.
Get a decent multimeter and check/adjust your TPS yourself before trying to replace it. I believe there is a how-to.
Find out exactly from where the oil leaks. An oil pump is a fairly easy fix you can do yourself provided you can find one. Water pump is the same. Hardest part is putting the timing belt on.
Check your bolts all over the engine. I know mine come loose occasionally.
Plugs are not hard to get too. Well, number 6 is, but once you remove them a couple times it's no big deal.)

Um, stop driving it.

[It's Just Eric]

Hmmm...
It seems like alot of small problems rather than one big problem. I bet alot of the sputtering issues are tps related, you can probly get a used one pretty cheap. The innter fender things are pretty easy to remove, just for the sake of having them not rub the wheels. You can prettymuch replace them whenever...it's not especially impeative that they be in place.

All in all, it seems like the car is a bit of a rolling project. you'll have a hard time seling it with a rebuild title. What matters is this: What is the car worth to you? Is it worth the 700 bucks some shlepp is going to give you? Is it worth ripping it to peices just becasue it needs a few of it's own?

I would consider your option of getting an svx that needs a tranny and using your tranny in it. the good thing, is you'll have a reliable daily driver while you fix up your car (Upgrades, perhaps?) But consider you'll be buying someone else's troubles, as well. You may end up with a car that's marginally better than you're other one with a thousand dollar hole in your pocket

[Ira Davis]

It all boils down to desire and money.

How much do you possess of either?

Sit down and figure out what it would cost for you to get the car to the condition you want it. After adding an additional 15% to the total; determine whether you still want the vehicle or would rather purchase a newer (SVX) one.

Ira