Add one to the Network ranks

[dcarrb]

Yep, a liquid silver LS-L with spoiler, at 154,300 miles. December '91. It was about an hour-and-a-half away (very rare to find one so close in these parts) and calling my name. Fool that I am, I couldn't resist.

Found in the trunk: A crisp, clean Chilton's repair manual with a single bookmark sticker, on page 1-72... GENERAL INFORMATION AND MAINTENANCE/Automatic Transaxle. Imagine that. Also, down in the wheel of the spare, a sheaf of maintenance and repair receipts (mostly the former) dating from July 1996 through April, 2001. There was also an seemingly new nose bra hood section tucked beside the spare, bearing a nice embossed SVX logo. The bra that came on the car was a tattered mess, effectively blocking the primary cooling air intake besides. It's gone. There were an armload of rolled-up HVAC floor plans rolling around in the trunk, the newest of which was dated November '03; cause to wonder if the car has been in search of a proper home since way back then, bouncing around between wholesalers.

The spare and jack had apparently never been removed, and I managed to break-off the spare's retaining wing nut flush with the threaded hole, as the threads were seized. The OEM toolkit and wheel chocks appear to have been salvaged from Titanic. (Oh, and spares do go flat after 15 years.) No rust nor water in the spare well.

The underseat tray contained one Creedence Clearwater CD (keeper), one Great White CD (silver flying disk for the grandkids), and a mini first-aid kit stamped "EXP 2005/11." From the glovebox came the owner's manual folder and contents, in fine shape, bearing all publications and the original dealer-prep checklist. (Shoot, no window sticker.) Printed in neat block lettering on the last page of the Warranty & Maintenance booklet: "NEW TRANSMISSION INSTALLED 3-12-99 MILES 69792." Um-hmm; here's a receipt dated 3/10/99 from Newbill's in Colorado Springs: "PARTS 1795.00—TAX 109.5—TOTAL 1904.50." Two days later, from Top Tech Automotive: "R&R transmission $250." Bought from the former and installed by the latter, I reckon. More than I paid for the car.

Driver's seat not bad, back seats totally decent, passenger seat excellent, and the passenger floormat looks nearly new, with a wholly intact embroidered logo. Something heavy laid in the back seat long enough to leave three small, deep impressions in the leather. Ecsaine so-so on driver's door but good elsewhere. Fine steering wheel. Master window switch is toast. All warning lights appear to work, as does the CD player. Frigid AC. Droopy visors. The purplish window tint is too dark for my taste but looks kind-of cool from a distance. Trouble is, it's cracked and crazed as if left baking in some desert boneyard since the Eisenhower administration.

Clearcoat on the roof is so far gone it appears from a few paces to have been deliberately painted flat black, but a closer inspection reveals a scratchy texture rivaling the finish on the speaker cabinets I built in high school woodshop. Spoiler's badly chipped. Front fenders have been painted, but not the hood, and there's nothing underneath to suggest to my untrained eyes anything other than minor cosmetic repair. (The Experian Autocheck report came up clean.) Remarkably few door dings, no worrisome paint bubbles, zero rust. The wheels are cosmetically fair, with two backward but shod with directional tires, so they'll have to be remounted. They're not long for this world, anyway.

Engine bay grimy but not greasy, No pooled fluids in the belly pan. ATF pink and odor-free, coolant clean and green. Needs an oil change. Obviously recent reman alternator. No campaign filter nor aux cooler. I've always bragged on how quietly my teal SVX idles, but this one seems quieter. Starts enthusiastically, pulls strong. Nothing alarming about the tranny's mannerisms. Firm brake pedal, no pulling. Somewhat angry right front tire with either a balance, alignment, or suspension issue, but the car tracks straight and true. Good rear wheel bearings. Nice steering feedback; seems to have a bit less power assist than the teal on a curvy road at moderate speed.

I should have my head examined. I need a 30 MPG pickup-wannabe-grecery-getter, so what do I do? Buy an SVX that needs some work. I like the teal, but man, even in sorry shape, that ebony over silver looks awesome. What do you say: Do I just do a basic belts/hoses/ fluids number on the old gal and let her be my beater, or spring for the works?

dcb