Couple that with work getting seriously stupid, my new 50 mile per day commute, schoolwork and the like and not only did I not have money, I had no time or energy. The 180 languished with my other "projects," the RS, two bikes, the boat, various household projects. It's really sad and some of it is laziness on my part to be sure, but I was wore out from every perspective.
Some things have changed. Work has gotten less stupid! School is still kicking my a** and I'm still pretty much broke, but dammit I actually have a little time, a whole 20-foot container full of miscellaneous parts and the reduced stress is allowing my body to recoup and my brain to start sparking again. Today I took the first step. After submitting some schoolwork and staring out the sliding doors at the 180 sitting there on flat tires, rusting, sad, depending on my to make things right I got up, I grabbed my tools and I marched out in the hot a** weather to begin my journey.
Here we are. This is Pooh. I've had this car for about 13 years. It's is a 1989 180SX. This car is older than some of our members. Still better looking and smarter than a few too.
It has been sideswiped twice, ironically when it was sitting still. The whole driver's side quarter panel was replaced after the second attack. I have bounced a kid off a scooter and across the nose before and the front spoiler has gone toe-to-toe with a few curbs. That's classic early 90s Bomex, back when they built stuff to last.
The car has been loyal, I have been less than that. Even when the motor failed it just lost compression on #1. Nothing catastrophic and it took a T04E and close to 20 years of running to make that happen. The most use the car has been to me in the past years is as something to chain my bike to.
The super cool motorcycle gas cap has started to cancer up. This will need to be redone, but not now, no money.
There is some rust showing around the windshield. That will need some professional attention.
The hood is looking ragged. The clear coat is fading and the edges are chipped from being opened and closed without hinges. They seized up and I will need to replace them. I would like to try mounting Cefiro hood struts too. The prop rod is so pedestrian.
The hatch is s***. This is the second hatch this car has worn. I want a carbon fiber one, but I can't afford that. Black electrical tape will have to do for now.
The car has also seen duty as a storage locker. to be honest, I don't even remember what's in there.
The interior has fared decent. The carpet is old and I would like to replace it, but aesthetics are low on my priority list.
At some point I picked these up. They are pretty long in the tooth and I would be surprised if they lasted long or worked well, but for now they are better than the struts on the car now which are completely and totally blown.
My Recaro still has some life left in it! I wonder if my fatter than it used to be a** will still fit in it.
The brakes are rusted to the point I think they are locked up. That's actually not that much of a problem. I have a set of Z32 and another set of R33 and two sets of R32 brakes. I have almost all the parts for the five lug swap and three sets of wheels I could use.
The scene of the crime. This room has been quiet for years. I think it's high time we made some noise in here!
It's quite filthy in here. I would like to strip it out, scrub it down and rattlecan it the same black as the outside.
Both master cylinders are whiterusted and leaking. They need to be either overhauled or replaced.
That brake fluid leak has stripped the paint off the frame rail and rust is going to work. I don't think it's gotten worse than surface rust, but I won't know till I get in there and wire brush it. we will see.
This rust concerns me. I see rust drop when I slam the door and I wonder if when I pull the fenders I will be confronted with serious kick panel rot.
Both the Greddy radiator and the HKS intercooler are whiterusting and need a good scrubbing, but are still usable.
I pulled a lot of stuff out today, but that wiring harness snakes everywhere. I was just going to move it out of the way and paint and then put it back, but I think I convinced myself during the process "f*** THAT!" I am so tired of dealing with the rat's nest of OEM wiring I'm probably going to heat up the Visa and go with a painless harness and strip the factory wiring out of the car completely. I already have a Haltech to run the engine, I might as well take it all the way.
Done for today. I should have at least one day next week to come at it again. I am hoping to pull the whole nose off and strip out the wiring, cut the brake lines back to the calipers and check the kick panels.
Many of you have seen my grandiose ideas and lofty promises that I am never able to keep. I hate that, but there it is. I have gotten wiser over the years and while I still dream big I expect less. The goals here are pretty simple.
1. Try to stabilize any frame rot, if it requires pro help I'll have to come up with the scratch to cut out the bad metal. A stitch in time now should get the car down the road to a time and place where if I desire I can have it really gone through and restored. I've got the boat up for sale and fingers-crossed, that would be a big help to funding the work.
2. Get an engine, ANY f*** ENGINE in it and actually running. I don't give two s*** what it is or if it makes any kind of serious power. I am lucky that I have three potential mills I can throw together and any one of them would actually be pretty cool, but that's not what I care about. This car will run again if I have to, gulp, pay someone to do the work for me. Yeah, I'm that serious. f*** my ego, screw my silly ideas, I want my car running again!
