Hi everyone, I need you opinions on a parts car I might purchase. It's a '90 244. I think I noticed somewhere around 140K miles on it.
Here are some of the huge flaws...
-ok looking int. for a parts car
-ext. of car looked ok
-engine went out, since the PO wasn't watching the oil on the freeway.
-all wondows broken out, besides windshield
-dented up driver's side door
-trunk lock broken
-a taillight missing
-the wheels were all missing when I saw it (???) guess someone wanted them, but I don't know if the guy still has them?
-sunroof won't close

Some good areas include:
-body
-headlights, grill, bumpers
-windshield
-seats look pretty okay
-engine was clean (mostly engine parts are what I might be using most)
Those were the huge flaws I found when I quickly looked at the car yesterday. I'm getting tired of driving 40 miles one way to the junkyard everytime I need to. The car I just mentioned is about 4 miles away from where I live. I have an '85 244 tho. The '90 244 would be a donor/parts car. The owner wasn't there, but his friend showed it to me and told me to offer him $100 for it and he'd prob. take it. The "no-wheels" on the car situation sucks! Do you think I will be dragging a piece of junk into my place? I live on 40acres, so it's not a problem w/ room. I will make the offer soon. What do you people think about this? Thanks for the opinions!
--
Michael 'Street'... one AZ '85 244DL 191K miles

I would drag it home in a minute. I have 2 junkers (complete) that I bought for $50 each from same guy and spent a couple of hundred getting them home. One of them had sat for five years, bought by PO for parts. Cleaned fuel system, changed oil and it runs like a champ. 143K B230F,w/M47 cost me $125. With some new seals and gaskets and good care I'l get another 100K or more from a "junk" engine.
Lots of time owners are told by some jackleg mechanic that something major has happened when something simple like a T-belt shut everything down. I can stuff enough in my pockets off the car you describe to be worth getting. Nothing like having a parts car, except having two or three. later

Mike, I sent you an email...

Have you run the car? If so, are the ECU and AMM operational? What would it take for you to part with them ($$)?

With a good AMM, ECU (951 particularly) and cruise control you are ahead another $300.

There aren't that many interchangeable parts between your car and that one. The EFI is different. Maybe the brakes and that stuff is interchangeable, and of course the trans.

But you could sell the EFI control unit and some other parts (if they are good) which would be worth a little bit.

The biggest thing is, none of the front sheet metal matches, but you could sell the headlights and side marker/signal lights too.

Overall, it sounds like a break-even adventure, and a pain in the butt, especially with busted out glass, non-matching sheet metal, non-matching electronics and other parts, etc. But that's just my opinion.
--
a Brickboard.com Expat

well for $100 or less I'd have to vote for "jump on it" one headlight with shipping can set you back that much.

"Do you think I will be dragging a piece of junk into my place?" Yep... thats the whole idea right?...

no I know what you mean... if you are looking for mostly engine parts I'd look VERY closely, If it ran out of oil at freeway speeds I personally would not asssume ANYTHING under the hood... even things not directly related like starter etc. can be damaged by flying debris.

and I'm not sure but did they fix the wire harness by 90? that also would run over $100.
no wheels may be a good thing... if you find out it was just a timing belt or something you may not be so tempted to want to fix it and drive it.....

just what I think,,,when I think
Bret
--
rust free in west Texas

FYI: Yes, the wiring harness issues were fixed by mid-1988 but the 1990 has a different harness than his current vehicle.

I'd take it. Hey, you may even own a 89-93 somewhere down the line and then a lot of the parts are going to become very useful. As far as having the engine die from lack of oil, I wouldn't worry too much about damage to other components. Most engines seem to contain themselves pretty well during a catastrophic failure. Depending on how it actually seized up, it may or may not have put some serious stress on the transmission/drivetrain/differential. But either way, I've seen a lot of people swap engines into vehicles that seized up their original engine. -I'm driving one of them right now (my '87 245) and haven't found any problems that I would suspect would have been caused when the first one seized.

God bless, and congradulations on finding such a nice opportunity.
Fitz Fitzgerald.
--
'87 Blue 245, NA 223K

It's definitely nice to have a parts car around. You probably will also get your money's worth out of this one depending on cost of tow. Starter, rad, calipers (if not ABS), etc. But I'll defer to others eg. AyeRoll who've pulled apart plenty of cars to know what's there for you.

Owner may even give it to you free if you offer to take the wreck off his hands.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans