Quote:
Originally Posted by crexcrex
The problem with the convert is that they leak like a sieve and rust out the floorpan including the rocker panels
|
This car is the same: the floor pan has been repaired on both sides in the past. And now the repairs need repairs. The rockers themselves appear solid though.
But I just pulled the carpet up on the driver's side today and there is some (not unexpected) more rust removal and welding to do.
More importantly, the previous owner had the thing undercoated regularly, so aside from the rust that went from the inside out through the passenger compartment, there's not a lot of rust underneath. E.g. there's little evidence of the dreaded Metro control arm mount rot - happily.
So, while there's no doubt this thing would fold up like a wet kleenex box in a head-on crash, at least the wheels aren't going to fall off before then.
---
I'm having trouble finding a believable published weight for this thing. Consumer Guide Auto
says 1753 lbs. It feels heavier than that. The actual owner's manual doesn't say anything.
The door jamb placard says the gross vehicle weight is 2290 lbs / 1039 kg with 388 lbs / 176 kg max people/cargo capacity. That means a 1902 lbs / 863 kg curb weight. Seems more believable.
---
bestclimb: I tried removing a little section of decal today and that works. The next problem is the virgin paint underneath the decals vs. the exposed, worn, scratched, dull, 19 year-old paint elsewhere. There's actually a slight "ridge" in the paint where the decal was (the exposed paint is worn down slightly by comparison). Not a big deal to me. A bit of rubbing compound will take the sharpness off the ridge and help bring the old paint back.