luvit's new $400 ride:

[luvit]

a 1993 mercury topaz V6 AT

why was this used car dealership car $400? -- no power steering (PS) fluid.
lol. i poured a quart into the reservoir and voila, power steering enabled.. i'll fix the leaky PS hose this weekend. -- there are some other cheap repairs to do, also.

i was tempted to leave the PS off, but man, it sure did turn hard and slow. maybe some light cars turn easier than heavier cars when the PS fails.
i feared no PS could be a safety issue, like pulling out of parking lots onto busy streets, and quick lane changes.

i realize that no PS will force you to drive more eco friendly, because you can't take the risks.. but i drive through metro cleveland, and quick wheel turns can help you be defensive with the major idiots.

anyway, the broken PS helped me talk down a dealership from a $500 price to $400.. all for $20 worth of PS hose and my time.

a fair-looking car, runs excellent, and the money saved mostly pays for brand new tires.

before i made the offer, i went to the ATM and only pulled out $400 cash.. so it was $400 out-the-door, which included tax and tags.

[cfg83]

luvit -

Very nize. Frank will have oodles of tips for you.

CarloSW2

[camopaint0707]

nice how many miles?

[RobertSmalls]

Hey, it's this guy! Haven't seen this guy since, what, March?

Nice price on the Tempaz. Too bad about the slushbox, the displacement, the curb weight, and the aerodynamics. What mods do you have planned? Gonna remove all but one seat?

[SVOboy]

So it ran without power steering eh? Nice find.

[luvit]

Originally Posted by camopaint0707

nice how many miles?

71,000 miles! it purrs quietly.

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

Hey, it's this guy! Haven't seen this guy since, what, March?

Nice price on the Tempaz. Too bad about the slushbox, the displacement, the curb weight, and the aerodynamics. What mods do you have planned? Gonna remove all but one seat?

yeah, march.. about the time my accord was "fixed".. a mechanic did something that causes average FE.. i can't reverse the problem with what little time i can tinker with it.. i need to open a thread about my accord's problem, but first i need to check timing.

no mods planned for this topaz.. this will go to my daughter in the next month or so and she likes stock, but that may change over time. she will have to pay for her own fuel.
i'll always keep my seats in a multi-passenger car. lol.

i'm into higher FE, but i also like stock.
i can't appear to be an aerocivic wannabe.. either i go all the way, like aerocivic, or i stay pretty subtle.

ecomodders have taught me a lot, and so did my civic hybrid in 2004. someday i may build a kit car like Zoleco or aerocivic. -- i would like to review the single passenger car options again so i can hopefully do something about it by next spring.

dang, my last two posts have been long.

[Frank Lee]

Nice find, I've never had a 6 but I guess they have good snort!

I too got a deal on a '74 Nova back in the day, that came with "Armstrong Steering"- I removed the pwr steering pump belt and drove it around like that for a few years, then one day decided to replace the bad hose... poured some juice in and it was A-OK, no growl or anything. It's amazing the things people think are hopelessly wrecked when they really aren't... like the Dynasty I picked up once. The guy said his brother owns a transmission repair shop and said the trans was shot... I went out for a look, got it started, tried the shifter, and it pumped fluid out all over the place from a ruptured trans cooler line. So I buy it for $100 and come back with a lil piece of rubber hose, two hose clamps, and a couple quarts of trans fluid. Dah, keep the juice in and it functions PERFECTLY.

I love Tempo/Topaz' because of the abundance of cheap junkyard parts, and when new/rebuilt parts are called for, the parts stores all have them for cheap. But most of all, my experience has been they have above average durability anyway. However, I see the day coming- perhaps not too far off- when parts availability will change as production ended almost 17 years ago. Some stuff is bound to get harder/more expensive to find. Like that $*%&%^$(# HVAC control head.

[luvit]

all wheel bearings are repacked..

frank, the last thing i need is a rear sway bar end link.
maybe you have a better source that enures i get the right part for a 93 topaz.. i found this source, but i'm not confident it's gonna fit my topaz.

Moog Chassis Parts AMGK8763 - Moog Sway Bar End Links - Overview - SummitRacing.com

[Frank Lee]

The description for that one says front...

I've gotten some Tempo/Topaz parts online through RockAuto; so far they've been accurate, punctual, and best of all cheap. A quick peek didn't reveal the rear link... perhaps a better look, or a call to them? Otherwise I'm certain your favorite local parts store can set you up- Advance, Oreilly's, NAPA, or ?

[ShadeTreeMech]

Speaking of cheap cars in need of repair, I bought an 85 maxima on its last legs for $200 years ago. After about $100 in junkyard parts and some tinkering it was one of the best cars I'd ever had, besides being the fastest I've ever owned.