You ever love a beater so much you want to restore it?

"Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig" (AndySheehan-StreetsideStig) 02/12/2016 at 13:55 • Filed to: None

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My latest, in which I gush about my rusty little fart of a car.

d15b > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 14:05

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NICE. You upgraded the bushings. I bet she drives like new!

I replaced all the suspension bushings on my del Sol with Energy Suspension Master Kit.

Was it worth? Yes. My car is lowered by the tires don’t butterfly out.

Urambo Tauro > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 14:05

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Maybe.

I got a hunch that once I catch up on the mechanical issues of my beater build , I may get tempted to actually do some body repair...

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > d15b 02/12/2016 at 14:15

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It’s really hard to say. The car drove so crappily before The Big Job that I can’t really gauge the difference the bushings made. I replaced shocks and a bunch of other stuff, so maybe they’re an improvement. I just found them and thought, a) “Yay! A mod that actually fits my car!” and b) “Well, now I don’t have to track down a bunch of individual parts.”

Did you drill zerk fittings? I was able to drill for my control arm bushings.

dietryng > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 14:39

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no... just dont.

beaters are great for what they are, junk that gets you and your stuff from place to place. its great to upgrade them from time to time, to make them fun.

restoration though, that bring it back to original shape and spec. it kills the carefree enjoyment of its beaterness. to restore one is to kill the thing that endows it with charisma. youre stuck with another nice car that you dont want to get dinged up in a parking lot. something that you worry about spilling a drink inside it.

dont misunderstand me, i got parts trucks for the parts trucks for the project truck. it looks like a descending scale(maybe russian doll) of beater. And the DENTS, theyre like old worn and blurry tattoos, that only you can tell what its supposed to be. “yeap...... got that one coming over a hill, cow in the middle of the road.”

beaters are like an old friend thats helped see you through the rough times. be a shame to throw away the soul.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > dietryng 02/12/2016 at 15:16

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In most cases I’d agree with you. If this was an HF CRX or a plain old Civic, I’d probably just keep it a beater until it rusted in half. But the rarity gets me. And the rust. It can only stay a beater until it’s structurally unsound. Then I have to get rid of it. And I like it too much for that. Either the rust needs to be fixed or the car will die. And as long as I’m fixing rust, I might as well fix everything.

d15b > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 15:30

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Neg on the zerk fittings. I know I am anal about this but...I feel the need to keep it as “stock” as possible. I have this unhealthy fear of suspension components failing.

d15b > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 15:31

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Get it to a point where it is skating along before heapdom.

dietryng > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 15:34

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nothing wrong with fixing the rust, and keeping it sound. and there is nothing wrong with some bodywork. its just that everything, bit. that restore vs rebuild. its semantics for sure, restore is original, rebuild and it works. i cringe at the old corvette, and dodge numbers matching guys, chasing down the “correct” original radio buttons and ashtrays, and spark plug wires. the obsessiveness of it. i much prefer just having a straight body, and good running gear.

you got a decent start to a nice pretty car. it should look good when you get done.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > d15b 02/12/2016 at 15:36

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It is at that point, but there’s not much I can do to slow the rust.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > dietryng 02/12/2016 at 15:42

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Oh, yeah, I won’t be matching any numbers. I won’t obsess over the build, partly because I like driving more than I like fixing. But even if I had all the parts, there are things I would change. I like the slimmer bumpers. Someday I’ll probably swap in a bigger engine. I want to do the rear disc swap from the Integra. I’d love to find a Mugen body kit. I took out the center console and love the extra leg room. Fog lights. Better stereo. Some extra bracing. Exhaust.

I’d like to get it to show quality, but the shows I like are mostly just meets. I doubt I’ll ever enter a snooty show, no matter what car.

dietryng > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 15:45

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ospho ?

dietryng > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 16:07

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snooty car shows are fun for other reasons, the ocd levels of restore for one. and the guys are very knowledgeable. you just got to get them talking.

should turn into a fun car with what you got in mind.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > dietryng 02/12/2016 at 16:48

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...I don’t know what that means.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > dietryng 02/12/2016 at 16:49

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Yeah, I love going to snooty car shows. I just wouldn’t enter one.

dietryng > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 16:55

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rust converter. its not magic, but its a stop-gap measure.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/12/2016 at 17:51

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Great article! Hoping this is way I’ll feel down the road when I get my own place and my own project car! :)