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Value of a theft recovery '87 GN?

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theft recovery

Gn-ing said:
My car was a theft recovery that I bought in 1996 from a local salvage yard in Columbus Ohio..The car was complete,except for wheels and tires and the radio..From the result of theft is needed a header panel ,a front fender,and a windshield. The car had several dents due to the thieves kicking the car. had 70,000 miles at the time.. I paid 5000. for the car,but remember,this was almost 10 yrs ago...anyway,I found some GN orginal wheels,and drove it out of the junk yard...and then,let it sit for 6 yrs. In 2001, I had it painted and tuned it up...i've been playing with it since,and have raced it several times...It's not perfect,and it has a rebuilt salvage title,but it is fun...

The pics you posted were great inspiration. My GN will have a clean title..... but my car doesn't look near as clean as yours does.... no pun intended..... I hope one day for mine to be that nice. I am looking at having it painted before I do anything else. What type of wheels are those? If I paint it soon, I want to replace the current wheels with either refiinshed stockers.... or some GNX clone wheels kinda like yours. Where did you get them? How much for new ones? Are they 15" or 16"? What size tires are those? Do you like them? Is that basecoat/clearcoat paint? I also plan on tinting my windows. It really looks sweet.

Here are some pics from the day I drove it out of the barn it sat in for 2-3 years. Basically it has been sitting since 11/01 because it has "11/7/01 STOLEN" written on the windshield by the Houston police. I spent about 3 hours cleaning it up inside/out and in the engine compartment. I drove it down the road sitting on that 15" steel wheel you see in some of the pictures. I have ordered a fuel pump and a few minor things. I am still working on getting an interior from a local source parting a car out. Here is my project:

Day I got it:

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5
Pic 6
Pic 7
Pic 8
Pic 9
Pic 10

What it looks like currently under the dirt:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4

As you can see, there is alot to be done. I am looking at having it painted in the next month or so (I hope). I hope to have it back on the road a month after that. I hope it all works out.
 
Looks like you have quite the project ahead of you----but i am sure am glad to see one being saved :cool: instead of being parted out :rolleyes:

Geoff
 
Blazer406 said:
The pics you posted were great inspiration. My GN will have a clean title..... but my car doesn't look near as clean as yours does.... no pun intended..... I hope one day for mine to be that nice. I am looking at having it painted before I do anything else. What type of wheels are those? If I paint it soon, I want to replace the current wheels with either refiinshed stockers.... or some GNX clone wheels kinda like yours. Where did you get them? How much for new ones? Are they 15" or 16"? What size tires are those? Do you like them? Is that basecoat/clearcoat paint? I also plan on tinting my windows. It really looks sweet.

Here are some pics from the day I drove it out of the barn it sat in for 2-3 years. Basically it has been sitting since 11/01 because it has "11/7/01 STOLEN" written on the windshield by the Houston police. I spent about 3 hours cleaning it up inside/out and in the engine compartment. I drove it down the road sitting on that 15" steel wheel you see in some of the pictures. I have ordered a fuel pump and a few minor things. I am still working on getting an interior from a local source parting a car out. Here is my project:

Day I got it:

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5
Pic 6
Pic 7
Pic 8
Pic 9
Pic 10

What it looks like currently under the dirt:
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4

As you can see, there is alot to be done. I am looking at having it painted in the next month or so (I hope). I hope to have it back on the road a month after that. I hope it all works out.


thanks for the complements...my wheels now are GTA/GNX type wheels,I used 4 front wheels,as the offsets are different in the rear. the tires are 245-50-16..and fit nicely,the rears are Nitto Drag radial,as street tires just don;t hold .
 
progress.....some.... but still slow

Well,

I have dumped the 4 1/2 year old gas..... replaced the stock pump with a Walbro 307 (one I already had.... will change over to a 340 when I go with 17# or more boost). I put 10 gal of 93 octane in it. I have changed the plugs (now R43TS gapped at 0.035") and plug wires (Red Armstrong). I have replaced a dryrotted vacuum line or two. It seems to have a "tip-in" stumble. It doesn't matter if it is in gear or park.... it idles ok...maybe hunts a little.... but you rev it.... it doesn't rev smooth.....get it on the road.... same thing.... once you get pasy an intital tip-in stumble..... it starts coming on boost.... and it pulls real clean up til the speedo gets pegged :D ..... I just wish I could figure out this stumble...... I ordered a Direct Scan today.... probably will be in Thursday..... maybe I will have a chance to see what the ECM sees......get some clues maybe.....

Plan on changing the O2 sensor out soon..... might cure the hunting idle.....

I am guessing the tip-in stumble is either a bad mass air... or coil pack.....

oh.... chacked TPS with volt meter... set it to .458volts closed.... 4.55 volts open...... (was on .385 closed)....

Compression check revealed 135-140# on all cylinders.....

First performance mods will be to install test pipe where cat is now.... and re-do the stock air box.... and replace it with a large x huge K&N cone..... probably located in front of the radiator.....


Any comments.... or suggestions..... I need all the help I can get.....
 
You will know more once you get DS hooked up to it. I would also buy a good aftermarket boost gauge for it (VDO or Autometer) so you can accurately see what boost it's making. If you haven't checked it out yet, go to www.gnttype.org and read through the tech section. Lots of good info in there. The tip-in stumble is probably either a bad O2 sensor or MAF meter. I just did the Translator/LT1 MAF upgrade on my ol gray heap and it cured the tip-in hesitation I was having as well as some knock issues.

Good job on saving the GN from an undeserved fate..... :D
 
I just bought a TTA that had been sitting most of the time for the past couple years. It started and drove just fine. After driving home from California, it runs even better....The point is, to give it some time to get the injectors and top end back in shape. I strongly suggest a fuel injector cleaner (via the fuel rail) or some Chevron Techron fuel system cleaner. Maybe even a set of injectors ;)

lee
 
Wow those pictures were like day and night! Yeah its a project but when its done I'm sure you will be very pleased. Hats off to you for keeping another TR alive!
 
Update....

Got the DS in and WOW.... that is a nice tool. I had some minor issues early, but once I properly cleaned the terminals off on the ECM... all is well now. I have no knock count... and no knock retard....on a quarter mile pass (out in the country ... on a long straight away). O2's look good....all sensors appear functional. I bought about 1/2 of the interior I need from some donor regals here local. The GN specific items I am buying through the "for sale" section here. I hope to have all the interior together within a few weeks. I have been shopping for a paint/body shop to do the paint work.... without spending 4k+.....I want a nice job.....but.. I am trying to get a driver.... not a 100 point show car. I have a guy that wants to paint it... on the side...and has a paint booth. He used to own his own autobody shop... and got tired of the hassle... so he now paints 18 wheeler trucks for someone local.... I am going to look at a 1972 Duster he just got through with to see how it turned out. I am also looking to purchase (I think) a set of GNX clone wheels. I want to eventually do the late model Camaro 12" disc brake front and rear upgrade..... and will require 16" rims anyway....

Went on and ordered new carpet from ACC. I hope it looks good. Looking to get my tag, insurance, and inspection sticker around the same time I get my seats in. Luckily, I don't have to worry about emissions inspection here in MS.

Very near future mods... include test pipe.... :D .... and some sort of cold air kit to relocate the air filter behind the drivers side headlight..... out of the hot engine compartment.....put in my new CompCams 980 valve springs....probably turn the boost up some.... until DS shows some knock retard.....then back off a little... might make it to the track before paint/body...to get a decent baseline.....My seat of the pants....tells me the car is probably somewhere in the low 14's now... with decent traction...... I am sure the cold air kit and the test pipe along with 1-2 lbs more boost will make a decent amount of difference. Hopefully put it in the 13's anyway....

Anyway... thats all for now.....
 
Wow, what a story. I read the whole thing like a good book I could'nt put down.

You will appreciate that car a lot more because of what it took to make it happen. Hat's off to you. :cool:

I love it when a plan comes together. :)
 
1 rare t said:
Wow, what a story. I read the whole thing like a good book I could'nt put down.

You will appreciate that car a lot more because of what it took to make it happen. Hat's off to you. :cool:

I love it when a plan comes together. :)

That's so true. My GN wasn't neglected like that one, but it was a recovered theft/total. As a result the GN and I have a special bond :) And, as much as I hate to admit it the Caddy (flood total) and I have become quite good friends. It took a lot of blood, sweat and heavy brain power to get it going. Now that I've been driving it for a few months I really like it.

Awesome job on the GN - it looks like it was truly a diamond in the rough.

Jim
 
congrats on your find. i would love to come across something like that. did you pay 3k like u were gonna shoot for or less? either way you got a screaming deal, i don't care what anybody says. have u seen the price of some of these cars. people want 3k for crap i don't think could be used for a parts car. i found a non-runng 85 gn with rb motor and new seals in turbo (both 20k on em) for 1000 bucks. needs drivers seat recovered, rockers, and quarter patch. got 89k on it 2nd owner. guy lives about 11hrs away but i think it should be worth it. again, congrats!!
 
usetaboost said:
congrats on your find. i would love to come across something like that. did you pay 3k like u were gonna shoot for or less? either way you got a screaming deal, i don't care what anybody says. have u seen the price of some of these cars. people want 3k for crap i don't think could be used for a parts car. i found a non-runng 85 gn with rb motor and new seals in turbo (both 20k on em) for 1000 bucks. needs drivers seat recovered, rockers, and quarter patch. got 89k on it 2nd owner. guy lives about 11hrs away but i think it should be worth it. again, congrats!!

After carefull thought.... and all the unknowns......and knowing the car was high mileage... and been sitting for 4 years...... not knowing if any permanent damage was done by mice.... or rust inside the engine..... or if it was going to need a paint job right away ....ect.... ended up getting it for a little less than 3k..... seems like a good deal... but it starts to add up real fast......

interior: 1k-1.5k
paint wk: 2k-4k (includes bumper fillers... and window sweeps... door gaskets... (this is a driver paint job... not 100 pt show quality)
waiting on word weather I am going to get some real nice condition GNX clone wheels (4 fronts with center caps) ... + 2 new tires.... almost 1k

As you can see..... I still haven't done anything to the engine/transmission..... if anything need doing....

I figured at the price I ended up giving.... I could part it out and make my money back if I changed my mind.....

I figure the car IMHO would probably be worth between 7.5k - 10k .... depending on how nice it turns out.....

Does this seem reasonable....?

I am getting more excited by the day.... and can't wait to get the interior in it so I can drive it more than just 3-4 miles at a time...... w/o sitting on a 15" steel rim.... with padding on top of course..... :D
 
Finally got around to making a web page.

Well,

I finally got around to making a (simple) web page. It is semi-current.... I need to take some updated pics... but this will have to do for now.

My GN Page!

Let me know what you think.
 
Amazing how well it cleaned up with some soap and water!

Why did he park it for so long?
BW
 
Quick6'n'-K.C. said:
Amazing how well it cleaned up with some soap and water!

Why did he park it for so long?
BW

I think he intended on making into a race car at some point......but never did.
 
wow man awesome story. I'm glad you saved one. Good luck with it in the future
 
little update

Well.... I got 2 new tires to match the 2 nearly new ones that was on the GTA wheels I put on it..... 245/50/16 BFG G-Force KDWS..... looks like nice tires.... fill up the wheel well nice. Replaced (myself) the RH fron upper control arm bushings.... they were completely gone.....Changed the oil too....Put a CD player in the dash and hooked up the 6 factory speakers. Sounds decent. Also got all the interior in it... just lake a few small pieces. Got a tag, inspectin sticker, and insurance on it Monday. Started driving it to work (40 miles one way) Tuesday...... going on the third day of driving it to work and back...... fixing small nagging stuff as I can..... put a windshield washer pump in it tonight... and wiper baldes....and fixed some engine noise in the stereo.... I have taken 3 different people from work for a short blast ... after work :biggrin:

About ready to start bolting some of the go-fast stuff on.... but really want to take it to the track before I start putting anything on..... to get a baseline.....

Got:

3" TH SS DP w/test pipe
3200-3400 5 disk vigilante lock-up converter
TE61 turbo w/garrett .63 exhaust housing...
Translator

fixing to buy (tomorrow):

Big Mouth cold air kit and 3-1/2" MAF pipe
LS-1 MAF Meter
Extender Extreme Chip
60# high Z injectors....

Soon to buy:

Razor's Alky kit
:biggrin:

Timetable for everything but the alky kit is sometime between now and x-mas ..... several trips to the track of course.....

Just thought I would give an update..... I will update my web page with some fresh pics soon showing all the interior... and the new wheels and tires.... and bumper fillers......

:biggrin:
:biggrin:
 
Damn. After looking at those pics, you've got balls. That car was seriously torn up. Cant believe that even in that condition, that car pulled that kind of price. Congrats and have fun. Ive had my car for 10 months and you've got more go fast parts than me already. Sucks being broke :mad:
 
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