NightWalker86
06-12-2011, 11:27 AM
What's up everyone. Thought I would post my $730 240SX progress here. This thread is about my first 240SX and the restoration/building of it slowly over time. I've been into cars since I was 14 and have been working on them for the past 10 years. I used to be a Foxbody Mustang guy during most my teenage years, but then I started getting into Japanese cars and drove a 1999 Mazda Miata (no shame, that car was awesome lol) for the past 5 years. At any rate, I had to sell the Miata to buy a RHD Saturn Station Wagon (I'm a mail carrier) for work. I sold the Miata and had enough money to buy the Saturn, a new body for my girlfriends car which we are going to swap the motor from her current car into, and a 1996 Black Nissan 240SX Base model Automatic.
I've always loved the Nissan 240SX and have wanted one for YEARS. I ended up finding one in nonrunning condition about 2 hours away from me in South Carolina. The guy had it on eBay and thought it had a blown head gasket. He bought it from someone who said it would overheat after a short while. The guy began to take it apart but never got farther than unbolting the valve cover, exhaust manifold, intakes, injectors, and a couple other miscellaneous items. The radiator was also no good because it had a massive crack on the top plastic end tank. It had been hit on the drivers side quarter panel by a deer, nothing too major, but it did look ugly. I ended up winning the car for $730 and after talking to the guy he was able to have it towed to my door for another $100. So far I had spent $830.
Since the car was not too far apart, I decided to bolt everything back up and see for myself just what it was doing. I bolted everything all back up and patched the stock radiator with JBWeld just so I could test things out. The car never smoked at all and the inside of the valve cover and oil were completely free of coolant so I had my doubts that it was in fact a head gasket. As stated, the car began to overheat after it warmed up. I read up about how difficult it was to bleed these KA24's and did just about everything I could to try and bleed it properly to no avail. However, the thing that made the LEAST bit of sense to me at the time was that the car WOULD NOT overheat if you left the radiator cap off. In other words, it would only overheat when pressurized.
Well for the heck of it, I decided to go for a quick blast down the road with the cap off just to see how she ran. She pulled HARD and was running great the majority of the time. Towards the end of the drive all of a sudden the car just lost ALL power at 4000 RPMS and would NOT rev at all past that. If I gave it anything more than 1/4 throttle it would fall flat on it's face and just getting the car to move from a stand still was next to impossible! I limped her back home and was VERY confused as to what the heck just happened. Initially I thought either the head gasket WAS going bad and it finally blew completely, or I messed up my MAF by possibly infecting coolant into the intake by some VERY odd chance.
I decided to order a new radiator and do a complete tune up. I replaced the plugs, wires, air filter, fuel filter, both radiator hoses, oil filter, Mobil 1 oil, flushed and bled the power steering system etc. I spent about $250 for the new radiator and parts. So far I was at $1050. The tune up did nothing to fix the extreme hesitation and after searching the forums for countless hours I was SURE my MAF was no good. However, even when I disconnected the plug from the MAF the car still wouldn't rev at all in neutral. I was still unable to give it more than 1/4 throttle without it stalling. I cleaned the MAF over and over and even attempted to take it apart as a last ditch effort before buying another one. Well it didn't work so I bought a MAF from an Altima after reading they were the same. That didn't fix the problem either.
I then ripped apart the exhaust thinking maybe the catalytic converter was clogged because that had happened on my Miata before and it had the exact same symptoms. Well, both the precat and main cat were in good shape and all taking the exhaust off accomplished was breaking a stud that connects the precat to the exhaust manifold off in the manifold itself and having to cut the EGR pipe. Sigh. I bolted it back up, less one precat stud and the EGR tube.
I then read that a bad knock sensor could cause the same symptoms I was experiencing so I unplugged that hoping for the best. No dice. I checked all my grounds and fuses and everything looked intact. I ripped the back seat out and checked the fuel pump and unplugged each injector one at a time and still everything seemed to function as it should. I was running out of options and beginning to think maybe the head gasket really was blown but just wasn't showing any symptoms at all. I preformed a cold compression check since the motor wouldn't idle long enough to warm up and the numbers were all within 3 PSI of each other. More reason to doubt a bad head gasket.
Well after thinking about this for quite awhile I began to suspect the motor may have skipped a tooth while I was driving it and that was causing the problems. Armed with my timing light I went out to check. Sure enough, the timing was WAY off. At least 10 degrees. I loosened the distributor and was able to get the timing back to the stock setting by moving the distributor about as far as it would allow me to adjust it. I hopped back in and.... SHE REVVED! The car instantly had all it's power back. I had finally found what had gone wrong!
As for what would cause the chain to skip a tooth, well your guess is as good as mine, but I'm betting the previous mechanic who screwed up the water pump/thermostat install might of had something to do with it at some point. Suggestions are welcome for what would cause it to skip a tooth. Either way, this gives me a VERY good excuse to do the cam upgrade using S13 (I think it was S13 cams, I'll have to double check) cams and realign the chain. However, for the time being, the car is running great with the exception of that nasty EGR pipe leak.
I have an OBX header, EGR block off plate, and EGR bung plug on order as we speak to take care of all that. Keep in mind I am going with a header right now because I have no plans to do a SR swap or turbo the car anytime soon. I plan to do some modest upgrades and just enjoy the car for now. One day I will go all out though. After I get the exhaust squared away it'll be time to work on fixing up the body and getting her all primed/painted. So far I'm about $1100 - $1150 into her! I'm posting some pictures below of when I first got the car off the trailer and I'll be updating this thread with every new part/body upgrade.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27103420.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095655.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095637.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095624.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095606.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095559.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095445.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095435.jpg
Thanks for looking!
PS: Here's a pic of the 99 Miata I had:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2010-11-08172109.jpg
03/23/11 Update:
I received the EGR block off plate and manifold plug to complete the removal of my EGR valve. I decided to stick with the stock exhaust manifold for the time being. I threw the stock exhaust back on and bolted up the new parts and started her up. It sounded like it should again instead of a Harley like it did before without the EGR plug for the manifold. Well I decided I would go for my first REAL ride in her so I hopped in and headed out...... About 1.5 miles away she was dead on the side of the road. Like a moron I never checked on the condition of the V belts while I was working on it and it even slipped my mind while buying all the parts for a tune up. Turns out those little belts were COMPLETELY dry rotted and decided to part ways with the car on the highway. They also put a nice gash in one of the transmission cooler lines. Sigh...
I managed to limp her back home without the belts by starting the car, going about a 1/4 mile and then shutting it off to let it cool down for 5 minutes. It took about 6 times in total of doing this to make it the 1.5 miles back. But I was able to do so without overheating the car or needing any help so I can't really complain considering it was mostly my fault. I ordered new belts and bought a new section of rubber hose for the transmission line and installed them the other day. She's running like she should be but I noticed someone previously attempted to remove the A/C bracket and compressor. 3 out of the 4 bolts that hold the bracket to the block were gone and the 4th bolt was about 3/4 of the way removed itself. This means the entire bracket, A/C and all, was moving around about an inch or so! Considering I had turned the A/C on right before my belts said "see ya" I think I have a better idea of what happened. I turned the A/C on and the pressure from the A/C clutch engaging must have caused the A/C belt to slip off and take the other 2 belts with it. No biggie, they needed replacement anyway. I will have to try and hunt down the missing 3 A/C bracket bolts at some point though.
Minor update 05/24/11:
Okay so work has been progressing pretty slowly with the 240. I work 6 days a week and have other more important house projects and general life crap to deal with so i haven't been able to work on it as much as I'd like. However it is coming along and starting to look a little better. So far I've applied about 3-4 coats of filler, each time sanding it down completely smooth and getting any imperfections out. As you will notice in a few of the pictures the bare metal shown has minor surface rust because there is no way in heck I am going to spray primer on it in between each coat. I always sand it down to bare metal though before applying any further filler.
The panel is actually starting to look decent. Each time I sand it down smooth it is closer and closer to being in line with the rest of the car and the passenger side panel. It's a lot of work, but it's coming along and the filler seems to be holding up really well. Evercoat is good stuff. I'd say I have maybe 2-3 more coats left to get the panel completely built back up to factory level and then maybe 1-2 "touch up" coats to make it perfect. So I'm about half way done I guess. I'm in no rush though and my girlfriend and I are actually driving the car every now and then without any issues. We always let the filler have a good 2 days of drying before driving it though, just to be safe.
I haven't done much else to it except install another automatic shifter to replace the original one that had a broken "gear release button". If you shifted from reverse to drive without holding it in it would fly out and usually end up under the seat. You would then have to find it before being able to move the shifter back into park lol. So yeah, that had to be fixed. Well, that's all for now. More updates to come as the car progresses.
Small update:
The body work is progressing slowly and starting to really take shape. I'm almost to the point where I need to start priming the areas so that I can make sure the lines are perfect. Besides that, I have installed an older Pioneer head unit in place of the decrepit stock tape deck. I also found out that the automatic shifter assembly I had purchased to replace my broken unit is NOT going to end up working. It's been installed for a few months however the overdrive button is of a different design than the 95-96 units apparently and will not work. Using a 97-98 shifter makes the overdrive button unusable from what I can tell. Siiiigh. Time to hunt down a 95-96 shifter.
I also purchased another used drivers side headlight assembly to replace the one that was on there. The previous owner/s installed a high beam light incorrectly and it melted the plastic around it that secures the bulb. I figured I'd take a buffer to the passenger side light and see if I could clear it up a bit since it was SEVERELY yellowed. Here's a picture showing what both lights looked like when I got the car:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095435.jpg
This is what the passenger side light looks like now after about 25 minutes of buffing with Mother's plastic polish, a drill, and a foam attachment:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-08190412.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-08190357.jpg
Not perfect, but a heck of a lot better than what it looked like when I got it. The best part is it was free and only took about 25 minutes. I plan to do the same thing when the driver's side light arrives and then give a set of HIR (yes HIR) headlights a try. More updates to come later.
One more picture showing the driver's side light buffed out:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-10153650.jpg
And one picture showing both lights:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-10153635.jpg
Sanded some more today. Nothing else to report.
Okay I couldn't resist.. Here's a few teaser pics of two of the parts I picked up yesterday:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-12120112.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-12120128.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-12120138.jpg
I got a Nismo 270R Front bumper, Silvia grill, Veilside side skirts, Veilside rear valances, and a 3 piece Navan rear spoiler all for $460. All genuine pieces and the guy I got them from had them on his black 95. I'll be installing the spoiler and valances soon but the skirts will have to wait until the body work is completed obviously. I'm usually not a big fan of aftermarket body pieces at ALL, but I'll admit the Nismo bumper changes the entire attitude of the car. It went from tame to tough REAL quick. The other pieces are really nice too and nothing is outrages at all which is exactly how I like it.
I ran some numbers and here's what I have into the car as of today:
Car: $730
Towing to my door: $100
New radiator: $115
Fluids, oil, filters, and transmission fluid: Probably about $200.
Body filler: $30
Tune up: $100
Used driver's headlight: $45
Body kit: $460
Total invested in her so far is right around $1780. Granted, I'll still need other parts and a paint job. But I'm really happy with the car so far.
EDIT: The white spot on the bumper is chipped paint not damage if anyone is wondering.
I've always loved the Nissan 240SX and have wanted one for YEARS. I ended up finding one in nonrunning condition about 2 hours away from me in South Carolina. The guy had it on eBay and thought it had a blown head gasket. He bought it from someone who said it would overheat after a short while. The guy began to take it apart but never got farther than unbolting the valve cover, exhaust manifold, intakes, injectors, and a couple other miscellaneous items. The radiator was also no good because it had a massive crack on the top plastic end tank. It had been hit on the drivers side quarter panel by a deer, nothing too major, but it did look ugly. I ended up winning the car for $730 and after talking to the guy he was able to have it towed to my door for another $100. So far I had spent $830.
Since the car was not too far apart, I decided to bolt everything back up and see for myself just what it was doing. I bolted everything all back up and patched the stock radiator with JBWeld just so I could test things out. The car never smoked at all and the inside of the valve cover and oil were completely free of coolant so I had my doubts that it was in fact a head gasket. As stated, the car began to overheat after it warmed up. I read up about how difficult it was to bleed these KA24's and did just about everything I could to try and bleed it properly to no avail. However, the thing that made the LEAST bit of sense to me at the time was that the car WOULD NOT overheat if you left the radiator cap off. In other words, it would only overheat when pressurized.
Well for the heck of it, I decided to go for a quick blast down the road with the cap off just to see how she ran. She pulled HARD and was running great the majority of the time. Towards the end of the drive all of a sudden the car just lost ALL power at 4000 RPMS and would NOT rev at all past that. If I gave it anything more than 1/4 throttle it would fall flat on it's face and just getting the car to move from a stand still was next to impossible! I limped her back home and was VERY confused as to what the heck just happened. Initially I thought either the head gasket WAS going bad and it finally blew completely, or I messed up my MAF by possibly infecting coolant into the intake by some VERY odd chance.
I decided to order a new radiator and do a complete tune up. I replaced the plugs, wires, air filter, fuel filter, both radiator hoses, oil filter, Mobil 1 oil, flushed and bled the power steering system etc. I spent about $250 for the new radiator and parts. So far I was at $1050. The tune up did nothing to fix the extreme hesitation and after searching the forums for countless hours I was SURE my MAF was no good. However, even when I disconnected the plug from the MAF the car still wouldn't rev at all in neutral. I was still unable to give it more than 1/4 throttle without it stalling. I cleaned the MAF over and over and even attempted to take it apart as a last ditch effort before buying another one. Well it didn't work so I bought a MAF from an Altima after reading they were the same. That didn't fix the problem either.
I then ripped apart the exhaust thinking maybe the catalytic converter was clogged because that had happened on my Miata before and it had the exact same symptoms. Well, both the precat and main cat were in good shape and all taking the exhaust off accomplished was breaking a stud that connects the precat to the exhaust manifold off in the manifold itself and having to cut the EGR pipe. Sigh. I bolted it back up, less one precat stud and the EGR tube.
I then read that a bad knock sensor could cause the same symptoms I was experiencing so I unplugged that hoping for the best. No dice. I checked all my grounds and fuses and everything looked intact. I ripped the back seat out and checked the fuel pump and unplugged each injector one at a time and still everything seemed to function as it should. I was running out of options and beginning to think maybe the head gasket really was blown but just wasn't showing any symptoms at all. I preformed a cold compression check since the motor wouldn't idle long enough to warm up and the numbers were all within 3 PSI of each other. More reason to doubt a bad head gasket.
Well after thinking about this for quite awhile I began to suspect the motor may have skipped a tooth while I was driving it and that was causing the problems. Armed with my timing light I went out to check. Sure enough, the timing was WAY off. At least 10 degrees. I loosened the distributor and was able to get the timing back to the stock setting by moving the distributor about as far as it would allow me to adjust it. I hopped back in and.... SHE REVVED! The car instantly had all it's power back. I had finally found what had gone wrong!
As for what would cause the chain to skip a tooth, well your guess is as good as mine, but I'm betting the previous mechanic who screwed up the water pump/thermostat install might of had something to do with it at some point. Suggestions are welcome for what would cause it to skip a tooth. Either way, this gives me a VERY good excuse to do the cam upgrade using S13 (I think it was S13 cams, I'll have to double check) cams and realign the chain. However, for the time being, the car is running great with the exception of that nasty EGR pipe leak.
I have an OBX header, EGR block off plate, and EGR bung plug on order as we speak to take care of all that. Keep in mind I am going with a header right now because I have no plans to do a SR swap or turbo the car anytime soon. I plan to do some modest upgrades and just enjoy the car for now. One day I will go all out though. After I get the exhaust squared away it'll be time to work on fixing up the body and getting her all primed/painted. So far I'm about $1100 - $1150 into her! I'm posting some pictures below of when I first got the car off the trailer and I'll be updating this thread with every new part/body upgrade.
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27103420.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095655.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095637.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095624.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095606.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095559.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095445.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095435.jpg
Thanks for looking!
PS: Here's a pic of the 99 Miata I had:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2010-11-08172109.jpg
03/23/11 Update:
I received the EGR block off plate and manifold plug to complete the removal of my EGR valve. I decided to stick with the stock exhaust manifold for the time being. I threw the stock exhaust back on and bolted up the new parts and started her up. It sounded like it should again instead of a Harley like it did before without the EGR plug for the manifold. Well I decided I would go for my first REAL ride in her so I hopped in and headed out...... About 1.5 miles away she was dead on the side of the road. Like a moron I never checked on the condition of the V belts while I was working on it and it even slipped my mind while buying all the parts for a tune up. Turns out those little belts were COMPLETELY dry rotted and decided to part ways with the car on the highway. They also put a nice gash in one of the transmission cooler lines. Sigh...
I managed to limp her back home without the belts by starting the car, going about a 1/4 mile and then shutting it off to let it cool down for 5 minutes. It took about 6 times in total of doing this to make it the 1.5 miles back. But I was able to do so without overheating the car or needing any help so I can't really complain considering it was mostly my fault. I ordered new belts and bought a new section of rubber hose for the transmission line and installed them the other day. She's running like she should be but I noticed someone previously attempted to remove the A/C bracket and compressor. 3 out of the 4 bolts that hold the bracket to the block were gone and the 4th bolt was about 3/4 of the way removed itself. This means the entire bracket, A/C and all, was moving around about an inch or so! Considering I had turned the A/C on right before my belts said "see ya" I think I have a better idea of what happened. I turned the A/C on and the pressure from the A/C clutch engaging must have caused the A/C belt to slip off and take the other 2 belts with it. No biggie, they needed replacement anyway. I will have to try and hunt down the missing 3 A/C bracket bolts at some point though.
Minor update 05/24/11:
Okay so work has been progressing pretty slowly with the 240. I work 6 days a week and have other more important house projects and general life crap to deal with so i haven't been able to work on it as much as I'd like. However it is coming along and starting to look a little better. So far I've applied about 3-4 coats of filler, each time sanding it down completely smooth and getting any imperfections out. As you will notice in a few of the pictures the bare metal shown has minor surface rust because there is no way in heck I am going to spray primer on it in between each coat. I always sand it down to bare metal though before applying any further filler.
The panel is actually starting to look decent. Each time I sand it down smooth it is closer and closer to being in line with the rest of the car and the passenger side panel. It's a lot of work, but it's coming along and the filler seems to be holding up really well. Evercoat is good stuff. I'd say I have maybe 2-3 more coats left to get the panel completely built back up to factory level and then maybe 1-2 "touch up" coats to make it perfect. So I'm about half way done I guess. I'm in no rush though and my girlfriend and I are actually driving the car every now and then without any issues. We always let the filler have a good 2 days of drying before driving it though, just to be safe.
I haven't done much else to it except install another automatic shifter to replace the original one that had a broken "gear release button". If you shifted from reverse to drive without holding it in it would fly out and usually end up under the seat. You would then have to find it before being able to move the shifter back into park lol. So yeah, that had to be fixed. Well, that's all for now. More updates to come as the car progresses.
Small update:
The body work is progressing slowly and starting to really take shape. I'm almost to the point where I need to start priming the areas so that I can make sure the lines are perfect. Besides that, I have installed an older Pioneer head unit in place of the decrepit stock tape deck. I also found out that the automatic shifter assembly I had purchased to replace my broken unit is NOT going to end up working. It's been installed for a few months however the overdrive button is of a different design than the 95-96 units apparently and will not work. Using a 97-98 shifter makes the overdrive button unusable from what I can tell. Siiiigh. Time to hunt down a 95-96 shifter.
I also purchased another used drivers side headlight assembly to replace the one that was on there. The previous owner/s installed a high beam light incorrectly and it melted the plastic around it that secures the bulb. I figured I'd take a buffer to the passenger side light and see if I could clear it up a bit since it was SEVERELY yellowed. Here's a picture showing what both lights looked like when I got the car:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-01-27095435.jpg
This is what the passenger side light looks like now after about 25 minutes of buffing with Mother's plastic polish, a drill, and a foam attachment:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-08190412.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-08190357.jpg
Not perfect, but a heck of a lot better than what it looked like when I got it. The best part is it was free and only took about 25 minutes. I plan to do the same thing when the driver's side light arrives and then give a set of HIR (yes HIR) headlights a try. More updates to come later.
One more picture showing the driver's side light buffed out:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-10153650.jpg
And one picture showing both lights:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-10153635.jpg
Sanded some more today. Nothing else to report.
Okay I couldn't resist.. Here's a few teaser pics of two of the parts I picked up yesterday:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-12120112.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-12120128.jpg
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p312/MidnightRacer86/1996%20Nissan%20240SX/2011-06-12120138.jpg
I got a Nismo 270R Front bumper, Silvia grill, Veilside side skirts, Veilside rear valances, and a 3 piece Navan rear spoiler all for $460. All genuine pieces and the guy I got them from had them on his black 95. I'll be installing the spoiler and valances soon but the skirts will have to wait until the body work is completed obviously. I'm usually not a big fan of aftermarket body pieces at ALL, but I'll admit the Nismo bumper changes the entire attitude of the car. It went from tame to tough REAL quick. The other pieces are really nice too and nothing is outrages at all which is exactly how I like it.
I ran some numbers and here's what I have into the car as of today:
Car: $730
Towing to my door: $100
New radiator: $115
Fluids, oil, filters, and transmission fluid: Probably about $200.
Body filler: $30
Tune up: $100
Used driver's headlight: $45
Body kit: $460
Total invested in her so far is right around $1780. Granted, I'll still need other parts and a paint job. But I'm really happy with the car so far.
EDIT: The white spot on the bumper is chipped paint not damage if anyone is wondering.