Page 1 of 3
Do I even dare??? I guess so, getting it later this week!
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 2:52 pm
by DTMAce
Yes. I need to know if I even dare acquire this piece....
What I want to know, is it worth fixing? Engine overheated and seized we think. Definitely had overheated anyway.
5 speed manual with the 2.2 Bonus. My thoughts were to drop in a 2.3 HO. Is it easily feasible with this car, or is it a lot of work, harness changing, etc? Or would it be better to do a 3x00? I am even tempted to just rebuild the current engine.
Lower front pillars are rusted clear through to the rockers. I
might be able to patch that with some metal and a welder, nothing pretty but to strengthen it.....
Pass door handle broken clean off.
Rear seat bent inward. Trunk opens fine with a key though, so no idea what is up with that.
Lots and lots of pine needles. (those are included free)
Interior is a complete mess. Been wet inside a lot too. Big surprise there.
Body wise, its mostly decent (not all beat up) but has rust at the fender lips, and probably nasty underneath I'm sure.
I'm thinking 150... 200 maybe. But wanted to see other opinions. I may have a lot of work to do, to make this road worthy. My other option is to buy it for parts (manual tranny) and sell/scrap the rest.
Talk to me, let me know what you guys think. I would rather save it, and have a DD out of it, but if its going to be a bastard to do much to it and cost me a lot...... Anyway.
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:20 pm
by heavywoody
With as long as that looks like it's been sitting in the grass/weeds, I'd bet the underside is rusted through BADLY.
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:29 pm
by DTMAce
Been sitting about 3 years I think... And yeah, was thinking the same thing too. Couldn't see under it very well where it was, but poked at the floor pan from above, seemed solid where I could feel, but that doesn't mean crap.
I figure, its going to need brake work all around, new tires, ball joints/bearings, possibly struts and shocks (he said it made noise in the suspension, but to me that usually means ball joints/sway bar, or control arm bushings)
All of that is going to run 600-700 bucks.
It needs an engine. Depending on where and what condition, or if I rebuild the one it has, could be anywhere from 100 to a 1000. LOL (Not that I would spend that much, if I can't acquire or fix it for less than 500 I wouldn't bother)
Lord knows what else is toast, lines could be rusted to hell, tank, radiator is probably blown and could be what caused the overheat, etc.
But it has a 5 speed. What transmission was in this model/year? The getrag?
As I said, if I can get a better look under it and see just what is good vs bad, I may indeed put it back on the road. I would much rather have something like this for winter driving up here than the Z. Otherwise, I will have to part it out, keep what I want and scrap the rest. 5 speed is on my list of things I eventually want for my later project. heh
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:35 pm
by 2.2H8TA
What year is it? It looks completly destroyed to me. I just scraped my 95 base 2.2 auto, and it ran and was in much better shape than that. IMO it dosn't look worth the time or money, but thats just me.
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:41 pm
by DTMAce
Well, if you know anything about me, or my father, nothing is impossible. LMAO
Just check out the 1983 S10 rebuild going on in the other topic section.
Not to mention I brought mine back from being totaled. So... A little work doesn't scare me. I guess I need to go crawl under it and take a harder look.
Edit:
Just realized, never posted what year. 1994 Base.
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 4:47 pm
by themadness
pay 150 and hock the parts on ebay...........or here

Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 6:17 pm
by SuzukiGhostRider
Should be an Isuzu transmission on that 2.2L. I don't believe they will just "bolt on" to a 2.3L HO. Also, I'm pretty sure the wiring harnesses are different between 2.2 and 2.3 as well as ECM's , etc. It would be a LOT of work to convert it to a 2.3L Quad, but as you said, anything is "doable".
I would take a HUGE pass on it.
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:26 pm
by DTMAce
I take it the Isuzu don't mate well with a 3x00 either? If that IS the case of what was put in it, then I doubt anyone wants that tranny for anything?
I went back and crawled under the car and looked that over a bit further. Surprisingly the rockers are still whole, considering the big ass holes in the lower front pillars. Floor pan is probably about the same shape mine was in last year, maybe a bit better. Trunk area didn't look overly bad. Gas tank looks a bit gnarly though. Bottom of the firewall could be an issue.
Up front doesn't look too bad, control arms are still straight, and look about normal for the age. Fuel and brake lines look normal from what I could see of them. Might just rebuild the 2.2 and put it back in it. Hell with it... lol Going to need rear shocks, one isn't even straight anymore from deforming from rust on it. Looks like they were replaced at some point, so not originals anyway.
We agreed on 200 for it.. Just need to come up with it later this week and get it picked up. Worst case scenario, I part it and scrap it. It has DAMN nice dew strips though. May swap those over.
More to come once I have it home.
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 7:31 pm
by berettaboi
yeah i believe thats a harness swap... i would stick to a v6 power plant... especially if on a budget and going used. might be hard enough just to find a quad that supposedly runs.
i dont think they would even give you the complete car for $150... scrap is very close to that, probably more like $200... the outside and inside would probably clean up nicely, but you also should dig deeper underneath to get a certain idea of whats going on... well, i just took another look and see a good chunk of surface rust on i think most of the quarter panels... yes that fairly easily cleaned up, but more man hours.
i think you are a gluten for punishment if you get this one!!! lol i just bought my 95 z26 running well, driving well, about the same body condition as that, for $600. drove it home. i would say keep your eye's open on online adds, tri-ad's, newspapers, whatever you have down there... i personally love kijiji. i dont know if it is famous/well used in your area, but there is tons of people buying and selling in my area.
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 8:11 pm
by DTMAce
Well, I can probably get 300-350 scrap for it right now. At least 250 anyway. I recently got 450 out of my old caravan, and that only weighed maybe 700lbs more.
And if it does have the Isuzu transmission, it probably doesn't mate with the v6 anymore than it does with the 2.3 quad. If so, I would just rebuild the engine it has. Can't be too hard to do.
At this point in time I plan to attempt to resurrect it, at least to use as a DD, especially in the winter.
Edit:
Can anyone tell me the facts on what the Isuzu tran for this 94 base can be paired with and such? I would like to know if I can change the engine to something else fairly easily or if I will just go ahead and rebuild the 2.2 that's in it... Obviously I have heard that it might not mate with the 2.3, and from that I am assuming it won't mate with a V6 either, but I need to know for sure. And I figure the harness and ECU most likely will not support anything but the 2.2 engine. But I just want to be clear on the facts please, as my knowledge of the beretta's and the quads/trannies is extremely limited.
Thanks,
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 8:45 pm
by Chad91GTZ
I've got a 2.2 I no longer have a use for. It's been all gone through, fresh gaskets, etc. block has about 100k on it. It's got plenty of life left.

Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:01 pm
by DTMAce
Yeah and how much? lol
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:08 pm
by Chad91GTZ
Make me an offer. You'd have to come pick it up.
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:20 pm
by Amateur
I've got a 2.2 I no longer have a use for. It's been all gone through, fresh gaskets, etc. block has about 100k on it. It's got plenty of life left.
If DTMace doesn't take it, I'm interested in that engine of yours for the right price. We all seem to live near each other, michigan wisconsin and illinois.

so pick up is possible.
yeah DTMace, that isuzu MR3/MK 7 transmission is really only direct bolt on to the 2.2's on the beretta/cavaliers/achieva/skyhawk/etc and the isuzu impulse (minus AWD model)/stylus/ I-mark/ geo storm/spectrums engines. that's it. on the isuzu side, they had 1.6 and 1.8L dohc engines and their MR3's had a different diff at 4.11:1 and the base storm at 3.83:1.
Re: Do I even dare???
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:24 pm
by Chad91GTZ
I'm open to offers, shoot me a pm