Looking for Opinions

[ratorrey]

I just ran across a 91GL. It has been sitting for several years but overall from what I can see the body is decent, I cannot really see the undercarriage but from what I can feel the rear beam mounts are solid. Problem The drivers side front end is basically sitting on the tire. Kinda like a LCA let go or it has a major spring/strut issue going on, tire is still straight so LCA I would assume is still attached. The Strut has not popped up through the top mount. I just cannot get under it to look. Thee guy said the A-Frame was rusted out. That makes no sense to me. I am not sure if he is referring to the unibody LCA mounting point or if he really just does not know.. I can get it for 375 (best price) delivered to my door. Just not sure. Looking for opinions on what the front end issue might be.

Richard

[eurotiva]

Last one I parted out got over $1500 in parts alone

[ratorrey]

I know... I just am hoping to make it a daily driver if I buy it. My current Festiva is an auto and I want more than 30ish mpg. I have a 93 5 speed (mechanically sound) that needs more work than it is worth to put back on the road, I averaged 45 mpg with that.. it would be my goal to take the 91gl 5spd and the 93 5spd and make one car. My only concern is why/how has the front end dropped..

[WmWatt]

Well if you jump up and down on the bumper you might be able to tell if the spring is broke?
Or the strut has been removed?
Could he be referring the inner end of the control arm? Sometimes people have to saw the bolt off.

[1990new]

If you can open the hood you should be able to see where the lower control arm attaches to the body.
Look below where the fuel filter is located at the bottom of the fire wall.
The part that the lca attaches to is called the front lower frame. The front lower frames
attach to the unibody floor bottom.

A friend of mine here in Charleston has an 88 (southern car) that has serious rust in right front lower frame but
but no appreciable rust anywhere else on the car. Apparently salt water got trapped in there and did it's dirty work.
If those pieces are compromised by rust, I would not pay $350 for the car.

[1990new]

If you can open the hood you should be able to see where the lower control arm attaches to the body.
Look below where the fuel filter is located at the bottom of the fire wall.
The part that the lca attaches to is called the front lower frame. The front lower frames
attach to the unibody floor bottom.

A friend of mine here in Charleston has an 88 (southern car) that has serious rust in right front lower frame but
but no appreciable rust anywhere else on the car. Apparently salt water got trapped in there and did it's dirty work.
If those pieces are compromised by rust, I would not pay $350 for the car (if you are not just considering buying it for
some salvageable parts to use yourself or to resell.)

[villageidiot]

why not just swap the 5 speed stuff into the auto car?

[Pu241]

why not just swap the 5 speed stuff into the auto car?

What Auto car?

[ratorrey]

Pulling the 5sp out of my 93 and putting it in my Auto daily driver is an option, not sure of the difficulty. I need my daily driver 6 days a week and the project would need to be completed in 1 day. Can turning an auto car into a 5spd be done in a day? Anyone know of a good write up on here?

[crazyrog17]

Hopefully you can find a write up, but I've considered the swap - to give you an idea..

Pedal box and clutch cable
Shifter and linkages
Everything touching the trans incl. but not limited to:
Starter
Mounts
Cross member
Clutch flywheel and pressure plate

It would probably be best if you could have the donor stripped and there for reference

[Pu241]

Got it!
I didn't read your post closely enough, just saw "it would be my goal to take the 91gl 5spd and the 93 5spd and make one car".
Think there is a write-up, might take some time let me see if I can find it.