I take it the other driver's insurance covered your damage (at least partially)?
No way to straighten out the chassis and maybe raid a junkyard for the remaining replacement parts?
My 1999 Dodge Intepid was "totaled" by my insurance company becuase of a 5 MPH front-end hit. They ended up giving me around $5500 (I can't remember exactly). I got it fixed LIKE NEW for $1800.
Unless you've already used the insurance money for the Chevy, you should shop around and see what kind of a deal you can get for the T-Bird.
1. Springs and ball joints were both replaced two weeks ago. Struts and all 6 shocks were replaced over the past 14 months. I don't know what brand my mechanic put in. It's almost pointless to ask.
2. I live in the Bronx and although the particular neighborhood I'm living in is pretty good, it isn't very close-knit and the people I do know are not car-savvy. I owned an '87 LS for 12 years and I know better than most how this XR7 SHOULD handle.
3. I am delighted that your 88 XR7 has such a good ride - it underscores my point all along - MY XR7 should ride like a baby Lincoln after all the time effort and money that has been put into it.
I may have sounded more harsh than I should have. I'm pretty pissed this particular car still isn't handling like it should, but I DO love the model, and if the thing responded to all of the repairs and enhancements, I would not sound like this.
And of course if this was a 1987 Toyota Corrola, we would not be having this conversation at all :)
We'll see what happens. this being a holiday week makes it hard for me to get out there to Long Island and tinker with it. At this point I don't see the need for me to the car back from him again. He can get the tire pressure checked and then he can bring the car to the mechanic out there (I'll pay the bill over the phone by credit card).
Although I don't regret restoring this particular car, I would get more satisfaction out of it if the friggin thing started handling like it should over a rough road. Over $10,000 has been spent restoring it. In any case, after this last $425, the car will remain intact unti it's next owner buys it.
Age and driving record are important to insurance companies - but location is more important than anything.
Example (My Brother): Age 43, 1999 Acura TL, car registered in Long Island, NY - Full coverage was $1800 per year via State Farm. Same car, driver, etc - car now registered in Queens NYC NY - Full coverage went to $3200 annually.
You WILL need to disclose the engine change - but in fact I think they will ask the question outright anyway. Don't hide it - it could be used as a loophole by the insurance company in the event of a major accident.
I don't think you would need full coverage (meaning Fire & Theft) on a 20 year-old car. Unless the car is a blown-out Show Car, it probably wont' pay - The insurance company will only pay out "Market Value" less a deductible. In most cases, you'll end up paying more in premiums than the car is actually worth.
SHOP AROUND. IN NY, Allstate is cheaper than State Farm, and GEICO is cheaper than either. If you own your own home, consider taking out more liability insurance to protect the home from being attached in a major suit against you.
I saved my current 1987 XR7 from the junkyard (or donation). I intended to spend between $4000 and $5000 restoring it completely. In 16 months, I'm actually up to $10,350 and am looking at another $425 this coming week.
Good rule of thumb seems to be - get a good estimate in your head as to what you think it will take to restore it to where you want it. Then double the estimate. If you still have the stomach for it, go for it. Otherwise you could lease a brand-new car for a reasonable amount of money, and not be constantly aggravated by the wants and needs of a 20-year old machine no one else wants.
I am where I am with my XR7. It looks almost new now, but I still have a problem with the suspension.
I had the original 1987 Cougar LS for about a month after I bought the 1999 Intrepid. Then I sold the Cougar to my cousin Dom, who got another 30,000 miles out of it. The car was donated in 2003 with 215,000 on the original engine (and a blown head gasket).
While it's not fair to compare a near-21st Century vehicle to a car that was developed 25 years ago, what makes this discussion interesting is that the original Cougar LS V6 and my Intrepid had comparable rides and handling. I never once said "Wow this Dodge is such a better car". The 2002 Taurus HAS to be better than the 1988 for the same reason - that car benefits from an additional 15 years of tinkering by FoMoCo.
I know I'm repeating myself but my LS was infinitely superior to the XR7 I have now. I'm into the suspension for a little over $2000 and that will increase by $400 or so within the next week (See below).
As for the "Subframe Connectors" - That's what I love about you guys - I didn't even know the Subframe HAD Connectors. Moreover, I didn't even know the car had a Subframe. "Subframe Connectors" can be the next chapter in this saga...after I swap out the XR7 Struts and Shocks.
The car's first owner had it one year (1987) and the second owner had it from 1988 - 2005. I've had it between August 2005 and now. It was never in a wreck, and the second owner put money into the car as required. It was his work car and it traveled about 6,000 miles per year back and forth over the Cross Bronx Expressway and maybe the Bruckner Expressway in The Bronx. Both are among the heaviest travelled roads in the country. They connect Connecticut and New Jersey and have plenty of truck traffic on them at all times. The car was ready to be donated when he gave it to me instead. The car now has 162,000 miles on it - 4,000 of which is me running it and excercising it during the past 16 months. I've pretty much entirely restored it, pouring just under $10,500 into it, $2000 into the suspension alone. By comparison, my 1999 Dodge Intrepid has 159,000 miles (hardly any in The Bronx) on it and is light-years ahead of this Cougar in terms of performance and handling. To be fair - 12 years of technological advancements put the Dodge in a different class of car to begin with. But the car is still much more solid-feeling than the XR7. That being said - I owned a 1987 Cougar LS between 1987 and 1999 and that car performed comparably to the Dodge in terms of ride and handling (engine performance was no contest - The 1999 Dodge V6 is ten times the 1987 Mercury V6)
Things have not changed since Tuesday. The Cougar has now been relocated to Suffolk County Long Island, where the roads are much better than in the 5 boroughs of NYC. My son Nick is the primary driver. I am heading out to my 3 kids tonight on Long Island and will look to adjust the tires to their correct PSI. Then I'm testing the car on a POS road out there in Suffolk County. If I'm still not happy with the ride and handling of the car over a rough road (I don't expect to be), the car will have it's XR7 struts and shocks replaced, perhaps this weekend. After that, we live with it.
I wish that were the case. But right now - I hate it, my wife hates it, and even my son notices how it beats the shiznit out of passengers over a rough road. My son weighs all of 120 pounds, so it isn't a "fat ass" issue either.
Add to that I know my LS felt 10 times more solid than this XR7. I'm not expecting enough out of this car. This car should be riding like a Mark VII by now.
B306: I understand what you mean - but this car runs like on ANY rough road - all five boroughs and Nassau & Suffolk too. It is inexplicable, and I'm not the only one who notices this - my wife hates this car, and my 17 year-old son noticed how poor it handles the road as well. I've never seen anything like it.
Mayhem: I thought stock on this car was a 70, not a 60. Regardless, I will have to check the pressure, which is harder this week since my son has it out on LI this week.
I don't regret what I've done with this car, but I am very dissapointed with it thus far.
Thursday 12/14/2006 ($550.00): Replaced L/S & R/S Lower Control Arm Bushings (52.95) Replaced L/S & R/S Ball Joints (139.90) Replaced Front L/S and R/S Coil Springs (147.95) Replaced STR Gear Bushing (28.28) Labor (175.00)
And yet - The car still handles a rough road like an army jeep. I know I said the car was running better, but after taking it over some rough road surfaces, the car still beats the out of it's occupants.
I am going to have the tire pressure checked on each tire - that may help. But the fact remains that despite spending more than $1400 on the suspension alone, this car isn't nearly as good as my mother's 1972 Maverick was 20 years ago. It is STILL The worst ride I have ever owned.
Next up - I am seriously considering swapping out the XR7 struts and shocks. I will get a quote from the Long Island mechanic Tuesday, since I 've gone ahead and temporarily given the car to my son, who lives out there with my Ex.
No reasonable boss can or should be upset with an employee who has been honest and honorable. Your boss was definitely more upset about the army of people all calling in sick at the same time, rather than at you specifically. Add in that it's probably your busy season, and you end up with loads of customers and not enough employees. Take heart - when YOU call in sick, it becomes someone else's problem. Imagine being your BOSS!! If he has eight employees, they are ALL his problem!
