[rjgramps]

Everyone will remember 2020 as the year of COVID19, except for me. I will remember it as the year that I unexpectedly restored Money Pit. I finally got the car back together after 5 months and $5000 in parts and services to-date. My basement is empty of parts for this Sky with only two exceptions. I still have to install the wind deflector, and I held off installing the original hood insulator, thinking of buying a new one.

I am not out of the woods yet. I have fluids to change, brakes to replace, TPMS sensors to remove, and tires to balance. I have to research a loud howl in back that occurs under the slightest of torque. Hopefully a differential fluid change will quiet it down. O maybe it is a bad CV axle. I have a bad paint chip in the hood and the top of the rear bumper's clear coat isn't looking too good. I will see how much motivation is left in me in dealing with those two cosmetic issues.

To date I have refused to let my wife even sit in the car, let alone go out for a drive. It was so pathetic when I drove it home from Georgia. I think it's time she experiences our Sky. I have forewarned her how rough a ride it offers, and how loud the driving experience is. That rear end howl under any amount of torque surely needs to be resolved to improve our joy-riding experience.

 

[lerthon]

Congrats! That's a clean looking Sky.

 

[Robert Neighbours]

your paticence with this car is remarkable !!!!!

 

[rjgramps]

Congrats! That's a clean looking Sky.

Your patience with this car is remarkable !!!!!

Thank you for the encouragement.

 

[rjgramps]

I covered this on other post subjects, but we have been driving fully assembled Money Pit for a couple of weeks now. I recently had the car test driven by a professional race car engine and power train builder who highly recommended new shocks all around. I will be installing them soon with hopes for an improved ride. Since the car has been fully assembled, most road, engine, and drive train noises have been greatly reduced. What I thought were additional issues were normal sounds that got amplified from the lack of carpet and interior panels. I also hope my plan for fresh fluids all around might help a tad bit with some of the normal sound from the trans and differential.

I got my Bosch brake pads and front rotors plus rear ACDelco rotors, all rust resistant which will look nice compared to my functional but ugly old rusted rotors and pads. I'll be cleaning up calipers & brackets, though I don't like the popular sporty red painted look. If I do any paintwork, it will be gray like I've done on a few other vehicles, one example shown here on a Solstice.

And here on my mother's Chevy Tracker.

 

[Rusty Boltz]

Mine wasn't exactly a money pit, but in my mind, everything has a cost/benefit relationship. I needed tires, and I was afraid of a second water pump replacement, and a second passenger presence module. I sold the SKY

 

[BlueRL]

Fear drives a lot of bad decisions. Mine has 92k on the clock and water pump is fine. Seat sensor is fine but if it goes bad GM will take care of it. Tires are a cost of doing bussiness just like gasoline and batteries.

 

[Rusty Boltz]

Fear drives a lot of bad decisions. Mine has 92k on the clock and water pump is fine. Seat sensor is fine but if it goes bad GM will take care of it. Tires are a cost of doing bussiness just like gasoline and batteries.

Mine had 82k on the clock. Water pump and seat sensor had already been done once, so GM isn't going to cover them again (the water pump wasn't covered the first time). I also had replaced the PCM, VVT solenoids, a door handle, and turn signal switch. Tires are maintenance items, but the set that was on it cost $1k, and I'd be looking at that again. I couldn't see spending anywhere from $1k to $3k on a $5k car. Some folks would, but they must have more $ than I do.

 

[BlueRL]

Yep. Sometimes costs can outweigh the value to the spender. In my case, the Sky is the least expensive as my other two daily drivers are a Jaguar and a Lexus both of which can get expensive. The Lexus timing belt had to be changed even though it was in perfect condition, but you dont know that till you remove the radiator and the front of the engine. Its an "interference engine" so you dont take chances...LOL. That was $1400. The recent refurb of the Jag to get it roadable (it has been sitting in the back of the garage for 21 years) cost me $2400. That comes out to $115 a year so isnt too bad, but in one lump sum, too much. I am trying to sell it now before another 20 years passes....LOL

 

[The_Ghost]

Yep. Sometimes costs can outweigh the value to the spender. In my case, the Sky is the least expensive as my other two daily drivers are a Jaguar and a Lexus both of which can get expensive. The Lexus timing belt had to be changed even though it was in perfect condition, but you dont know that till you remove the radiator and the front of the engine. Its an "interference engine" so you dont take chances...LOL. That was $1400. The recent refurb of the Jag to get it roadable (it has been sitting in the back of the garage for 21 years) cost me $2400. That comes out to $115 a year so isnt too bad, but in one lump sum, too much. I am trying to sell it now before another 20 years passes....LOL

There still putting belts in engines???? I thought they learned years ago that was a bad idea. I had a '90 Plymouth Laser RS 2.0L Turbo, and it was an interference engine that had a timing belt. They found out that the belt stretched due to the heat...and they warrantied them for life. All you had to do to get the lifetime warranty was take it in within 90 days of the recall, then every 25k after that. I had 3 put on that car and the guy I sold it too had another 5 done. Cost? $0.

 

[BlueRL]

The 2004, LS 430, bought with only 50K on the clock was 11 years old at the time. The change spec was 90K miles OR 7 years. The car was already 11 years old so it was time to change it. I didnt want to risk a $5000 engine replacement for $1400 savings. Probably would have been OK, but it was a ticking time bomb.
NO lifetime warranty.