[Ducky]

I've been looking for a sky for the past few months...but wanted to find a good deal

Saw this one listed and jumped on it:
2008 Saturn Sky Redline Turbo
139,000 miles
Black and red interior (my preference), Silver exterior (I'll change the color)

Got it, love it so far.
Today I got the following codes: P0011, P0014.
I'll change the oil and see if that helps. If not, hopefully not too much to fix cause I plan to repaint/wrap, add underglow lights, and a few other things.

I got it for $6,500.
Still a pretty good deal, ya?

 

[marlboromike]

Not so DUCKY now?

 

[rjgramps]

I got it for $6,500.
Still a pretty good deal, ya?

Yes, a great deal if it has a clean Carfax, clean title (not rebuilt) and was well maintained.

For reference, two years ago I bought a 2007 base m/t with 119,000 miles for $4700. It was a southern daily driver that was solid, ran well, but needed a good refresh. I ended up spending more to refresh it than what I bought the car for, but I got dang picky, making everything perfect again. I got lucky in that the car did not need paintwork or I would have spent a lot more. I did all the work myself except replacing the body control module (BCM) because of the required programming during the installation process. Had I been better educated up front, I could have saved myself about $200 replacing things that ended up being related to that BCM.

CLICK HERE to see the car today. Search this forum for posts I started to see my work along the way.

I spent a lot of time messing with interior lighting. Many of the interior light bulbs (interior illumination) were burnt out or otherwise not working like the face of the radio, HVAC, door panel switches, and fog light switch. Expensive parts were the like-new convertible top and windshield gasket, a new tulip (the long silver trim behind the seats with the two flipper doors), new shock assemblies, and replacing the BCM. The rest were cheap by comparison but the long list added up for a combined investment of nearly $11,000. I could have drastically cut my post-purchase expenses if I wasn't so particular, but the extra $4000 made the car so much more enjoyable to own, driving something in "like new" condition, instead of a tired looking sports car that lost it's luster.

 

[Ducky]

Yes, a great deal if it has a clean Carfax, clean title (not rebuilt) and was well maintained.

For reference, two years ago I bought a 2007 base m/t with 119,000 miles for $4700. It was a southern daily driver that was solid, ran well, but needed a good refresh. I ended up spending more to refresh it than what I bought the car for, but I got dang picky, making everything perfect again. I got lucky in that the car did not need paintwork or I would have spent a lot more. I did all the work myself except replacing the body control module (BCM) because of the required programming during the installation process. Had I been better educated up front, I could have saved myself about $200 replacing things that ended up being related to that BCM.

CLICK HERE to see the car today. Search this forum for posts I started to see my work along the way.

I spent a lot of time messing with interior lighting. Many of the interior light bulbs (interior illumination) were burnt out or otherwise not working like the face of the radio, HVAC, door panel switches, and fog light switch. Expensive parts were the like-new convertible top and windshield gasket, a new tulip (the long silver trim behind the seats with the two flipper doors), new shock assemblies, and replacing the BCM. The rest were cheap by comparison but the long list added up for a total investment of nearly $11,000. I could have cut my post-purchase expenses by less than half if I wasn't so particular.

Yeah, has clean carfax and seems like it was well maintained.

Your sky looks awesome! You did a great job restoring it. Looks new.

The top on mine is a bit faded... I was thinking about something along the lines of airbrushing to restore the black color? Or maybe better to just find a like new top..

 

[rjgramps]

One great source for like-new parts is forum member HoosierGXP. He lives in Portland Indiana, a 3.5 hour drive one way for me. I spent the day in my SUV, returning home with many treasures. He parts-out Skys as a hobby. Go through your Sky in great detail, jotting down everything not perfect. Put a long detailed list together, then pay him a visit.

I wished I found him when I started, rather than late in the refreshing process. I would have saved a ton of money and time. He is a very nice one-stop shop, and a great fellow to work with. He ships many items but no longer convertible tops because too many didn't survive shipping.

The thing about my top, I helped him remove it from the donor car which was of coarse was a quick education on installation. The hard part was back at home aligning the top to everything it contacts, from the two rear flip-up butresses, to both door glass and behind the doors. There was a lot of required finesse. In the end it's all good, good sealing, good operation, but it took a lot of determination.

Regardless of where you buy your convertible top from, make sure it is a late model 2007 or newer. GM calls it a "Plan-B" design. There is an earlier "Plan-A" that I originally had and replaced with a Plan-B top along with its matching windshield gasket. Comparing the two, I like my replacement so much better, primarily because of how much better the door glass seals against the Plan-B windshield gasket. Don't settle for a Plan-A top, no matter the savings.

You have a 2008 so you already have the Plan-B. Be sure to keep it that way.

 

[Emm]

6500 in today's market is a good deal on a Redline.

Congrats.

I don't have advice on those engine codes.

A few things likely to come up and probably require maintenance every 60K miles:

1. You might need a new cat and two oxygen sensors.

2. You might need a new evap canister and a clean-up of the charcoal at the fuel pump.

If you plan on keeping the car for a while it might be a good idea to purchase a backup waterpump.

I'm speaking for myself though. I figure my problems are common because of YouTube fix videos posted by other Kappa owners.

And to be on the safe side change your transmission fluid and differential fluid. Every 40K miles.

One of my friends - a Base owner with a manual - ended up selling her car cheap because the differential busted. Maybe changing the fluid would have helped.

If you can afford it - purchase some good tires. I have BF Goodrich All Season G-Coms (255s in back and 245s in front). I recommend prioritizing the tires before the paint and underglows. Especially if you have Goodyear Eagles or tires from a economy tire company. The 255s look awesome.

 

[spydee99]

Have you looked up those codes? They're both valve timing codes. I would definitely have it looked at sooner rather than later. Could be something as simple as a sensor or as in depth as the timing chain guides. Maybe I'm being overly concerned for you.

Also, if there is a custom tune on the car, it could be part of the issue as well.

 

[rjgramps]

Maybe he'll get lucky and find one or both of his two timing solenoids on top of the engine are his problem. They are replaced easily enough.

One inspection procedure to checking for a broken timing chain guide, is removing those solenoids one at a time (as not to mix them up) and check for metal flakes on the ends. If flakes are present, then a timing chain guide is likely broken. Thanks to stevorama sharing his experience HERE, checking for a broken timing chain guide is easy.

 

[Ducky]

Thank you all for your concern and advice, much appreciated!

My mechanic tells me it is the ECU.... They say they have to shop around for one to replace (its not the dealership) so hopefully won't be too much, and it'll fix the problem and everything else will be A-ok.

 

[Ducky]

ECU was replaced and programmed. Got oil change as well. Was about $1500.

 

[Ducky]

here’s a pic of my sky

 

[kappaccino]

ECU was replaced and programmed. Got oil change as well. Was about $1500.

So good car is really $8000.

Nice car btw! How in the hell that the Mazda protege gets the covered parking over the Saturn ?

 

[tchr49]

Looks familiar

 

[peanutpckrupper]

Did your mechanic inspect the timing chains before saying it's the ECU? Any rattling noises at the front of the engine?

With how common the timing chain issue is on these cars I'd be hard pressed to believe your issue was a bad ECU. Just sounds like your mechanic taking you for a ride to me.

 

[IndianaSky]

Yes, a great deal if it has a clean Carfax, clean title (not rebuilt) and was well maintained.

For reference, two years ago I bought a 2007 base m/t with 119,000 miles for $4700. It was a southern daily driver that was solid, ran well, but needed a good refresh. I ended up spending more to refresh it than what I bought the car for, but I got dang picky, making everything perfect again. I got lucky in that the car did not need paintwork or I would have spent a lot more. I did all the work myself except replacing the body control module (BCM) because of the required programming during the installation process. Had I been better educated up front, I could have saved myself about $200 replacing things that ended up being related to that BCM.

CLICK HERE to see the car today. Search this forum for posts I started to see my work along the way.

I spent a lot of time messing with interior lighting. Many of the interior light bulbs (interior illumination) were burnt out or otherwise not working like the face of the radio, HVAC, door panel switches, and fog light switch. Expensive parts were the like-new convertible top and windshield gasket, a new tulip (the long silver trim behind the seats with the two flipper doors), new shock assemblies, and replacing the BCM. The rest were cheap by comparison but the long list added up for a combined investment of nearly $11,000. I could have drastically cut my post-purchase expenses if I wasn't so particular, but the extra $4000 made the car so much more enjoyable to own, driving something in "like new" condition, instead of a tired looking sports car that lost it's luster.
Excellent pics. Okay- The waste/storage container lower driver floor area , OEM!? Need it!

 

[rjgramps]

Quote from IndianaSky:
The waste/storage container in the lower drivers floor area.
Is it OEM?
I need it!
----------reply---------
The waste basket is on the passenger side and is not OEM. I bought it off eBay real cheap. I mounted it using a massive fender washer that has a raised center section so that it is not tight up against the carpet. I painted, then screwed the washer to the carpet so that the container can slip out to be emptied. Though I originally intended it for garbage, we quickly repurposed it for water bottles and other small items.

I mounted it as far rearward as possible without interfering with full travel of the passenger seat.

 

[tchr49]

I like that!! My MGB coupe had a map pocket/bin attached to the outside passenger footwell. It was the handiest damn thing. That little coupe was a station wagon compared to the Sky.

 

[Ducky]

Looks familiar View attachment 118953

Great looking car! How did you get the effect of the dark headlights? tint the outside or paint the inside?

 

[Ducky]

Did your mechanic inspect the timing chains before saying it's the ECU? Any rattling noises at the front of the engine?

With how common the timing chain issue is on these cars I'd be hard pressed to believe your issue was a bad ECU. Just sounds like your mechanic taking you for a ride to me.

Well... long story short... realized coolant was also leaking...I brought it back... bad water pump...and they recommended fixing timing chain while replacing water pump as well... it was another $1500 altogether. So car total is now up to $9500 after putting 3k into repairs... Idk if the ECU needed to be replaced or not. Oh well... hopefully thats it.

 

[tchr49]

Great looking car! How did you get the effect of the dark headlights? tint the outside or paint the inside?

Thank you
Yours has the same headlights, it must be the angle the pic is taken from.
Haven’t touched the lights except for LED bulbs and wiring the side markers into the turn signals.