Remove this ad

Lead

Nov 4 09 3:51 AM

Tags : :

It has been a phenomenally long time since I posted here with you guys. think i was looking for the torque sequence for the new head i was putting into my car. Never got back to you all on that and for this i apologize.

That didn't fix the problem.
lol

The block was cracked. that put me in a super tight spot, as i needed a vehicle FAST.

i got extremely lucky and ran into a man on the internet selling aspire motors pulled out of junked cars for $350 a pop with 3 month guarantees.
my father and i rallied up an engine hoist and prepared to switch the engines.
it took us 13 hours (my father is recovering from a major arm surgery and i'm still new ish at working on cars. especially these little babys) after much tinkering and effort, the new (older) motor was installed and FINALLY after THREE YEARS OF EFFORT i had my aspire running and driving AMAZINGLY
i fell in love
my girlfriend even got jealous.
it was great. i drove the car for one week and averaged my mileage at 35.22 MPG under city conditions. took it on the freeway only once. good mileage in my opinion considering i'd never driven a manual transmission car before and had more then my share of mistakes and kills. i became comfortable with it. right before i started driving it i went and took my licensing test and passed the first try, even having not practiced driving in over a year and half. i learned that in washington state you can only have two learners permits before you are required to take your test. this makes practising driving difficult
and illegal in most cases. lol.

but i toughed it out, got my license and drove my little car around for a whole week. thanks to all the members of this forum giving me advice on the fly and helping me diagnose little issues and support me in finding parts.

i loved this car very very much. loved being past tense for a reason
having not driven for a year or maybe two, i was a little out of touch with how things work when the first of the years blinding nightmarish rainstorms hit.
the same day i got both my plastic drivers license and insurance cards in the mail i parked my poor little aspire under the ICU bar on the flat bed trailer of a semi.
i nearly cried.
i did have a panic attack for sure.

no one was hurt, not even a stiff neck the next day. i was only doing about 20 miles per hour when i squinted through the downpour and saw the semi in front of me stop. locked up the breaks when i saw it was pulling a trailer. after three years of hard labor and approximately $600 of parts, my little car was totalled. all the headlights destroyed, already damaged front bumper badly broken in many places, radiator knocked against motor, etc. very very very unhappy with this mistake that i can take 100% responsibility for.
the worst part about this whole issue i believe to be that the car STILL RUNS AND DRIVES JUST FINE. it just isn't street legal and i don't have the money to repair it.


being a full time college student with a part time weekend job i needed a new car.
i've scoured the internet (mostly craigslist) looking for a new car. i listed mine for $800 in the shape it was in and had many offers. i listed it for parts as well and had a dozen emails the next day begging for everything under the hood (namely the transmission. if you have an extra 5-speed laying around and want to make money, check into selling it in seattle.)

If my luck couldn't get any better, i found an aspire that fit my under one grand price range.
Forest green two door five speed. 1997. all it needs is a 5 speed transmission that i happen to be the proud owner of already. car has 140k miles on it and is in AMAZING condition other then the toasted tranny. previous (and only previous) owner allowed a seal to deteriorate and leak out all the fluid. i have those parts.
and i have that car. guy was asking $2000 for it and i told him otherwise. he's delivering it to my driveway tomorrow on his flat bed for $700 even. i'm excited, as i liked the two door model much better anyways. there is one quarter sized dent in the whole body of this car. some mild scratches, but it looks a hell of a lot better then the totaled one in my back yard.

I became addicted to these cars very quickly. and as the last time i worked on restoring one to life, i turn to the intelligent minds that belong to this forum.
any and all advice on the easiest method of swapping a 5 speed transmission welcome. if the topic already exists and i missed it in my early morning come over, please share with me. pictures of both cars. teal one being the former one i fixed (my display picture) and the forest green one being the new one i'll receive tomorrow. better pics of new car to follow, and i'll try and stay in touch with how the repairs are going.

http://img522.imageshack.us/g/1014091212.jpg/

1995 Ford Aspire 5 door 5 spd/manual

Quote    Reply   
Remove this ad
Remove this ad
avatar

8144442

Totally Awesome Member

Posts: 1,739

#1 [url]

Nov 4 09 7:45 AM

damn! Tough break man...nothing that a new bumper,bonnet and crossmember wont fix.

Too bad i dont live in the US, i have a spare front bumper for a 97 lying around and a lot of 97 stuff that could fit. Again tough break, but lucky no one was hurt.

user posted image
"A Ricebubble on steroids"

97' 2Door 5Spd Glowspire 5Rspd, Ongoing project and DD!
Mod Shop N Performance AUS

Facebook Me!
Make sure you leave a note to who you are from here
Aspire Wing Conversion
My How-To Mod the OEM Wing for Non-Se Spires
Glow_Mouse's 97 Glowspire
My baby and Pride N' Joy

Quote    Reply   
Add Reply

Quick Reply

bbcode help