Greg23 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 (edited) I have the opportunity to buy a Factory Five Daytona Coupe. It would just be a street car and basically an expensive toy but flashy and loud. It runs about 7 or 8/1 power to weight. I also have a stock 87 Conquest and they run about 13/1 power to weight. The Conquest has sentimental value as it is the first car we bought new. It is registered in my wife's name so it is also HER first new car. Even if I got the Coupe we'd keep the Conquest, although my wife insists we build another garage if we add another car. As it is, one has to sit outside now - that's currently a Dakota pick-up. She thinks it should have a garage too so it doesn't rot from being outside but they aren't that expensive used, so I'm not too concerned about it. The previous '92 Dakota did rot from being outside (never garaged). So, back to the Conquest. The interior is good. The engine is good but has 150k miles. There is an issue with the head (broken spark plug -> threaded insert, which means the head has to come off whenever the plugs are changed! I need to just get a good head built up and get rid of the old one. I also need to get a relieved exhaust manifold (I think I have the proverbial exhaust manifold leak) and have it fitted to the head. I do not want to do the head work but will take it off. Also, if the car sits for a few days it idles really rough for about 2 minutes and then clears up. I don't think the injectors are leaking so maybe there's a crack in the current head (another reason to get a new one - coolant level doesn't seem to be going down but it seems like it's got to be one or the other). Can the head be milled without decking the block? Question 1 - What price range are we talking about for the head/work/exhaust manifold work - to have it done? The rest of the engine seems o.k. but with 150k I should probably do something with the balance shafts and various chains at the same time. It doesn't use oil, so I think things are pretty good. I have good oil pressure so I think I'd like to stay away from messing with the oil pump. Question 2 - suggestions on what I should or shouldn't deal with in that area. The other big issue is body/frame rust. As far as the frame goes. The box beam is collapsing in places. It has a bad case of lower body rot. The center sill pieces aren't too bad but everything behind and in front of the sills needs work. The RIGHT way is to get 4 new corners put on. My understanding for that is about $5k. with a standard paint job or is that too low? The horizontal sections between the edge of the body and the frame are shot. What can be done with those? Any other decent options short of putting on 4 new corners. Are they even still available? For way less than half of what the Daytona would cost I could probably get the Conquest back in really good shape. It wouldn't have the wow factor or the thrills but it would get me out of another garage on top of the Daytona. I'm just not familiar enough with the cost of getting the Conquest back into really good shape to make an intelligent decision. Also the Conquest IS 27 years old and parts will just keep getting harder to find. If you've got any facts - like cost of doing things, tips on what to do, tips on what needs to be done or some other intangible they would be very helpful. If you just have an opinion I'm open to those too. I would be kind of disappointed if this didn't end up being two or three pages. I'm looking for a lot of facts and opinions. Thanks, Greg Edited June 6, 2014 by Greg23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott87star Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Sell it to Tye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markhansenconquest Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 (edited) sounds like a parts car??? IMO,,,,, FIND A RUST FREE SHELL ...IN A DRY STATE AND TRANSFER PARTS AND SELL THE REST......... Edited June 6, 2014 by markhansenconquest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mopar jon Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 I have rust free shells, message me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighterpilot Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 I can understand you wanting to restore your Lady - sentimental value. I have the same feelings about my Old Broad which I bought new too. If she got in a wreck, unless she was twisted up like a pretzel, I don't care how much it would cost, she would be repaired. For instance, next month she is getting about $2000 worth of body work, paint & rust free used & new body parts (in just the front end) done and the Old Broad will be shut down for a month. Shes also getting about $700 worth of mechanical parts and rebuilt electrical parts, which I've accumilated over the past year or so, which I'm gonna replace - preventive maintainance. $2700 worth of SENTIMENTAL STARQUEST LOVE which doesn't NEED to be done. Not to mention the $750 that I paid for a NEW MITSU OEM windshield that I ran across last October. The original one was sandblasted really bad cuz of the 475K miles on it to the extent that I could barely see the road when driving into a sun set; or the $200 that I paid PQ for a new set of Delphi fuel injectors in September of last year. Or the $750 that it cost to rebuild, with leather, her worn out front seats last Spring. Should I have have just scrapped the Old Broad cuz of the $4400 that it took, and is going to take, to correct all the her issues noted above in the past year; and especially the $2700 I'm gonna spend now, which is almost double of what most of you guys spend to initially buy your Starquest? It's worth every penny to me as I'm driving down the interstates, with no problems, and shes looking good! My point to you guys is - don't be so quick to just say scrap a Starquest, unless it's owner has some reasonable idea of what it would take to restore it - especially if it has sentimental value. Unlike the years that I grew up and lived through, we now live in a throw away society which doesn't bother to fix what we have when it's broken, without first determining what it would cost to rework it, which Greg is trying to do. Greg, post some pictures of all of the areas that are rusted - then we can give you a reasonable estimate about what it would "reasonably" cost to correct the rusted areas. There a number of guys here on SQC who do body work. As far as the engine work & parts, talk to Randy, aka. DAD. Here is a link to his website. He has the parts that you need for reasonable prices and a hell of a lot of knowledge about the Starquest G54B T engine. http://www.enginemac...m/conquest.html Ya might want to also look at the Starquest Newbee Checklist for other things to do to restore your Lady back to everything she can be. http://www.starquest...showtopic=66449 Keep us informed of what you are gonna do. For What It's Worth. KEN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markhansenconquest Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 I said in my opinion... if there not worth saving ( don't ) there throwing way good shells IN CALIF ..I bought my dads in 2005 had it 2 years .. got totaled 2007... Saved whole car ....Cut rear quarters off and trailered to scrap man. ( 33 bucks... ) .Bought a different one in 2009 ( black 87 ) ... I can put one together with the parts and have some of my dads car... red interer I don't care...u get what u get Like they say... If u cant get the one u want,,u gotta love the one your with.........its all whats it worth to u..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg23 Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Dirty Old Man - You are preaching to the choir!! Part of my problem is, after the spark plug snapped off many years ago I decided to just let it go until something big took it out. Then.... I changed my mind. I've been getting it back into shape over the last year or so. Almost all the little stuff has been done. I'm a function over beauty kind of guy so the body gets left until the end. The head/exhaust will need to be addressed and now that the little stuff is out of the way I will probably do that this winter. Mopar Jon - I will probably getting in touch with you in a few days. My mother lives in Brooksville (can't believe my luck!) I might make arrangements to stop over and see you the next time I go down there late summer or early fall. Knowing there doesn't seem to be a shortage of body parts might have just put the kibosh to that 65 Cobra Daytona Coupe :-( Thanks so far. More ideas please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mopar jon Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Sounds Good Greg, i dont imagine ill be seeing these cars go away too soon anyways, get in touch to let me know when you might be headed down, i was born and raised in Wisconsin so im well aware how the rust can ruin cars up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjohnson Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 So u are the origional owners? If so that means something in the car world. Depending on your willingness to learn how to do the sheetmetal work etc. Put it in the grage and restore her.id pullthe motor nd freshen it up,clean the engine bay, get it on jack stands cut n clean the rust out.but wo seing the condition of the whole car your going to halfto make the call. Can u weld? Do u have friends that can help w the metal work/body work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg23 Posted June 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 (edited) Sorry, my internet connection went down while I was editing this for the pics. Rust pics http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/bassnightwithOttO/RustRR.jpg http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/bassnightwithOttO/RustRF.jpg http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/bassnightwithOttO/RustLR.jpg http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/bassnightwithOttO/RustLF.jpg I have been told various things by various people. One person told me I'd have to hang the entire fender because if it was cut off mid way and a new section was welded on it would rust along the weld line. My wife tore a gash about 20 years ago in the LR, in the area of the fuel filler door, which was welded up and it doesn't look any worse now than just after it was fixed. Another person also told me the only way to do it right is all new fenders. He's a restorer, so he's talking restoration not just fixing the rust and making it look better. Another person told me it cut could be cut at the top of the fender bulge and a new section welded on. I need somebody who knows more about body work than I do to tell me what I can and can't get away with. Are there any welds on the front fenders or are they totally bolted on? If it's all bolts that answers the front fender question. I know, the wheels will be addressed after the body. They were bad from day 1! Old business - Head work - DAD already has my credit card number from other things - Thanks. Here's the Daytona Coupe I was looking at - http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo200/bassnightwithOttO/DaytonaCoupe.jpg Dirty Old Man - sending PM about your 66 Charger Mopar Jon - PM on its way Edited June 9, 2014 by Greg23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markhansenconquest Posted June 9, 2014 Report Share Posted June 9, 2014 (edited) to much work to fix......get a good roller.....it will end up being a better car ...full resto...........those rear fenders are rusted on inner and outer skins...your frame rails look the same...save something worth saving........transferring over parts is easy ...compared to welding or bodywork...........and when your transferring over go threw everything........ Edited June 9, 2014 by markhansenconquest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts