Dammerung Posted January 8, 2022 Report Share Posted January 8, 2022 I’m looking to buy a starion/conquest, of any year. Would prefer automatic (shocking, I know!) as I plan to use it as a daily for college and I don’t want to learn a manual just to drive a cool sports car. I would also like for it to be in running condition. In Fresno, CA and willing to travel just about anywhere in state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsolete Posted January 10, 2022 Report Share Posted January 10, 2022 Man, sorry to be a wet blanket, but one of these cars will either strand you, bankrupt you, or make you miserable as a college student. Maybe all of the above. Even the low-mileage ones in nice shape that are going for good money are just ticking time bombs of 35 year old parts. I would only recommend getting one if you are prepared to spend a lot of time working on it, have a decent garage to work on it in, and have the tools the skills, or are prepared to acquire both of them fast. The two suggestions I'd give you: Get a Miata If you're into cars, you should learn to drive a manual. Seriously, it's worth it. I was in the same situation as you; nobody ever taught me how. I bought a beater manual car after I graduated college, had a friend teach me a little bit, but mostly figured it out for myself. I've since taught several other people. Driving a manual sports car is a fun experience that you're missing out on by not learning. I know, not what you want to hear, feel free to tell me to go away. Just trying to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psu_Crash Posted January 11, 2022 Report Share Posted January 11, 2022 Not to rain on your parade, I agree. This isn't the car you want as your only daily driver. Not that it can't be done, but you need to be prepared to maintain, replace and upgrade parts that may not even be available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCuda Posted January 11, 2022 Report Share Posted January 11, 2022 These guys aren't wrong. My first one was my daily driver in the late 90s. The car never left me stranded(it tried) but I was thankful I had a good place to work on it and I had another car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsolete Posted January 11, 2022 Report Share Posted January 11, 2022 Stuff that has happened to me in 3 total summers of driving Starquests: Stranded the first time: ran out of gas because the gauge wasn't accurate. It read 1/4 tank, but the tank was empty. Stranded the second time: clutch slave cylinder failed. Not a problem in an automatic, but the same thing could just as easily happen to the brakes. Almost stranded: rear brake caliper seized. This actually happened to the previous owner of my car; it stranded him, he replaced the caliper, then after I bought it, I noticed the other side starting to seize, and rebuilt it before it stranded me. New/remanufactured calipers are no longer available. Almost stranded: Headlights went out at night because of a fusible link failure. Luckily I made it home because I was in the city, and there were enough streetlights, but it was sketchy. Almost stranded: Overheating in traffic because one of the cooling fan relays failed. I was able to make it home after giving it some time to cool down, then taking a different route that kept my speed up to get enough air through the radiator to keep it cool. Bonus content: Both of my cars had rebuilt engines installed before I got them because the balance shaft bearings got shredded and damaged the rest of the engine. On the first car, there was already a bunch of metal in the oil of the rebuilt engine, because the previous owner installed it without cleaning out the oil cooler and lines, which were still full of debris from the first blow-up. That engine didn't live very long. My friends with Miatas spend a lot more time driving and enjoying their cars. Hell, even Subarus are better. It's a low bar. Starquests are really cool-looking, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ressurection Posted January 12, 2022 Report Share Posted January 12, 2022 6 hours ago, obsolete said: Stuff that has happened to me in 3 total summers of driving Starquests: Stranded the first time: ran out of gas because the gauge wasn't accurate. It read 1/4 tank, but the tank was empty. Stranded the second time: clutch slave cylinder failed. Not a problem in an automatic, but the same thing could just as easily happen to the brakes. Almost stranded: rear brake caliper seized. This actually happened to the previous owner of my car; it stranded him, he replaced the caliper, then after I bought it, I noticed the other side starting to seize, and rebuilt it before it stranded me. New/remanufactured calipers are no longer available. Almost stranded: Headlights went out at night because of a fusible link failure. Luckily I made it home because I was in the city, and there were enough streetlights, but it was sketchy. Almost stranded: Overheating in traffic because one of the cooling fan relays failed. I was able to make it home after giving it some time to cool down, then taking a different route that kept my speed up to get enough air through the radiator to keep it cool. Bonus content: Both of my cars had rebuilt engines installed before I got them because the balance shaft bearings got shredded and damaged the rest of the engine. On the first car, there was already a bunch of metal in the oil of the rebuilt engine, because the previous owner installed it without cleaning out the oil cooler and lines, which were still full of debris from the first blow-up. That engine didn't live very long. My friends with Miatas spend a lot more time driving and enjoying their cars. Hell, even Subarus are better. It's a low bar. Starquests are really cool-looking, though. what are you talking about? i just looked on Oreilly's website, they have rear and front remanned calipers in stock for 86 starion/conquest. i would be more worried about the lack of parts for the drivetrain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Preludedude Posted January 12, 2022 Report Share Posted January 12, 2022 43 minutes ago, Ressurection said: what are you talking about? i just looked on Oreilly's website, they have rear and front remanned calipers in stock for 86 starion/conquest. i would be more worried about the lack of parts for the drivetrain. Rear calipers are gone. Fronts are available on RockAuto Oreillys doesn’t have front or rear in stock. I just looked. Not sure what you saw... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dammerung Posted January 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2022 On 1/10/2022 at 12:39 PM, obsolete said: Man, sorry to be a wet blanket, but one of these cars will either strand you, bankrupt you, or make you miserable as a college student. Maybe all of the above. Even the low-mileage ones in nice shape that are going for good money are just ticking time bombs of 35 year old parts. I would only recommend getting one if you are prepared to spend a lot of time working on it, have a decent garage to work on it in, and have the tools the skills, or are prepared to acquire both of them fast. The two suggestions I'd give you: Get a Miata If you're into cars, you should learn to drive a manual. Seriously, it's worth it. I was in the same situation as you; nobody ever taught me how. I bought a beater manual car after I graduated college, had a friend teach me a little bit, but mostly figured it out for myself. I've since taught several other people. Driving a manual sports car is a fun experience that you're missing out on by not learning. I know, not what you want to hear, feel free to tell me to go away. Just trying to help. Go away!!! Nah, I’m just kidding, but thank you for the honesty. I’m fully prepared to work on it because I have experience with another “rare” vehicle: a Jeep Comanche. That thing is a beast on its own with the multitude of bad grounds and potential to leak just about every fluid in the vehicle from many different spots. I’ll admit, it’s definitely more common than a starquest and it has similarities with the common Cherokee, but it’s still hard to find parts for the model years that actually apply to it. I wanted a starquest because: A. They’re cool as hell, plain and simple. B. I wanted a smaller car that wasn’t so mainstream. The truck is not the easiest to maneuver around because it’s a long bed. Plus it was either I look around for a starquest that I actually like or settle for a dodge Daytona, and the Daytona just does not cut it for me at ALL. Something about the pop up headlights position and similar-but-not the-same body lines as the starquests really bugs me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueCuda Posted January 12, 2022 Report Share Posted January 12, 2022 My Dad had Turbo Daytonas as company cars when I was growing up, I think he had two then bought his own 89 shelby car. Fun cars, ultra reliable but they are no where near as cool as a Starquest. The Comanche is way, way, and I mean way simpler of a vehicle than a starquest, also more reliable. But as cool as Comanches are they aren't as cool as a Starquest lol. You might want to keep it around though, so you can drive it while you wait in parts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psu_Crash Posted January 12, 2022 Report Share Posted January 12, 2022 4 hours ago, Dammerung said: Go away!!! Nah, I’m just kidding, but thank you for the honesty. I’m fully prepared to work on it because I have experience with another “rare” vehicle: a Jeep Comanche. That thing is a beast on its own with the multitude of bad grounds and potential to leak just about every fluid in the vehicle from many different spots. I’ll admit, it’s definitely more common than a starquest and it has similarities with the common Cherokee, but it’s still hard to find parts for the model years that actually apply to it. I wanted a starquest because: A. They’re cool as hell, plain and simple. B. I wanted a smaller car that wasn’t so mainstream. The truck is not the easiest to maneuver around because it’s a long bed. Plus it was either I look around for a starquest that I actually like or settle for a dodge Daytona, and the Daytona just does not cut it for me at ALL. Something about the pop up headlights position and similar-but-not the-same body lines as the starquests really bugs me. Well then. welcome to the addiction LOL! Hope you can find a nice one. The amount of times my car has attempted to strand me in the last 24 years .... we don't have time for that. The amount of times it did leave me along side the road. Once. Snapped axles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsolete Posted January 12, 2022 Report Share Posted January 12, 2022 I guess if we didn't scare you off, then welcome to the club. I hope you find a nice one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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