One of the biggest things that is wrong with the car is that it’s automatic. I’ve decided to fix that problem by purchasing a donor car with a 5-speed so that I can bring over everything I need. The general plan is to put both of them in the garage at home (and move the RX-7 and the motorcycles to the storage lot) and pull the motor/tranny from the donor (Stinky), then pull the motor/tranny from the turbo car (Dirty), separate the motors from the trannys, attach the manual gearbox to the turbo motor, and re-install it. This will give me a chance to clean up the motor and the engine bay, and maybe even do a little painting.
I found a four-door, red Expresso SOHC car for sale about an hour north of Columbus. Since I had to go up there for work anyway, I arranged to buy it for $400, and brought it home. This car is the stinkiest car that I’ve ever been around. The seals must be leaking around the doors or something, since it’s damp all over and it just smells awful. The good news, though, is that I’ll be able to get the headlights and radiator, to do the original crash repairs for free. I might be able to get the fender and hood on Dirty, as well, if I can find a good match for the black paint that’s already on the car. The transmission shifts fine, and I should be able to clean up the interior parts enough to be able to sell them off.
http://www.putrescence.org/gallery/var/thumbs/Automotive/Turbo-Neon/IMG_20111022_141050.jpg?m=1320682023
http://www.putrescence.org/gallery/var/thumbs/Automotive/Turbo-Neon/IMG_20111022_141138.jpg?m=1320682063
More pictures at http://www.putrescence.org/gallery/Automotive/Turbo-Neon