Saw my old Saturn Wagon in the wild!
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Originally Posted By: eljefino
Note the rear wiper losing its rubber.
The Matrix rear wiper was looking like up until a month ago. But I kind of pulled it up so it wasn't dragging like that. It was the original.
Shouldn't the brake lights be lit if it was sitting there? It does look roomy.
Note the rear wiper losing its rubber.
The Matrix rear wiper was looking like up until a month ago. But I kind of pulled it up so it wasn't dragging like that. It was the original.
Shouldn't the brake lights be lit if it was sitting there? It does look roomy.
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About 10 years ago I saw the 1970 Ford E-300 Econoline van in a parking lot that I had purchased new and later sold.
I introduced myself and in a couple of minutes we were talking like old friends. He is only the third owner.
We talked about the stuff I installed like the Oildex, coolant filter and Frantz filters for the gas and the 3-stacker for the oil that are still installed.
I has a 302 with a 2-barrel and a 3 speed manual. Apparently it's never been overhauled and he has no idea what the actual mileage might be.
I was surprised at how happy I was to see that van, again after all these years.
I'd kind of like to buy it back. We did exchange contact info. It cost $3,800 out the door in 1970. I remember paying cash and counting all the twenties and some hundreds.
I introduced myself and in a couple of minutes we were talking like old friends. He is only the third owner.
We talked about the stuff I installed like the Oildex, coolant filter and Frantz filters for the gas and the 3-stacker for the oil that are still installed.
I has a 302 with a 2-barrel and a 3 speed manual. Apparently it's never been overhauled and he has no idea what the actual mileage might be.
I was surprised at how happy I was to see that van, again after all these years.
I'd kind of like to buy it back. We did exchange contact info. It cost $3,800 out the door in 1970. I remember paying cash and counting all the twenties and some hundreds.
The brake lights work, I got a shaky picture with them on. But it's a stick shift so the driver doesn't need her foot planted on the pedal until she wants to move.
There are so many clues... the cheezeball reflector I put on to pass inspection, the "Twin cam" badge the body shop erroneously charged some guy's insurance for. (Car is a SOHC.)
There are so many clues... the cheezeball reflector I put on to pass inspection, the "Twin cam" badge the body shop erroneously charged some guy's insurance for. (Car is a SOHC.)
Does it have a mechanical odometer? Did you peek at the mileage?
Man, I wish I could have seen the odometer; it was pulling out of a parking spot when I was walking out of the door.
I got it in 2003 with 143k miles for $800, re-ringed the engine in 2006, drove it to 2014 and 242k and sold it because it was getting shabby and starting to grind/ block going into 1st gear, a combo clutch/ synchro issue. I had been double-clutching for years but even with that skill well-developed it stopped working. So I got 99,000 miles out of it for $300.
Glad someone crazier than me is keeping it going.
I got it in 2003 with 143k miles for $800, re-ringed the engine in 2006, drove it to 2014 and 242k and sold it because it was getting shabby and starting to grind/ block going into 1st gear, a combo clutch/ synchro issue. I had been double-clutching for years but even with that skill well-developed it stopped working. So I got 99,000 miles out of it for $300.
Glad someone crazier than me is keeping it going.
It's always cool to see a vehicle that you have given up on still soldering along, unless it has bad brakes and it's behind you.
Kind of looks like they live in there.
Pretty cool to see a car you thought was done for still kicking two years later. Looks like they are getting good use out of it too...there appears to be four passengers. Maybe it found its way into the hands of someone with a spare trans or something.
My parents had a 1990 Taurus they bought new. It burned up the first trans around 1996, then the second one went in late 1997. My dad was done with it at that point. The car decided it wouldn't go any more not even one block from the Ford dealer, and got traded in on a 1998 Contour. I figured it was going to the junkyard as it was a Taurus with a bad trans and over 100K on it, but about 7 years later I saw it in a parking lot, not looking much different from when it was traded in. Ironically the parking lot it was in was next to the Ford dealer it had been traded in to 7 years earlier with a totally dead trans. I recognized the car because it came from a very small, rural dealer that didn't sell too many loaded red Tauruses, and it still had the original dealer badge on the trunk lid.
My parents had a 1990 Taurus they bought new. It burned up the first trans around 1996, then the second one went in late 1997. My dad was done with it at that point. The car decided it wouldn't go any more not even one block from the Ford dealer, and got traded in on a 1998 Contour. I figured it was going to the junkyard as it was a Taurus with a bad trans and over 100K on it, but about 7 years later I saw it in a parking lot, not looking much different from when it was traded in. Ironically the parking lot it was in was next to the Ford dealer it had been traded in to 7 years earlier with a totally dead trans. I recognized the car because it came from a very small, rural dealer that didn't sell too many loaded red Tauruses, and it still had the original dealer badge on the trunk lid.
Believe it or not, I still see my '00 SW2 kicking around as well. I traded it in 4 years ago when I got my first Civic. That was a great running car.
I should have never gotten rid of my 2001 Kia tin can Rio because it is still running and in the meantime I have had two new cars... One a lemon Nissan Sentra with a junk CVT that screamed at 5k rpm until it 'warmed up'... then a wonderful Japanese imported 2013 Corolla with an unkillable 1.8L..... smashed to bits at 12k miles by a suspended license driver.
Sum total I'd have been better off and about $6k richer by keeping the piece of [censored].
Sum total I'd have been better off and about $6k richer by keeping the piece of [censored].
I got rid of my 2001 Saturn SL a few years back. I've been wondering if it's still on the road. One of these days I'll run the VIN to see what its fate was. Maybe it's already been turned into beer cans.
I do say that I miss saturnfans.com. I have fond memories of replacing that cracked ECTS giving me wacky RPMs at idle. Eljefino, are you still kicking around on those forums?
I do say that I miss saturnfans.com. I have fond memories of replacing that cracked ECTS giving me wacky RPMs at idle. Eljefino, are you still kicking around on those forums?
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RichPin helped me buy a house!
I keeping my eye out for a cheap sw2 wagon with a manual trans.
Always wondered what happened to my old '98 Cavalier. Had the history report pulled on it and it seems its still registered and running around, though, its been in another accident.
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