"The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up...

Topic: "The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up... (Read 3616 times) previous topic - next topic

"The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up...

Reply #30 – October 26, 2011, 04:14:30 PM

God you guys just give me more and more reasons not to EVER move north. Its so funny you guys talk about older cars driving around like its odd but down here there's more old cars than newer ones. Just never any foxes for some reason....

That XR7 is freakin sweet. I understand the shifter thing. the boot is ugly as hell, at least in the pics, but the shifter's kinda cool. Bet it's really convenient. Personally, I think I would leave those wheels alone. They give it sort of a wide looking stance and it looks really good in my opinion. Anyway sure looks like you picked up a sweet deal.

"The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up...

Reply #31 – October 26, 2011, 06:13:51 PM

Yeah for the love of god DONT come up here if you can avoid it. I tell ya, Upstate NY is a beautiful area, I think in some ways it is unmatched....I know a few Hollywood celebrities have summer homes somewhere near Albany, maybe more north still like Lake George or thereabouts. I've heard it said anyway. But I'm not sure it's worth it to a car guy. Not one that isn't used to the conditions here. If you're a car guy and not from the rust belt don't go anywhere near it. It'll break your heart and piss you off.

"The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up...

Reply #32 – October 30, 2011, 10:47:45 PM

Quote from: ZondaC12;370895

Yeah for real. Gaze in approval all you want at these, but none of them are like that thing in your signature. Your engine bay, floors everything are all completely left alone by mother nature to begin with. Once there's even a start of rust on the seams, that's it. It's no longer like it was when it came off the line, never to be exactly like that again. Keep to your routine, don't take that sucker out unless the chance of rain is less than 20% from the talking heads and the sky looks heavenly. shiznit, what's the fun in driving it on a gloomy day anyhow. Someday youll have that on a show field with mirrors under it and people will shake their heads in shock and awe. :D

It's not quite clean enough for mirrors. It does have 132K on the clock. I'd need to do a lot more cleaning to make it mirror ready. Since I do drive it there is gunk and stuff on the underside.

Quote from: ZondaC12;371213

Yeah for the love of god DONT come up here if you can avoid it. I tell ya, Upstate NY is a beautiful area, I think in some ways it is unmatched....I know a few Hollywood celebrities have summer homes somewhere near Albany, maybe more north still like Lake George or thereabouts. I've heard it said anyway. But I'm not sure it's worth it to a car guy. Not one that isn't used to the conditions here. If you're a car guy and not from the rust belt don't go anywhere near it. It'll break your heart and piss you off.

That road salt is killer. I know any car I drive in it will die from it someday. If I didn't have to worry about road salt I would have another 25 year old Fox as a daily driver. I bought the Focus because, while it's a nice car, I won't feel so bad when the salt kills it.

"The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up...

Reply #33 – October 31, 2011, 07:34:09 PM

Dayyyyum she's up there! :D I knew it was over 100k when you spoke of mileage a couple years ago or something, so really no surprises...but at the same time it's still an instinct to associate good condition with non-usage so it makes you do a double-take. If you ever need a new idea for a cleaner for that purpose...http://www.korkay.com use their distributor locator see if there's any near you. Really good multi-purpose non-destroy-everything-it-touches cleaner. I don't know what it's made of...I don't think I would use it to routinely spot clean the exterior of my car or leave it on perfect paint for hours but I know my friend's uncle uses it profusely at his bodyshop, good for wheels, doesn't eat them away within minutes. But it's very very effective. Really fun to use.

"The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up...

Reply #34 – November 01, 2011, 03:15:23 AM

Good looking cat, Paul! Odd shifter or not, its a stick! You can always change around the throw to find what fits you. My 88 XR-7 is oxford white and is from and in the rustbelt. I hate salt, it has been out a handful of times in the winter first couple years I have owned it but it has its share of rust. It still gets looks but those spots glare at me everytime I look at it in the garage. I have had mine since 2001 and never regret the day I bought it! Can't wait till its 25 years old, antique plates will save me some loot every year. I have an awesome set of turbines and 90%-80% treadlife Fuzion 225-60-15 tires in my basp00get, if interested, hit me up!

"The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up...

Reply #35 – November 01, 2011, 02:43:31 PM

Quote from: ZondaC12;371626

Dayyyyum she's up there! :D I knew it was over 100k when you spoke of mileage a couple years ago or something, so really no surprises...but at the same time it's still an instinct to associate good condition with non-usage so it makes you do a double-take.

Most people think the car has about 50-60K miles on it when they see it. They can't believe that it has over 130K. The reason it looks good is because it never fell into disrepair and became a beater. When something has broken it's always been fixed. The key is that it has been maintained. Even at 132k the thing rides and handles like a new car, probably because everything but the springs in the front end is new. With old cars it's not always the mileage that's important but how the car was maintained. The Cougar you bought was a good buy even with over 100K. It's obvious someone maintained the car and took car of it. Those are the cars you want when you're shopping for an old car. I looked at a 78,000 mile 87 XR7 last year. You would think it would be in good shape but it was worn out. The suspension bushings needed to be changed (something that should be done on any 20+ year old car) and it had evidence of rust repair on the lower door frames and a bent rocker. It probably didn't help that a "hillbilly" (or as close as one can get to it in a northern Chicago suburb) bought it from an old man who had cared for it and then "hot rodded" it with a side exhaust and black painted 10 holes. Just because a car has high mileage doesn't mean it's beat up and worn out and just because a car is low mileage doesn't mean it's in good shape. It all has to do with the overall condition of the car and whether or not it's a candidate to be a keeper.

"The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up...

Reply #36 – November 01, 2011, 06:19:33 PM

And the sad part is, as much as you discuss your buttstuff-retentive habits with loads of self-deprecating humor (and trust me I'm at least as bad as you are, let's have a contest im IN IT TO WIN IT lol), that's the kind of person needed to keep a car in perfect shape over many years and thousands of miles. People can't even begin to wrap their head around this mindset, good thing we take pride in the misunderstanding and it just drives us to do better. A vehicle is a tool to most, in reality there's so much more to them. Someone needs to keep them around!!!! Your average person ooohs and ahhhs at an antique car show...what do you think made them able to shine so brightly 50 years later?

Kinda more on-topic...do you get any rattles or squeaks at all? The red car is good, but there are a few little things over just the right bump that remind you that it's not new and not a Lexus. The black one I just can't believe. It is the opposite of that sentence. I didn't think these were well-built enough TO ride like that. Does yours? All it takes is changing all of the bushings? He did say it "has poly bushings". All around or just in a random spot or two I don't know. If that's what it takes then I'll sure as hell be ripping EVERY thing apart on the red car before it goes back to roadworthiness.

@beast50 -- Will let you know if I wanna make a deal on those when I have the space and it comes time! Thanks! :)

"The good far outweighs the bad": 1988 XR-7 couldn't pass it up...

Reply #37 – November 01, 2011, 11:34:14 PM

Quote from: ZondaC12;371692

Kinda more on-topic...do you get any rattles or squeaks at all? The red car is good, but there are a few little things over just the right bump that remind you that it's not new and not a Lexus. The black one I just can't believe. It is the opposite of that sentence. I didn't think these were well-built enough TO ride like that. Does yours? All it takes is changing all of the bushings? He did say it "has poly bushings". All around or just in a random spot or two I don't know. If that's what it takes then I'll sure as hell be ripping EVERY thing apart on the red car before it goes back to roadworthiness.

I've got no squeaks or rattles, even with 55 series tires. I changed everything in the front suspension, I mean everything. I changed the control arm bushings, ball joints, struts, strut mounts, sway bar bushings and end links, steering rack, and tie rods. The only original part in the front is the springs. It's well worth it. Before I did this I would get the occasional pop or squeak when going over a big bump or the pop when braking. Now nothing. It's like driving a new car. None of the stuff I used except the sway bar bushings and end links is poly though. I did use '03='04 Cobra bushings in the control arms, which are firmer rubber. So if you can replace all the rubber parts in the front end. It makes a huge difference.