[raymondo112]

I was just working on my 97 Dodge Intrepid ES 3.5 that I gave to my brother, decided it was time to do the inner tie rod bushings, I have been busy and the weather was a bit cold so I was really putting it off, well decided one day after looking at the passenger side tire being worn to the cords in a short time that it was getting out of control and needed to be dealt with. In the mean time I put the full spare on from the trunk and called it a day 3 days latter the spare blew out not sure why. Hmmm weird, well decided to condemn the car from the road because I wasn't feeling confident in it after seeing the amount of play in the front wheels. I set him up with my gas eating Ram, the only loaner I had, which he is dealing with as best as he can. In the meantime I went to the junkyard pulled 3 good tires and Rims (steelies) had polycast rims originally one is out of round from hitting a huge rock, other got bent from the blowout and being driven on, I am on a budget so this was the only way I could fix the car for him since he has little money to work with used tires and steel rims are 25.00 a piece and that I didn't mind coming out of my own pocket, just have to locate a 4th one to complete it, I couldn't find another good one that day, and since the cowl was falling apart got another one of those too, took all the necessary things off to get to the inner rod bushing bolts, and wham dropped the special socket and it went down the middle of the trans and became invisable, couldn't find a trace of it, so I ordered a new socket what a pain in the rear, also noticed the power steering return line is going rotten along with a line going across the rack, guess that will have to be done too, add that to the heater core flush and well all day project, sweet. It can become a real pain to deal with when things fall in places we can't get to them, I gave up fishing for it after 40 minutes of no sucess, wonder if anyone else has had this issue before I ordered two sockets for good measure, no one seems to carry them on hand.

The car is a beater now has been through a lot, but still running good, had a lot of work done, and has no good net value, body rusting by the rear quarter and the body has been through some battering from this and that so I am just waiting till something major quits working on it to send it to the crusher, doesn't look like it will be anytime soon though, did a lot to the 3.5 within the time I owned it was kind of accumulative and from just being already there so I replaced things that I normally wouldn't have access to otherwise, I think it's funny most of the cars I pull parts from in the junkyard look better than the car I am putting them on, but it runs like new so I guess that's the focal point. Probably will end up using the 2nd gen Intrepid hubcaps on the wheels as well.

I guess it's one more for the road as 1st gens are kind of scarce now. I got the Concorde to catch up on soon as well can't wait to do that one... At least the body is in much better shape still looks new almost, but has much higher miles on it go figure....

 

[raymondo112]

Yep that is true, I basically found that it is worthless to even try they know the price they can get for the car from scrap and if it gets picked clean or not it doesn't matter anyway they are still making bank off of a car they pay little to nothing for.

Sometimes you can even look on craigslist and people will want 800.00 for a car that doesn't run and they don't know why, saw an 97 LHS on there like that had to laugh why on earth someone thinks they will get that much for it is beyond me.

On the plus side my Intrepid is now done and drives much better, heat is better as well, but still not satisfactory as of yet, got a couple more things to do there before I decide if I will reflush the heater core with something else. In case someone out there has never done this you need to use hot water and backflush the heater core to get out the gunk and there is a few chemicals you can put in there to help clean it out, just remember even though it isn't common for the chemicals to eat through the heater core if it is fatigued enough it is possible which at that point you probably would have to anyone sooner than latter.

Got to find some nice struts for all four sides still will do that another time, I may use the 2nd gens as it looks the same exactly, haven't tried looking up part numbers but the brakes and all look like my 97's thinking it all could work, that's how I acquired my tires, rims, and hubcaps, car is real solid now.

Just glad the ordeal is overwith, I like how the Intrepid is holding up, I did enough work to it though, the 3.5 had the head and intake gaskets, seal and timing belt and components done, new coil pack, the good wires and new plugs, so it is very powerful and runs superb. I guess that makes it worthy, the body is just a bit ugly though, I got it when it was a bit bad but after years of driving on salted roads got a bit worse. Nothing I can do to fix it since I am not a body man.