[rj-]

After 4 LONG months I finally got my '93 Shadow ES back on the road. I drove it for the first time last night.
New or Replaced parts were:
New crank timing gear.
New harmonic Balancer.
New woodriff key for the crank.
New engine coil.
Replacement drive side rear backing plate.
New rear wheel cylinders.
New replacement brake line (in the rear).

This car has been one headache after another. First the balancer breaking. Then having to drill/tap the crank timing gear to remove it. Having to buy new replacement parts to repair the engine.
The rear brakes locking up from setting so long. Having to locate a replacement rear driver side backing plate.
I had to grind the heads off the pass side wheel cylinder to get the old one off. Then replace the brake lines running to each wheel cylinder.
I need to drive it a few days before I hand it back over to my girfriend who's been driving the car daily to work for the past 5 years. To see what kind of bugs show up and repair them.
But thanks very much for the help offered by the board members. RJ

 

[Bob Lincoln]

Beautiful ride!

 

[rj-]

Thanks. I try to keep my cars looking nice. if I could just convince my girlfriend to wash the car occassionally? lol
Right now the Shadow is at about 158,000 miles.
There are some rust issues on the driver side. Like the door right at the top of the body kit.
But it's been a decent a ride since I bought it in 2003 for $2,600 on a little used car lot. We left a cruise-in one sunday and I happen to spy the car out of the corner of my eye. So I turned my '57 chevy Wagon around and we headed back to look the Shadow over. No one was at the lot but I called the number on the building and left a message. That same evening we drove back over to the small town the car was setting in my '94 Shadow ES and test drove the '93. Two days later I owned it.
They originally wanted $3,500 for the car. I waved $2,600 cash under their noses and they grabbed for it.

 

[neon98rt]

i almost got a car like that when it came out. me and my dad went to the dealership had everything ready to go and when we called the insurance company it was like 150 a month ( back in 1990 something) That is like 300 a month now. I think the car had some crazy amount of HP or something . My current insurance at the time for my boat car was nothing to even think twice about.

Glad you didnt pay 3500 for the car because it looks like you put 1000 in it in time and money.

 

[B10alia]

The investment of your own time pays off, though. Experience often makes a job very much faster. For example, I can remove a front strut in about 15 minutes now, replace all the wear parts on it in another 15-20, and put it back in in about another 15. I'm down from very much longer than that the first time I did it... and you'll find that even experience on different parts of the car help with a new job, too. That's how people learn, by doing things, and the more you or I or anyone else on here does, the better we get. So look at all that hard work as an investment in yourself! Not to mention the satisfaction you get and the confidence you gain from doing things yourself. It makes the car a little more "yours".