1996 SC1 project...

RJWilliams3 · 04-09-2007, 02:08 AM

My buddy has a 1996 SC1 that he's trying to get rid of. He said it starts up with no problem and drives fine. The big problem is the rear window is smashed out and the interior is about shot. That's the least of my worries b/c I would like to make this a dedicated track car. I'm just sick of beating the snot out of my Redline.

My question to you guys is would this car be worth it? It has about 160k miles and i'm not sure how the brake lines and all that stuff are. I'd be gutting the entire interior and having just a seat and harness in there. It's a 5 speed and the body's not smashed up.

What should I look for as far as problems b/c of the age of the car? Let me know. Like I said, just trying to sway one way or the other here. It's all up in the air still.

the Shaolin UWP · 04-09-2007, 02:34 AM

It's not worth it. With the money you would have to put into it fixing the window and swapping in a twincam, you could have a much quicker car.

I was looking for a project car to do the same thing to...gut it and track it so I quit breaking my DD...but I realized that it would take so much money to get a Saturn to a decent project car...between suspension, gauges, engine...that's when I saw the RX-7 and got that instead

PurdueGuy · 04-09-2007, 03:31 AM

I have to agree - even if you're inspired to stay with an S-Series, you'd have a lot of work to do with that car.

An idea of costs & work:

-$300 window
-$300-$1000 DOHC swap (stock engine)
-rear suspension swap for swaybar
-lotsa tune up & general repair/maintenance

That's just to get it to the stock equivalent of an SC2 (granted, it'd be a little faster gutted). You're easily looking at $1,500-2,000, not including the cost of the car itself. You should be able to find a better deal if you look long enough.

That car could make a decent beater car if it could be had for cheap and just have a window put in.

RJWilliams3 · 04-09-2007, 12:20 PM

maybe I forgot to mention, but he's willing to give me the car at no price. Just sign over the title. I'm not concerned too much about the window b/c I can probably get one from a junk yard and slap that in there. Won't have to be very water tight b/c I'll have it under cover all year long.

Meh, still trying to sway myself either way.
Keep the thoughts comming guys!

PurdueGuy · 04-09-2007, 04:05 PM

If you go for it, I'd let a shop replace the window - they're not easy to replace, or even pull for that matter.

the Shaolin UWP · 04-09-2007, 06:34 PM

I'd get it, buy a helmet, and run it at the local oval track in the "Sizzlin 4's" division until it died.

RJWilliams3 · 04-11-2007, 03:02 AM

Well, I called around the other day to see the price in replacing the back glass on the car. The average price installed was somewhere to the tune of $800. Yeah, F' that. I was about to give up on this until this afternoon. I got to talking to the guy in the next shop over from ours (former Saturn tech turned private shop owner) and said on how he knows a few people at a local salvage yard. Well, I called the yard up and sure enough, $50 for the glass. Wow, what a difference from $800. So, I put a call in with my friend and am awaiting a return call as to when delivery can take place. I have another buddy on stand-by with a trailer so we can haul this beast the 3 1/2 hours it is between us. Hopefully I hear back from my friend soon so I can make sure he wasn't ****ting me about the whole "sign the car over to you" thing.

We'll see.

PurdueGuy · 04-11-2007, 04:16 AM

shops often charge a lot because they don't like to do them - they're a pain to install. (1st gen saturns in particular from what I understand)

Code Warrior · 04-11-2007, 04:30 AM

Can you say off-road vehicle?

off road vehicles without any glass (windshield, door windows etc.) make excellent play vehicles, it feels like your going way faster w/ the wind actually hitting you... I warn you though, when I did that, my headliner ripped down and smacked me in the face.. and at 70 it pushes the water out of your eyes

Everytime I'm offered a vehicle for free, I offroad the crap out of it, then call the junk-yard people and get $ for whats left of it. Satisfying when you own a vehicle your afraid to scratch. Best i've done is 9 ft. air (didnt mean to, big dip then drop off that wasnt visible, pretty scary) with a Ford Tempo on a 4-wheeler trail (one of the worst cars ever) It landed on a nose dive and the radiator pretty much blew up.. (along with most of the front end) lol.. Good times.

RJWilliams3 · 04-14-2007, 01:58 AM

Well I'll be picking hte car up in the next few weeks or so. i can't wait to start tearing this thing apart and making it a comparable trailer queen. I know I'm definately going to road race it for a few years but then I might get an itching feeling to do some forced induction. the redline should be paid off in that much time so maybe that'll be the drag queen. IDK, parts are expensive for that beast.