NSR...old car refresh

[Iahawk]

I'm at the point where my teen daughters will need their first car so I purchased a car from my mother's next door neighbors, whom I've known for years. It's a 2006 Pontiac Vibe (twin to Toyota Matrix / Corolla wagon). I knew it had some miles....but it has 214,000 (344,000 km)! Surprisingly, the car is in great shape, mechanically. Cosmetically it was rough. It had sat outside most of its life and had sat undriven for the past 6 months.

After checking the car out and taking it to my mechanic to get it up in the air, I bought it. Nothing mechanically wrong with it, just needs a lot of maintenance done, like an old bike!

I proceeded to start on the detail job..engine cleaning, interior cleaning and then full exterior detail. Headlight restoration made a big difference! I have to wait to restore the plastic exterior trim for some warmer weather. Very pleased with how the car turned out (from 10 feet away...I joked that they must have stored bricks on the hood and roof).

Now it's on to the replacement parts...have changed oil and filter, headlight bulbs, rear wiper, interior dome light bulbs (led) and have waiting in my parts pile:
serpentine belt
valve cover gasket
new denso iridium spark plugs
pcv valve
air filter
cabin air filter
cam chain tensioner o ring (lots of seeping from various o rings on motor)
intake gasket
throttle body gasket
new antennae
new rear hatch struts
probably a few more I'm forgetting

I'll also change the brake fluid, coolant and trans fluid. The car will need front pads and rotors, soon, and this will be my first go around with rear drum brakes. The alloy wheels will need to be refinished, too. Corrosion on all 4. Nothing is complex on this car and parts are cheap. Since I don't have a motorcycle / scooter project to keep me occupied, this will have to do!

[randyo]

the worse thing for a vehicle is to sit undriven, expect the exhaust to have some rot

couple  years ago, I bought a 140k mile '02 Tacoma from a friend, I know that he takes care of vehicles meticulously and he had receipts, but also evidence he only drove it a couple thousand miles i the previous 3 years, reason he  was selling

he had replaced the rotted exhaust, I didn't even get it all the way home before brake lines started bursting, then the shifter cable, next was the steering rack, more brake lines, the starter, neutral safety switch, if it wasn't one thing it was another
final straw was an apparent head gasket failure, I didn't even have it checked, just sold it for scrap, bought a 130k mile '16 Frontier that I am very happy with

[Stig / Major Tom]

Shoot Hawk, that's a pretty good looking car!
And, yeah that model has a good rep!
Rear drums... I've a lot of VW experience with drums.
THE worst set of rear drums was ---- well, I married a cute blonde - 9 yrs my junior - so there's that - but damsam. "Girl, when was the last time you had your Fairmont serviced ...other than oil changes?!"

The rear shoes had ground themselves DEEP into the drums. Metal-on-metal stopping for who knows how long.
So, drum will not come off!
I was pretty strong in those days - so I was able to ape the wheel/drum off ...with clips and springs and brake parts flying about. 3/4 of a hot summer day.
Drums were surprisingly inexpensive at NAPA.

I was surprised to learn that my Chevy F-150 has rear drums..  I think it is an O'6. (good truck, 75K - but $1400 so far on front brakes and total-lines replaced)

Good luck and keep us in your story here!
Stig

[randyo]

Chevy F-150 ?

[Iahawk]

Chevy F-150 ?

or Ford-erado?

I had no idea of the surprising cult following these old Vibe / Matrix cars have. Owner forums with details on everything you'd ever need to keep them running strong. It's even a car that people 'car camp' in...the back seats fold flat (as does the front passenger seat) and if you slide the front seats up you can put a mattress in the back to sleep!

Here's a few more pics. (replaced 1 of the 2 reverse lights this morning with an led...it's like having a rear headlight!..will replace the other side today, too)

[Stig / Major Tom]

Chevy F-150 ?

Oh, it might be a Ford Silverado.
I keep forgetting what's on the steering wheel.
I don't know much about American cars.
Stig

[Iahawk]

pic of upgraded led reverse lights...nothing like laying on the floor on your back jamming your hand up into a 3" gap between dirty, rusty metal inner structure and the bumper cover, unscrewing a bulb that likely hasn't been touched in 19 years...all doing it by feel because your arm blocks any view...

but, Damn, those leds are like little headlights!

[Iahawk]

spent some time cleaning out the spare tire well and the cover for it that also holds the jack. Years of sand, dirt and crud in there. Also sprayed down the rear cargo carpet with upholstery cleaner and used my drill mounted scrub brush to give it a good cleaning, followed by a vacuum. That drill mounted scrubber is something I wish I would have found years ago..it really makes quick work of cleaning carpets and upholstery. Replaced the antennae with the rotted rubber and rust with a new one from Amazon. Looks like new.

[Ruffus]

hawk, that's it👍
...nothing worse than to sit idle without a project🛠

[Neil955i]

Looks in good nick Hawk and knowing you, it'll be concourse condition for sure before too long!

[Iahawk]

wanted to give an update on the old Vibe...today was front brakes day. Removed the old, crusty, rusty rotors and pads, cleaned up the calipers and brackets and installed new Advics coated rotors and Akebono ceramic pads. Nothing was hard, it just took me a long time as this was all new to me.

 The caliper bracket bolts came loose with my 2 foot breaker bar providing leverage. The whole job took about 4 hours start to finish. I then went for a test drive with progressive braking at higher speeds to bed in the brakes. The pedal feels much better and the car stops waaaaayyy better than before. The old pads were completely rusted solid into the caliper bracket, that explains the uneven wear and why my rotors were hotter than they should be after a short drive.

Since my last update I've changed coolant, brake fluid and trans fluid, replaced rear (edit: Hatch!) struts, replaced most exterior bulbs with led (except headlights, kept those halogens). I'm off work this week so I may use 1 more day to do the engine work (valve cover gasket, intake gasket, plugs, serpentine belt, belt tensioner, throttle body clean...etc.)

After doing brakes on a car I realize that they really aren't much different than brakes on our bikes.  I spent $149 on the rotors and pads. Saved a few hundred dollars vs taking it to the shop, got better components and likely did a better, more thorough job than a tech would trying to work as fast as possible.

pics of new pads and caliper put back on.

[randyo]

I just went back thru all the pictures you've posted so far, I have a hard time comprehending, here in Northern New England, an '06 vehicle with over 200k stored outside, would be a rust bucket

[Iahawk]

I just went back thru all the pictures you've posted so far, I have a hard time comprehending, here in Northern New England, an '06 vehicle with over 200k stored outside, would be a rust bucket

good catch..I think you're right. This car must have lived indoors for a good part of its early life. I know it's been parked outside for the last 6 years or so?  Surprisingly the clear coat isn't peeling. The car has a replacement right front fender and the hood appears to have been painted at some time? Paint chips reveal black coating underneath, doesn't look factory. The rocker pinch welds are also nice and crusty. They are hidden by the plastic cladding.

Honestly, I'm just hoping to get a few years out of this car. Anything beyond that will be a bonus.

[Stig / Major Tom]

I'm seeing a lot of Japanese quality and thinking in that car.
Wonder how many Asians were on the assembly floor in Fremont?

My late brother was involved with the marketing of the new Ohio assembled Accords years ago.
Honda held a show and greet at Pebble Beach in Monterey.
There a Marysville Accord sat for inspection beside a Japanese Accord.
The guests, Asian & N. American,  were asked to decide which were made in Ohio.

Save for the tire brands - my brother said most were stumped.
(the lucky rascal also got to play the course with his son!)

Hawk - umm, they have medication for that you know?

Stig

[Iahawk]

pushed on with the Vibe, today. Wanted to do valve cover gasket, replace o ring in leaking cam chain tensioner and replace spark plugs. Almost got it done...valve cover was fairly easy (old one was rock hard and came out in chunks), cam chain tensioner wasn't too bad (only dropped same nut twice..only to find it both times in the engine bay!)...and 3 of the 4 plugs came out easy. The 4th plug?...I don't know...turned about 1/8 turn and nothing. Tried tightening it, and loosening it and it was making bad sounds. Shot some penetrating fluid in the hole and called it a night...trying to regroup and research the ways to attack a stuck plug. Alternately loosening and tightening?...tapping with hammer?....and getting motor hot to heat everything up to help remove plug are the main solutions I'm finding.

Did a few things I've never done before...put wrench on crank bolt to turn motor over to find tdc for cam chain tensioner replacement. Hoping I wasn't going to screw something up! Thank you, Youtube!

Engine was about as dirty as I'd expected, viewing through the oil fill hole. Lots of varnish. Maybe had conventional oil on longer intervals?

Plugs showed lean burning, which makes sense with my intake gasket leak that I need to fix. And the beat goes on...