We got this car in May 2009 for $1000 with 128,000 miles on it. One of the inner tie rod bushings was gone, so one of the wheels was doing all the steering while the other was sort of flopping around. The part was only $10 but then it took a while to replace it. I almost had the gearbox off the car before realizing that I could have access from above if I removed the transmission dipstick tube. Ok, now the steering is real tight. But the power steering isn't working. Needs a new rack & pinion. We put two new tires on it so now the rubber is good. A couple days after we got it, the check engine light started coming on at any speed greater than about 55mph. Then the ABS light came on for a while. There's a really strange knock that comes from the motor, but just when you start the car. Took it to a mechanic who said it needs an intake manifold gasket and a transmission rebuild. It should be interesting to see how far the car goes with just putting gas in it. I don't think it's worth restoring mechanically.
Update: April, 2011 - Maude blew a head gasket. She had water in the oil. Yuk. I spent about 8 days replacing the gaskets.
Latest update: August, 2011 - Maude gets in a wreck! See the photos and a video.
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