Just got a '90 hatch, quite a few problems...

SON240sx Automotive
1

Hey guys,

I just got a '90 hatch, charcoal gray and automatic…

I’ve got a few problems, I’ll list 'em off:

  • hatch rust (it had the foam spoiler), whats the best fix?

  • rear hatch wiper does NOT turn off after its been turned on (ie. press the wiper button and it wipes. Press it again and it doesn’t do jack… Only way to turn it off is to turn off the engine… Whats the problem and how can I fix it?

  • rear 1/4 panel damage. The damage looks like this: http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb177/REDisFASTER/P4190343.jpg How much do you think it’ll cost to fix this, and any CHEAP yet reliable and proper-job doing body shops you recommend in the GTA?

  • front sway bar mounts… They’re still mounted, but the swaybar and send bushings aren’t even touching the control arm… They’re just ‘floating’. Any fix (I’ll get pics tomorrow)

  • parking brake doesn’t work, and its pulled up so high that women laugh at me lol completely worn shoes or improper parking brake cable adjustment; I’ll open 'em up tomorrow and take a look)

  • Sunroof (non-electric), one of the little screw things are missing so I can’t install the sunshade… Any idea where I can get a new one?

  • Gas cap has NO locking mechanism… I just pull the gas cap open and fill 'er up… Just a hole where the mechanism is supposed to be… Anyone know what parts I need? Anyone selling/willing to donate?

  • Hatch door does NOT open from the inside of the car… Cable may have snapped? Any diagrams on where to look?

  • 3 keys… Seriously… I’ve got ONE key for the driver’s door and ignition, ONE key for the passenger door and ONE key for the hatch… Its the ONLY way I can open the hatch…

How would I go about getting a master key? I don’t have the fancy master key number, and really hate the fact that there’s too many damn keys on my keychain already…

Can anyone help me out on any or all those points? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

PS.
Anyone interested in seeing pics, check out my flickr set: http://flickr.com/photos/23670983@N08/sets/72157604631762449/

Thanks in advance for your replies!

2

New spoiler-less hatch, with a shaved rear wiper. Good luck getting it all fixed man

3

Thanks man! I’m looking for a used hatch anyway. I want one with a wiper though :wink:

Man, I’ve never owned a car with this much rust… Two of the hatch holes are big enough to fit BOTH my fists in at the same time :stuck_out_tongue:

4

^pm me i can do you a favour the hatch is black but decent condition

5

man… I feel bad for you… but goodluck with the fixes.

6

Haha, thanks :wink:

Got all this rust and crap to worry about, then I’ve got to worry about the 5sp swap, then college this September lol (I’m 17 in case anyone was wondering)

7

Yeah I know what you mean man, that’s what im worried about, I’d rather spend an extra $500-700 to get a better condition 240, then one thats cheaper in worse condition. I’m 16 so I know how hard money is to get.

8

your gas cap and hatch cable issues are probably interelated. since they attach to the same lever in the front if one gets disconnected it will cause problems, i know my gas cap cable got disconnected and my hatch latch has trouble catching. take out the carpeting in your trunk and re attach it. the locking mechanism is likely still chilling in there but got knocked in. if it isnt you can bend the clasp to lock better without one.

your hatch is a gonner, get a new one. might as well get a new quater panel for the back while you are at it. also look at the panel under the rear lights, those often rust out around the keyhole.

judging by the rust the rest of the car look (closely) at:
-your front frame rails near the firewall (make sure they dont have sheet metal covering up rust too)
-the bottom of your front strut towers especially the drivers side. its quite possible they are rusted through

test them with a screwdriver or something. if either is a problem you have to ask yourself how long you are planning on keeping the car and weather its worth it to you to fix.

you may want to strip this one for parts and take the extra money and get a less rusty one. itll save you hours in the long run. just some food for thought. good luck!

9

Money isn’t hard to get. Work for a company called Springmasters. I made 2g in 6 days last summer. But I hated it so much I’d rather work 3 jobs than this one, but the money is crazy.

Dude, scrap the car or part it out… It’s gonna cost more than whatever you paid for the car to replace everything you need replaced… My buddy’s got a hatch in the GTA. PM me or rmallari.

10

Yeah man, I’m working at wonderland, so works fun but the hours are a bitch.

11

Sorry guys, it won’t be sold to scrap or parted out. Going to college this September and since its already a running car, I’m keeping it. Its an on-going project. I’m talking mechanical service tech in college so its really going to help if I’ve got a car that DOES need help. My Mazda Protege is mint, so I’m not into screwing around with it in the event that it does get royally fscked and it won’t run…

Plus, there’s a whole unit on body work that’s involved, so I’ll get the chance to work on the car’s appearance.

As per the price of everything I need to get replaced, try this:

Front rotors, pads, re-manufactured semi-complete calipers, and brake fluid = $400. Looking into getting a new hatch from another user on the forum for $150 or so.

It really doesn’t matter to me, since its kind of my “first” car. I learned to drive on a Nissan Stanza that my parents gave me, then they sold it for $500 and let me cruise around with the Mazda Protege for a bit, then I bought this 240 for $500. Its like the Stanza came back, same engine and automatic, less 2 doors and FWD but replaced with a hatch and RWD platform.

12

Yeah man, that sounds like a good plan. I’m taking a co-op at an auto place next year, so I’m hoping to be able to work on my car there, as they have the tools and shit nessecary.

13

i dont believe there is a way to get a master key

the cable for the rear hatch runs across the rear seat to the passenger side, across the gas cap then to the hatch

parking break can be tightened with a phillips screw driver. its a small screw at the bottom of the handle u can just see it inside the boot part of the e brake. Like i said its at the very bottom of the handle

the hatch wiper sounds like some sort of grounding issue. its probably related to the fact the entire rear portion of your hatch is shittered.

live with not having shade from the sunroof.

Im not disrespecting but, i honestly hope u did not pay more than $500 for this thing. From the pictures its really rusty. Rockers are gone. Quarters are both gone, even the rear wheel well closest to the bumper is completely gone. The rear hatch is toasted. And from the pics, the engine bays strut towers look like they are pretty much gone aswell. I can see lots of rust, and would not be surprised if there were holes in ur engine bay. If u bought this certified im really surprised! its a bucket…

but its a project, and if its a project u wanted, then u found a huge one, maybe another sockington

14

thats pretty sick wat u do there?

15

only way for one key is to get a whole new setup… if the key to your driver door and ignition is the stock key then you could get new locks and install them… go to the dealer with your vin and tell him your prob.

16

keyless entry

17

Yeah, I chose for it to be my project car. My family currently owns no cars that need bodywork other than my 240, so its something for me to do on my spare time and during the body work unit in college. I don’t really want to cut up or dent any of our other cars just for the purpose of testing out something I learned in school :wink:

I’ll likely get a new set of keys for the rest of the car after I get my other problems sorted.

I’ll also likely buy the whole cable and locks setup for the lever, gas cap, and hatch. For now, I’ll just drop $20 at CT for one of those locking caps.

I’ll also be looking at my rear brakes this weekend (both the discs and the drums for parking. I was a sit in for my dad’s suspension, alignment and brakes course that he took part-time at Centennial College “just for the fun of it”, and I did take note that before adjusting the parking brake cable, its best to check and adjust the brake first. If there still isn’t enough material to successfully grab hold on the surface of the drum, then resort to adjusting the cable.

I’m looking into getting a new hatch from another member from here, so hopefully that might shed some light into the wiper grounding issue.

I only paid $500 for it. No cert. or e-test. The rockers will need work, so do the rear 1/4 panels. The frame rails are solid, but I’ll likely clean them up and re-box them in the future. They haven’t been tampered with by the previous owners though.

No holes other than the ones on the shock towers. But I did get an offer not too long ago about a red '91 hatch, the front end needed surgery… If you compressed the front suspension, the shock towers would bend! This one that I have now is super-solid. Other than patching up the shock towers, the engine bay is mint (minus the grime). Engine has no leaks whatsoever.

R33, I’m currently looking into a keyless entry/alarm for the car. I noticed that there USED to be a previous remote starter on the car. The little push-pin sensor is still under the hood, and there’s a switch under the dash to control whether its activated or not. If I flip that switch, it starts making that ticking noise as if I left the key in the ignition while the door is open… Tells me that its still somewhat active, though the actual remote starter controller box is gone…

Any recommendations for a remote starter/alarm for an automatic that WILL work after I’ve swapped in a 5sp transmission? I’m looking into one of those Viper 2-way systems