We picked up this neat old 1991 3F 5 speed for my son as his first car. Never off road, no rust, a bit faded in the paint but really clean interior and pretty good panels. Straight and clean.
Paid 3K AUD for it just over a year ago and drove it home (600klm or about 350 miles) on a permit. 335,000 k or 200,00miles on the clock.
We put an off-brand 2" lift in it but boy does it ride nice, repainted some GXL 16" rims I already had and some muddies plus new brakes and baseline all fluids etc. And I got him swinging the spanners as an 18 yo learning how to wrench.
Great dad and son project. That's my '95 in the background. His 80 is now sporting my old alloy bar I took off 14 years ago lol.
Anyway, after the lift the steering is really twitchy immediately off centre. There's no slack or sneeze factor you have to be on your game as the slightest input has it chasing rabbits across the road. Mind you, once you tip it into a corner, it corners like a demon, but the twitchiness at straight ahead is tiring.
Worth getting a wheel align and maybe a castor sweep done ? We haven't done offset bushes or anything as it was only an advertised 2" lift, didn't measure before and after but it sure seems to sit high for a 2" lift coming off 30 year old stock suspension anyway.
Had a few niggles with it- points were a pain and a contactless conversion kit was like $200-plus but we bought an ebay complete dizzy already breakerless for $75 (!) and it split a rad hosea few months later, he didn't know until it conked out but lucky for us refired after a cool down and new water, popped a brake like on the front axle and the master cylinder then died but thats just 'getting to know you' issues on a 30+ year old rig eh.
Thoughts ?
Cheers.
Paid 3K AUD for it just over a year ago and drove it home (600klm or about 350 miles) on a permit. 335,000 k or 200,00miles on the clock.
We put an off-brand 2" lift in it but boy does it ride nice, repainted some GXL 16" rims I already had and some muddies plus new brakes and baseline all fluids etc. And I got him swinging the spanners as an 18 yo learning how to wrench.
Great dad and son project. That's my '95 in the background. His 80 is now sporting my old alloy bar I took off 14 years ago lol.
Anyway, after the lift the steering is really twitchy immediately off centre. There's no slack or sneeze factor you have to be on your game as the slightest input has it chasing rabbits across the road. Mind you, once you tip it into a corner, it corners like a demon, but the twitchiness at straight ahead is tiring.
Worth getting a wheel align and maybe a castor sweep done ? We haven't done offset bushes or anything as it was only an advertised 2" lift, didn't measure before and after but it sure seems to sit high for a 2" lift coming off 30 year old stock suspension anyway.
Had a few niggles with it- points were a pain and a contactless conversion kit was like $200-plus but we bought an ebay complete dizzy already breakerless for $75 (!) and it split a rad hosea few months later, he didn't know until it conked out but lucky for us refired after a cool down and new water, popped a brake like on the front axle and the master cylinder then died but thats just 'getting to know you' issues on a 30+ year old rig eh.
Thoughts ?
Cheers.
