1989 CSX-VNT #453 - Restoration

[minigts]

Yes, it's official. I took possession of the car this evening and will be driving it back to Memphis over the next few days. Cosmetically the car is not in the best shape, but I have to say the engine bay is VERY well taken care of and really only needs some attention with the vacuum lines, AC and some minor clean up. All of the wiring (visible inspection at night) looks really good, just some old dried tape that can be easily replaced.

He (Craig the previous owner) told me the car wasn't smoking on the way over, but it could be that it just didn't have time TO smoke. I have yet to actually see how much it does, but I'm confident that it will make it the distance. The brakes are really soft, so this is one area I'm a little concerned, but if you put your foot down to stop, it does stop ok. I'll just need to keep my distance and be mindful as I'm driving 80 mph along the road.

I'll provide more updates either Saturday or Sunday at some point, but here's a picture for now. Sorry, this was with my camera phone that take horrible pictures at night.



He parked it in the back part of the parking lot all by itself. For some odd reason, the first thing that ran through my mind when I saw it was, "Nobody puts Baby in the corner." Yes, that's a line from Dirty Dancing and YES, I saw the movie. But I was young!!!

[omni_840]

Nice! How far are you from home? Be safe on your trip back home.

[BadAssPerformance]

Awesome! Subscribed! Hope you have another great road trip!

[mcsvt]

Enjoy the ride Jon! Can't wait to see how this log progresses when you get it home.

[Turbo224]

Yeah, good luck on the return home. Are you actually driving the car?

[minigts]

Thanks guys. I will respond more later, but so far things are going well. Got started about 5:30 mst this morning and am currently on Wyoming, close to Rawlings. Burning through about a quart of oil for every 200 miles, which isn't THAT bad but definitely need to get this resolved when I get home.

I'll provide more detail later.

[minigts]

Nice! How far are you from home? Be safe on your trip back home.

Man, it's like 1800 miles I think? I'm taking sort of a longer route to visit the guys in Omaha and then over to Tuscola to visit Cordes and I am also going through Nashville to visit a friend. The route if you follow Google Maps from Idaho Falls to Mason (where I live) is like 1600 miles I think. No picnic, but I should take this limited opportunity to visit some friends along the way. Thanks for the well wishes, so far so good!

Awesome! Subscribed! Hope you have another great road trip!

Thanks JT! It's been good, but a long day. Glad to get some rest here with Steve and his family.

Enjoy the ride Jon! Can't wait to see how this log progresses when you get it home.

Thanks Gary, I plan to make some progress on the car by next year. I really want to get some paint on it so it will look presentable in public, but it looks like I'm going to have to spend some time and money on the suspension and CV shafts.

Yeah, good luck on the return home. Are you actually driving the car?

Thanks Tyler. Yeah, that's the only way to do it!! haha I didn't have anyone look at it or test drive it this time, just showed up, took ownership and started back. I will definitely come through and meet the Utah chapter the next car I get. I hate that I didn't have time to come through your area and meet you, the other guys, see your car and what not. I think the next car I get I'm just going to take 2 weeks off and make it a point to visit the southwest constituency of the SDAC membership!


Well today was a long day and I'm exhausted. I stopped for gas about 5 times, food once and a bathroom break in the same instance and that was about it. I had 1030+ miles to cover from 5:30 MST to 9:30 CST and would not want this on an enemy. I'm surprised I lasted all 1000 miles without falling asleep.

So just to make note of a few things. The guy Craig I bought the car from was really nice and we were able to work out everything, quickly and smoothly with no issues. He had the title, most of what needed to be filled out taken care of and I had my money ready. We did the deal and that was that. He even picked me up at the airport and drove me to the hotel where the car was. We talked along the way and he gave me some history of the car. I'll have to add that later as to note all the things I remember and I'll ask him to send me an email providing some context around the car, but it has literally been in his family the entire stint of ownership. Three owners, all of the family either mother father or him. So I am the fourth owner (hopefully last owner for a LOONG time, ) and plan to make the best of the car.

It has a few issues that I noticed while driving and definitely at first sight, but Craig was either forthcoming with what he knew was an issue with the car or provided more than enough pictures to satisfy any buyer with questions about the cosmetics of the car. When I have time to take some pictures of the car in the daylight, I will make note of what I know needs to be addressed. I would say the car overall is in good shape. Sure the paint is bad and it's not spotless on the inside, but new carpet and minor cleaning would change anyone's perspective on the inside and a paint job even over the bad parts on the outside would make the car MUCH more presentable. The engine bay is in great shape and as soon as I get the vacuum lines taken care of, I think it will look as close to stock as any car I've ever owned so far.

The car is smoking some, burning through about 2 quarts of oil about every 400 miles or so? It's hard to gauge as I was just going and going today, but I've put about 4 quarts in and drove about 1000 miles, so maybe a tad less. Needless to say, something is burning oil quick and it's obvious. The car doesn't seem to burn much while driving, even under load, but let it sit at a light and you're pulling a spy hunter, blinding anyone in the path of the fume! haha And don't drive with the windows down, it just pulls the ambient oil burning from the exhaust into the car, even at 90mph. It had a decent exhaust leak that you can hear under load, but it's not terrible. I can't hear any engine noise and the transmission seems pretty solid. Not sure if it was ever rebuilt, but it's holding up well, shifting well and not really causing any problems that I can tell. The only drivetrain problem is probably the shafts. They bind under load at acceleration from low speeds (not at 65mph) and when turning. I don't think they are going to be a problem on the way back, but first order of business for the car is the following:

• shafts
• motor mounts
• control arm bushings
• ball joints
• suspension upgrade (not sure about coil overs or what, but something)

After that, the motor and transmission need to be pulled to see what is going on with the oil burning and have the transmission inspected and checked for wear. I don't think it's in any bad shape, but I'd rather replace the seals, shim it where necessary and ensure it's running as it should instead of waiting for it to go. :$

The rest is cosmetic and I plan to make an inventory of what all is missing or wrong with the car and rectify that. The last stroke will be paint and that will be the factory paint colors, maybe a change with some of the trim pieces to either flat or gloss black. But that is next year. The only other changes I MAY make would be to the headlights and maybe better tires for performance stuff. But the car overall to me is a great car and I'm already loving it. I love my L bodies, but this is a cool car. Not to mention, it's so close to stock, it will keep me from butchering it up. The wheels are in immaculate condition too! Just missing 2 center caps, no curb rash at all.

Car got about 15 mpg? on the first tank, then about 18 on the next, then about 22 and then close to 24. So in the course of about 1000 miles, it improved significantly and I'm certain that if it were running as it should, it would get just a tad bit better. Going to check the timing on it the first chance I get, probably at Cordes place, but it seems to idle fine. A couple gauges don't work, mainly the fuel and tach. The tach works some of the time, but every now and then it will freeze or bounce around. Probably from not really being driven for a while, not sure though. I'll tell you though, the car will do 95mph without a hitch and I got some of my best mileage today going between 80-95mph!!!

Great day, no issues and I made some great ground on the trip back. Hoping tomorrow goes smooth and issue free so I can get closer to home and finalize the trip.

More updates tomorrow with pictures of the car in the daytime, eventually washed! hehe

[supercrackerbox]

The car is smoking some, burning through about 2 quarts of oil about every 400 miles or so? It's hard to gauge as I was just going and going today, but I've put about 4 quarts in and drove about 1000 miles, so maybe a tad less. Needless to say, something is burning oil quick and it's obvious. The car doesn't seem to burn much while driving, even under load, but let it sit at a light and you're pulling a spy hunter, blinding anyone in the path of the fume! haha And don't drive with the windows down, it just pulls the ambient oil burning from the exhaust into the car, even at 90mph.

Interesting, that description matches my Charger exactly.

I may have an extra halfshaft laying around, do you want a spare for the road?

[BadAssPerformance]

The car is smoking some, burning through about 2 quarts of oil about every 400 miles or so? It's hard to gauge as I was just going and going today, but I've put about 4 quarts in and drove about 1000 miles, so maybe a tad less. ................ Car got about 15 mpg? on the first tank, then about 18 on the next, then about 22 and then close to 24. So in the course of about 1000 miles, it improved significantly and I'm certain that if it were running as it should, it would get just a tad bit better.

Maybe MPG increase is due to the rings re-seating after sitting? Think the oil consumption is going down at all?

Thanks for the update, good luck on the next leg!

[minigts]

Interesting, that description matches my Charger exactly.

I may have an extra halfshaft laying around, do you want a spare for the road?

Well as soon as I determine the actual cause, I will let you know. Seems to be the turbo, but I haven't checked the plugs to see if there is any burnt oil on them. Granted, the cold side could be leaking as well, so it could be a double whammie! Thanks for the offer on the shafts, although I was able to tell you in person that I'd pass on the offer. Good times at IHOP!

Maybe MPG increase is due to the rings re-seating after sitting? Think the oil consumption is going down at all?

Thanks for the update, good luck on the next leg!

Well I'm almost home. I decided to go through Nashville to visit a friend and will be home this evening. Car is burning more oil it seems than it was before. I went about 250 miles and checked the oil, 2 quarts low. I only have another 170 miles to get home, so I'll throw one more quart in her and then she'll be parked for a bit. I'll post more about my stops in Omaha, Lincoln and Tuscola later, but I'm posting the map of my route. Not taking into account the extra miles driven for missing an exit or two, total trip will be just a shade over 2000 miles from start to finish. I was calculating average speed based on the time it took me to get to each point and A to B was about 67 mph, B to C was 64 mph and C to D was about 59 mph. Keep in mind, that is average which includes stopping for gas and food and back roads as well.

I will be home tonight and will try and post more about my stops. Pictures won't be available until tomorrow when I will have daylight to actually take some. I took a few at the IHOP get together Saturday morning, but those will get posted when I re-cap that stop. Got to get back to work and what not from missing Friday.



Forgot to add, I was also checking the fuel economy and from Lincoln to Tuscola on the second fill up, I drove 155 miles and put in 6 gallons, which is about 25.8 mpg. On the way back from Tuscola to Nashville I don't remember the numbers, but I calculated over 28 mpg, which I contribute to driving between 60-70 between fill ups. Still need to get the oil burning resolved, but I'm more than impressed and definitely very happy for the increase.

[glhs0426]

Jon you are simply awesome. I don't know anyone else who pulls off such successful road trips. When the trans comes out LMK I'll have a look with you. Since my tools are at the house now I'll just bring over what's needed, and we'll perform the autopsy at your place.

[zin]

Glad to hear the trip is /has gone without major incident, and that the car is doing better.

I'm putting my $ on the turbo/drain as the source of oil consumption, or at least the main one, too good of mileage to be rings ...

Mike

PS hope you budgeted some recovery time before you have to work, that would be extra rough!

[minigts]

Jon you are simply awesome. I don't know anyone else who pulls off such successful road trips. When the trans comes out LMK I'll have a look with you. Since my tools are at the house now I'll just bring over what's needed, and we'll perform the autopsy at your place.

lol Well I have taken a few risk, but overall the bets I hedge seem to be safe ones. My trip from Alaska was probably the most risky one, but I was with someone and had more than enough time to get down. And I'll take you up on the offer for inspecting the transmission. I will more than likely pull it apart sometime next month. I really can't drive the car until I get the oil burning issue fixed, so the motor work will be one of the first things I do, unfortunately. But I do plan to do the suspension at the same time.

Glad to hear the trip is /has gone without major incident, and that the car is doing better.

I'm putting my $ on the turbo/drain as the source of oil consumption, or at least the main one, too good of mileage to be rings ...

Mike

PS hope you budgeted some recovery time before you have to work, that would be extra rough!

Yeah, I think that is the problem as well. I plan to check all of this once I get home. And I work from home/remote, so I could have been stuck on the side of the road and been able to work with my laptop and tethering through my phone.


I was thinking about my trips and decided to map out where all I've been. Unfortunately I've taken about the same route each time, so looks like I need to hit the southwest at some point and central US. The routes aren't exact as I didn't go to or through Omaha for all three, but you get the idea.

[mcsvt]

Great progress Jon! Glad it's working out. I can't recommend the soutwest enough, I had a great time through there on my little trip, though I don't have as many comparison points as you. Looking to do New Orleans to NYC sometime next year.

[minigts]

Great progress Jon! Glad it's working out. I can't recommend the soutwest enough, I had a great time through there on my little trip, though I don't have as many comparison points as you. Looking to do New Orleans to NYC sometime next year.

Thanks Gary! Well it will be a while before I set out on another adventure, but who knows where I'll end up.


OK, so I got some of the pictures that I took on the trip. Nothing fancy or special, but I did get some of Brian's CSX, which made mine pale in comparison.

Day 1, I was up at 5:30am MST and was on the road. Usually you check everything before you go, but I failed to check the tires and coolant. Craig mentioned that he checked all the fluids, so I wasn't worried. Got on the road and looked down to see the gas gauge was on Empty, so I stopped at the place that was open to get gas. Filled it up with 13 gallons (14 gallon tank!) and started off. Unfortunately, I realized then that the gas gauge was not moving from E, so then I was wondering, well what kind of fuel economy should I see? Playing it safe I filled up at 177 miles of driving, put about 11 gallons in the car!!! I was really worried at this point because this was going to be one expensive trip! But drove it another 220'ish miles and put I think about 10 gallons in it? So the fuel economy got better as I went.

Was on a call for work that morning about an hour in and missed a turn, so I lost about 10-15 minutes? no big deal. Drove another bit and got in some valleys of the mountains until about sun up, which was around 7:30am. Let me tell ya, there is nothing more awe-inspiring than the sun coming up in that setting. The mountains were incredible, the scenery in general was more than a picture or words could describe. I only wish I had more time or taken the time to get more pictures, stopping on the side of the road. But it was still kinda dark and I would have fooled with the camera forever to get the right lighting, so I moved on. Unfortunately the GPS wasn't working on my phone because of the mountains, so I lost where I was and drove another 5-10 miles out of the way and had to back track. Not terribly frustrating, but I was in a hurry to get out on the interstate and had 200+ miles before that happened.

Once I got out there, it was smooth sailing from there. Got to eat at Taco Johns for lunch, coincidentally the same one I stopped at when I drove the IROC R/T down from Alaska! Leached off the neighboring hotel the time before for Internet, but now Taco John, WIFI friendly! Here are some pictures from along the way.







ANNND you're thinking, "wow, can you be any more boring?!", WHY YES I CAN! I'm not writing all this for everyone to read, because frankly I wouldn't. I'm writing all this out for historical purposes. And the pictures are in no particular order, just what I saw for 1006 miles along the way.....

So, still driving along I was keeping up with Steve to let him know my ETA and reading the forums and what not for whatever. Later on as I got closer to Omaha, I got texts and calls from Steve, Ray and Adam just to shoot the breeze and figure out when we were going to meet up. And these guys didn't have to call, but I appreciated the fact they were seeing what was going on and letting me know if I needed anything, they would be happy to help. Great group of guys out there, let me tell ya. But I get into town, Steve feeds me for the night and we end up talking to a friend of his and some of his family for a couple hours about anything and everything.

The next day, Ray, Brian, Adam and his lady friend (I forget her name ) went to IHOP for some flapjacks, omlets and everything else. It was a football game weekend for Nebraska, but somehow you'd never know it.... RIGHT. I was about the only person in the place not wearing red, although I did have a red car so sorta fit in. Later we got to check out Brian's CSX (very nice!) and I got to get some pictures of what the engine should look like. I should have gotten more, but I know if I need anything I can come on the boards and get some answers. Brian parked right next to me and took a couple photos, mainly of his car. The photos of mine are coming this week.

This is my engine VIN tag that is in good shape.




Seriously the first picture says it all. The other two are from Brian's car. I should have gotten more, but really needed to head out.




So then I head to Tuscola to meet up with Brian and Joy, the last true leg of my journey. That part was again, long and dull on the drive, but I got there in about 7.5-8 hours and by this time, the gas mileage was pushing 25mpg, which was such an improvement.

Saw this sign and thought, what the hell?! I drove across the country....AGAIN in the wrong direction!




Other pictures as I came across the bridge leading to Illinois, I believe. Notice the flatness....




Got there, but Brian had to work, so Joy and I went for food, then stopped by to see Brian at work. The rest of the night we just caught up and talked about most everything about the trip and what had been going on with them. The next day, Joy graciously made us waffles with blueberries and chocolate chips. I can only eat one, but Brian had like 4 plus took one to work for lunch! And because of something I said long ago, they made a little badge for the syrup bottle.




Almost home, leaving in about 30 minutes. What a weekend, but I will be glad to get to the house and park this thing for a bit. More pictures to come after I get some daylight, then clean it and see what is under all this dirt and grime on the car. I will also be making a list of the issues with the car and pluses, checking off what I fix as I go along.

[cordes]

Glad to see the thread on here. Thanks for stopping by and showing off the car. I'm quite pleased to have seen both numbered cars which you've brought home on their way back now. That CSX was a great deal!

[86seeS]

Subscribed!

[glhs231]

Glad you made it home safe Jon. Always a pleasure to see you. Sorry it was just burgers. Next time it will be steaks. Wish I could have gone to eat Saturday morning with you guys. I had pancakes before I left for work though. Now you have to decide which car to bring to SDAC. My choice would be the GLHS as it will be the featured year car this time. Take care. Steve.

[STEVE B]

Wow you are a brave soul for drive that CSX that far. I would of been a nerves wreck the whole way.

[86Shelby]

I'm real glad you made it home without any real troubles, Jon! It was great to see you and hear about the trip thus far.