Buck531 Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 With the help of me my son is going to pick up a 94 Sunbird with 127k on it. Seems clean. There are a few questions I'd like to poll the audience though. 1. The driver side door handle is broke. It works, but you need two hands to open it. How do I change it? I know the part is cheap but do I take off the door panel on the inside to change it? 2. It idles fine but vibrates pretty gnarly while in drive at idle. Putting it in Neutral helps. Drives fine, doesn't miss. I'm not that familiar with pre-96 stuff. The check engine light isn't on. My 84 cavalier back in the day did the same thing at idle. I just popped it in neutral at a stop light and dealt with it. I didn't know shit about cars back then but I'd like to fix this one. I plan on doing a full tune up eventually but I'd like to see if it's a simple fix over the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 What engine is in it? Almost every 80's or early 90's GM 4-cyl car I've driven seemed to vibrate at idle in gear. Mostly 2.5 Iron Dukes, but the worst was a Corsica with a 2.0 (possibly the worst car I've ever driven. My God that thing was a POS) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 It's a 2.0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjrsplat Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 2.0 j bodies vibrate quite a bit. As far as the door handle goes, it's also a common issue with early 90s gm cars. The door linkage has little tabs that slide on a straight rail that keep the linkage from twisting around and all that when you open the door, and the slides are known to break. It can be fixed by popping off the door panel and putting a zip tie in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I've been googling the vibration deal for the past hour or so. Seems to be a faulty head gasket. They seem to go out pretty common on 2.0 cars. The thing that makes me really think is that he said when it's cold it's kinda hard to start. He also said it uses coolant every now and then but not too much. I haven't bought the car or put any money on it. I'm debating now if I really want to deal with the headache of this. Unless someone on here can do a head gasket really cheap . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjrsplat Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I've been googling the vibration deal for the past hour or so. Seems to be a faulty head gasket. They seem to go out pretty common on 2.0 cars. The thing that makes me really think is that he said when it's cold it's kinda hard to start. He also said it uses coolant every now and then but not too much. I haven't bought the car or put any money on it. I'm debating now if I really want to deal with the headache of this. Unless someone on here can do a head gasket really cheap . Depends how cheap you're getting the car. Honestly though, they're easy to work on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 $900. 127k miles. The car needs a few stupid things. Window is slow to go up (drivers side).. heat/ac only works on high ($30 part from oreillys, parking brake doesn't work (doesn't matter its' an auto). The car sound stupid loud with the hood open.. are the injectors pretty loud on these cars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Also.. I just hate working on cars that I don't know. I'm pretty freakin' good with a 3800 but that's pretty much the only motor I've touched. I'm not too familiar with any other motor. Here's the link to the car. http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/2587440681.html It's pretty clean in that picture too. There's about an inch of rust on the bottom of a few of the doors. Few scrapes here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I'd much rather have one with a 2.8/3.1 V6. The 2.0 isn't bad to work on, but I really hated that Corsica my family used to own and I guess that POS car made me hate the 2.0. The engine had some annoying little issues and eventually the head gasket blew. Maybe it was just bad luck with that one, but I absolutely despised everything about that shitbox. The 2.8 or 3.1 is just as easy to work on, parts are super cheap and easy to find, and it actually makes triple digit horsepower. The 2.0 felt slower than the Huffy I used to own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Wait...if it's a '94, thats a 2.2 right? I think they stopped making the 2.0 in like '91ish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Wait...if it's a '94, thats a 2.2 right? I think they stopped making the 2.0 in like '91ish Naa it's a 2.08 or whatever. When ever I look stuff up at parts site it's all 2.0 stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjrsplat Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 IMO for the price, you could find a better vehicle. With it's issues I wouldn't pay more than 600 for that sunbird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 IMO for the price, you could find a better vehicle. With it's issues I wouldn't pay more than 600 for that sunbird. I've been looking on CL for close to a month and haven't found anything really worth a shit that isn't rusted or has a hole in the block or has dents up the ass on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warrior62 Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 its a $500 car at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Naa it's a 2.08 or whatever. When ever I look stuff up at parts site it's all 2.0 stuff. You're right. I just looked it up, and apparently the Cavalier stopped getting the 2.0 in '90 (replaced by the 2.2) but the Sunbird kept it. I guess in '92 the 2.0 was replaced by a newer 2.0 though. But that's weird, I figured the Sunbird and Cavalier would have the same base engines. And off topic, but I had completely forgotten there was a turbo Sunbird. I guess my hatred towards the 2.0 wouldn't apply to this car, since that one is the newer multi-port design and the older one I drove was TBI. For the condition and mileage that's not a bad price IMO, but try and talk him down some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Sweet Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 its a $500 car at best. BS. It sounds like it runs and drives well, no significant issues, lower mileage, clean inside and out, good paint and body, and the AC works. How many cars can you find like that for $500? Although if the HG is bad, thats another story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Well the HG can be done for probably under $100 in parts if I do it my self or have some peeps help me. If that happens the car would run for a few years with minimal issues. Right now all the stuff he has listed in the ad can be fixed for under $80 or so. I'm not expecting a miracle car for a under a grand. Just something for him to tool around town in so I my wife and I doesn't have to . He had an offer from a another guy for 900 and the guy was nice enough to tell the other dude was interested in it that I sent the email first and I had dibs if I wanted the car. I can back out now without an issue but I'm just worried is this a REALLY shitty deal or just go with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLOWLX Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I had a 90 Sunbird (first Car) plus didn't know nothing about cars Either .I remember the fan relay didn't kick on an the temp guage got real hot well story short It blew the headgasket and crack the head also those Motors are junk There made is Brazil Usually 9/10 it has a cracked head also they are expensive and you always have to change the Head bolts and they Arent cheap either Dont waste you time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRTurbo04 Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 BS. It sounds like it runs and drives well, no significant issues, lower mileage, clean inside and out, good paint and body, and the AC works. How many cars can you find like that for $500? Although if the HG is bad, thats another story. Easy... my 91 ranger ran perfectf looked great 400 my 95s10 runsperfect 500 our 94 ranger 300 runs great looks eeeh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck531 Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Called the guy back earlier and told him it needed a head gasket and unless he came down on the price by like half then I wouldn't want it. He was cool about it and had a few other buyers in line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning Posted September 11, 2011 Report Share Posted September 11, 2011 walk away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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