Saved from the Demo Derby: 1990 Country Squire

[Tiggie]

I know the tailgate window leaks like crazy. The windshield leaks as well. I resealed the cowl vent screen a while back, so hopefully that helps. This car stays under a carport so it doesn't get wet much these days.

Day two of carpet and underlayment cleaning. Tried various soaps and carpet cleaners yesterday with the pressure washer. The thing still smelled this morning, so I put a little bleach in the water and sprayed that on. Rinsed it well. It's improving. I didn't want to use the bleach but it's either use it and make it smell better, or get a new carpet.

Going to start pulling interior plastics this evening.

[jaywish]

I power washed my carpet a few times over a few hot sunny days. Flooded the heck out of it. It came out great.

[packman]

How does the windshield mounting flange (or whatever its called) look? That was a problem (among many others) with my '91 Ranger. Water got in from there and would wet the floor and headliner. Steadily got worse until 2019 when after sitting for a month; all of the interior electrical accessories stopped working. Once that happened, I gave up on that truck and junked it.

[Tiggie]

To review: this car stinks inside and has since my ownership began.

It's a musty smell.

The body on this car is nearly rust free, but the interior is rusty... surface rust on anything metal. I've considered this being a potential low level flood car, but I'm not finding evidence of that. My best guess is that it just leaked and a mini water cycle happened in the car every day with the heating of the sun and cooling at night.





I decided to clean the carpet and dye some of the faded interior panels of the next few weeks.

Cleaned the carpet yesterday. It wasn't dirty. It's just smelly. Round one seems to have resulted in a still smelly carpet and underlayment.

Check out the rust. All surface rust, but mostly on the transmission and driveshaft hump.





That wad under the carpet ended up being a glove, minus a finger.





Mmmm rusty. Still moves freely.

Primed the spots on the floor after some wire wheel action.




Going to try again on the carpet today to get that smell out.


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[Tiggie]

This car puzzles me.

Drove it today, about 60 miles. Didn't have any blow by/oil exiting the dipstick tube problems all day today. Idled fine. No lost vacuum on a hill or long grade. It fixed itself.

I took the air filter housing out to look at replacing the front shocks. Decided I needed the hot wrench for that after the impact said "no way". While I was there, the elbow for the air intake was off and FULL of oil. Puddles of oil in the ripples of the elbow. The throttle body had oil residue everywhere.

Not sure what caused it to go from hero to zero, then back to hero, but its running like a sewing machine again so I am happy.

Also decided to try out a vinyl repair kit I bought for the drivers seat. Results pending...

[Tiggie]

Little update.

Still experiencing a high idle along with the previously mentioned immediate loss of vacuum under load and possibly related oil blowing out the dipstick tube under sustained moderate load. 1/2 throttle or more means instant vacuum loss.

I looked all around for a vacuum leak today... but it is still elusive. Going to pull out the vacuum gauge and verify the vacuum while cruising. I guess my next stop is the check valve on the firewall vacuum tree.

I pulled the IAC connector and there was no change in the idle. Hmmm. I turned the idle stop down to low idle and plugged in the IAC again. The IAC worked properly and the car idles as it should now.

[packman]

Sorry for the late reply; the LEDs had an ahdesive-backed mounting flange/pad. Just peel and stick to whatever surface. Just made that car look more like something it was not.

[Tiggie]

Have you identified the source of the stench already? I had problems with "dungeon stench" in my Passat, that was always present, and it turned out these were the silencing sponge/rubber undercarpets. I had to strip the car to the bare metal, de-odorize it, paint and then put the new undercarpets on.

The plan is to eventually pull the carpet and clean it out. The car had a broken rear door little window when I got it and it rained in the car a LONG time. Everything is corroded inside.

[bnw]

Tried this Mother’s Odor Eliminator Thursday. Haven’t opened the car since. The wife is on the verge of accepting this car as something she’ll ride in without complaint but the smell has to go.

Have you identified the source of the stench already? I had problems with "dungeon stench" in my Passat, that was always present, and it turned out these were the silencing sponge/rubber undercarpets. I had to strip the car to the bare metal, de-odorize it, paint and then put the new undercarpets on.

[Quincy]

Glue...Just guessing.

Certainly he used J.B.Weld or Gorilla Glue, at least???

[87gtVIC]

A long time ago; but when the circuit ribbon in the dash of my Malibu died; I went to the local Drug Fair (I think they're defunct, wonder why?) and got these LED lights that I glued to the steering column. The LEDs were blue, which worked with the interior/exterior color of that car.

What did you attach them with? Zip-ties, bailing wire, twist-ties or duct tape?

Glue...Just guessing.

Not as fancy as your poverty chrome on the steering column cover.

[Quincy]

A long time ago; but when the circuit ribbon in the dash of my Malibu died; I went to the local Drug Fair (I think they're defunct, wonder why?) and got these LED lights that I glued to the steering column. The LEDs were blue, which worked with the interior/exterior color of that car.

What did you attach them with? Zip-ties, bailing wire, twist-ties or duct tape?

[packman]

A long time ago; but when the circuit ribbon in the dash of my Malibu died; I went to the local Drug Fair (I think they're defunct, wonder why?) and got these LED lights that I glued to the steering column. The LEDs were blue, which worked with the interior/exterior color of that car.

[Quincy]

...along with the DeLuxe Dash Illumination option, Quincy came with the rear glass delete and rear cargo compartment jump-seat delete. There were still mop heads and janitorial supplies under the rear floor when I got him!!!


We now return this message thread back to its regularly scheduled programming!

[Quincy]

sorry but the flashlight taped to the column to see the speedo is funny shit

...then my purpose in sharing has been accomplished! No apologies necessary!