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I'm in the process of acquiring a 1990 405 S Sportwagon with about 80,000
miles. Seems like a fair deal for both parties, but I need some help to
get it in proper condition. Nothing too serious, but stuff I want to take
care of.
1 - The 5-speed transmission seems solid, clutch strong, etc. But the
stick itself is loose. It flops around a lot more than any stick I've
ever had. Yet, while test driving, I had absolutely no problem shifting
quickly, getting the desired gear, etc. What could cause a loose stick,
and how can it be fixed?
2 - One headlight is nice and clear, but the other is yellow. Is it too
late to get this one replaced under the recall? (Pretty obvious the car
had some front-end damage, judging by the slight sag of the bumper around
the side - and the lack of the "chrome" horizontal pieces of the grille.)
3 - The speedometer works, but the odometer doesn't. Just the opposite of
my Mi16! Anyone had any experience with the odo? The only real reason I'd
want to fix it is so I know when to change the oil.
4 - The only part of the car that shows real wear is the blue vinyl seats
- they look awful. The front edges look like someone used white paint to
drew a million random squiggles. Is there any way to make these lines
less obvious? Any product that will "dye" the vinyl backing - that won't
turn MY seat blue every time I sit on them? I need something like that
car wax that comes in colors to help hide paint scratches. These seats
make me want to get out a paint tray and a medium-nap roller.
5 - I'm (literally) stuck with those awful automatic seat belts. The
driver's side shoulder belt is stuck in the "up" position - I'll have to
unclick the belt to get out. Any hints how to get the thing moving again?
I'm pretty sure the passenger side was working, so that rules out a blown
fuse.
Outside of that, everything works really well. Brakes are a bit spongy,
but I suspect a little bleeding will take care of that because the seller
replaced a caliper himself last year. Engine will probably get some
attention later on to get it up to snuff (head was replaced), but it
starts quickly and feels strong.
All things considered, not bad for a ten-year old New York car with NO
RUST!
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon 11 Sep 2000 - 18:24:16 UTC