Well here it is... Project Tetanus. A 1995 Geo Tracker 16V manual 4WD with a clean title. I figure Geo trackers are pretty common but this little truck not so much.
Originally this car came from Canada, the dash is still in kilometers and the owners manual in French. No power steering or A/C but has alloy wheels. Regardless an interesting combo of options. When I picked up the project it was a running driving vehicle. The only issue was the rear brake adjusters had no teeth (likely due to a monkey mechanic) and the rear axle seals packed up. New axle seals, brake adjusters, brake shoes, diff oil and one brake line later all is well with the brakes.
I went ahead and tossed in some spark plugs, timing belt, upper and lower rad hoses, thermostat, air filter and fluid change the vehicle would be good to drive in to the ground.... but I'm not wired that way. If I'm going to spend money on a daily driver I might as well fix it right... so then began the tear down.
As for direction. I want a solid, small daily driver that is going to save me some money on fuel but is cheap and 4 wheel drive. Why do I think this is worthy of a thread?
Probably one of the rustiest, rotted out trackers ever to be brought back to life. Yeah it would be easier to just part it out and crush it but what the heck is the fun in that?
If you aren't squeemish I invite you to follow along. She might not be a show car when I'm done but by god she will be a solid driver.
You didn't replace that left rear brake drum? Hey, look at the brite side, last piece of exhaust still look clean, and still has sticker. Didn't have A/C but looks like it gets plenty of outside air flow thru the cab. Never would have guessed it spent some time in Ohio
Haha yeah it spent time in Canada and Ohio... Being from the Jeep community I know a thing or 2 about rust... 2 of my best friends are chassis saver and hurculiner. $200 bucks will get me a gallon of each which will be more than enough to rust proof the entire vehicle.
For metal I have an almost rust free hood from a wrecked 3rd gen Camaro. I know it's strange but the metal is still in great shape and there is plenty of it to take grafts from.
I did go hunting for some parts recently. I got everything in the pic for $160.
don't worry everything was gathered up after taking the picture
I also picked up a clean titled 1996 tracker just yesterday just 2.5 hours before it was going to be crushed. It has the complete dash, frame, wheels and tires, suspension, brakes, power steering, drive line, good windshield and engine. Best of all it has most of the sheet metal I need without me having to fabricate! yahoo! Sorry no pics of that yet.
__________________
Last edited by razor02097; 08-01-2012 at 09:32 AM.
While the big things are important... sometimes taking care of little things really helps move the project along. Always remember this or you will get discouraged during a large project.
I may spur off into a random post/repair right in the middle of the major surgeries so please bear with me... Case in point; This is mildly amusing.... One of the many issues was the horn didn't work. I could hear the relay click but no sound.
Here is another issue I ran into. The fuel filler neck was missing the cap... well when I say cap I mean it was missing for a reason. Another filler neck and cap was one of the parts I picked up.
I don't think the 20oz top is factory....I like the new part better don't you?
Needless to say draining the tank will be in the future.
I love this! And really thank you for posting (along with photos). I don't weld (sadly) and have been doing some rust repair with fiberglass, for the most part. Small stuff is ok like that. However, I just picked up an unregistered Suzuki Vitara over here for about $700. I now have a 'Suzuki auto parts store' in my shed - the body on it is great (to say nothing about replacement parts, sensors, etc.). A couple of years ago, the passenger side wheelhouse on my car bit the dust: http://www.suzuki-forums.com/suzuki-...heelhouse.html
Damage actually more from a bad battery than from rust. The replacement part and cost of the repair was more than what my car is actually worth, I reckon. I have also had my chassis welded twice. My car has always lived by the sea, and rust is my enemy. I suppose it would be sensible to learn mig welding....
Glad you checked in Bex! I know you feel my pain... Must be a common rust place on these things
The pic of the wheel well is the same side you had to replace. I did pick up a whole section that is rust free from a wrecked tracker. I think I'm going to work from the back to the front. All I have is an angle grinder and reciprocating saw then of course a mig welder. Might pick up some tin snips also.
I'm going to probably go pretty fast for the first few days because I am going to catch everything up. After that posts might slow down a bit...
__________________
Last edited by razor02097; 08-01-2012 at 10:07 AM.
I see now why you are calling this Project Tetanus. Just out of curiosity, what kind of welder, settings, etc are you using? I have been reading about welding on the internet - its really the way to do this right, and your work looks pretty darn good, too.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Project: Tetanus (warning: picture heavy thread)
Linear Mode
