Saving an SSEi that was put out to pasture

[pvfjr]

I just picked up this beauty for $300. It was bought right here in Salem OR (found the original dealer sticker for $33,600 ). This has been a 1-owner car until now, and only has 107K on the odometer. The previous owner quit driving years ago, then eventually passed away. It was inherited by children who had no interest in doing anything with it. So now, I have it.

My guess is that it's been sitting for about 6 years. So far I've pressure washed it and charged the battery (amazingly, it took at least somewhat of a charge).

I disconnected the fuel rail and tried to pump some of the old gas out (it has 1/2 a tank still), but the pump doesn't seem to work. I jumped the relay too, and nothing. I manually sucked some gas out with a hand pump, and it is straight nasty. So it looks like I'll have to drop the tank and see what's going on in there.

Out of curiosity, I cranked it over with a little starting fluid, and it fired for a moment. So there's hope for it!

There will be more (and better) pictures to come as I try to revive it.

[Wes]

Cool find, I bet it will be well worth the $300 once cleaned up.

[Benvw99]

Very nice!! I wish those cars were near me. Can't wait to see it finished!

[RJolly87]

This is exciting, but admittedly 6 years of sitting will be an uphill battle to work through. Keep us posted, it's gonna be fun!

[MattStrike]

I'm in, can't wait to see the progress on this one!!

[1oldman]

I'm in, can't wait to see the progress on this one!!

I'm with Matt and the rest! Another great project! Hope you keep us somewhat up to date with photos. - BC

[pvfjr]

Thanks for the feedback guys. My wife questions the stylish nature of this boat, and wonders if we're old enough to pull it off. I've just always wanted one of these exact engines, and didn't care what it came in. And how could I turn it down for the price? Even if the engine was the only thing I got from this, it'd be worth it to me. But, I do recognize how sweet this car was in its day, and am excited about the prospect of getting it up and running again.

Here's some teaser shots of the pressure washing process. It's just what I had on my phone, there are better pics on the camera.

[Jrs3800]

She will clean up and be a beauty..

Once you get hr running, and get the odds and ends sorted and drive the boat.. You'll know why we like them..

[CMNTMXR57]

Very nice!! I wish those cars were near me. Can't wait to see it finished!

Same here!!

$300 - $500 to purchase, a little bit of labor, and a few weekends combing junkyards and you have a solid, reliable car that will run at least another 100k and several years.

[98SSE]

Now that is some high quality crud you got there. Look forward to seeing what you do.

[crash93ssei]

Following! Looks like it will be a good runner when all said and done!

[00Beast]

Awesome!!! Glad you are reviving it from its hibernation!

[thesam1984]

Ive been down that road, but never with such a nice example to resurect! Done it with a Ford Aerostar, Dodge Shadow, my old Buick Century and my Jeep Cherokee... is it true that cars dont rot as much just mold up there in Oregon?

[RJolly87]

Ive been down that road, but never with such a nice example to resurect! Done it with a Ford Aerostar, Dodge Shadow, my old Buick Century and my Jeep Cherokee... is it true that cars dont rot as much just mold up there in Oregon?

If you come down here, you really don't even need to worry about mold, and rust is unheard of, but I imagine so

[pvfjr]

Ive been down that road, but never with such a nice example to resurect! Done it with a Ford Aerostar, Dodge Shadow, my old Buick Century and my Jeep Cherokee... is it true that cars dont rot as much just mold up there in Oregon?

Yes, it's true. Bare metal will rust here, as there is plenty of moisture. Things rust very, very slowly however--they'll basically just surface rust where the paint is missing. This car has no rust to speak of.

There are some varieties of mold/mildew growing on the seatbelts and the headliner, but I think it'll scrub off with some Simple Green. I'll take pics before I do anything.

[Benvw99]

I just realized that I'm jealous. Such a great find! Subscribed as well.

[pvfjr]

I noticed some interesting things when under the car today.

First, there are some tie rod ends on the rear suspension. Is this some sort of bump steer correction? It seems odd that the rear wheels were made to pivot.

Second, it looks like this car was fully equipped with an air ride. I don't hear anything but a relay click when I hit the air button in the trunk though. I'm thinking the compressor is seized, or has lost power. This could explain the severely worn rear tires, which have the chords hanging out on the inner side. Is it possible that the compressor being out has allowed the rear suspension to sag, thereby throwing it out of alignment? I noticed this thing has a suspension ride height sensor on it, so it's definitely made to self-adjust the ride height.

Third, I found some secondary paint transfer on the bottom of the chassis, clear back to the middle of the car! Reds and yellows; I think the PO had trouble keeping it between the lines. Maybe the DUI ticket and the discarded wine corks we found beneath the seat have something to do with this... I haven't found any traces of human blood, so that's good, I guess.

[RJolly87]

We suspect that the car was designed with rear steering in mind, but it just never hit production with it. The air compressor under hood is designed to assist with load leveling and to feed the air in the trunk.And if the compressor is out, by design the car should ride level with no load, but with load and no air assistance it does squat very easily, and is easily dragging on speed bumps.

[haro1225]

The compressor is tucked under the rear bumper on the 96-99's. I forget which side it is on though. I replaced the compressor on my 97, and then when I got my 96 it wasn't working so I bypassed it. There is a kit for bypassing it at Advance, Monroe part number AK29. It allows you to inflate the shocks manually.

The car looks like it will clean up really nice.

[Wes]

I thought the 92-99s used the compressor under the hood, on the driver side for both the shocks, and tire inflator.