Project bertone? What's this all about then?

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Yeah, it seems as though I actually DON'T have enough to do, so I bought another something to tinker with. I'll have to pick it up, as it's actually in or around Lynden, Wa, right now, and I'm gonna have to import it as well. No big deal since it's an '89, so I don't think I have to pay GST nor the RIV - just get an out of province inspection and deal with the border guys. Anyway, you can thank John (The Aspiratot) for this particular piece of misery... I couldn't refuse.

It was sitting in Bellingham with leaking sunroof drains for I don't know how long. The headliner is sagging, the interior is moist and a bit mildewey, and there might be a bit of surface rust (or worse) under the carpets. The driver seat has one split seam, which should be fairly easily fixable, and the door panel on the driver side needs a bit of upholstery work. The climate control unit doesn't work, and there are a few bits & pieces missing that need to get tracked down. The most upsetting bit is that the windshield is cracked, and a clean windshield is necessary for the OOP inspection - that's going to set me back about $400 right there.

The upside is that cosmeticlly it's in quite nice shape and it runs very well. Brakes, steering, suspension, and driveline are all in good shape, except for a coolant leak and a few shot differential bushings. Most everything is present and accounted for, and most of the interior & "Bertone-specific" stuff is there.

The plan for right now is to cart it home this fall & forget about it until after xmas. Then I'll stick it in my garage and pull out the interior, and clean the crap out of everything. Seats, carpets, door panels, headliner - it's all coming out for a cleaning. The body will get polished, glass will get replaced, engine bay will get detailed, and all brake/steering/suspension bits will get inspected for wear & replaced if neeed. Once it's cleaned up and at "Stage Zero", I'll drive it for the summer & see if it floats my boat. This would be the point where I decide if I'm going to sell it or keep it and get rid of my 242.

"Stage One" would begin by an attack on the suspension, to get it stiffened up to the point where it handles well. The car comes with modified Bilstiens in the trunk to replace the Nivomats, and I'll probably get them sent down to get revalved along with another pair of front struts to match whatever springs I settle on. The rear toe bars will need embiggening, and I'll be investigating suspension modification possibilities as I familiarize myself with the car (I know nothing of the IRS yet). I'll have to dig up some sway bars for it, too. I'll probably toss the front springs from the wagon in the Bertone, and replace the wagon's springs with something softer (right, Raz?) The Wilwoods would be coming off the wagon & the fronts would be going onto the Bertone, but due to the goofy brakes on the Independant Rear Suspension, I'm going to have to figure something else out for back there.

"Stage Two" would probably start with a pair of homebuilt headers & a bigger exhaust. John Lane says that headers will unlock 25 horsepower, which is easy to believe when you look at the stock manifolds. He also says that the heads on this engine are crap, and I'd need to copy a pair of Eagle Premier intake ports to get any kind of performance from them. That may or may not happen at this point. I'll be looking for a flywheel and bellhousing as well, plus a hydraulic pedal box and accoutrements, so that I can bolt up my Mustang T5.

"Stage Three" is looking like a light push from a turbo, so if I design the headers from "Stage Two" properly, I'll be able to add a turbo pretty easily. I'd probably go very light on the boost - 6 or 7 psi would be plenty, and an intercooler for that level of boost is mostly unnecessary. Megasquirt would be needed at this point, plus it might be running the fuel system to it's limits so some attention there would be neded.

Stages one through three may happen partially and/or similtaneously.

"Stage Four" would depend on whether "Stage Three" is successful or not. Initially I planned on doing up an 850 engine and dropping it in there, with a Supra Turbo box behind it, but since the V6 and T5 would already be in place, I could build another V6 (possibly an Eagle Premier 3.0 litre) dedicated to boost, and not have to monkey with driveline stuff, motor mounts, accessory drives, etc. A turbo 2.8 or 3.0 V6 would probably make more streetable horsepower than a turbo 2.3 inline 5, and it might be cheaper to do. We'll see when/if I get to this point.

You are, as always, my hero!

When I do the junkyard spring mod, you can have my IPD's, want me to make em all purdy for ya?

- R

Heck no, as dirty/rusty/crusty as they are would be fine.

jeebus Matt...when are you starting "Dupuis Tuning"...you almost pump out about as many cars as Roush

GOOD ON YA!

another 7 series...welcome brother you now converted lol

ciao

Ah, sorry matt! I checked the price and I can't remember if I told you...probably not, but a windshield is around 4-500 and then install is another 100 I think.

andy tell me you lie!!!!

i still have to call up speedy to see how much a winshield costs. I don't plan on doing it though until after my parents move...highway 28 + winshields = badness....how do you think i got that hugeass crack?

Okay, okay, it started out as just a hugeass chip...but then I couldn't get it plugged in time....(this being when I was working shifts at the law firm and at safeway...so I was literally working 8:30am-11:30 pm...was not pretty) so. yeah. it spread the very next day. I cursed. oh well. that winshield is pretty godawful pockmarked anyway so it was needing to be done before i got that beauty mark.

(edit) she could be gorgeous duckie! cute!

Hey Matt,

Looks very sweat...can't wait to see the finished product (at whatever stage). The best part is that you guys own so many cars that my 3 looks reasonable by comparison (non married guys take note).

Craig

meah if life turns me back to ontairo, and i end up finding a non-rusted out volvo (good luck) i may expand my stables

god knows how you boys do it out here. between cost of living, and space requirements....my one lady is about all i can handle!

It's 'cause it's a rare windshield. Only about 10,000 of these cars were ever made over the 4 year span, & very few brought to North America. Everything's going to be expensive and harder to find because of this.

Yeah, don't worry 'bout it. I don't need one 'till this spring, or late winter at the earliest. I'm sure I'll find one before then.

poor duckie. you have expensive taste

Champagne dreams on a 7-up budget.

least yours is real 7-up. I got the champagne dreams on a no-name brand lemon lime soda budget

Thank you Matt! You have saved me ruining my life.
The B280 in it is a sweet sweet runner.
There is a peugeot with am PRV (what volvo would call a "B280E") in it at the yard again I'll think of you when I steal the clutch hydraulics (same as a 260) and bellhousing for my 2xx.
The stock manifolds are HIDEOUS. Same basic design from 76 to the end with some reliability improvements. Throttle body faces "backwards" renault alpine style (engine is intended to fit in plenty of cars). Because the engine had to fit a variety of cars and was made by a variety of people, the exhaust manifolds are cheap, compact and really disgusting. It'd probably pick up a lot of fuel econ without the horrible power seats and exhaust and AWful-71 as well as being a real fun car, especially with some B230E cams.
Stock up on your M7 and M9 hardware! It isn't a tractor redblock with M6-8-10 in standard coarse thread as the staple bread and butter sizing and thread. Instead, the crazy french deem two sizes of M9 and M7 of two thread pitches on the M9 to be the way to go. Freaks.

The B280 could use a dizzy cap, rotor, new hoses on top of the heads, thermostat, intake o-rings, oil pan gasket, and it is definitely due for some timing chains as I think they haven't been done IIRC. I think I have all of this, which you are welcome to as that crap can co$t $ome.
IIRC it has the 15.8 gallon fuel tank like any other 740 on only one side of the driveshaft instead of the later style that goes on both sides and evens the load on the rear end a bit and brings the capacity to 21 gallons. Not having torque rods on the passenger side has its benefits...
In the states I have full coverage insurance. A windshield is like a $50 deductible if cracked and I just have it replaced on any car. The place in lynden quoted between $3-400 US for an OE 780 window. Not really that huge of a deal. If you were feeling really cheap, JD and I could probably piano wire the good window out of his bertone parts car...
Because my 242 is such a worthless heap, I am thinking of going liability only on it since the parts are worth exponentially more than the car and piano wiring a nice 91+ windshield out of a JY car. You see plenty here, so the cheapskate in me really wants to pay like $30 for a perfectly good window.
Party on,
-James

Well, James - you've got a shopping list then, don't you! If you see something (like the cams) that will wake this thing up, I'll totally make it worth your while if you grab it.

I'll PM JD on TB (wow) and talk to him about the other parts you suggested.