this questions been botherin me
ok well ive been working on an SA at work

finished the roof, hood, headlight covers, nose piece, cowl, and the fenders except for one problem on the fenders

3 of the holes you put the bolts in well 2 i had to drill out and have to be tapped
not that bad
1 is the top one closest to the door,
it broke off completely.

oh and rocker panels need replacing and lotsss of work for the quarterpanels and back of the car
well heres the ?

should i

A. Work on it rig it up to the point where all my work more than likely turns out looking like a bunch of **** after painting

B. Put my engine trans and springs and all in the 84 i'm getting to play with
(this one has way less rust)
and rewire everything just as it should be


C. Say **** it i quit this **** =XXXXX

 

i think you should do the work right the first time and save yourself the headache..whether that be putting that drivetrain into a cleaner car, which is the easiest option. or fix what you have if you're really attatched to the car. anything can be fixed with enough time and patience..oh and money helps too

 

yea but the problem is even with all the time patience and money that doesn't take the age away from the car

the only thing wrong with the other one is just basic wear
no dents or anything except a place in the hood which i could swap the one off the sa onto it

and the only rust it has is at the back near the mazda symbol and its just spot rust

i am pretty sure its been garage kept for about 85 or 90 % of its life

so the 84 would probably be best because i could rewire it
paint the engine bay while its out and everything
might take longer but it might add some years to the life of the car

and it'd be around the same cost

and isn't an 84 lighter than an 80 anyways
its not a gsl-se
i know that much but idk what it is

 

what would you be rewiring? anything on an SA engine can be set aside and the FB parts such as emissions, alternator, etc can be bolted on to the SA engine or vice versa.. the 84 is lighter due to the lighter exhaust system on teh FB as opposed to the SA. i think weight reduced weight by 85lbs in 81 from the exhaust alone..

 

the exhaust sysems well racing beat headers to flowmaster muffler along with a glass pack and presilencer

but the way the SA's gauge cluster is another thing because i have a gauge cluster out of another 84 setup to go in the sa

but wiring i have a second gen coil setup rigged up in the SA
and would like to switch it to an msd setup as well

 

keep the oem gauge cluster. save the headache and use the existing one on whichever car you decide to use.

 

I know the car your working on and I would take all the good bits and move them into the 84. With some rewiring it sounds like a more solid car. The FB is lighter due to the exhaust and the bumpers.

 

i mean i like SA's and i like keeping stuff original but when i find pieces rusting off to the point that fenders or things won't stay on i sort of wonder damn is it worth it
or safe?

so thats whats got me wondering all this

I'd love to find an SA at a good cheap price that could be the donor but thats not gonna happen in any good condition

 

You should talk to robs_seven on here. He may have what you want at a price point you will like. He's another Xroads club member and he has an SA he's selling at a very reasonable price.

 

how bout i just come take them off ur hands and u wont have to screw with them anymore, problem solved.

 

nope
can't do that mike sorry =]

but yea
engine and transmission will be outta the 84 tonight!
but i have to wait till after work

 

The art of restoring cars is the art of reversing time. Like all other things, time goes into reverse only slowly, and it's harder to steer.

 

i voted D:

like divindriver said, it is a process of reversing time, if your going to do it, do it right... start from square 1. do a complete resto on either one of your cars (i would choose the lest rusty one) get it sandblasted, repair sheet metal, etc. make it look brand new. then do a dirty and diabolical deed and swap an ls2 into it.

 

i think you should go with the letter "C"....LOL

 

pictures of the new body and progress are herehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/38431341@N04/?saved=1