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Middle of last month my wife's '05 Mazda 6 was rear-ended by an early 20-something who was too busy texting to notice we were stopped behind a sheriff's deputy who was talking to a woman walking up the shoulder. As expected with a 10+ year old car with nearly 100,000 miles on the OD her lovely insurer totaled it out. Due to poor credit (following being laid off in spring of 2015) at the time we bought it I had to take out a loan with credit card interest rates, and was in the process of refinancing it with a personal loan that cut the interest rate in half, would have had it paid off a year sooner and given us some extra spending money for the holidays without making much of a difference in the monthly payment. I had literally just written a check to the bank to pay the bad loan off 10 minutes before we were hit. Unfortunately due to having just taken out a loan I'm currently untouchable for additional lines of credit, for anywhere from 3-12 months depending on who you talk to, however I still have the proceeds from the personal loan burning a hole in my pocket.  I figure she was doing at least 40 and only saw me in time to try to swerve. Could have been worse - if it had been head on instead of a glancing blow we probably would've been hospitalized Enter my father-in-law. In his younger years he would routinely buy a salvage title car, fix it and resell it for profit, but between difficulty in recent years selling salvage-titled cars and pushing up on 70 years old he only takes on a few a year now. As a result he's on first-name basis with practically every salvage yard and auto recycler in the tri-county area and found a 2006 Fusion for sale for $950. With 160,000 on the odometer. And it started life as a rental car and has rod knock. But otherwise its in relatively good shape - no serious rust, paint is in good condition, overall mechanically sound minus the engine issues and has a clear title. He talked the salvage yard down to $800 out the door, tax & title included.  $800 worth of mid-2000s Ford malaise. So...my objective is a reliable daily-driver for my wife. Sorry AI, if you're looking for something exotic this isn't your thread. On the to-do list:
I don't really have a set budget but I'd like to shoot for $2000 or less to get it running well and looking decent. Assuming the transmission survives that goal shouldn't be too hard to hit - my FIL was going down the list of parts and said he'd probably be able to get everything for 10-20% off list price due to his long standing as a customer with the local salvage yards. Expenses to date: Car, tax, title: $800 5 quarts 5w-20: $20 Wix cartridge filter: $8 Transmission fluid filter kit: $14 Pair of H9 bulbs: $25 3M headlight restoration kit: $15 Lamin-x protective film for headlights: $50 Scrap value of Mazda 6 donor car: $-251 Rear tail light, PS power mirror, foglight trim piece: $150 Running total: $891 Geoj fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Feb 8, 2017 |
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Jan 20, 2017 04:16
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 23:00 |
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I'm sort of stunned how fast the price of Fusions and Mazda6s has dropped considering how much car is there. Most of the ones they sold were easily better equipped than Camries.
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Jan 20, 2017 04:18
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Seat Safety Switch posted:I'm sort of stunned how fast the price of Fusions and Mazda6s has dropped considering how much car is there. Most of the ones they sold were easily better equipped than Camries. Yeah he probably did better than scrap prices if we're talking price per pound on that thing.
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Jan 20, 2017 04:34
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Seat Safety Switch posted:I'm sort of stunned how fast the price of Fusions and Mazda6s has dropped considering how much car is there. Most of the ones they sold were easily better equipped than Camries. Yeah, if I'd had another $1500 to play with I could have picked up an almost fully loaded 2012 SEL (had everything but in-dash navigation and digital climate control) that just needed its DS mirror replaced. I feel like this is pretty much any domestic at this point though - nothing from the big 3 outside of halo cars holds its value worth a drat anymore.
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Jan 20, 2017 04:45
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There's already 2009 Mazda 6s in pretty decent nick hitting our you-pull-it junkyards which tells me there is no residual value or demand for those parts left in the cars. By comparison, it has only been in the last few years that late-1990s EK Civics have arrived in those same yards. Depreciation is a helluva thing. I will admit to still wanting a Mazda6 liftback.
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Jan 20, 2017 04:55
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The true tragedy is that the speed 6 wasn't based on the hatchback.
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Jan 20, 2017 08:55
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Minor update, did some work today. My father in law was busy yesterday and had the dead engine out of the Fusion before we got there. My wife spent the day detailing the interior, and while there are stains that will likely persist unless the carpet gets replaced I no longer wish to don a tyvek suit before sitting down in it. I don't think it was anything necessarily difficult to clean, it just appears the PO was a lazy slob and probably never cleaned out the interior in the 6 odd years he owned the car. Tore down the necessary parts from the dead engine - oil pan, side timing covers, oil filter housing and exhaust cam. Also found some debris lodged in a passage leading to the filter, couldn't tell if this was the cause or a symptom of the rod knock. It looks like it munched a main or rod bearing, there was a bunch of flaked metal in the oil pan. We almost got the donor engine out of the '03 6 but got hung up on a stubborn bellhousing bolt and decided to wrap it up for the day after 7 hours.  Father in law was busy Thursday and/or Friday.  Dead engine out, pulling off requisite parts.  Found this after pulling the oil filter housing.  The donor 6 is next...   To give an example of how filthy the interior was.  Displayed prominently, just in case you should forget what car you're driving.
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Jan 22, 2017 08:56
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Geoj posted:
I guess we know what happened to that engine now. Yikes.
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Jan 22, 2017 17:51
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Tough pic to read... is that sludge?
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Jan 22, 2017 18:34
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EVERYWHERE 
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Looks like metal.
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Jan 22, 2017 18:57
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Definitely metal, poked it with a screwdriver and when it fell back into the passage there was a distinct metal on metal sound.
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Jan 22, 2017 21:03
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Hey Geoj, if you have trouble with the donor engine, the one in my Mazda 6 has 215,000km on it, but it was rebuilt at around 140,000km. Has the typical cold 2.3 valve tick you get when it's -10C or lower but otherwise runs great when my ECU isn't getting shorted out... If you find out you need another engine before I get rid of the car, let me know.
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Jan 23, 2017 11:46
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Thanks to my incredibly needy Focus I got some more work in today. Took it in for an alignment early this morning and when they got it up on the alignment rig they found the passenger side wheel was loose owing to bearing failure:  That's a two week old bearing that apparently left the factory with a botched seal. Really happy O'Reilly has a very open return policy. Old bearing fell to pieces while being driven out, guy at the counter just confirmed it was indeed pieces/parts of a hub rebuild kit in the box and proceeded with the refund. Also had to buy two new tires because toe was way off after I replaced my tie rod ends about a month ago. After getting the bearing sorted we did toe adjustment so once the new tires arrive the car will stop handling like it isn't sure what it wants to do. Still going to get it realigned because its due for a suspension refresh and Goodyear service centers are running a sale until the end of the month on a 3 year unlimited alignment - $130 and you can bring it back in for alignment as many times as you like within 3 years. On to business -   FIL got the engine pulled from the donor 6, we timed it and finished putting the Fusion-specific parts on it today minus the valve cover - since the timing bar has to remain in place until the crank pulley gets reinstalled after the engine goes back in.  Obiligtory doge shot while my FIL was taking his mid-afternoon break.  Where we left things - engine is ready to drop but there's some repairs that need done while its out, namely, we found a leaky transmission cooling hardline that runs across the engine bay just behind the radiator. Also have to drop the pan on the transmission and replace the filter. Bumper pulled so it can be resprayed, headlights out so they can be refinished or replaced - one is leaky and full of water and I'm not sure if I want to retain the good but fogged OEM headlight and buff out the lens or just buy two new aftermarket OE replacements.
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Jan 24, 2017 00:59
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Who made that crappy bearing?
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Jan 24, 2017 02:07
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"MasterPro" from O'Reilly. Not sure if that's their house brand or who the actual manufacturer is. The bearing it replaced was made by Timken and lasted over 10 years. Fingers crossed on the replacement.
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Jan 24, 2017 04:44
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Geoj posted:"MasterPro" from O'Reilly. Not sure if that's their house brand or who the actual manufacturer is. Yeah, Masterpro is their house brand. Can normally find Timken ones on Amazon for not a ton more.
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Jan 24, 2017 05:16
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Man, that interior is crazy dirty. My recent thing for any used car I buy is to go rent a rug doctor from a supermarket, and get the upholstery brush. You wouldn't believe the poo poo one of those will pull out of fabric. If you can get the carpet out of the car first and lay it semi flat, you can run the machine over it full-force.
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Jan 24, 2017 09:51
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Geoj posted:"MasterPro" from O'Reilly. Not sure if that's their house brand or who the actual manufacturer is. Yeah, its our house brand. Its one of the few things I can't get a decent answer on when I ask "who makes this for us". Our "premium" stuff is bca/national. Who are owned by federal mogul who also owns timkin, fel pro and moog. I've still found their stuff incorrectly machined straight out of the box once or twice, so always check it when you get it.
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Jan 24, 2017 17:45
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Minor upate: I keep forgetting to take a picture but the engine is in and running well. Test drove it up & down the driveway tonight, LH half shaft is clicking badly. Fortunately the FNR5 transmission is an upgraded 5 speed variant of the 4F27E 4 speed in the donor 6...and they both use the same half shafts. My father in law is going to swap axles tomorrow. Hood is going to need to be replaced, terminal rot along the leading edge. If I'm going to make a trip to get a hood I'm going to replace the LH fender as well.
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Jan 27, 2017 03:47
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So like, how similar are they really? Are all the suspension mounting points the same?
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Jan 27, 2017 06:29
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The front suspension at least was taken entirely from the 6. You can also see it in the engine bay even with the engine removed - if you ignore the front end you'd think you were looking at the same car. From what I can tell Ford used their own rear suspension, or at least by 2006 Mazda had severely simplified its rear suspension compared to 2003-5. The Fusion also has a catalytic converter immediately after the manifold and then another further down the line, the 6 only has one. The major changes we had to do to the engine was all in the oil pan (Mazda used a traditional dipstick tube, Ford sent the dipstick down through the head and block to the pan), side timing covers (different RH engine mounts) and valve cover (Mazda uses a fully metal valve cover, Ford uses plastic with a provision for the dipstick.) I'm sure if you were to dig deep you'd find all kinds of tiny differences like this. Ford definitely made changes to the car so it isn't like the Ranger/B-series where the only literal difference was the badge on the front grille, but in all its certainly a Mazda once you get under the sheetmetal.
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Jan 27, 2017 06:41
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That interior looks quite similar to the Mondeo of the time
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Jan 27, 2017 07:13
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There is a reason for that. Your mondeo is our fusion. Its mazda all the way down baby. 
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Jan 27, 2017 07:33
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Actually the Mondeo and Fusion didn't share a common platform until the latest generation, and the first-generation Mondeo shared a platform with the Contour yet the two vehicles shared almost nothing in common besides the windshield and a few other minor ancillary parts.
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Jan 27, 2017 07:42
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I may have been thinking of the motor in the st220 being in the duratec family and gotten confuzzled.
Elmnt80 fucked around with this message at 08:10 on Jan 27, 2017 |
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Jan 27, 2017 07:48
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Geoj posted:Actually the Mondeo and Fusion didn't share a common platform until the latest generation, and the first-generation Mondeo shared a platform with the Contour yet the two vehicles shared almost nothing in common besides the windshield and a few other minor ancillary parts. Trust Ford to make two similarly sized but unrelated cars look so similar inside (I mean your Fusion and the Mark 3 Mondeo). At least they didn't copy the terrible analogue clock in the Mondeo.
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Jan 27, 2017 10:22
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dissss posted:At least they didn't copy the terrible analogue clock in the Mondeo. Look up interior shots of the Mercury Milan (badge engineered copy of the Fusion with slight front-end and interior differences)... e: 
Geoj fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Jan 27, 2017 |
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Jan 27, 2017 15:37
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Minor progress today, ran a 3M restoration kit on the headlights. Kind of shocked what a good job it did, lenses looked like new after the foam finishing pad with rubbing compound. Followed that up with Lamin-x film and modified a pair of H9 bulbs to fit the H11 housings. FIL talked me out of replacing the hood & fender right now and deferring it until spring, so we're hoping to have it on the road early this coming week. Which will be good timing - we've only been able to operate with one car for as long as we have because my wife goes to work a half hour earlier than I do and works less than a mile from home, but she's starting an earlier shift on Monday. Plus now I won't have to sneak out of the office 15 minutes early every day to pick her up from work. Also my father in law scrapped the donor Mazda 6 the engine and a few other miscellaneous parts came out of and gave us the proceeds (which I wasn't expecting) so now the budget to date is below the purchase price of the Fusion. Geoj fucked around with this message at 00:44 on Feb 5, 2017 |
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Feb 5, 2017 00:37
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Geoj posted:Minor progress today, ran a 3M restoration kit on the headlights. Kind of shocked what a good job it did, lenses looked like new after the foam finishing pad with rubbing compound.
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Feb 5, 2017 00:45
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I used the 3m kit on my Taurus wagon that I keep really clean and 2 or 3 people at work asked after if I had gotten new wheels or a paint job on the car it was a spectacular difference
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Feb 5, 2017 02:45
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Put it back together today, getting 30 day tags tomorrow morning. Test drove it up & down my in-laws street (half of which is a 45 MPH zone, they're right on the edge of farm country) and the transmission shifted smoothly into all gears. Tracks straight, suspension is passable and no drivetrain issues after we swapped the driver side axle out. Remarkably - despite having been smoked in (cigarette burns on some of the seat upholstery) - there isn't any cigarette smell even with the HVAC running. Now if only the interior wasn't tan. Need a new steering wheel and it doesn't appear you can buy a tan steering wheel unless I want to go through a dealer and pay through the nose for the plastic wheel (leather is a small fortune.)
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Feb 6, 2017 02:31
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Good news - post some pics!
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Feb 6, 2017 03:46
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Cop Porn Popper posted:The true tragedy is that the speed 6 wasn't based on the wagon. FTFY Geoj posted:Now if only the interior wasn't tan. Need a new steering wheel and it doesn't appear you can buy a tan steering wheel unless I want to go through a dealer and pay through the nose for the plastic wheel (leather is a small fortune.) Have you looked into a steering wheel wrap kit? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GPRG7E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1U0J4NFQEPX0N&coliid=I1QGRSUKGQU9Z2&psc=1
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Feb 6, 2017 05:55
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everdave posted:Good news - post some pics! As soon as I get some time and daylight. Overall I'm shocked at how well this car handles. Apparently the PO wasn't as neglectful as I initially assumed - interior condition aside. Its clearly been aligned in the past few years, suspension has to have been refreshed at least once and the transmission shifts cleanly between all gears in both directions. We've put maybe 70 miles on it since last night so the jury is still out on the longterm longevity of the transmission but everything I've read about a slushbox with black fluid is it isn't long for this world and flushing the fluid will hasten its demise. Also stunned how much of a difference the extra gear adds in relation to acceleration. The Mazda 6 this replaced had a 4 speed automatic and was a dog in terms of getting up to speed. While this isn't exactly what I would call fast it can at least get out of its own way if you put your foot down. The H11 to H9 bulb swap is legit - while obviously not as good as the OEM HIDs on my Focus they light the road ahead of the car well and catch highway signs from a good half mile to mile away. It was rainy tonight but the lights didn't just fade into obscurity like halogens usually do on a wet road. Rhyno posted:Have you looked into a steering wheel wrap kit? This is looking increasingly likely, I'm pretty sure there isn't a tan steering wheel to be had for any sum of money unless I want to go through the dealer, and they want $185. Also going to need to replace the driver's seat. In addition to having play in the forward/backward slide the actual seat is just worn out and isn't comfortable unless you sit ramrod straight or almost falling off the front edge.
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Feb 8, 2017 04:56
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Cop Porn Popper posted:The true tragedy is that the speed 6 wasn't based on the hatchback. Always.
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Feb 9, 2017 01:30
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The hatch has a weird profile. Shouda been the wagon.
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Feb 9, 2017 01:32
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The Speed6 should have been offered on the sedan, wagon, and hatchback models 
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Mar 20, 2017 14:14
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