Potential with a 2.8? *buzzer* later on with the SBC... *dinging bells*. Be sure that I will continue with the updates. Thanks for the props, yall.

Well, while we're waiting for the engine to be completed, I decided to go ahead with pics of the tranny damage. Those who really love cars really should avert their eyes.



Those rings should have the castellated look inside of them.





yep, that's not supposed to look like that



another view of the same part

more pics of Belen's tranny



see where the drum rubbed on the bellhousing?



Look close, you can see the flare of the drum



You're lookin at teeth getting worn off by the bellhousing



just a distant shot of the same spot.

engine parts will be posted as soon as I get them.

wow... what did the previous owner do to this car

I dunno. Like I said earlier, there was NO tranny fluid in it from the dealer. Overall, prob some dumb kid tryin to make it a bad street/strip racer (with the 2.8L) and realized that the tranny was going out, the engine was having issues, then dumped it on this dealer. Then, of course, the dealer didnt do anything about it. Then saw me coming. Oh well. got a second car with a brand new drivetrain. that will hopefully be around long enough to be a project.

OUCH

Didn't you say you are trying to get some money back from the dealer for this hassle?

Yeah, looking to try and sue for reimbursement under New Mexico's Limited Merchantability Clause. Even though I bought the car As Is, No Warranty, in New Mexico, a vehicle must be in good operating condition for at least 15 days. Buyer need NOT return vehicle, and dealer MUST pay for repairs. I'm having a friend look for precedents right now. Total amount of repairs: 3300 USD. MAYBE the judge will allow a little bit extra for damages, but I'm not holding my breath.

Most states have a "lemon-law" that protects buyers even when no warranty is implied or expressed. You may be in luck.

nice damage!

I hope you do get your money back. I could never sell anyone a bad car like that plus since your getting belen fixed, if you do get your money back thats more money to do more mods to the car.

Nope. Suspension to Colleen, then bank what I can. Remember, I'm tryin to finally get out in 3 years.

Here in just a lil bit, I'm gonna edit this with pics of Belen's air plenum. Not pretty.

Got to see inside her oil pan. You guessed it, looks like a frag grenade went off in there. Pieces of twisted ring, rod, piston, bearing, and something else in there. The oil looked about the consistency of jelly in the wrench's fingers.

They've been running water in the system for AWHILE now, and the pump/water jackets show it.

The oil pickup had pieces of metal in it, and as such toasted the darn thing. There was some kind of tarnish on the air butterfly that may have been oil. The exhaust manifolds had quite a bit of oil all over the interior passages.

The wrench had told me that he thinks it was a miracle that I drove the car the 30 miles to the house. Never mind the fact that I have a 3000-foot mountain to climb to get home. I told the wrench doin the work for me to get pics of ALL damage, to go ahead and box up ALL parts, save common hardware, and give me EVERYTHING he can (ya know, cores aside). I asked him to get the machine shop to write a statement on what was found and what the causes could have been. At this point, the lack of maintenance has got me PISSED. I will be going through with the lawsuit. Sandoval will be paying for this lack of professionalism. I'm lucky that I can afford this. What I think they were hopin for was a poor high school kid to snap this car up so they could get rid of the car and not worry about legal retribution, since the kid wouldnt know they COULD sue. Then they messed around and pissed of a Soldier. An NCO at that. Time to get to work, fellas.

EDIT:

JB Weld on the top of the plenum:


The crack they were trying to fix:

I say once its fixed, you go roast some tires in their dealership parking lot!!!

LMAO!!! I just might. I just might do that.