verboten1

ok guys, 88 5Kt 217,000 miles
The Good:
New exhaust
Runs and starts reliably
interior is clean, 7.5 out of a 10
exterior is ok dented in under the tail lights
Doors from an Audi 200
tires, 2 new

the Bad:
Power steering is dying (pump or rack, assuming pump, because brakes are horrible too)
Wastegate diaphragm is torn
Needs all new engine mounts
Needs new suspension
AC doesnt work
Seat heaters done work
small tear in driver seat
HVAC blower doesnt work
saggy headliner (who cares)
2 bald tires
Turbo is horrible, still creates boost, but MAN does it whine AND groan

whatchu guys think, i only have about $1G invested into the car, not too sure if its worth dumping at least another grand into it for a winter beater... Engine seems strong still, but 5oo bucks for a turbo is not too appealing to me

what would you guys do with a severely limited car budget....

JaredhCGT

should be able to find a turbo cheaper then $500..... other parts cheap too.

metalv8

Search every junkyard you are willing to go to and get what you need and can they can be cheap if you can pull the parts yourself. Going that route (exc. seat heater and ac) I think you could do pretty well...

verboten1

yeah, one issue is that i dont have any junk yards with 5KTs around....i live in ford country, with at least 10 ford plants within an hour drive....

verboten1

talking a rebuild for a turbo...3-500 bucks

devil's advocate

If you were to fix it it could be only as a labor of love as financially it does not sound like it be worthwhile. Plus some of the repairs particularly the heater fan are not that much fun to do. I guess the question becomes on e of what you can tolerate for how long. Of course with no heater fan driving it at all becomes problematic this time of year. I don't know man, those miles and an impending turbo failure don't sound too promising. Turbo is also not a fun project as the oil lines will give you trouble (might as well figure those into the budget for the turbo repair too. Best route may be to find another car and keep yours for parts (if its another 5KTQ). Of course even with a parts car it may be cheaper in the long run to find something entirely different.....

SteveAngry

I'd buy used stuff...

You can get a turbo for $50-75. Rebuild the oil/coolant supply lines too if needed...

HVAC, wastegate, etc can all be sourced rather cheaply from local yards or people "in the know."

Personally, I'd throw a used turbo and blower motor in there for now and drive it...

I'd also replace the motor mounts ASAP, particularly the passenger side mount. They're not expensive, maybe SEA can cut you a MIVE deal?

Steve
Michigan

metalv8

DOH!

cuatrokoop

Rebuild kit (DIY) is $114 or so, shipped.

BTDT.

I stuck a used (good) blower motor in my 5kq to get heat and such.

PS pump, doesn't Steve have one you can buy for "cheap"?

Taylor 865KS

You have 2 other cars so you won't be stuck hitchhiking. Not sure what you mean by needing new suspension as that is a pretty big range of potential expense . I don't think 1000 bucks is going to cover all the problems you outlined unless you can find a perfect donor car in a very convenient scrapyard and are up to a lot of wrenching.
One of the arts of owning old cars is knowing that magic and unhappy moment when it's time to cut and run.