Total car noob

[teejay1983]

I live in Bendigo and I am a total car noob. I figured the first steps to take is to come on here.

I've just purchased a 88' VN Berlina for $800. The vehicle is pretty reliable for it's mileage (I drove it from Melbourne to Bendigo without any problems which are not related to faults which were identified later on) which is around 270,000. However when it got to be inspected for a roadworthy the list was pretty long, the garage reckoned the parts alone would be $750.

The people at the car garage said it was not worth it to throw good money after bad, considering they said the car had not been driven for some time. I am thinking right now just to sell the whole thing for parts for say $500 and recoup some of the losses.

However my stepmother said to learn how to work a car and do the whole repairs thing slowly.

Anyway, here is the list of stuff that needs to be done

Replace the wooden steering wheel (I've already bidded on a secondhand VN Commodore steering wheel on ebay)
Remove the rear spoiler
Remove the aerial or replace it
New Front and Rear Shockers put in
Remove air horns which were installed
Brake Master Cylinder is leaking
Incorrect Battery and needs to be secured
Secure the spare tyre
Engine Pipe too close to body
Refit Roof Lining
Replace Front Hub Seals
Rear Exhaust Hanger/Mount Rubber
Wheel Alignment
Wash Engine and Gear Box
Rear Upper Control Arm Bushes
Engine (Flat Spot and Surging)

Any advice on what I should do would be much appreciated. If you think I should repair the vehicle, I will get myself a VN Commodore Workshop manual and tools you think I should get.

[Troy5L]

you should be able to do most, if not all of it urself..
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Replace the wooden steering wheel (I've already bidded on a secondhand VN Commodore steering wheel on ebay)..pretty simple to put on, its just a bolt that holds the steering wheel in, remove the old one and boss kit, na dput the vn one on

Remove the rear spoiler..dont know why u would have to remove the spoiler for a rwc, but its just a few bolts holding it to the boot lid, but you will have to disconnect the wire if it has a stopping light in the rear wing

Remove the aerial or replace it..pretty cheap from repco, autobarn, supercheap. jack up front passenger side, remove inner guarde and you should be able to access it from there..

New Front and Rear Shockers put in...this will prob cost the most, but you can get standard ones for an alright price, there is a HOW-TO on this forum somewhere

Remove air horns which were installed...they are gay pretty easy 2 remove with a hammer lol

Brake Master Cylinder is leaking..get one from the wreckers and swap over

Incorrect Battery and needs to be secured...incorrect battery? just secure it with a battery clamp

Secure the spare tyre..pretty easy, go2 the wreckers again and get a tensioner, you will see what i mean when u look in the boot of another car

Engine Pipe too close to body...??serious first ive heard of that being illegal

Refit Roof Lining...if its sagging then make up a new one or get one from wreckers

Replace Front Hub Seals... dont know much about this

Rear Exhaust Hanger/Mount Rubber...easy again, go2 wreckers and get one or 2 from another car

Wheel Alignment..take it to a tyre joint, they should be able to do it for cheap(last thing 2 do)

Wash Engine and Gear Box...a few cans of degreaser and a hose

Rear Upper Control Arm Bushes..dont really no much about this

Engine (Flat Spot and Surging)...maybe ask greenfoam or delcowizzard for a tune, that may help
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its pretty simple once u understand what 2 do

[TVR-190]

id keep working on it slowly, why do u have to remove the spoiler

[teejay1983]

id keep working on it slowly, why do u have to remove the spoiler

Spoiler light was inoperative.

[teejay1983]

Remove the rear spoiler..dont know why u would have to remove the spoiler for a rwc, but its just a few bolts holding it to the boot lid, but you will have to disconnect the wire if it has a stopping light in the rear wing

The light on the rear spoiler is inoperative.

Remove air horns which were installed...they are gay pretty easy 2 remove with a hammer lol

Where would they be installed in the car anyway?

Engine Pipe too close to body...??serious first ive heard of that being illegal

I am not kidding.

Engine (Flat Spot and Surging)...maybe ask greenfoam or delcowizzard for a tune, that may help

I will.

[vn_v6]

this sounds like the person that did it is booking you for every little thing he can find to make a buck off you, go to other people and get an inspection, MAKE SURE u mention your keeping the car, they might go a little bit easeir on you, and then see the difference between the list you have now, and the one after, i pretty sure the exhaust to close wont be there lol cus thats B.S

[Warranty Void]

Mate, that list isn't too bad, with a workshop manual you should be able to do most of it, especially if you can get someone more experienced to give you a hand. You should ask around your mum's friends for a good and reasonably priced mechanic to do the stuff that's too hard for a beginner. You should be able to do everything except maybe front shockers, trailing arms, hub seals, engine tune and brake cylinder. And these only because you're inexperienced. Get the engine tuned by a mechanic. As far as spoiler is concerned, you only need one high mount stoplight to be legal, does the one in the rear window work? Your first port of call should be the wreckers to see what a factory spec car looks like and make yours the same. (oh and join the RACV)
Let us know how you go with each job and good luck.

[levymetal]

As far as spoiler is concerned, you only need one high mount stoplight to be legal, does the one in the rear window work?

Yep, well in VIC anyway this is the case. You need one (and only one) to be working. For some reason, you can't have both working . The one on the spoiler doesn't have to work.

However, as said above, I'd take it to a different shop and get them to give you a list of what you need to do. Some of that stuff sounds like absolute bullshit. I can't imagine that an 'incorrect' battery is a roadworthy item. If your car starts then who gives a crap. Exhaust too close to body - more bs. What's wrong with your aerial?

But yeah, whatever you do, do all the work yourself. I bought a car for $4500, and it still cost something like $1400 to get a roadworthy after everything I had to do for it, so ignore the garage that said it's not worth it - because no matter what car you buy you'll always have a list that long.

[teejay1983]

Yep, well in VIC anyway this is the case. You need one (and only one) to be working. For some reason, you can't have both working . The one on the spoiler doesn't have to work.

However, as said above, I'd take it to a different shop and get them to give you a list of what you need to do. Some of that stuff sounds like absolute bullshit. I can't imagine that an 'incorrect' battery is a roadworthy item. If your car starts then who gives a crap. Exhaust too close to body - more bs. What's wrong with your aerial?

I do believe the muffler was not properly put in when it was replaced. Also the aerial is bent, it needs replacement or removal.