dollo

Hey, new to the board and I couldn't find a topic about this yet so here it is.

Recently crashed my SC300 and I unfortunately don't have coverage for the damage, so getting a new new car is out of the question. I've been shopping around for salvaged or damaged SC300s to strip for parts, but they've been rather scarce lately. However, I've found several ads for SC400s that are very cheap, the lowest being $1000, and I'm looking into the possibilities of using on of these.

I'd like to keep the body of my SC, but the frame may be bent and we are still looking into the damage and what can and can't be fixed. Worst case scenario, I strip the car for its good parts (engine and tranny only have 130k miles on them and seem to be intact so I might take those...) and put them in a new body.

So my question has two parts. Firstly, can I strip an SC400 for parts to use in my SC300? And if the SC300 is too beat up, can I use the engine/tranny/ other usable parts in an SC400?

Also, any tips and advice for the situation would be appreciated, I'm still new to cars and honestly don't really know what I'm doing. I'll upload some pics when I can get them, and thanks in advance.

good2go

iTrader: (6)

Frankly, this would be my greatest concern for the success of the type of project you're considering.

BenStoked

iTrader: (3)

technically, I believe the only real differences were cosmetic/electrical, regardless of year/model. the chassis should be the same throughout.
you will need to swap out engine harnesses when switching engines, and depending on several things (such as air bags, and other features), you may need to swap other stuff, too.

a word of warning, a $1000 sc will be kinda dodgy. likely, it looks like mine; needs suspension, body needs some (serious) work, interior is shot...

if you are mechanically savvy, this is all doable (based on my presumption that little changed throughout years on the chassis).

dollo

I agree, which is why I definitely won't be taking on this project alone. I have a good mechanic who will be able to do most of the work at a low cost, and I'm hoping to learn a thing or two while he does it.

That aside, I still need to provide the parts for the repair and the sooner the better. I found a salvage SC300 with 180k mileage, and it should be going up for auction on coparts in a few weeks. My budget for the repairs is 3K, but I can push it if I really have to.

Would it be best to wait for a salvage that meets my needs to go up for auction/sale? The bids start at $100-200 but I'm sure there's no way its going to sell that low. Probably at least 1k.

Would it be best to purchase an SC300/SC400 that's running, little to no damage, decent condition for $1000-3000 or should I wait for a salvage?

good2go

iTrader: (6)

IMHO, if you are paying someone for the labor involved (even at a reduced rate!), you are basically going to exceed any savings you're hoping to achieve. Also, if you get deep into a project like that and things go awry (they ALWAYS do), you're stuck with two unuseable hulks and no way out but bleeding more money or taking a total bath.

Since you say you have up to $2/3k for a running car, I'd say go that route and then maybe part out your damaged SC (you'll still enjoy the experience of dismantling w/o the pressure of making it work again) for some added cash for any repairs or improvemnets on the newer ride.

$.02

LEXXIUM

iTrader: (1)

^^^ Agreed! Go buy/rent you nice tools that you need and do the work yourself, get a buddy to help you. And when youre done, youll see how much $$$ you saved, and have all the tools you bought, by learning a lot, you will be proud of yourself, and You"ll thank yourself.

dollo

It makes sense that I shouldn't be putting a few good parts in an older and probably worn down body, so if the body of my SC is damaged too badly I think I'll just part it out and get what I can to buy a new car. However, if the damage is mostly cosmetic and the frame is repairable, I think it wouldn't be too bad an I idea to get the parts I need and put it back together. As for the mechanic, he's known my dad for a while and his rates are ridiculously low, which is why we are considering using him to fix it. If the repair costs are going to be above $2000, I don't think it's worth it since I could probably get a grand or so from the parts and altogether almost have enough to get a new SC300 if I want (I've seen a few in good condition going for about $5000-6000)

Do you think that sounds like a good plan?