New Job, new goals. Need advice.

[80083r]

I have an 89 turbo white package with some niggling rust problems, but otherwise it runs ok.

245,000 kms (150k miles - ish) all stock except shocks/springs - I've replace them with Eibachs and Kyb's.

I will have some money to spend, say $2k(up from $600 max) per year or so... what would you do to achieve these goals:

1. Reliability
2. 300 rwhp MAX
3. as close to stock as humanly possible.

What I want to do:
(in no particular order)

-paint
-replace all fuel lines
-replace all brake lines (and brake upgrade?)
-new seat covers
-new carpets
-new vacuum / coolant lines (in silicone?)
-BPU... i guess? power is not my main concern
-upgrade speaker system (started... badly)
-replace hatch seal
-replace window seals
-replace trim
-new rubber
-new sway bars (I'm happy with stock, but the clamps are broken, and the endlinks are cracked)
-new windshield (it's a little milky/scratched)
-led lights in dash (not fancy - just don't burn out as fast)
-rebuild motor
-rebuild tranny
-short shifter
-new sun visors (the passenger side is bent and sags)
-new suspension parts (upper/lower arms, etc)
-new fuel pump hanger (I jury-rigged the one that's in it, and I'm confident in it, but new is better)

Did I miss anything important on the rebuild / restore dream list?

 

[black89t]

haha i like the list! i would say if its at 150k and has never had the hg changed i would do that with arp head bolts (easier to install than studs and will be plenty for your goals). while doing that you can replace all the hoses, gaskets, vacuum lines, ect this will get the motor nice and reliable for years down the road. that is assuming its never been run really low on oil or had been driven on a bhg for a long time both which would result in bearing damage to the bottom end and cam journals. if thats the case then you'd need to go down a different path. anyway thats what i would do. no point in doing cosmetic and chassis mods if the car is doesnt move or is unreliable

 

[suprarx7nut]

Your goals sound similar to mine so I'll just answer this like it's my own car.

1. Make sure everything is in great shape.
-Replace the broken sway mounts and tabs. They should be cheap to find used or reasonable from a dealer.
-Tires
-Coolant hoses and lines (the 90 degree hoses are a real pain to get to and are common failure points)
-Engine gaskets and seals (unless you recently replaced many of them I bet a few are leaking)
-Hood and hatch struts
-PCV hoses
-Steering rack bushings (either new OEM or Raptor Racing Poly)
-Cooling fan shroud (I've owned 3 mk3's and I've never had a non-broken fan shroud, they all seem to be broken)
-Undertray cover ( I bought a new one because mine was missing entirely. Should be ~$140 from a dealer)
-Bosch BPV or a replacement for the stock one that always wears out

If those are all sorted out then I'd do the following:
-Replace any broken or missing trim (body and window)
-Replace any worn weatherstrips (my 88 had excellent weatherstrips after spending 9 years in indoor storage and it just felt nice you could tell closing the doors that it was solid)
-Replace any worn window regulators/guides (my 88 again had excellent window regulators and guides and it made a big difference)
-Stereo. For me this means a good deck, maybe even full screen just so it looks nice in the dash; 4 channel amp; upgraded speakers all around; small subwoofer if you want the icing on that cake.
-LED dash lights. It's relatively cheap and makes a HUGE difference in the feel of the car at night. Also do the Climate Control, even if you do new green LEDs
-Window tint. If you dont want anything dark, just do 30% or lighter. It will help protect the interior and keep some heat out.
-Interior items that are worn. Replace the shift boot, shift knob, e brake boot, console cover, re-wrap the steering wheel, etc...

From there it's probably just a matter of prioritizing performance upgrades (exhaust, boost controller and rebuilt 50-57 trim turbo come to mind).

I would not replace any fuel lines or brake lines unless you have some that are failing or noticeably worn. Those are generally lifetime parts that may not need replacement for decades to come.
I'd also leave the windshield alone until the rest of the car is pristine. It may crack itself and force a replacement soon anyways.
I'd leave paint until you have a larger budget unless your paint is awful right now. A good solid paint job should be accompanied by new mostly new trim and would eat up all your budget easily.

In my experience 2k per year is barely enough to keep up with regular maintenance and the upgrades that present themselves (IE exhaust rusts through? time for a full new turbo back system; HG blows? time for a full rebuild; turbo starts blowing smoke, time for a upgraded turbo; radiator cracks? time for an aluminum upgrade; etc...)

 

[80083r]

Good list - thanks for the replies. I realize that I'm not going to have a show car on 2k a year I don't mind taking my time and doing it right - I have lots of time, and my extremely limited money is now just limited money.

Fan shroud and undercover are both missing on my car - so that should be a firstish for me.
Paint right now is polka-dot primer so paint is fairly high on the list.

otherwise suprax7nut - that's a very good priority list. To the shopping!

 

[tlo86]

you can do a cheap paint job assuming you have a compressor and gun

if you really want i can send you a price list of what i sell to do the job just pm me