[Shotimes] Back on the list

[Randy Smith]

Just wanted to write a note upon my return.  Some of you might remember me,
but I've been gone for over 9 months now probably.  I've been looking at new
cars for the past 3 months, but I can never make up my mind.  I'm coming to
the conclusion that any car around 20-25k has too many compromises for me to
take on a 4-500/mo payment.  The SHO is paid for and just needs some TLC to
cross the 200k mark.  For those who don't know me or the car, I'm in SE
Michigan, 27, and the car is a 94 Moonlight Blue MTX.  It's now got 165k on
the clock and like our old 89, the engine is about as good as the day we
bought the car, but everything around the engine is in need of attention.
This is the third SHO I've had and my dad has a 95 MTX with over 165k.  Here
is the list I need to fix on mine currently;

Clunking in the back, particularly below 30 degrees.  99% sure it's the strut
mounts.  Went to have them replaced for $300 and the mechanic changed the
quote to $400 something when I showed up.  No thanks.  I'll have to do this
one myself sometime I guess.

Power steering barely works when the car is cold and it's below 40degrees out.
Not sure if this is just the belt, the pump, or the rack.  When I try to turn
it, I can hear the belt squealing like mad.  Once the car is up to running
temp, it's fine.  Just about never does it in the summer.

Something seems loose in the front end.  The three main things I feel are just
a strange kind of loose vibrating from the right front when I make a sharp
right at relatively slow speed.  Second if I'm rolling along at a steady speed
in the power band in 1st or 2nd and nail it, it almost seems like the subrame
shifts.  I was told the recall had been done before I bought the car, but I've
gotta get under there and look at this.  Third is that the tires break loose
way too easily lately.  I think it started before winter hit, but I need to
wait till spring to verify.  Might just be that my snow tires are past their
prime even though they've got tons of tread left.  I've had the car for over 2
years now, so I know how it should feel with both sets of tires.

Ignition cylinder; keeps dinging like the keys are in when I get out.  Wiggle
the black ring and it stops.  How hard is this to change?

It's also been about 85k since it had it's first 60k service.  I think my
idler pulley bearings are bad too.  If I'm to keep the car, I need new summer
tires (and as I've said, the winter tires seem like they're done too.  I might
just run these tires through the summer and finish them off.)  I've been
contemplating getting a second SHO I can drive (and keep after) while I'm
fixing this one up.  I've found 3 that I'm interested (though one is the same
blue/tan I've got and that might be a little too much...)  The other cars I've
tested included the A4 1.8T (too much vibration from the I4) Jetta 1.8T (don't
remember the vibes, might need to drive it again), the WRX (fun but missing
too many options), Maxima (very soft suspension and high price, though this
was closest to the SHO IMO), CL-S (just bland all around)  Whenever I drove
one, I wasn't that upset to get back in the SHO.  None really put the SHO to
shame in many areas, especially not enough for me to go from $0/mo to $400/mo.
Anyway, it's good to be back and I hope things have been going well for all.

Randy
94 Moonlight Blue MTX - 165k
Tokico's and Eibach's, SHO Shop Can and Cone, Performance Plus Y-Pipe, Dynomax
catback, UDP's, Nook SFC's (long), PIAA 1500's, Clarion/PPI/JL stereo, and a
host of other minor mods