Goldy - The long road to recovery.

History:
I picked her up a month or so ago. Bought her online, totally unseen bar from a few small pics online, and paid freight to have her shipped 4000+ Kms to get her home. Didn't want to wait anymore for a better one. (5 years was enough...). Got a call 2 weeks later from the freight company telling me that she has arrived in the city. She travelled mostly via train across the nullabor.

A work colleague insisted that he pick me up from home the next morning to drop me off at the freight depot. He was very curious to see what this "unicorn" car of mine was. He wasn't very impressed when he saw it though. Actually we both were a little unimpressed. My first impressions was that it was a lot smaller than I expected. She was very rough, and looked unloved. All of my other ED/EFs are red or white so the Laguna Gold was absolutely refreshing.
I did the paperwork and freight company handed over the keys. Goldy was mine. My work colleague decided to follow me back to work as he doubted that my new "Piece of Sh*t" wouldn't make it to the office.

I was very excited but a little worried as I slid behind the wheel... and away we drove. The seating position was strange. I was sitting very high compared to my civic and crx, but the visibility was fantastic (I'm 187cm). Felt right at home with the look of the steering wheel, dash * seats. It made a LOT of noise though. More so than any of my crxs. Lots of clunks and creaks (and what sounds like trim rattling?) when driving. Also a lot of thuds coming from the under the car. I knew then that I have a long road ahead. The shifter made this subtle click when I changed gears which was new & I liked having a sunroof! (yeah I know.. I'm about 20 years late to that party. *smirk*). Why anyone would close the shade door on the sunroof I have no idea! :smug:

So yeah she needs a lot of work:
- Rattles.
- Missing a window winder.
- Both front seats torn up.
- Missing rear head-rests.
- Illegal tint.
- Rattles.
- No glovebox.
- 40% of the clearcoat has gone.
- Small sections of rust appearing.
- Rattles.
- Eastern-states plates.
- Grinds in reverse.
- Missing ciggarette lighter.
- Passenger side seat-belt anchor non-standard (dark grey).
- Interior lights don't work.
- Broken climate control. (slider no longer changes vent directions)
- Badly fitted front bumper.
- A/C doesn't work.
- Rattles.
- After market radio kinda works.
- Drivers side window keeps popping it's track.
- Missing plastic caps on drivers side roof-rack.
- Drooping front lip.
- Power locks work intertermitently, if you slam the drivers door shut, the other doors all pop open.
- Won't idle when it's cold.
- Missing rear cargo cover.
- Strong burning smell after driving at freeway speeds.
- Suspension Rattles & thuds a lot at low speed.
- Clutch very loose.
- Slow.
- Drivers door rattles when driving. (bad lock mechanism? bent door?)
- Missing both trims pieces between rear wheel arches and doors.

Stuff I've done so far:
- Had the illegal tint removed (professionally)
- Wheel balancing.
- Wheel alignment.
- New oil.
- New plugs.
- New coolant.
- Drivers window popping it's track (fingers crossed)
- Lots of TLC / Cleaning.

Bucket List:
- DOHC ZC

Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. It's been my daily ever since I got it... and I EFf'n LOVE this car now.

The ultimate goal of my "build" is to make it nicer then when I bought it.