ok, so it won't come off a dealer's lot....
got it

 

Water pump today, the car started dropping coolant a couple weeks ago. It bled out in the driveway over the weekend. It came apart quickly, parts here tomorrow. It still will leak oil from the rear main seal area-some other day.
My wife and I went to Arizona over the weekend to pick up her mom. 1300 miles through California with a stop in Bakersfield to see grandchildren. 1150 miles home through Nevada and back across Oregon to home. Three nights out and 4 days of driving the Navigator @ 80mph, 17 mpg. Packed to the roof with a ShopSmith and other wood working saws, now I can build some new kitchen cabinets.

 

The saga continues:
About three weeks ago we had 11 of our 35 acres logged. They were logging 71 acres just East of our property. I went down to the timber management company and asked about cutting our border trees and some below the house. We have had a few dry years and the fire danger goes off the charts in September up until the rains come. A home burned about 1.5 miles as the crow flies from our place and it really scared all of my neighbors up on the ridge.
One of the foresters came out and we discussed the trees and my concerns. We walked the property and he advised to take some the timber now. Since the loggers were next door they used their existing roads. We will have the timber management company burn the slash and replant and spray for unwanted brush. The will do this part sometime next year when they do their acreage.
I will be able to build a new shop with some of the proceeds. We have been here 25 years and will leave the property to our children. Everything is in a living trust already.
So back to the car, I can make the car missfire with the throttle. I can get the light to flash at about 1/3 throttle. It drops cylinder #6, the car runs fine at cruise and at heavy to full throttle. I pulled the runners and the coil pack and looked at the plugs. They were new not very long ago but before I bought it. It has a new filter so it must have dirty injectors. It also has lean codes on both banks. When I have time that will be the next repair, I have all the equipment.
Black powder elk season starts Saturday and lasts for a week. I will be a little busy for the next week.
I will check in when I have time.
Andy

 

I think it's a great idea to make an L series Redline... That Saab has essentially an LSJ with a turbo, the engines are extremely similar, if not identical... The 6 speed is the F40 transmission, highly sought after by Redline and Cobalt SS owners alike... Would be a good package to modify, but swapping between the Epsilon platform Saab and the 2900 platform L series might be difficult(gives me a hell of an idea for my Malibu though)...

It is apples to apples, due to the overwhelming popularity of the LSJ-T which is an IRL or CSS with the supercharger thrown in the trash and a turbo substituted in... Other than the minor physical alterations for mounting the turbo, it's just as simple as re-tuning the PCM for the different airflow curve, and the lower IAT temps...

As far as engine management, you've got a couple options, depending on your chosen route... If going with an auto(grab the 4T45 from a Cobalt, HHR, Malibu), you might be ahead to look into whether or not the L200(L61 2.2) PCM could be tuned via HPtuners, or maybe Trifecta... Some of the Cobalts and IONs could be... If not the L series PCM, you might look into getting the PCM from a Cobalt or ION, and get enough wiring to splice it into your car, making it communicate with your BCM... If you go with a manual trans, grab either a manual L series or ION/ Cobalt, or IRL/CSS PCM, whichever is tune able...

All those aside, you could still do a standalone EMS, like MegaSquirt, or something from AEM or others, but then you lose emissions compatibility...

Good luck on the build, and please take lots of pictures!

 

Today was a beautiful day in Oregon, clear sunny and in the high 50s. The brake pedal has been pretty stiff for a while now, not much assist. I bought a rebuilt booster in December and this has been the first nice day. I even replaced the front 3 plugs, I had been getting a #6 missfire for some time. WOW the car has great brakes and the missfire is gone, what a nice car. Now I will replace the timing belt and install the new a/c parts.

 

I am getting ready for a road trip with the motorhome. The Saturn is going to get a four wheel alignment and a couple tires. I had the alignment read at the the shop. They use smart shims for the rear alignment. They are a dual shim in one, they correct the toe and camber in one shim. I will install the shims, replace both outer tierod ends this weekend and get it aligned Tuesday.
I serviced the tranny this last weekend. I had been getting the wrench light and high line pressure at times since purchase. I added a quart of Lucas a couple weeks before. There is no dipstick on the 4t45e, but if you drop the pan and change the filter it takes 7.5 quarts. I used a red bottle of Dextron 6 oil from Napa. I can't remember which brand. The tranny shifts great now and no light. The pan was clean, no debris just washed off the dust.
Trip will be a couple thousand miles. Oregon to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, then LA, across to the Grand Canyon, back to Death Valley. Then home. I'll post some pics of the whole train hooked up.

 

Drive safe, sir.

 

Home tonight, 2200 miles towing the Saturn. Put about 250 miles total on the car at three different locations. We had a great trip with great weather. We went to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. We then went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Next was Knott's Berry Farm in Southern Cal. We then spent two days in Death Valley National Park. Two days to get home and the 460 ran great, only a couple of very minor glitches. An o-ring on a water valve and a buss bar in the power investor.

 

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I am actively trying to purchase a parts car. There is an 02 lw300 in Portland with a moldy cloth interior. They want $ 500.00, I am waiting for a reply to see if there is a title for the car. My tranny slips in second gear and the rear main seal is leaking now. I am on to summer projects around home like 2000 ft of fence and working on an 83 ranger I bought to use on our 35 acres. Ttfn.

 

You can buy a driveable mid 90's well kept S car hoopdie for $500.
I don't think so.
$250, talked up to $300 tops.

Just remember there's mold in the ductwork, etc that can't be cleaned and if there is any of that nasty black mold, run away. That WILL make you sick.