Hello, so I'm new to the forum and a first time Saturn owner. my car (pictured below captured on actual B+W 35mm film) is my current daily driver. The car is as base model as you were able to get back in 2006. 2.2L, 5 speed, no air conditioning. no power windows, it's lacking everything except power locks. Bought the car off the original owner (grandma owned previously) for $750 cause nobody wanted a stick shift Ion (that's what they told me, the fact it was a manual scared off every buyer but me). the drivetrain has been absolutely unkillable in the time I've had it save for needing plugs and the ignition coil. Rest of the car is kinda falling apart (rusted quite a bit since we use a lot of road salt here) but the engine+trans still holds up, even still doesn't need any oil top-ups after 170K miles (yes, I check the dipstick and do the oil changes myself). previous owners replaced the clutch at 145K before I bought it. Eventual plan is, unfortunately due to the severe rust it will end up as an engine donor (as not needing oil top-offs after 170K miles, it's still got plenty of life left in her) into what will hopefully be a southern shell with less rust. From there, I can go anywhere with it. anyway, Hello all and I hope to enjoy my time here (just worried about not hitting that 10 post minimum, I've got mild autism and I'm just not really that good at communicating, nor do I know what I could really say lol)

 

Damn someone finally read the sticky. I don't believe it.

I gave up on enforcing that about 5 years ago. You're the only person to mention it in The last 5 years. That makes you special in a good way.

It may not be burning oil, but have you checked the compression? Just a general way to snapshot the health of your engine. Won't tell you everything but you'll get a good idea.

The five speed scaring off other buyers? That's a laugh riot? I still drive 97 SC2 5 speed with 265k on the clock. As underpowered as that vehicle is, it is still fun as hell to drive. Be able to put my car where i want it when I want it is a feeling you just can't get w/ a 2 liter turbo. Plus if you need to get somewhere quickly, people at traffic lights I think you have something special under the hood to accelerate from a stop and wind the thing up. There's always the occasional a h who thinks I'm racing them. Or they feel compelled to race me. Either way, once I hit fourth gear, I do not let up on the gas and let the RPMs climb as I pull up next to them. The cold stare usually has them backing off. All of this done with no traffic in front of us and watching the side streets. I don't mess around that way. Anyway have fun with it before it falls apart.

Welcome to the fold.

 

Welcome to the forum. I don't see any noticeable rust on your car, so am guessing that it is all under the car, right? Plenty of Saturns still kicking around here in FL and there were a TON of them in Tennessee when I foolishly left. You should make a trip to the REAL SOUTH, (not FL) and look around for a donor. I'd buy one that still runs and just drive it home and do the swap. Your only problem may be finding another manual shift car. I haven't seen too many of them.

 

Thank you for the welcome! and that kinda does make me feel special haha, thought it was common sense, guess not!

as for checking compression, never bothered as it runs solid, though I have a compression tester and might try this sometime.

yeah it's what the old couple I bought it from told me. full story they had it listed for $900 as it needed a $400 steering rack. it sat for over three months as they did not just want to scrap it, and they were just about to donate it until I came along, being the only one seriously interested in buying it. We talked them down to $750 and put in a rack with a lifetime warranty (glad we did that, it went out again and this time replacement was free!"). I will be sure to enjoy it while I can, have another vehicle lined up to be a daily but I have plans for this thing.

 

yeah all the rust is underneath (getting so bad the trunk is now starting to rot through) though that is quite literally my plan for it lol. Drivetrain is solid, so I want to find a southern car with a bad engine/trans and swap it out. I have access to an entire shop so I should have everything needed already, just can't tie up a lift all day lol

 

Clean car. I've got some upgraded ion goodies in storage I'd sell if you're interested. 2.4 manifold, lowering springs, rotated trans mount, solid shifter bushings, p&p throttle body, return style fuel rail, injectors, etc

 

Welcome to the forum! The Ions are great cars, mine has been anyway. If you wanna modify yours in some way I can probably help you, as I’ve done almost everything that can be done to a 03-06 Ion (07s got tuning support and thus can be more heavily modified)

 

thank you for the offer, however, for anything like that I'll be waiting for the new body first lol

 

also nice to know, I don't intend to heavily mod this thing (at least not mechanically) though there will be some things I'd like to get done to it, just again, new body lol.

also, for the '07, wasn't it just a new ECU? cause if so I can likely just wander my local junkyards for an '07 manual shift ECU, there's a lot of Ion's there so I'm sure I'd find it eventually.

EDIT: nvm, decided to look it up and it's switched to Gen II Ecotec. sad thing is we used to have one of those laying around in a '07 Malibu my stepfather wrecked, but we needed cash so it went to scrap :/

 

Not that easy. 07 has more electronics and has a 58x reluctor wheel. We have a 6+1x iirc