Bad news from the mechanic - any insight greatly appreciated!

[speedyspaghetti]

Originally Posted by cas951

Is it the same shop that did the inspection?
Which shop is this?

Yeah, same shop. The RennShop in Mountain View.

[cas951]

Since you’re already going to Mountain View. Pay a visit to Heyer Performance. Reputable shop and I’m sure he doesn’t charge $200 per hr labor.

You also have Modderman in Mountain View. He is located next to Custom Alignment.
Don Wise in Campbell is also well recommended. Actually quite a few in Campbell.

[Anker]

I would say start with tie rods and trailing arms. The shimmy and the rattles from the trailing arms are really bothersome and ruin the pleasure of driving.

[The Radium King]

Originally Posted by Anker

I would say start with tie rods and trailing arms. The shimmy and the rattles from the trailing arms are really bothersome and ruin the pleasure of driving.

+1. get it running. enjoy it. work away at it when you have the free time. no dealbreakers in your list, just deferred maintenance items. watch the forums for used parts (ie, suspension take-offs from guys upgrading); get advice online. this forum is truly excellent for both advice and used parts.

more specifically, heavy clutch might also be a broken helper spring; a pita to change, but a $5 part. don't worry about the rms; mine has been weeping since i got the car - a known issue that doesn't affect driveability and won't kill the car - occasional drop of oil on the garage floor - put the upgraded part in when you do the clutch, which could be 20k miles from now. and yeah, get your front wheels on a balance machine before you start pulling your suspension apart.

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by speedyspaghetti

I had the wheels balanced on a road force machine twice and both places I took it to said they couldn't find any bends in the rim.

What tires are they & how old are they, how is the tread wearing?