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From: Ka-POP! on 29 Jun 2010 11:26
Last summer I bought a 1980 Corona Liftback Luxury Edition with low
miles and exceptional body and interior. I was SO pleased to get it.
However, it has turned out to be more of a nightmare than a dream.
PLEASE offer any constructive input, particularly if you are a mechanic
and/or have experience with a similar circumstance.

Specs: 20R engine 2.2L 2bbl 5 speed.

History/problem: The car sat for extended periods before I acquired it.
As a result, it had a lot of sediment and rust in the fuel tank. It ran,
but got terrible mileage (only about 15 mpg). So I had a mechanic friend
from church check it out. He rebuilt the carb. Problem soon got worse,
it now got 10 mpg and occasionally bucked (sort of like "bunny hopping"
when you don't clutch properly) and died. Upon his recommendation (and
the recommendation of a parts store) I cleaned the tank as best I could
with MEK and then coated it with a product called Red Kote. Seemed to
run ok for a while but with no real improvement in mileage, then the
problem got worse again. Still only 10 mpg and the bucking and dying got
more common. We determined that the coating was flaking loose from the
inside of the tank and working its way through the fuel system. Had a
stainless tank built by a machine shop, had my mechanic friend install
the tank, clear out the lines, and clean the carb. Got new fuel pump and
filter. Now it won't run at all. His current theory is a bad ignition
module; a part which retails nearly $300 and NO salvage yard parts seem
to exist.

I've thrown so much $ at this car and become so frustrated and
disappointed that I can neither afford nor justify close to $300 in
hopes that the problem MIGHT get solved. If you have any alternative
theories and/or ideas for a potential cheap/easy fix please enlighten me.

Sorry this was so long, I summarized as best I could. Like I said
earlier, thanks for any constructive input.

Karl
From: FatterDumber& Happier Moe on 29 Jun 2010 13:28
Ka-POP! wrote:
> Last summer I bought a 1980 Corona Liftback Luxury Edition with low
> miles and exceptional body and interior. I was SO pleased to get it.
> However, it has turned out to be more of a nightmare than a dream.
> PLEASE offer any constructive input, particularly if you are a mechanic
> and/or have experience with a similar circumstance.
>
> Specs: 20R engine 2.2L 2bbl 5 speed.
>
> History/problem: The car sat for extended periods before I acquired it.
> As a result, it had a lot of sediment and rust in the fuel tank. It ran,
> but got terrible mileage (only about 15 mpg). So I had a mechanic friend
> from church check it out. He rebuilt the carb. Problem soon got worse,
> it now got 10 mpg and occasionally bucked (sort of like "bunny hopping"
> when you don't clutch properly) and died. Upon his recommendation (and
> the recommendation of a parts store) I cleaned the tank as best I could
> with MEK and then coated it with a product called Red Kote. Seemed to
> run ok for a while but with no real improvement in mileage, then the
> problem got worse again. Still only 10 mpg and the bucking and dying got
> more common. We determined that the coating was flaking loose from the
> inside of the tank and working its way through the fuel system. Had a
> stainless tank built by a machine shop, had my mechanic friend install
> the tank, clear out the lines, and clean the carb. Got new fuel pump and
> filter. Now it won't run at all. His current theory is a bad ignition
> module; a part which retails nearly $300 and NO salvage yard parts seem
> to exist.
>
> I've thrown so much $ at this car and become so frustrated and
> disappointed that I can neither afford nor justify close to $300 in
> hopes that the problem MIGHT get solved. If you have any alternative
> theories and/or ideas for a potential cheap/easy fix please enlighten me.
>
> Sorry this was so long, I summarized as best I could. Like I said
> earlier, thanks for any constructive input.
>
> Karl
You have a 30 year old car! What you are finding out is they can be
expensive to get back into shape for a dependable vehicle. I don't
understand having a stainless tank built? Put a good after market
filter in front of the carburetor and that ought to eliminate the junk
getting into the carb. The ignition, search the web and buy one
online. Better find a good cheap auto mechanic and there aren't many of
those, maybe send a kid to vo-tech auto mechanics (specializing in
classic cars.
From: Ray O on 3 Jul 2010 23:44

"Ka-POP!" <kapop(a)mediacombb.net> wrote in message
news:i0d39l$c6e$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
> Last summer I bought a 1980 Corona Liftback Luxury Edition with low miles
> and exceptional body and interior. I was SO pleased to get it. However, it
> has turned out to be more of a nightmare than a dream. PLEASE offer any
> constructive input, particularly if you are a mechanic and/or have
> experience with a similar circumstance.
>
> Specs: 20R engine 2.2L 2bbl 5 speed.
>
> History/problem: The car sat for extended periods before I acquired it. As
> a result, it had a lot of sediment and rust in the fuel tank. It ran, but
> got terrible mileage (only about 15 mpg). So I had a mechanic friend from
> church check it out. He rebuilt the carb. Problem soon got worse, it now
> got 10 mpg and occasionally bucked (sort of like "bunny hopping" when you
> don't clutch properly) and died. Upon his recommendation (and the
> recommendation of a parts store) I cleaned the tank as best I could with
> MEK and then coated it with a product called Red Kote. Seemed to run ok
> for a while but with no real improvement in mileage, then the problem got
> worse again. Still only 10 mpg and the bucking and dying got more common.
> We determined that the coating was flaking loose from the inside of the
> tank and working its way through the fuel system. Had a stainless tank
> built by a machine shop, had my mechanic friend install the tank, clear
> out the lines, and clean the carb. Got new fuel pump and filter. Now it
> won't run at all. His current theory is a bad ignition module; a part
> which retails nearly $300 and NO salvage yard parts seem to exist.
>
> I've thrown so much $ at this car and become so frustrated and
> disappointed that I can neither afford nor justify close to $300 in hopes
> that the problem MIGHT get solved. If you have any alternative theories
> and/or ideas for a potential cheap/easy fix please enlighten me.
>
> Sorry this was so long, I summarized as best I could. Like I said earlier,
> thanks for any constructive input.
>
> Karl

An engine needs 3 basic things to run; air, fuel, and spark at the
appropriate times and amounts. Did your mechanic friend check for spark?
Did he check the coil, distributor, high tension wires, and plugs? Check
for vacuum leaks?
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)


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