´97 E10 HB project from Estonia

Hello everyone,

I've got a winter project in form of a 3-door hatchback (4E-FE 5-speed, 243 Mm) which has been in the family since 2000. However, 2.5 years ago I didn't have summer tires for it so it's been immobile since then and gotten rather rusty, including a shot exhaust and a radiator, not to mention sheetmetal. So, this summer I put a spare battery on it just to try if it starts up. It literally took one quarter of crank turn to start and it ran with a nice buzz like it had just been in traffic 10 minutes ago.

So, instead of a scrapyard I decided to see if I can get it back in working order, practice welding and painting.

First it needs a new cambelt, new gaskets (oil leaking from top of the engine), new radiator and who knows what. The interior is like new.

Checking for rust I found that the shop which supposedly replaced the rear wheel well edges some time in 2006 or so actually plastered and repainted them.

Anyway, there's zero financial sense of doing it but I'll do it anyway.

Welcome to the club, hopefully you can get it in top shape soon!

welcome and sounds like a fun project. my car was in similar condition when i got it 10 years ago with different color doors and fenders and all sorts of problems. its taken me forever but i just keep doing little stuff here and there. just have fun and keep chugging forward

Thanks! It's taken a while to get the works started as I don't have the spare garage space to work inside (anecdotally, the wife has her retro furniture workshop set up there again). It's just gotten warmer here, first days above 10°C.
Two days in, I've replaced the radiator, coolant (with flush), oil (bought the cheapest brand, Carlube 10W-40, as it's for flush only, really) and filter and a battery. Started right up, let it run for an hour, checking the fluids. No leaks (except the old oil leak from the rocker cover gasket, timing belt side).

It still has the old problem that was there before decommissioning: cold idle 1200 rpm, then 700 rpm for 5 minutes, hot rpm 1800 and stays there (needle in the middle and radiator fan on).

There's some misfire when hot but with 3 year old petrol it may be normal. Also, what's funny - I only saw oil pressure light when I first started the engine, then a flicker and nothing since. Turned it off several times to check for fluid levels and nothing. I wonder if it's the bulb or the sensor.

Old radiator out:



Leaks at the bottom (no pun intended):



Some serious rust there:



First run:



Cam looks funny, can't recall if it's always been like it:

Next: timing belt.

welcome to the club

Got the original alloys back from restoration in the paint shop. Don't worry about the bolt holes, they'll be dark anthracite as soon as I get a few hours of spare time.
Gonna mill new center caps.

Gotta love how they just fire right up after sitting for so long. I wouldn't think that cam lobe should be like that. How does the rest of the car look?

Interior looks like new, exterior is ok, besides the rear wheel arcs and sills which need to be replaced. There's rust in the doors and hood as well, but these are cheap to replace with scrapyard parts.

Now that I've replaced the TPS the idle is also ok.

Warm greetings from middle earth you got a nice project there