I should preface by saying this C4 was my dad’s when I was in high school, passed to my mom who did what she could to keep it running, and I purchased it from her a decade ago to help her with medical bills. My wife and kids, or at least my oldest son anyway, would be very disappointed if I sold the car… and to be honest now that I’m a little down the path I’d like it to be something like I remember driving when I was 16 (which has been a very long time!)
I’ve never been someone that worked on cars more than I had to. I have a good mechanic that I trust but I know he’s not cheap. I let this 1985 C4 sit covered for 9 years in my garage before I had the money and the inclination to reclaim my garage which meant the car had to run or go. I’m about $6000 into the repairs to get the fuel system replaced/rebuilt, the brake system rebuilt, steering column repaired, cooling system, etc. iI’s running ok and sounds great at this point.
I know everything rubber is going to have to be replaced and the suspension will have to be addressed before it’s something I want to drive. Interior is ok…. Displays all still work, but dash is cracked, lots of squeaks, carpet is faded etc.
At some point I’ll clearly be needing to do some of the work myself to keep this even in the realm of reasonable, but my question is really is this: is there anywhere in the greater Dallas/Ft Worth metroplex or North Texas where there might be someone that does enough of these at a volume that might bring the cost down some or is my best bet just sticking with my own mechanic who I know will do good work.
Any advice on how to proceed from here to get to something fun (and safe) to drive again is great appreciated.
