New Dilemma.

The moment of truth has come yet again where i must make a very important decision. I am in the Navy currently under temporary duty in chicago. My wife/car is in Florida. I just a new set of orders... I'm gettin transferred to San Diego, Cali in mid october. I don't feel like taking 2 cars and my wife has laid it down already that we are taking her car. My prelude isn't finished, and is not worth the $8500 i still owe on it. it might be worth 6k in it's current unfinished state.... or maybe even less than that. I don't have a whole lot of money - but i think i may have enough to get it fixed up enough to sell it for $8500. Problem is - not a hole lot of time left - especially since ill only have 14 days when i leave here to fix it AND sell it without the aid of a garage. My other dilemma is... if i give power of attorney to my brother in law, and have him ship it to me at a later date when i get settled in, i know it won't pass cali smog tests because of the JDM motor.. (or will it?) besides, any motor swap is illegal. (went from OBD2 to OBD1)

One part of me is saying to sell it because it won't be worth it in the long run - and the other part of me is smacking me in the back of the head because I put so much damn time and money into that car, just to turn around and sell it.

I need some guidance from the more experienced tuners in here to help me make a more informed decision on what to do. :uhoh: :disappoin

how many miles are on the car, howbout the engine?

car has 71k miles, engine - they said 35k but i have no proof of that. runs great, no ticking, smoking, etc... tranny has 66k on it and that was proven to me through carfax. I have to replace a wheel hub / lug studs / bearings. shouldn't take more than a day. Gotta replace a cv axle too i think. after that it's just a few nuts and bolts here and there - plus some minor cosmetics such as a small dent in the hood from when my bro in law pulled the head off and smacked the hoist into it. I have to install the new P13 ECU (spoon mapped) and check the injectors. The car may need tires soon also...

hmmm ... this car give you a lot of problems?

nope. when i got everything figured out with the OBD2 - OBD1 swap - got the sensors wired right, etc.... started right up - first time. even while running OBD1 injectors on an OBD2 ecu. ran a little rich but it ran. just gotta get the wheel fixed and a few other minor cosmetic issues. why - you thinkin of buyin it?

nah, i got a lude of my own, i was considering maybe offering a trade since your car wont pass cali emmissions

shit, that car would go easy for 10 grand in ohio... easily.

even in the condition it's in? :-/ the wheel hub is bent out of whack from where my redneck brother in law decided to try to fix my car for me while i was deployed (he blew the motor). he took a sledge to it trying to get the axles out :disappoin so the brake caliper doesn't line up right and digs into the rotor REAL bad. makes a terrible squeal. So i think its the wheel hub - could be the whole knuckle assembly itself but i don't think that small of a sledge would do any damage to the entire knuckle. so i'm assuming its just the wheel hub because that is just pressed in. think i would be able to fix it and sell it in 10 days? and if i sell it the way it is how much does everyone think i will get for it? it still runs and drives and is just an unfinished project. it has an AEM short ram intake... AEM fuel rail... NGK plugs... Arospeed muffler (came with the car) Spoon mapped ECU... JDM MOTOR!..... lol..... H23 tranny.. new premium clutch... car has so much damn potential... just needs TLC.
See my sig for the pics (cardomain link) - there aren't any updated pics... just ones from before the blown motor and pics of the block out of the car after the thrown rod, and pics of the new motor before it's in. (yes it is a JDM motor - i just took all the cosmetic stuff off the old motor to disguise the JDM motor as a USDM.

shit, check out carmax, they might give you a good price. they sold me a 97 with 102k miles on it for $10k. that car is worth a lot. you might not get as much because of the engine swap, but that car has value. dude, i'll drive it for you :-D can anyone say road trip?

I'm just depressed to let it go. car was my pride and joy. oh well - aren't pre-1972 cars smog exempt? can you say.... 1971 datsun 510... sr20det? that may be my next project - i've always wanted a car i can build from the ground up (strip to bare metal - paint- start buildin)

I don't have any problems with smog check and I swapped a jdm h23a

in cali? whats the C:R on a JDM H23?

10k with 100k miles, not a good deal ... i got my 97 lude for 8900 for 72k miles

yeah... mine cost me 11,900 when i got it a year ago - had 71k miles - (98) - plus its the SH....

think i could get 8500 for it now with the problems listed above but the JDM motor / H23 tranny combo?

yea, i could have got the sh but they wanted 11k for it with 80k miles, but a 97 for 10 with 100k miles is not a good deal

if i were you i would get the problems taken care of before you really tried to sell it,also new engine might scare a few people, and i dont know what your carfax looks like... but 8500 seems like a reasonable deal

carfax is clean - i think i'm the second owner... and i plan on fixing the wheel when i get back to Georgia - then i sell it.