To make a long story short... someones kids car, clutch throwout bearing seized and they proceeded to park it under a tree for somewhere between three and ten months (the number changed continuously). Eventually towed it to a shop for an estimate and decided they didn't want to fix it. Matched the offer of a wholesaler and bought it on impulse for Challenge money.
2009 Impreza 2.5i Premium sedan, 5MT, 78,000 miles. Can't go wrong... right?
It had a SERIOUS coating of tree gunk, so step one was an aggressive wash... but first, a battery! Totally dead, and the jump pack was dead too. Go figure. Might as well get it out of the way.
Post wash... there is a car under there.
While I waited for parts I turned my attention to the interior. Oh, the interior.
Doesn't look SO bad, other than the huge hole in the carpet under that floor mat. But it does have a bit of a funky smell... and seems kinda damp. And... oh, is that mold?
Berk. Que the complete interior removal.
The carpet, which I was hoping I could save, went straight into the dumpster. Every inch of the floor got soak down in Moldex and scrubbed with a combination of that, all purpose cleaner, and enzyme cleaner in the nooks and crannies. The paint didn't seem to appreciate the chemical cocktail so I ended up shooting a coat of trusty Rustoleum on there, too.
I think you can tell which side is done?
Spare tire well before:
Spare tire well after:
With a used carpet ordered from eBay and the car cleaned and airing out I turned my attention to the pile of pieces. Cleaned all the plastics individually with the same stuff as the floor, soaked the seats in a vinegar/water mixture and shampoo'd them then let it all dry.
While waiting for the carpet to come from California I paid a coworker in local craft brews to replace the clutch. The engine air filter was BLACK, and I think you can imagine the state of the cabin air filter so it got both of those as well.
Guess there was a problem...
Had some leftover sound deadening from my WRX, so that went in.
And then, finally, it was time for the maiden voyage!
(Carpet is out of an 08 STi, so it came with the fancy pants dead pedal)
First drive revealed a couple small issues. The first was a SCREAMING loud wheel bearing... but not loose. The second was a CEL for the upstream O2 sensor - replaced that.
And this is today. I've made about four laps of the car with touch up paint, gave the headlights a quick buff. It's starting to come around.
Next up is 4 wheel brakes and that wheel bearing, waiting on a RockAuto box.