help me get my $300 TC drivable!

I just picked up an 88 Turbo coupe for $300. It was originally $500 but when we went up to look at it, it wouldnt start, so they dropped to $300. The car is a deer victim, and both the front and rear fenders on the driver side are damaged.

The main problem with the car is that it wont start. The solenoid clicks but the starter seems dead. I pulled the starter and ran juice directly to it with jumper cables and it does nothing. It looks original and is pretty nasty looking so I figure it is dead.

The next problem is that it has virtually no brakes. The rear rotors are paper thin and totally rusted. The calipers are destroyed. The lines have plugs in em. The guy said he drove it all winter like that. The front brakes dont look very good either.

The last problem that I know of is no power steering. My dad says he has a p/s setup laying around though so I dont think this will be too much of a hassle.

Are there any aftermarket brake setups that are the same price or cheaper than the stock replacements from NAPA/Autozone/etc?

Thanks all

Take the starter to an auto parts store (O'Reilly's, Autozone) and have it tested. If it is no good, get you another one. The car may also not start because of the safety switch in the trunk. Check that and may sure it is reset. Oh, and, is the battery good? As for the brakes, you may have to buy what you can of those, put a request in the want section on here, I'm sure someone has something for ya. You can also find those auto parts stores online and search for parts on there. As for the power steering, is the pump on the car?

Are you able to take any pics of the car and engine?

Took the cover off the starter, it engages if you push the thing down that pushes the starter drive forward, but it wont go down by itself.

Local junkyard has one for $15 tomorrow so...
Its actually from one of the two turbo cougars my dad junked there a few years back. God I wish I was around back then, I guess they were in decent shape, he just didnt have any room for them, they were given to him.

Im not sure about the p/s right now as I havent gotten around to looking at it.

I have a camera but it kissed pavement at 30mph, it will not leave movie mode. I may be able to take video clips and then extract frames from the video, but they will be really low quality. I may try that tomorrow.

Also, would an 87-93 Mustang gauge cluster (140mph) work in this car?

Hello and welcome. The Mustang speedo will not fit.

You will be better off if you replace the stock brakes with stock parts as you are just starting the project. NAPA parts are high quality. The rear disks are relatively cheap and their rebuilt calipers are reliable. You are going to have to spend a bit because it sounds like you need total replacement in back including lines. The fronts may just need new pads and have the disks turned. You should always get the best brake parts you can afford because once you get it started, you have to get it stopped.

I forgot to mention that the car has ABS.

The ABS rotors are like $90 each, non ABS is like, $35.

Is there any way to get around spending $90 each for rotors?

Just got the $10 junkyard starter in and that car fired up like it WANTED to run. I mean I barely turned the key and it was started.

It idles kinda high, around 1800 first, then it drops to 1000, then creeps between 1000 and 1300. Could this be due to the bad power steering pump?

I need to change the oil and flush the coolant, change plugs and wires. It needs a lot of things but the oil is 5000 miles and like, over a year old, and the coolant is like, dirt.

All 87-88 tC are ABS, it was standard.

Is there any way to get around spending $90 each for rotors

You could eliminate the ABS rotors, just get the regular but do you really want to?? Brakes are not the area to pinch pennies in. Are you going to leave the drum brakes on that Monte?

Yeah I dont think I wanna lose ABS.

Just cut the exhaust off after the cat. It was all rusted out from there back.

Car sounds kinda mean... for a 4 banger
Im not gonna rev it high or anything until I get the oil changed and coolant flushed and all.

Im a v8 guy if you cant tell.

By the way is it just me or is it impossible to run speaker wire to the doors without tearing the car to pieces?

www.discbrakesrus.com has front abs rotors for $49. I think I paid $115 shipped for a pair. Been running them for 50K or so with no problems. Beginning to pulse slightly. Probably ready for a turn.