This is my Ford Focus, 2001 2.0 zetec, SVT header and a cold air intake. Was going to get an FS Werks stealth exhaust and some cams on her, and H&R race springs with the Eibach handling kit and autocross it. But when I went on disability I had to sign it over to my dad (couldn't have more than 1 vehicle registered in your name and I had a 1978 Dodge RV- should have transferred that one). Anyway, back in March of '13 my brother Bill in Florida had his '96 Miata with 186 K miles on it engine go bad.
He was faced with spending a minimum of $2500 for a junkyard engine and the car wasn't worth it. Had been hit in parking lots twice (he just kept the money rather than fix the car) and the dark green paint was burned from the Florida sun. I was living on Kelleys Island driving the island taxi (could use it sparingly to run errands) and could ride my bike or borrow my dad's island truck to go anywhere on my day off. So I decided that Bill could borrow my car until he found something.
My parents drove backup from Florida and collected my car from the mainland, drove it back down for him. I had some niggling things I needed to do (polish the headlights, replace a dome light bulb, etc) and he took car of those. Right after getting down there the front ball joints needed to be replaced (on the Focus those are part of the lower control arms- $40 OEM or $70 MOOG w/ replaceable ball joints) and the front wheel bearing wore out. Bill did all that work and rebuilt the front brakes while he was there (had to take them apart anyway). After that the rear brakes needed to be done, and it was so rusted back there that he ended up replacing everything.
Next, it threw a code for the evap system. Turned out to be a servo and he replaced that and the filter while he was there. Then it threw a code for misfire on cylinder #3. Plug was good and he replaced the wires and coil pack, didn't help. At the same time the front struts needed replaced, EGR was bad (couldn't get it off the riser tube or the tube from the header, and we decided to have a mechanic do that) and finally the rear brake lines were all rusted out.
My dad called me one day to make sure I was OK with what was happening with the car. I said "Yeah, Michael (our mechanic down there) is going to replace the EGR. I'm OK with that, why is something wrong?" Dad explains the brake line and misfire issues and says "So I junked it. They would pay $400 if I drove it in or $350 if they came and got it." So, did you drive it in? "No, I wasn't comfortable driving (short distance in town) down shifting and using the emergency brake to stop. So I had them come and tow it away." When was this? "Oh, yesterday. Got $350 for it. It was 14 years old (only had and not 100K miles) and not worth the cost of having a mechanic replace all the brake lines." True enough, but it still pi$$ed me off that he called after the fact to ask how I felt that he'd junked the car I paid for. I mean, what could I say? No, I'm not OK with that. Go get it back and fix it.
Anyway, my brother had the foresight to rescue my Kenwood HD head unit ($600 new and only a couple years old).
Here's a pic of it from a few years ago when it was freshly detailed.
Also a Lamborghini that my brother saw at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona
And a Ford Capri racecar at the same event
And an Audi S4 convertible I spotted a couple years ago where I was living
That is all