engine and drivetrain should I rebuild

[Wise-Man]

Okay, I know no one can really answer this question but me...but should I rebuild the engine on my 02?

It burns a crap load of oil, maybe 1qt per 200mi. It doesn't have the frwy speed that I want. I have to really get on the gas to make it go 80mph.

There is some valve chatter.

I'd like to get someone good to do the job. What should I look for in a job? What are the things that need to be done right and done well? Are there upgrades that I can make while the engine is being worked on? How much can I improve performance from an engine rebuild.

The 2nd half of this is that I'm thinking of having the car pained and freshened up. Should I do one or the other first?

The trans is worn but still very drivable. Should I swap out the trans while the engine is out? Do I have to think about the clutch also?

I'm just floating the idea. These past few months have been good to me work wise and I really want to get the 02 up and fun fun fun while it lasts. However, I don't really have a lot of $ to do all the work at once. I want to be smart about what I fix. I'm willing to pay for the job to be done well and done right, but this is a work in progress because I am far from rich.

Thanks!

[bingbong]

well engine wise, if you want the car to run well or well and fast. Those are the two choices and neither will be "cheap" but one will obviously be cheaper than the other.

[BillWilliams]

on Long Island, give him some time and money then enjoy a new like motor for 36 more years. Not much easier/cheaper/better ways to save a worn out motor.

While the motor is out, take the shell to Lawence Charlemange, a bit north of you, find a better transmission, a new clutch plate, pressure plate, TO and pilot bearings and Bob's your uncle.

Do it right the first time and then forget about it. Check back in 18 -24 months and tell us how your like new 2002 is.

This gets into scope creep, you will want to redo the interior, suspension, blah blah blah......

[golf73]

that's a lot of oil loss. have you done compression and leak-down tests? smoking on deceleration? do the tests first and see if it tells you anything.

what do you want out of your car? there are all kinds of upgrades.

nothing wrong with bone stock as far as i'm concerned, but a lot of people like more power. then more power often leads to bigger brakes, different suspension, 5-speed conversion, etc...

[NickVyse]

on Long Island, give him some time and money then enjoy a new like motor for 36 more years. Not much easier/cheaper/better ways to save a worn out motor.

While the motor is out, take the shell to Lawence Charlemange, a bit north of you, find a better transmission, a new clutch plate, pressure plate, TO and pilot bearings and Bob's your uncle.

Do it right the first time and then forget about it. Check back in 18 -24 months and tell us how your like new 2002 is.

This gets into scope creep, you will want to redo the interior, suspension, blah blah blah......

what he said - do it once, do it right. You might wince at the outlay, but in the long run you'll smile.

[TobyB]

Yeah, that's too much oil burn.

At that point, you may have a broken ring(s) which

means a full rebuild.

I'd do the motor first- I've done it both ways, and

having a nice, fresh fast motor is a real incentive to

get it back on the road when you're working on everything else.

t