Hey Veeky Forums, it's the guy who asked about 2007 Ion Redlines last week. So I went to look at it today...

Hey Veeky Forums, it's the guy who asked about 2007 Ion Redlines last week. So I went to look at it today. The seller was totally legit but he knew nothing about cars and hadn't driven it since he had kids years ago.

Pros:
Black
77K miles
Competition Package with LSD
Factory wing delete
All available options
New brakes all around
New clutch
Good paint
Good interior
Engine sounded smooth

Cons:
-AC blew warm
-Intercooler pump was dead and the car wasn't making full power, presumably as a result
-Water on the passenger side floor
-All the plastic window trim was shriveled up like a scrotum in a cold pool
-Shift lever was loose
-Headlights and tail lights were clouded over
-Minor surface rust on the underside

The guy was chill and was happy I pointed this stuff out, but he was hoping to get $4500 and that wasn't gonna happen with those problems. No one else had even come to look at it.

Any thoughts? Also, the clutch pedal was stupidly hard. Is that normal? Never driven a "performance" car before but that seemed like a leg press machine.

Ion owner here.

>AC blew warm
probably needs a recharge.
>intercooler pump was dead and the car wasn't making full power, presumably as a result
definitely as a result. The intake manifold on those cars doubles as a water to air intercooler. An intercooler cools down the incoming air. Colder air is denser air. So the colder the air is, the more power you'll make If the intercooler isn't working right, it will affect the power output.
>water on the passenger side floor
Actual water or engine coolant? If it's water, I wouldn't worry much. Likely just a door seal or sunroof seal that needs replacing. If it's engine coolant (which should be red), then the heater core is shot, and a big repair. If it's the heater core, it could also explain the issue with the intercooler. In that case, replace the heater core (not an easy or cheap job) and replace ALL the coolant with fresh new Dexcool.

>shift lever was loose
I warned you about this last thread. TWM Performance sells a cable clamp to fix this

>Also, the clutch pedal was stupidly hard. Is that normal?
no. Something is wrong there


Also.
>Competition Package with LSD
NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE. Very rare option.

Not OP but can you tell me the Pros/Cons and how difficult these are to work on?

Im finding some for under 6k and these might be decent to commute in

I wanted one of these soo bad. There is one at $2.5k near me.
I wanna spend the $700 for the stage whatever gm kit to make 270 hp.
Sleeper all day err day

Ions in general are a fucking BREEZE to work on. They are so mechanic friendly, it's not even funny. One of the easiest modern cars to work on period. It's even easier to work on than its Chevrolet Cobalt sister car, which is stupid-easy to work on. If you wanted to, you could completely rebuild the entire engine without ever taking it out of the car. Hell, in the GM Performance build book (pic related), they show you, step by step, how to replace the pistons and connecting rods while the engine is in the car.

But the heater core is one of the few things not easy. You have to remove the dashboard to get to it, so it's an expensive repair job, but they don't normally fail.


Pros of the Ion:
>plastic body means no dents
>suicide doors attract bitches and are super practical
>Ecotec engine has massive aftermarket support and responds extremely well to being modded
>Delta chassis is ultra-stiff and handles extremely well.
>Car in general punches above its weight class
>The Recaro seats standard on the Redline cars are god-tier.

Cons:
>rattlerattlerattlerattle
>Interior plastics are cheap enough to have been rejected from a Chinese toy factory
>center-mounted gauge cluster is not everyone's cup of tea.
>2003-2004 base model 2.2L Ions have no tuning support for the ECU whatsoever.
>Getrag F23 5 speed manual of base model Ions/Cobalts is stronger than the Saab F35 trans 5 speed of the Ion Redline.Cobalt SS. Only the clutch needs upgrading.

He said the AC had stopped working within the last year. Is that really just a recharge? I'm used to a leak when that happens.

Does a dead IC pump risk damaging the engine? From what I've read the ECU dials things back if it senses hot intake temps, but for all I know it could have been like this for years.

It seemed like water. Is dexcool slimy and sweet smelling like green coolant is?

How the fuck do you make a clutch too hard? I'm used to it going the other way. The reason the car has a new clutch in the first place was the pedal sank to the flood and his mechanic put in a new clutch, but it turned out the pedal itself had broken.

I offered the guy $3K as-is and he said he'd think about it. He hates the idea of having to spend money to fix a car he's selling so who knows.

>Does a dead IC pump risk damaging the engine?
Not really since the engine can compensate for it, but I would still replace it.


It is easy to change the IC pump. Basically, take the IC hoses off and let the coolant drain. After that remove the connectors from the pump and unbolt the top piece of the bracket that holds the IC pump on. Once you take the bracket off (I think it is two bolts) the top piece of the bracket and the IC pump should come right out. Replace the pump and put everything back on and you are done.

FYI - If you have never taken the hoses off, GM glues them and the hose clamps on from the factory. It is a real pain in the ass getting them off. Use a small pair of vice grip pliers to hold the hose clamp open while pulling the hoses off.

>Is dexcool slimy and sweet smelling like the green coolant is?
Yes. Visually and texturally, the only difference is that GM's dexcool coolant is a bright reddish orange. Pic related.
However, It is not compatible with the normal green coolant (ethylene glycol) at all. If you accidentally mix the 2, it will basically turn into an acid that fucks your shit up.

Not sure on the pedal to be honest but something isn't right there.

The A/C system could have a leak then. Look into it.

BTW, the Intercooler Pump is easily accessible. You can access it from under the car. It's a black cylinder right under the intake manifold.

I'd definitely replace the IC pump but I'm just wondering if it could have fucked things up being toast for years.

It's funny, at the end of the test drive the guy remembered the car used to shred tires in 2nd gear when his wife first bought it.

I would go for the car and repair it The Competition package with the LSD is an extremely rare option to find.

I offered $3K cash. I get these are rare cars, but he's had zero interest in it so far and his ad made it sound like a creampuff which it's not. There isn't a Redline or a Cobalt SS on Craigslist here over $5K.

What do you think it's worth? Considering my whole list of shit.

I would probably pay $4250-$4500 max. If you can get it for 3k, then congrats to you.

I know he'd take $4200 for it. He's had it for sale for a year asking $5500. I'm literally the first person to actually look at it.

I think the LSJ market is different here.

>center mounted gauge cluster
Ugh nevermind then, not sure if i can get used to that.
Nothing else bothers me as much as that.

Anyway to swap over a different dash set up and set the cluster in the "correct" spot?

Buy a Cobalt SS if that bothers you. Same car except no plastic body or gimp doors.

You would have to get the entire dashboard and gauge cluster from the Chevrolet Cobalt (cluster is SS Specific BTW) to get the gauge cluster where you want it. But this is all theoretical. No one's ever done it and then the door panels wouldn't match and it would look hideous. I own an Ion and wasn't sure about the center mounted gauges to start with. It took me a week or two to get used to. But you do get used to it. I actually prefer it now because the gauge cluster is always in your peripheral vision so you don't need to glance down to look at the cluster.

This. It's easier.

What're the seat options on these? I thought Recaros were the top shelf ones but the car I looked at had black leather with no markings.

Recaros are supposed to be standard equipment on the Ion Redlines. Ask the owner what happened to the original seats.

The Recaro seats were an option on the 05-07 Cobalt SS, but they were standard equipment on the Ion Redline. They should look like pic related. The blue fabric was either blue or grey depending on the exterior color..

If you want brand new replacements from GM, the seats are $1500 each, and used ones hover around the $800 mark. There's a Tripfag here named Stolen Recaros with a base model Ion Coupe. He got his name when he managed to snag some Ion Redline Recaro seats for $200. Granted, his drivers seat is rough and has some rips, but a great deal.

if you really like the car ask if you can take to shop for full inspection

The car's totally stock as far as either of us know. The interior is entirely black leather. Looks like this.

His wife bought it with 17K on the clock in 2009.

(These are stock pics, not the car I looked at)

Stolen Recaros here. I recognize those. Those are the standard seats in a Cobalt SS without the Recaro option.
Have fun tracking down the proper Recaro seats. Took me months to find mine.

OK looked it up. Recaros didn't meet safety standards in 2007 so they were replaced.

Deletion: RECARO seats on ION Red Line.
New: (192) Black leather-appointed seats and the passenger sensing system are now standard on ION Red Line.

Ah. makes sense. 2007 was when a bunch of new safety standards came into place. To get Recaro seats that work, you need to find a set specifically from a 2006 or 2007 Ion Redline. The 06-07 Cobalt SS ones will work, but they have "SS" embroidered in them above the Recaro name. Doesn't look right in a Saturn

Stolen Recaros again.
Just thought I'd point something out.
See that little cubby where he has his iPod? That's supposed to be a wallet holder to make it easy to get your wallet when going through tolls.

bump

Guy texted me back with a "LAST CHANCE OFFER" of $3900 as-is. The more I look at the overall condition the more I;m wondering if this would turn into a shitshow.

Like all the unpainted metal parts under the hood are severely rusted and most of the outside window molding would need replacing. There also wasn't any carpet behind the pedals and the foam insulation was all torn up from someone's foot.

If you don't want to put up with it don't. If you want to see how much he wants to sell say you'll do 3 grand cash, and see if he counter offers.

the clutch could have been upgraded with a braided line or differently sprung flywheels or whatever. I don't know shit son but if the clutch is stiff, it's either not stock or something could be wrong.

Turned down the $3K offer. Be interesting to see if I hear from him again.