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Hey guys, considering I'm new to the aftermarket world, DIY world, and the sports car world, I need to confirm a few things with those that are more experience.

This IS my DD car (my mx 3), so if I have to do any major repairs that put me off the road for a week then I'm going to have some issues, at least this summer. Hence why this engine swap idea I had going will have to be put for a hold.

I know these are broad questions but I'm trying to get all my concerns out of the way so broad answers work well to, as long as I get an idea.

On to my first question: Considering I live in Ontario our winters hit hard and rust is a common problem. Is there anything I can do to keep this car's body running clean and strong through the winter and not end up with rust holes under my car as spring comes around? I've been told I can get rust prevention treatment, which is some spray they spray under and into my car (the make little holes in my body and spray it in) and it cost's anywhere from 50 - 150$.

Second question: Doing an engine swap to a KLZE how much am I roughly looking at for a full swap from a 100% stock 94 GS if I were to do it myself AND including tools I'd need to purchase (I don't even have a engine host if that's where their called)? Roughly, from someone who's never even changed a timing belt or a water pump how long do you think it could take me if I had ~1 - 2 hours a day to do it? My mechanic said he could do it for 500 - 600$, but I would still love to do it myself.

Third question: A friend of mine owns a mx - 6 and he just purchased a second mx - 6, newer and in MUCH MUCH better condition. He's most likley going to part out his first mx 6 or just scrap it. The engine has nearly 300k km's on it but it defiantly has some issues. Runs load, makes some crazy load ticking noise and the entire interior is garbage in the car and the exterior is hideous (very minor rust though). I was wondering if I should purchase his engine (dirt cheep, no more than 150$ max max max, it has a new alternator) and have in it my garage so I can play around with it and learn more about car engines. Like take it apart and practice putting it back together over and over so I'm more comfortable and understanding of the car or should I go to a scrap yard and start on a much easier engine?

Thanks for your time in reading this and helping. If I'm posing wrong or in the wrong section, let me know.

Thanks again!

Rust is the car equivalent of malignant cancer. Unless you can somehow remove it entirely, it only gets worse, no matter how you patch it. If you have trouble now, it will only get worse. There is no reasonable way around it.

(best solution I can think of is to entirely strip the chassis naked, sand blast it to death, and POR15 it, and then sandblast the s--- out of the subframe/sussy components, then dunk them in a de-rusting solution, and then powdercoat them) A few members have done something similar.

The reasonable option is to not put much work into this chassis and wait for another in better condition. The engine you can move around. (This is what I'm doing)

Full ZE swap, bare bones sketchy a-- swap, the cost of the motor +$200. a "proper" swap, cost of the motor plus about 500-1k. You can do it with only a socket set, and a few misc. odd ones. Deep 17mm is a must, and maybe a big a-- breaker bar. I have them all now, so its hard to think off the top of my head what you might not have.

I'd pick up the friends motor just to tinker. You can use the KLDE valve springs/retainers in your ZE for a little reliability boost too.

Buy a MX3 that already has a ZE in it.