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December 7, 2005
Car Troubles
Well, the Saturn finally bit the dust. When my wife and I married, she had a 1991 Saturn SL. Over the years, minor issues have cropped up with the car. The first big issue was back in the mid 1990s, when a valve roller went bad, resulting in replacement of a couple valves, rollers, rocker arms, and the camshaft. Since then, the car hasn't quite been the same. Over the years, the car has been hit while parked in the rear, rear-ended at a stoplight, hit by two deer (in one night), collided with a bad driver, and driven many, MANY miles. All of the accidents were caused by outside factors (ie. other drivers and deer), and bad driving on my own part would have resulted in much worse damage. On top of this, the car was burning oil, revving too high, leaking the occasional fluid, and making me worry each day that I wouldn't make it home from work.
Yesterday, the Saturn gave up its ghost. I am 90% sure that the engine has seized. It has had a long and glorious life, but now it's no more. All that remains is to empty it of all its contents, unmount the radio equipment, and have it hauled away. I can't wait.
So, after the mile and a half walk back home from the dead car, I had to take some sort of action. A visit to the bank verified that I could qualify for a small loan. A short shopping trip was then underway. I am now the proud owner of a 1997 Ford Mustang. For the first time in my life, I'm driving a car of my own with cruise control. I've got the CD changer in the trunk. I've got the alarm system. It's an automatic, freeing my right hand for ham radio. I don't even know what to think about the fact that my car has alloy wheels. The most important thing of all, though, is that I will be able to drive to and from work every day without worry that I won't make it, getting better gas mileage, without clouds of smoke behind me, and with an engine running under 4000 rpm at the stoplight.
Now, all I have to do is take steps to pay it off early, and we can get a car for the wife, too.
Posted by Lockjaw at December 7, 2005 8:55 AM
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