the car again works in mysterious ways

[ladycaviar]

I have discovered an interesting side effect of the speedometer quitting for good. Neither odometer moves at all.

This is fabulous news for the 3 months or 3,000 mile free top-off service for my oil changes, because I go through 3,000 miles long before 3 months are up. I'm looking for something positive in this, along the lines of "The earth will be destroyed tomorrow? Fabulous! Now I don't have to clean the bathroom!"

I wonder if I am condemned to own cars that are required to have non-working dashboard gauges. The Triumph had none whatsoever. At least I learned to judge speeds by the tachometer in that car, a very useful skill now as cops seemed to be everywhere this weekend. I remember before the Triumph died I did want to see how truly fast it could go once, on one of those long stretches in Wyoming. I had to judge speeds by how fast the mile markers went past, because I couldn't tell from the tach. When I floored it, I actually had to look back to see where the semi in the other lane went. The impression was that it had been vaporized by aliens or blew up, I accelerated so fast. Lovely. Last count, I was doing more than two mile markers a minute. Mmm. I miss that car. The Prelude tries to shake itself apart at 90.

But now that the speedometer is good and truly broken, that annoying sqeaky bird noise is gone. See? Optimism!

Comments

[keastree.livejournal.com]

Speedometer cable. Find some cute and handy guy to replace yours. Should fix you right up.

[scascot.livejournal.com]

<noddle> What she said. The cable's cheap at an auto parts store.

If you hang out there long enough, and flirt with the gearheads, you might get one to replace it for you in the parking lot.

Optional: Offer to buy lunch or a beer.

[simian-grudge.livejournal.com]

This is a Hon-doo that uses enough oil to need some added in less than 3000 miles. I'm thinking hanging that speedo on the wall as a sort of trophy - like an animal head on the den wall - and dropping the rest of the car in a deep hole somewhere might be a viable alternative.

Bad shakies and heavy oil use are generally a sign of something terminal and messy about to happen - usually on the Interstate at 3am. Be careful out there.

Taras

Dooooood.

[ladycaviar.livejournal.com]

The car's a Voo-doo, not a Hon-doo. The hoodoo man say "Dat car got gris-gris all over him. He a zombie car. De car may be espensive, but he always move."

Perhaps you are not familiar with my unfortunate Carma, or my unorthodox and errant car philosophies [see old entries from Jan & Feb 2006]. All my beloved vehicles are all boat anchors with terminal problems (yes! I know oil hemhorrage and broken cables are bad, so's the missing front bearings. I'm the one who put in the six transmissions! My motor mount is a coat hanger). But I was with Robert Johnson when he sold his soul to the Devil for blues talent -- I asked him to throw in working cars for me. I guess you get what you pays for..

Re: Dooooood.

[simian-grudge.livejournal.com]

Mon! Dis be de voo-doo Hon-doo be leakin' de gris-gris all ovah de driveway. You be needin' for to put dat zombie down... deep down. Dat zombie hoo-doo Hon-doo be like de steam locomotive an' you be shovelin' de dollahs in for de firebox to make him run. 8-P

Seriously, when those little front wheel drive cars get the gollywobbles its a sign something serious and dangerous is looking for an excuse to happen.

Having been of limited means myself, I've developed an affection for the Chevy/GMC 1/2 ton pickup 6 cyl 80-91. They're usually good for 500K or so before the frame needs to be rewelded. Running engines are $100 at most junkyards. No computers. No metric. The 3/4 ton usually has a V8 but pre 85 had no pollution control magic junk. Will take a hit from an SUV and drive away. Cheap.

Be careful out there....

Taras