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I hate cars. Perhaps if I had unlimited income to own a brand new car, then trade it in before it began to break I'd feel differently. I generally don't mind driving cars, but owning them.... oh I hate owning cars. I hate that you have to pay for car, then instantly it's worth less than you paid. I hate that it takes $3.00 just to go 25 miles. I hate that it's dirty, and noisy, and I spend way to much of my precious life inside it's life sucking little cavern. Then one day, how does it repay me? It breaks down. Oh no, it can't be something obvious like say a ignition coil, or a ignition module, or plugs, wires, cap, rotor.... no it's something else. So far I'm leaning towards distributor pickup. My inclination is to take a giant baseball bat (if I owned one) and begin beating the hell out of the car until one of us gives up. Except I need her. I've got to get it fixed to drive to school, to take the kids to school. I don't have any choice. I can't just drop it off at a repair person who will anally rape me with their superior auto knowledge. No I'm forced to deal with this piece of crap myself just to save a buck.

I've decided wherever I move from here better have some damn fine public transportation. I want to be able to read a book on my commute, text on my phone, and if we break down say "it's not my fault" and even better, that I'm not responsible for fixing it.

I'm ready to turn in my drivers license. Ready to be free of these blood sucking automobiles like a bad drug habit. Damn the oil and auto industry for ripping apart the rail industry and public transportation in the early 1900s. Damn them all to hell- a hell I imagine as a place where they must sit disassembling Ford distributors for eternity.

Honey, life is just too short to go without a trusted mechanic. I've had work done on my old cars all over GSO and I've never been abused. I understand some people take advantage of women, but look for somebody close by who appears really busy. There's a guy on Pinecroft at Vandalia I really like.

And good luck.

Liv wrote:I hate cars.

I think I can understand that. I've had cars I hate as well. Fords, mostly.

Perhaps if I had unlimited income to own a brand new car, then trade it in before it began to break I'd feel differently.

I don't have unlimited income, but I do have enough income that I can buy good cars that last a decent amount of time -- as in several years after I pay them off. I've owned my Insight for just under 10 years now... only major thing I've had done to it (other than storm damage and accident repair) was replace the booster battery.

I generally don't mind driving cars, but owning them.... oh I hate owning cars. I hate that you have to pay for car, then instantly it's worth less than you paid.

That has never been an issue for me. I figure that its decrease in market value is at most equal to the use I get from it. That's what I PAY for, after all.

I hate that it takes $3.00 just to go 25 miles.

No comment...

I hate that it's dirty, and noisy, and I spend way to much of my precious life inside it's life sucking little cavern. Then one day, how does it repay me? It breaks down.

Entropy, my dear friend. It can't be avoided, only delayed.

Oh no, it can't be something obvious like say a ignition coil, or a ignition module, or plugs, wires, cap, rotor.... no it's something else. So far I'm leaning towards distributor pickup. My inclination is to take a giant baseball bat (if I owned one) and begin beating the hell out of the car until one of us gives up.

Sledgehammer helps with that a lot. Sadly, I no longer have one to loan you.

Except I need her. I've got to get it fixed to drive to school, to take the kids to school. I don't have any choice. I can't just drop it off at a repair person who will anally rape me with their superior auto knowledge. No I'm forced to deal with this piece of crap myself just to save a buck.

Yes... I agree that sucks.

I've decided wherever I move from here better have some damn fine public transportation. I want to be able to read a book on my commute, text on my phone, and if we break down say "it's not my fault" and even better, that I'm not responsible for fixing it.

I've often felt (since my last visit, at least) that Manhattan would be a fun place to live, precisely because you'd never have to drive a car.

I'm ready to turn in my drivers license. Ready to be free of these blood sucking automobiles like a bad drug habit. Damn the oil and auto industry for ripping apart the rail industry and public transportation in the early 1900s. Damn them all to hell- a hell I imagine as a place where they must sit disassembling Ford distributors for eternity.

I know what you mean. Been there many times in the past.

Cars suck, squeeze and blow.

In that order.

Several thousand times a minute

it's when they stop that they get annoying, I think we've all had Basil Fawlty moments



But it is nice to be able to simply get a new one when it gets old and cranky.

Now if only it worked the same way with wives ...

OMG I laughed so hard. I so needed that.... Yep that's about me....

Went and ordered the bloody distributor this morning. Hoping to have the thing running tomorrow.

The irony of it all is John Cleese would never be in that situation though.... Ahhhhhh....

One of my friends starts a new job on Monday. After 14 years of commuting 18 miles one way in DC-Metro area traffic, she has secured a job that's about a mile (as the crow flies) from her house. She had to take a pay cut, but when you take her current net salary, subtract out the cost of gas and paying for a space in a parking garage as well as other costs related to her commute, it looks like she's breaking even. I'd venture to guess the decreased use of her car will allow her to go longer between oil changes and reduces a good bit of wear and tear on her car, especially its tires.

I had a car just like that when I was a student



Mine ran well, looked nice on top and inside, but was a rust bucket underneath. Now I have a Mig welder it would be no problem, but of course such a thing was only a dream back then (which is why I have a welder now - even though I don't need it )

My two worst cars were - a Lada (don't laugh) and a horrible Honda Wagovan. Both bought at times when I had little money so you have my sympathies.

My favourite car was a 4wd Toyota Tercel wagon

I bought it new - my first new car - and it lasted 16 years and 360,000 km before duelling a moose to the death

I don't have scanned photo's of any of it though.

A Person wrote:I bought it new - my first new car - and it lasted 16 years and 360,000 km before duelling a moose to the death ...

So, out of curiosity... how good is the public transport system in, say, Vancouver?

Pretty good. They have lots of ferrys, a light rail transit and busses. They do have busses to the airport which is nice if ou're on a budget. for some reason many cities think that if you can afford airfare you must pay for a taxi. Quite bike friendly too - not like Holland of course.

I'd like to announce that the mo'fing car is f'ing FIXED!!!!! It runs...

While I was in there I gave her a little something extra too... 180 thermostat and 2 degrees of ignition timing.... Oh yes people.... she's back. The bitch is back...

Turns out it was a f'ing wire under the dash..... A wire. I came this close to start ordering cam sensors and crank sensors when I noticed some copper wire hanging down from the dash..... Sure enough...

Of course it was fun breaking out my dead grandfather's timing gun. I hadn't timed a car in like 10 years... but it was sort of neat to be able to use Grandpa's old stuff....

While marking the crank pulley I discovered metal hanging out of one of the tires. Had to order a couple BFGs tonight....

I'm just glad it's running... yeah! Woo hoo! I came, I conquered, I whipped it's ass.