It's only money... sigh...

[beaky]

Been posting my latest tale of car woe in the "Autos" section...my  trusty if humble 1996 Geo Tracker finally broke down on me a couple of weeks ago. So for first time in the 5 years I've owned this vehicle I took it to a trusted mechanic in my 'hood, and the neglect (aside from some of my own semi-emergency work) has taken its toll. The bottom line: about $1200 in parts and almost $700 in labor. They gave me a break, actually, and I'm pretty happy, despite the massive layout of cash. Thanks to the new job, I actually had the money... but that's a lot of flying I could have been doing... snif...
Anyhow, have a look: New exhaust manifold; new water pump; new valve cover gasket; intake manifold gasket; cylinder head resurfaced and cleaned; new distributor cap, cables, and plugs; new battery; front brakes done (including seized caliper on one side); broken wheel studs replaced on both rear wheels; transmission pan gasket replaced; main front bearing seal replaced; torque converter solenoid... etc. Finally gave the old girl a proper tune-up as well- she runs great now. I know... needs a good cleaning.  It's on the "to do" list... ::P





Finally... two bolts holding the exhaust down-pipe to the manifold instead of just one... long overdue! Aside from the busted hardware, the old manifold was cracked. Can you believe this hunk of cast iron cost over $300?? It's a fair price; I checked. It better last forever, that's all I gotta say...




And speaking of long overdue... I've been driving around for about a year and a half with a "rejected" sticker on the windshield... behold!! She's street legal for another two years!!! Woohoo!!





Took her for a little spin on the way home (and filled the tank-ouch!)... purring like a kitten; idling right at 800rpm (I have no idea why this automatic-equipped car has a tach, but it's fun); no "check engine" light; shifting nicely; temp normal... the mechanic said the valves and cylinders looked pretty good; compression actually checked out at max!! Amazing, considering the mileage... but it's a solid Japanese engine; the good ones are hard to kill.





I'll be babying it a little now that I don't need it for work much at all... a good cleaning next weekend, new shocks and new soft top this summer perhaps, and I'll be stylin' (sort of) for airshow season!! Who says money doesn't buy happiness?!

[Craig.]

the tach is always good to make sure your engine is running smoothly even on an automatic. Lets you see if its over-reving.

[Hagar]

Glad you're all fixed up. It might have cost a bit but should pay dividends in the future. This reminds me, I must get my car serviced ready for the display season.

[ozzy72]

Uncle Marks top tip for keep exhaust manifolds and down pipes lasting longer.
1) cover with heat proof paint to keep the mess out
2 (slightly smellier)) coat the manifold and down pipes with used engine oil. The smell goes quite quickly but it gives a protective coating

[Mees]

more looks like a chunk of metal to me...........



Nice shots