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T O P I C R E V I E W
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ebrach121
Member # 35541
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 posted November 29, 2010 16:12
Since you helped me with my story I thought I'd ask you another question. What are your car quirks?
Example. My friends truck you have to roll down the window and open the door from the outside to get out.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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Snaggy
Member # 123
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posted November 29, 2010 18:39
My car in highschool, you couldn't open the doors, so one had to roll down the window and crawl out.
It wasn't exactly a chick magnet, nor was it that great when it rained. ![[cry baby]](graemlins/crybaby.gif)
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Xanthine
Member # 736
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posted November 29, 2010 20:48
My car...where do I start.
It's a 1982 Subaru hatchback. Two doors. Front wheel drive - this was built before Subaru made 4WD standard on all models. For a while, the passenger side door didn't open, but a while back when I had it in the shop for something else they very quietly fixed that for me. It is beige with scales. I never arsed with repainting it. Didn't ever seem worth it. It has bumper stickers. It can reach 80 mph, but only if I'm going downhill with a tailwind. Once, while on one of those lovely uphill stretches of I-70, some asshat decided to tailgate me for a good five miles or so. I wondered if he noticed he had a selection of two lanes off to his left, either of which could be used to pass me. Then I wondered if he thought he was helping. It is exactly the kind of a car a first-year grad student buys when she doesn't want to borrow any money. I call it the Millenium Pigeon. She doesn't look like much because, well, she isn't. Since moving, we've used it to distinguish our house when giving driving directions to guests. In parking lots, it attracts wannabe hippies.
I am not making that up. Sometimes, I find clusters of wannabe hippies flocking around my car. They gape at me as I get in. Maybe they thought I'd be one of them, not some chick with clean hair swept up in a ponytail.
When I bought it, the factory radio was gone and nothing was in its place so I bought a stereo on Ebay. The "installation instructions" were a schematic so I threw the instructions and the stereo at kreziserb. He had to tear apart the dashboard to install it, but he did it. The antenna broke off long ago. I tell passenggers to put one hand on the dial and the other out the window. If they take me seriously, they are too stupid to ever ride in my car again.
Last year, the headlights died. The cables between the dash and the lights corroded into green dust. This year, the catalytic converter fell off and the Y-pipe was so corroded that had to be replaced as well. In fact, the whole chassis is a rusted out mess - I don't think the car has ever, in its life, been stored in a garage - and so even thoguh a friend offered to let kreziserb and I do the work in his garage, we declined and had the pros handle it. That way, if the rusty heap finally fell apart, it wouldn't be landing on top of us. Prior to the catalytic converter disaster, it was passing all its emissions tests even though it audibly had a muffler problem. In fact, my former HOA tried to rewrite its rules to banish my car, but the best they could do was "registered and operational" and, like I said, it's been passing its tests. When the whole system got overhauled last month, and I got the car back, it sounded so quiet I almost shat myself. I actually double-checked the tachometer to make sure it was running normally. I knew I was in the right car, though. There's no mistaking that paint "job".
By the way, in the seven years I've owned this car, I've never washed it. It might dissolve.
I could, of course, afford a better car. But I don't want one. Even the muffler overhaul has been a bit much...I feel like my car has lost its voice or something.
That's my car. My husband drives a 2006 Audi A3. It is very fancy - leather interior, heated seats, all that crap. It is the kind of car you get after you've got a real job and your student beater has been totaled. It is alarmingly easy to hit 80 or higher in that car. In fact, you hardly feel or hear much of anything in that car. So sometimes, just for the sake of keeping it real, he borrows my car.
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dragonman97
Member # 780
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posted November 29, 2010 22:08
Thanks, Xanthine, for a much needed laugh.
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Snaggy
Member # 123
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posted November 30, 2010 09:56
Xan, I have to see it... strangely, must. flock. to. it.
is this like it?
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Xanthine
Member # 736
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posted November 30, 2010 11:27
Yep, that's it, but beige with bronzy shadows to represent the scales.
It is so ugly it is awesome.
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TheMoMan
Member # 1659
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posted November 30, 2010 11:57
____ Oh I have had some real beaters, however one that just lasted and lasted was a 1986 Grand Am 2.5 it just would not die. total repairs plugs, brake pads, and one coil. I drove that thing for fourteen years, and 200k miles. I then signed it over to the stepson only took him three months to ruin it. Yup ugly little gray Pontiac.
____ Right now we are driving a 1998 Dodge Pickup and a 98 Chevy van, it is going to be interesting to see what one lasts the longest the truck has gone 175k the van 240k miles both get 20 miles to the gallon
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Stereo
Member # 748
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posted November 30, 2010 13:53
I drive a smart. I once or twice carried things that were longer than my car. I even managed to get a bike I had just bought in it. I fill it completely when I carry the Christmas gifts to my parent's place. (We are a big family!)
I love it! ![[hearts]](graemlins/hearts.gif)
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Ashitaka
Member # 4924
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posted December 01, 2010 02:21
In some jeeps ( and other cars), there is a drain hole for rain water between the motor and passenger compartment ( where the windshield wipers are). If you park everyday under a maple tree those helicopter seeds that fall down onto your car can clog this drain hole. When this drain is clogged, the water backs up and drain out, into the passenger compartment of your car, through the fuse box! ( By the feet of the front passneger). So after you get your jeep dirty, don't get it wet.
Though I must say, I had remarkably few electrical problems despite the fuses being constanty wet.
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Ashitaka
Member # 4924
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posted December 01, 2010 02:36
quote:
Originally posted by Stereo:
I drive a smart. I once or twice carried things that were longer than my car. I even managed to get a bike I had just bought in it. I fill it completely when I carry the Christmas gifts to my parent's place. (We are a big family!)
I love it!
How many km do you have on this car? I have a friend who bought a smart, and after 60k km her machanic told her the motor was done for ( needed replacement/ or rebuild), and that was typical for a smart. The rational is that smart cars are designed as city cars and not long commute cars so the engines were optimized for stop and go traffic and not highway driving so they can better handle the stress of stop and go at the cost of total km. ( my friend commutes several hours every day on the highways and easily rackes up the km)
For what is is worth I have twice taken a rented Smart Car on road trips through Tuscany and enjoyed driving the Smart very much through the country side. I even got a flat once on a muddy dirt road, I thought there is no way I can jack up this car without sinking the jack into the mud, but the car is so light I had no problem. ( ...with the putting on the spare tire, that is, Budgetrental car would not replace the tire and wanted me to buy four new tires(which cost more then renting the car for a week) because you cannot put a single new tire an a car with three very worn tires as the radius if the wheels is different. In the end I got a guy to put an old very worn tire on the rental car for 20 bucks as a replacement.)
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Stereo
Member # 748
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posted December 01, 2010 07:01
quote:
Originally posted by Ashitaka:
quote:
Originally posted by Stereo:
I drive a smart. (...)
How many km do you have on this car? I have a friend who bought a smart, and after 60k km her machanic told her the motor was done for ( needed replacement/ or rebuild), and that was typical for a smart. (...)
I am at about 55,000. 5 years old, all paid. But since they came quite late in North America, it may not be the same motor. Although a cousin of mine had one too, and he sold it at about 80,000km - it was falling apart. On the other hand, 80,000km in one year vs. 55,000 in 5... I think he drove it more roughly than I did!
We will see, in any case. Even if I sell it $4,000 in 6 month (and that's pretty low; many smarts of the same age as mine sell for about $8,000-$10,000), while saving until then, that would be about half - if not more - of the next one. I just hope they get a new diesel motor back soon! (Or the hybrid one, but it's planned to go for lease only for now.)
Edit: just checked for fun... there is one with 105,000km selling for CDN$7000! ![[Eek!]](eek.gif) So I'll just cross my fingers mine will hold a year or two more! :-D
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CommanderShroom
Member # 2097
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posted December 01, 2010 20:50
I <3 quirky cars. And I have owned so many, that it is now a prerequisite for me.
I guess I should cover some of the more memorable ones over the years.
My first car. It liked to go left. All. The. Time.
Then there was the Cadillac with the hot rod straight pipes.
Currently I own an old truck that has a stock door lock on the passenger side only. And over the years, all the door handles on the inside gave up life.
Then I have the econocar that has developed a shudder between 75 and 80, so it is either faster or slower. That is until I can spend some money on repairs.
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dragonman97
Member # 780
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posted December 01, 2010 21:46
quote:
Originally posted by CommanderShroom:
Then I have the econocar that has developed a shudder between 75 and 80, so it is either faster or slower. That is until I can spend some money on repairs.
Honestly, officer, you don't want to hear what this thing is like doing 76...so I had to go a bit faster!
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Xanthine
Member # 736
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posted December 01, 2010 22:06
I like your taste, Shroom.
I've pretty much resigned myself to the knowledge that unless I become fantastically rich, I'm never gonna own a new car. For one thing, shiny and new just isn't a priority; I could buy one right now but I've got better things to do with that money. For another, taking out a loan that's going to be underwater ten minutes later is just fscking stupid.
Who knows. Maybe one day I'll even get around to learning how to deal with the issues that crop up, instead of telling kreziserb or the shop d00ds to fix it. Given my apparent destiny, I really should.
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Aditu
Member # 2340
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posted December 03, 2010 08:12
Well I drive a 1994 Saturn with about 200,000 miles on it. I say about because the odometer died on Christmas day three years ago. It has attractive dents in the hood from a deer. I didn't call the insurance because everything but the hood was fine. I knew they would want to total it.
Love your clunkers. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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ebrach121
Member # 35541
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posted December 03, 2010 15:56
Ha ha ha thanks guys. I know Hell will freaze over before I own a new car, but who wants a new car when you can get one with personality
This helps me a bit I think. Very intresting to read all your storys.
Hot rod parts in a Cadallic is an intresting quirk, might have to use that
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MacManKrisK
Member # 955
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posted December 03, 2010 17:17
I've actually never owned a car with less than 100K miles on it.
Dad gave me my first car, he decided it had too many miles on it when it hit 200K. He warned me then, and I now realize it's true: "Kris, you're getting the car for free, but I promise you; once you have a car, you'll never have money ever again."
That car used to shake between 70 and 75 MPH, so I had to drive it about 78 to keep it from shaking. For a while, it had this quirk where if I only drove it a short ways (like to school) it would flood out and not want to start back up. It got that symptom at the same time the starter drive was going, so you'd try to crank it and crank it to un-flood it and it'd go "chug-chug-chug-chug---ziiiiig." Eventually we fixed the starter and replaced the MAF sensor and those problems went away. The shaking never did, though.
My '93 Buick LeSebre was a white car. After I hit a huge deer with it, it had a green hood. The O2 sensor got funky on it, so while I was driving down the freeway the "Service Engine Soon" light would come on and the car would shutter and shake and misfire and chug. The fix was to floor the gas pedal until I was going 5MPH faster than I had been going, then pop it in Neutral and let off the gas and coast back down. Then the light would go out and it'd run fine again.
My bus is nothing but a rusty pile of quirks, I have so many stories about it that it would be way too long to put here. I'll just give you some of the titles of the stories:
- The Night the Sliding Door Fell Off
- The Day the points went kaput and the cop came to assist me
- The 4th of July When we drove home from the fireworks without a clutch
- The night in "Hell's Corner" where the clutch cable snapped
- The first day with the bus (when it wouldn't start)
- The custom dome light
- Zen and the art of driving without a working speedometer
If anyone wants to read one of those stories, let me know and I'll type it up.
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dragonman97
Member # 780
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posted December 03, 2010 17:37
quote:
Originally posted by ebrach121:
This helps me a bit I think. Very intresting to read all your storys.
Hot rod parts in a Cadallic is an intresting quirk, might have to use that :-)
Just to be clear...as per the above, and the last 'quirks' thread by you, are you trying to mine us for material for a book/story/class project that you're working on?
I certainly hope not, but it sure sounds like it.
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The Famous Druid
Member # 1769
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posted December 03, 2010 18:03
Not mine, but a friend of mine from university days...
He drove a mini
and installed the horn from a Mack truck.
Used to scare the bejeezus out of arseholes who cut him off in traffic.
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ebrach121
Member # 35541
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posted December 04, 2010 08:03
[/QB][/QUOTE]
Just to be clear...as per the above, and the last 'quirks' thread by you, are you trying to mine us for material for a book/story/class project that you're working on?
I certainly hope not, but it sure sounds like it. [/QB][/QUOTE]
I was looking for inspiration, and a good laugh, I don't want to offend anybody. And if I ever use something from the forem I will give credit where credit is due, it's the kind of person I am. Promise ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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ebrach121
Member # 35541
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posted December 04, 2010 08:06
quote:
- The Night the Sliding Door Fell Off
- The Day the points went kaput and the cop came to assist me
- The 4th of July When we drove home from the fireworks without a clutch
- The night in "Hell's Corner" where the clutch cable snapped
- The first day with the bus (when it wouldn't start)
- The custom dome light
- Zen and the art of driving without a working speedometer
If anyone wants to read one of those stories, let me know and I'll type it up.
Are you a bus driver for a school or you just own one of those awsome vans the size of a bus?
Type some storys please ha ha. " The day the sliding door fell off sounds intresting
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