When I'm done with a car

It's done. We got rid of our 2002 Chevy Cavalier. The brakes: lines, rotors, and pads were gone. Also there was possibly a leak in the master cylinder. The CV joints were making clunking sounds. The exhaust system was held up with wire coat hangers. The body was kept together with a disturbingly large amount of spray expansion foam and fiberglass.

Surprisingly, the engine started. In fact, after sitting inside a giant snowbank for 4 months, it turned right over. The engine ran rough and big clouds of white smoke blew out the exhaust, but it ran. The smoke might have been something as simple as the gas going bad over the winter, or it could have been as serious as a blown head gasket.

What does one do with such a fine fine car? Trade it in? That would have raised the price the of the deal. Sell it to a 16 year old kid? How could I have slept at night? This car once collided with a moose.

We did the only wise thing and called the local junk yard. (I mean auto salvage.) They were willing to haul it away for free. The fact that they also wrote a check for $100 was a true bonus. We didn't lose a car, we gained another parking space.

This car died well. All the major problems happened pretty much at the same time. The worse is when a car keeps having $300 - $500 dollar repairs over a number of months. You tell yourself that each repair would be last, but it never is. The thing to do with such a money pit is to drive it behind the barn and put a bullet through the engine.

So now we have a nice new car. I expect to drive it until the wheels fall off, or we come to the end of the petroleum age. Whichever comes first.

-Sixbears