From: in2dadark on 9 Nov 2009 19:20 On Nov 8, 8:34 pm, Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B <Tru...(a)e86.GTS> wrote: > $150 bucks on eBay, 120 miles from home. Didn't think you could go that > far in Mass and not run into the ocean... > > Of all the fears I had, the one was that the brake lines were rusted out. > Anything else I can deal with. But I have AAA Plus, so a tow is a phone > call away, as long as I could drive the thing ~30 miles. > > We got there and couldn't find the place, and then I looked and saw a > REALLY nice looking '92 Grand Caravan LE sitting in a parking lot. YUP! We > pulled in and George came out to meet us. It had no anti freeze in it, so > I had 2 gallons with me. > > George told me when he moved it, the brake pedal went to the floor. This > can be a common problem on these vans, so I didn't think a lot at first. > We filled the radiator and then I asked George to start it. One turn of > the key and the motor jumped to life, with just a little tappet noise. Not > bad for $150. Looks good, good motor, but the brakes... > > I asked the guy who drove me out to look while I pressed the brakes, and > he said, Yeah, there's stuff running out over here...kinda gushing... > > But I haven't stepped on the brakes yet! > > Um, kinda smells like GAS, too! > > Shut it down and went to have a look. YUP! Gas. I went underneath for a > look, and the fuel filter had some rust and was pissing gas out when the > fuel pump was running. AutoZone two miles down the road? No problem! 15 > minute job. OK, with the van OFF, do you see anything NOW? > > Yup...your side. > > I reached up underneath, and the ONE THING I was hoping wasn't > wrong...was. The brake lines going to the rear were pretty rotten. > AAA will tow it, but only 100 miles. I only needed to go 30 miles, but NO > WAY! But I called them. HINT: NEVER TELL AAA FUEL IS LEAKING!!! NOW we > have to get the Fire Department here to make sure it's safe to move. > > Forty minutes later, no FD< so the guy came out. He's going to put a piece > of fuel line in it and replace the brake lines, and we'll try again next > week. It wasn't really in bad shape at all. One rust bubble on the > passenger's fender, and a rusting rocker panel. The guitar player says he > can replace that no problem, and we'll have to spray the hood because of > peeling paint, but other than that the body was in really good shape. > > Ah, well, next week...we had better get a LOT of gigs... Ah.. you crazy teenagers..
From: clare on 9 Nov 2009 22:23 On Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:24:50 -0500, Hachiroku ???? <Trueno(a)e86.GTS> wrote: >On Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:51:44 -0500, clare wrote: > >> On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 11:12:53 -0800, "ron" <randus3(a)teranews.com> wrote: >> >>>doesn't sound quite rusty enough to pull a Flintstone. >>> >>>ron >> >> >> Vice grips. Find where the line gets solid. Cut it off. Squeese it flat. >> bend it over. squeese it again. Clamp the vice grips on tight and tie to >> the frame. Drive the heap home. > >I had thought of that, too. If it had been ~35-40 miles I would have done >it. 132 miles...uh, thanks, no... ;) > > I got stuck doing it on the 96 Mystique - broke down in Toronto on my eldest daughter. Went down with the van to see if I could fix it. Couldn't, so pinched off the line and drove it home to Waterloo on the 401. Left the van for the daughter, Before I could get the line fixed, that night I get a phone call. The darn van quit (blew the engine) 3/4 of the way to Toronto - so back on th 401 with only front brakes to go rescue her at about 11 pm. - and back home. Total distance about 135 miles on the busyest highway in Canada.
From: Hachiroku ハチロク on 18 Nov 2009 14:42
On Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:23:14 -0500, clare wrote: > On Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:24:50 -0500, Hachiroku ???? <Trueno(a)e86.GTS> wrote: > >>On Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:51:44 -0500, clare wrote: >> >>> On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 11:12:53 -0800, "ron" <randus3(a)teranews.com> wrote: >>> >>>>doesn't sound quite rusty enough to pull a Flintstone. >>>> >>>>ron >>> >>> >>> Vice grips. Find where the line gets solid. Cut it off. Squeese it >>> flat. bend it over. squeese it again. Clamp the vice grips on tight and >>> tie to the frame. Drive the heap home. >> >>I had thought of that, too. If it had been ~35-40 miles I would have done >>it. 132 miles...uh, thanks, no... ;) >> >> > I got stuck doing it on the 96 Mystique - broke down in Toronto on my > eldest daughter. Went down with the van to see if I could fix it. > Couldn't, so pinched off the line and drove it home to Waterloo on the > 401. Left the van for the daughter, Before I could get the line fixed, > that night I get a phone call. The darn van quit (blew the engine) 3/4 of > the way to Toronto - so back on th 401 with only front brakes to go rescue > her at about 11 pm. - and back home. > > Total distance about 135 miles on the busyest highway in Canada. Good thing it wasn't on Lakeshore Blvd sometime around July 17th! :) Quite familiar with the 401...hit the highest speed I *EVER* went in a car on that road. Had a Honda Prelude and a Volvo Bertone BLAST past me, so I took my 1985 Corolla GTS w/10,000 miles on it for a run. When I hit 128 MPH the Honda and the Bertone were STILL pulling away from me, so I figured I better back it down. 75 (120) sure felt SLOW! |