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Termyn8or -> When will I ever learn ? (2/25/2007 5:53:50 AM)
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The phone rings, this is easily figuroutable, she needs a tie rod end. Of course on the passenger side. I call my mechanic.
Her bf, a friend of mine is getting a talking to when I see him. His attitude is just go borrow the $300 for a garage to fix it instead of my guy for 1/3 of that. And we would've had it done yesterday, that's when I called her to confirm and drive out there. That's when the bubble burst.
WTF did I set aside part of my precious Saturday for ?
Her bf is a friend of mine, but he is getting it, as far as I am concerned he owes her $200 plus whatever money she loses by not working Monday and Tuesday.
Folks, professional in no way infers competence. Another non-MENSA candidate of ours, takes his $12,000 Pontiac in because the rear wheels are noisy. Real bad, among the worst I seen. Has those low profile tires and needs a pair.
A $2,000 "brake" job later it is the same, exactly the same.
My other buddy, WTF is wrong with him ? Goes to Mr Badwrench and this million dollar machine says change engine. This guy USED TO BE A MECHANIC ! What's more, he wants to go get a boneyard engine and put it in ! It was a bit of a hard diagnosis, you see the engine had jumped time, but every book we could find said the engine does not have a timing chain, that it uses gears. WRONG.
I told him "Tear down for timing chain". Less than $100 later the engine ran like new. It lasted until his nieces blew it up. They could fuck up an iron wrecking ball though.
Question: if that engine was not supposed to have a timing chain, why is that a trip to Murray's found that they had it in stock ? How come a factory authorized servicenter didn't know this, but we, and an aftermarket parts supplier did ?
Now folks, I know shops have to make money, but the Woman with the tie rod broken, she is going through a divorce and is broke. (seems strange doesn't it ?). Really $300 to change the tie rod is not really too bad. First of all it is a Ford, which doesn't use a drag link, so it is a large tie rod. Second of all they will align it (they better). Third of all they are probably selling her every grommet and who knows what else that doen't look new. I am not saying they are ripping her off. If it is OK for me to make money it is OK for them to make money.
But she is borrowing every dollar of it. In times like these, a person should try to be as cheap as possible. She needs one part installed and I can do the toe in alignment with a measuring tape. I can almost do it just by eye alone. To do that you need to lay down on the ground behing the vehicle and sight the tires. Needing level ground we are talking the middle of the street here, but I CAN DO THAT HERE !
Geezus pleas kill us. You have heard "You can lead a horse to water" ? , well now it's "You can lead a Woman who is broke to $200 but she sets fire to the cash after fucking up two people's Saturday schedule.
Well one, I never have a schedule on Saturday, but she told the garage to go ahead at 8AM. I am not getting up at 8AM on a Saturday to keep people from doing something stupid.
Tell you what, making decnt money, your bills are within tolerance ? You can afford things, you can make it on what you make ? Got a little money in the bank ? BY ALL MEANS, pay the $300. But this is not the case here.
Y'know, my credit score is probably about 770, and I drive a 20 year old car. I shall continue to do so until it is junk. Actually it was a steal when we got it with about 77,000 miles on it. Parts, repairs all that, got about $1,000 into it initially. A 20 year old car that somebody tried to steal twice, but the second time they got it. Needs a paint job, NO IT DON'T ! As long as that old beast serves me well it don't need nuthin. In fact I would like to make it look worse ! I'd lie to make it look so delapidated that any cop with an ounce of compassion won't stop me. Kapeesh ?
Don't get me wrong, the car runs really well, starts in 0 degree weather, all that. Of course if it became unsafe or unreliable it would go to the scrapyard. But the car has sentimental value, it is one of only two or three in my life I have ever acquired with less than 100,000 miles. Kinda brings a tear to yer eye don't it ?
Anyway, I think it is appalling how people buy cars based on creature comfort and looks alone. People get me to go look at cars with them, I get out my dirty greasy clothes, because the first thing I do is look underneath. OK, maybe not on a new car.
Actually I would let a friend buy a Ford truck, but for a car I would go GM. Unless you really have a hankerin for a Crown Vic. Ford really did outdo GM on those, and a few Lincolns. The GM products that compare are so friggin expensive it is not funny. A Buick Park Avenue costs about as much and is quite a bit smaller.
Those of you you read my rant, thanks for reading, those of you who didn't go f..., wait a minute. Nevermind.
T
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