They look so cute together!
It was an eventful day in Erik's automotive life.
Our office closed at 11am. After that, I jumped into my car (the 85; the one I've had for a couple of years) and drove out to the Secretary Of State facility to deal with making my car (the 87; the one I got a month ago for free) legal. The condensed version:
Take these forms, fill them out and stand in that line you're in the wrong line, go there first $25 please next go here no not here you need special services take a number fill this form out again $190 please here's your temp plate we'll mail the real ones in the next few months thank you! (The 87 will have the plate number IRKEN 87)
When I got back out to the car I noticed that the tail pipes were pointing sort of...upish. They should be pointing straight out or maybe slightly downinsh. Upish is...odd. I poked at them and the muffler fell to the ground. Crouched down and took a look. The muffler was hanging from the bracket at the output end. The input end was on the ground. I picked it up and looked. The pipe that was supposed to be welded to that was still there. And the pipe at the input of the muffler was still there. They were supposed to fit together one inside the other. I tried fitting them back together. Success! The muffler was back on the exhaust system. the tailpipes still pointed slightly...up. The whole thing was of course still loose, just swinging from the fit-together pipe joint and that bracket at the other end. I poked it a couple of times, and it seemed mostly stable. I poked it hard and it fell to the ground again. I put it back together and drove carefully away.
Drove to the currency exchange in Evanston. Bought a city sticker ($60 +$5.50 service fee).
Drove to the nearest auto parts store. Bought what I can only describe as exhaust glue. Smeared a lot of it inside the pipe. Fit the muffler back on the pipe. Smeared a lot more around the outside of that joint. Set a timer to wait the requisite 2 hours. The pipes still point upish, but if they're secure when this is all done, I'll be happy enough for now.
Went out back and got in the 87. Started it. Put air in a tire that was flat (two of the tires had been iffy when I got it. The iffier one was flat again a few hours after being filled the day I got the car; that one was sealed and repaired by Smitty, my mechanic. The other one seemed fine. But a few weeks of sitting had left it flat again). Drove it around a bit. Drove it to the same auto parts store to pick up a few things: Lucas oil goop. Injector cleaner. A new shift knob (the original one was cracked and falling apart in black goop all over my hand) (I like the way the new one looks, but it isn't as secure as I'd like on the shift lever; I'll probably end up replacing it soon, but it's good enough for now). A snow brush.
Drove home. After the two hours, started the 85 and drove it around a while to heat up the exhaust glue and finish it's curing process. I could see that I'd missed a few little holes, but I didn't want to A: poke around before the current application was fully cured, or B: fuck around with it right then, in the quickly worsening snow storm. Drove it home and parked it in the driveway.
Soon after that it was time for us to leave for the NYE party we were going to. We got into 87 and started off. A little over a mile on, I hit a pot hole and The Tire In Question went suddenly flat. Pulled into a gas station. Got out the compressor and tried to fill it again, to at least get it home. No dice. Would not hold a bit of pressure. Decided to drive slowly home on it anyway, knowing that that would damage the tire beyond use or repair, but knowing that I would not trust the tire anyway, after this. So that's what I did. Got home and the tire was till protecting the rim, but there were gashes and rifts in the sidewall. Rachel drove to the party.
So now I have the 87 out front with a shredded tire, and the 85 out back with an exhaust system that may or may not be stable.
There was a snow storm last night, so they'll be wanting to plow my street day after tomorrow (my street gets plowed on odd-numbered days; but they're not plowing today because a: the snow is still snowing, and b: it's New Years Day). So I have until tomorrow night to get the spare (a spare; any spare) on the 87 and get it to my tire guy for a new tire, or maybe two. But not today when I have time because it's the one day where NO ONE will be able to cheaply help me.
But the two of them sitting on the street together for that two hours was cute!
Our office closed at 11am. After that, I jumped into my car (the 85; the one I've had for a couple of years) and drove out to the Secretary Of State facility to deal with making my car (the 87; the one I got a month ago for free) legal. The condensed version:
Take these forms, fill them out and stand in that line you're in the wrong line, go there first $25 please next go here no not here you need special services take a number fill this form out again $190 please here's your temp plate we'll mail the real ones in the next few months thank you! (The 87 will have the plate number IRKEN 87)
When I got back out to the car I noticed that the tail pipes were pointing sort of...upish. They should be pointing straight out or maybe slightly downinsh. Upish is...odd. I poked at them and the muffler fell to the ground. Crouched down and took a look. The muffler was hanging from the bracket at the output end. The input end was on the ground. I picked it up and looked. The pipe that was supposed to be welded to that was still there. And the pipe at the input of the muffler was still there. They were supposed to fit together one inside the other. I tried fitting them back together. Success! The muffler was back on the exhaust system. the tailpipes still pointed slightly...up. The whole thing was of course still loose, just swinging from the fit-together pipe joint and that bracket at the other end. I poked it a couple of times, and it seemed mostly stable. I poked it hard and it fell to the ground again. I put it back together and drove carefully away.
Drove to the currency exchange in Evanston. Bought a city sticker ($60 +$5.50 service fee).
Drove to the nearest auto parts store. Bought what I can only describe as exhaust glue. Smeared a lot of it inside the pipe. Fit the muffler back on the pipe. Smeared a lot more around the outside of that joint. Set a timer to wait the requisite 2 hours. The pipes still point upish, but if they're secure when this is all done, I'll be happy enough for now.
Went out back and got in the 87. Started it. Put air in a tire that was flat (two of the tires had been iffy when I got it. The iffier one was flat again a few hours after being filled the day I got the car; that one was sealed and repaired by Smitty, my mechanic. The other one seemed fine. But a few weeks of sitting had left it flat again). Drove it around a bit. Drove it to the same auto parts store to pick up a few things: Lucas oil goop. Injector cleaner. A new shift knob (the original one was cracked and falling apart in black goop all over my hand) (I like the way the new one looks, but it isn't as secure as I'd like on the shift lever; I'll probably end up replacing it soon, but it's good enough for now). A snow brush.
Drove home. After the two hours, started the 85 and drove it around a while to heat up the exhaust glue and finish it's curing process. I could see that I'd missed a few little holes, but I didn't want to A: poke around before the current application was fully cured, or B: fuck around with it right then, in the quickly worsening snow storm. Drove it home and parked it in the driveway.
Soon after that it was time for us to leave for the NYE party we were going to. We got into 87 and started off. A little over a mile on, I hit a pot hole and The Tire In Question went suddenly flat. Pulled into a gas station. Got out the compressor and tried to fill it again, to at least get it home. No dice. Would not hold a bit of pressure. Decided to drive slowly home on it anyway, knowing that that would damage the tire beyond use or repair, but knowing that I would not trust the tire anyway, after this. So that's what I did. Got home and the tire was till protecting the rim, but there were gashes and rifts in the sidewall. Rachel drove to the party.
So now I have the 87 out front with a shredded tire, and the 85 out back with an exhaust system that may or may not be stable.
There was a snow storm last night, so they'll be wanting to plow my street day after tomorrow (my street gets plowed on odd-numbered days; but they're not plowing today because a: the snow is still snowing, and b: it's New Years Day). So I have until tomorrow night to get the spare (a spare; any spare) on the 87 and get it to my tire guy for a new tire, or maybe two. But not today when I have time because it's the one day where NO ONE will be able to cheaply help me.
But the two of them sitting on the street together for that two hours was cute!