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car woes

our car is dead.

sunday night, we drove beth home. then about 100 yards from our apartment we hear this 'thwappa-thwappa-thwappa' and the car dies, oil light comes on. we were doing about 40mph, so we coasted a fair amount of the way to the apartment - then b got out and pushed.

we thought at first that it was our alternator belt that slipped off and/or broke because it has been squeeking pretty badly ever since all that flooding around here a few weeks ago. but the belt was firmly in place.

however, there were a few hoses that were no longer attached to the engine - the air intake among a few others we couldnt identify. b plugged all the hoses back in and decided to try to start the car again.

'ka-thunk.'

so were currently back to one vehicle. which sucks because he leaves for work about a half hour earlier that i ever do. so now i have to get up earlier [grumble]. and i just realized that hes now on summer hours: 8-6. and i work 8-5. hmm.

the big question: will the mustang make it to homer? moe is graduation on monday - so is b's sister jayme. and we are really desperately wanting to be there. but is this car healthy enough to withstand a 10(ish) hour drive?

it is, this very moment, at the shop. b dropped it off after dropping me off here at work. it is getting a tune-up and a fluid change and a simple check-up to see if the mechanic thinks we should drive it to the other side of the state. and i dont want to carpool with my brother - 4 adults, three dogs in a 4 person car. egads.

this truck my father is wanting us to buy from him is seeming like a more viable option now. but it is my fathers. in high school he accidentally drilled a hole in the engine head of the red chevy blazer i was driving. and filled it with super glue. he was trying to drill out a rusted bolt so that he could connect a block heater. after then getting me a blue gmc truck to drive around, he promptly sold it to some lady.

three months later the engine seized. he claims it was because she never checked the oil and she ran low. unlikely. i never checked the oil - it didnt have a leak and rarely needed checking because it was never low. so her engine seized. perhaps because the super glue plug fell out?

ive not really trusted in any vehicles hes sold before. but this truck was my sisters (she just bought a sweet new vehicle worth more than my two when they were both running), and she loved it. just needed more passenger space for all her admirers. and she said that they never had to do anything to it the year she drove it.

but i hate buying things. spending money - especially $2000 - really stresses me out. bah.