Neanderpundit

having a restful sitdown in the head of the oddysey. office christmas lunch cruise. long as I remember to lift the boys when the boat rolls I’m ok.

is what it takes to get over awrenching addiction.
Jim D believes I should get rid of the old girl because she’s- as he said- “worn out”. Well, no. She has a problem I’m trying to fix. I’m pretty meticuous about taking care of the stuff I need to work, so I know the Exploder- for the most part- is in pretty good running trim. The sheet metal is all there and not rusting, the electrics and electronics are good, the systems all work well. What this exactly is I don’t know, but I’m fixing it.

Supergirl is also insistent I just “let it go”, but so far nobody is suggesting how I can come up with the cash I need to make payments on a new $40,000 truck. Because I don’t have that cash. As I have repeatedly said. Additionally, I DO develop attachments to vehicles- partially because I drive so much, partially because I UNDERSTAND the vehicle.

Like this: I purchased an all-wheel drive Explorer because I knew the Dana transfer case they use is the best in the business. Like I got the V-8 because it has a cast iron block with cast iron heads. Almost nobody understands that an engine thermal cycles- it goes from ambient temp to a couple hundred degrees in a few minutes, and then back when you shut it off. And an aluminum head expands almost .030 more than the cast iron block it is attached to, and this action of inequal expansion/contraction eventually scrubs the head gaskets off. I sought out this vehicle for it’s specific properties and it has not failed me in more than a quarter million miles. Now that it has had a (well deserved) hiccup, I intend to find the source and eradicate it. And long after everyone else’s disposable ideas of the world have caused them to buy a half dozen vehicles they treat like kleenex, I will still be driving the Exploder.

Look at Mercedes. A lot of the ones you see in the country are high mileage. THis is not because they’re better cars- they’re not. In Europe they laugh at Benz, it’s the Chrysler corporation of Europe. People keep them a long time here because of perceived value. They cost more, so they take better care of them. And they last longer.

Any properly engineered vehicle that is properly maintained will last a long time. And earn it’s keep. No, I won’t just toss the Exploder out. Because it is still basically in good shape. It has a simple problem that I can probably fix. And I would consider myself more of an asshole than usual if I could just walk away from an eight year relationship without a second thought.