Ten more days.
Yesterday afternoon, I was getting ready to take a nap when I got an unexpected call.
It was Roberto, the painter.
He said he had started work on the green car at last!
He wanted me to come and look at it.
I arrived to see my green car sanded down and covered in green paint powder.
Roberto was also covered in green from head to toe! This is why I like the guy.
He had sanded and or filled all the dings and dents, and wanted me to see it before he put the primer.(Also he wanted money)
He had removed all the bumpers, mirrors, lights etc. Just like I hoped.
(All the parts are inside the car so they don't get lost)
91 and 92 Firebirds have a distinctive front end.
It is not straight but pointed, and it doesn't look right with a license plate.
On another car I had, I was able to get away without a front plate for many years, until one day I got pulled over for having a loud muffler and the police made me fix it and the front plate, too.
I asked Roberto to fill in the holes from the license plate, and I'll see how long I can get away without one again.
This poor car had 8 holes in the front bumper!
I would only need to drill 2 holes to attach a license plate, if that day comes.
I asked Roberto when he thought it would be done, and he said "10 more days."
As I was leaving, the red car decided to pull its old trick of not starting again.
Luckily I was in mechanic country.
While I was on the phone with Don, whose shop is a mile away, Roberto's friend pulled out a can of starting fluid and sprayed the injectors and the car started right up.
"It's the fuel filter or fuel pump," they said.
I went to Don's shop.
He was still working on the same black car he'd been working on all month.
I was glad to see he was in good health.
Don had a fuel filter laying around and he put it in, just in case that's what it was, but the old one wasn't bad.
It looks like it will be the fuel pump, which we dreaded.
This will be a job that takes all day, because the fuel pump is located in the gas tank behind the rear end gears, so the whole rear end has to be removed.
Don thinks it might also be a screen-like sock around the pump, because in his experience the pump usually just stops working altogether, and my problem seems to be intermittent.
Even worse, the car began making a strange whirring, sound.
Don traced it to the water pump.
The water pump has something like a gear, and once that goes bad, then water will start leaking out everywhere.
When that happens, the car will overheat.
But I'd still be able to drive it to the shop.
Don gave me a half-empty can of starting fluid, so at least I have a way to keep from getting stranded at the store, for instance.
I asked Don when he'd be finished with the black car he was working on, and he said "10 more days."
I'm just grateful that all this happened on my day off, and on a day when Mom is doing OK!
It was Roberto, the painter.
He said he had started work on the green car at last!
He wanted me to come and look at it.
I arrived to see my green car sanded down and covered in green paint powder.
Roberto was also covered in green from head to toe! This is why I like the guy.
He had sanded and or filled all the dings and dents, and wanted me to see it before he put the primer.(Also he wanted money)
He had removed all the bumpers, mirrors, lights etc. Just like I hoped.
(All the parts are inside the car so they don't get lost)
91 and 92 Firebirds have a distinctive front end.
It is not straight but pointed, and it doesn't look right with a license plate.
On another car I had, I was able to get away without a front plate for many years, until one day I got pulled over for having a loud muffler and the police made me fix it and the front plate, too.
I asked Roberto to fill in the holes from the license plate, and I'll see how long I can get away without one again.
This poor car had 8 holes in the front bumper!
I would only need to drill 2 holes to attach a license plate, if that day comes.
I asked Roberto when he thought it would be done, and he said "10 more days."
As I was leaving, the red car decided to pull its old trick of not starting again.
Luckily I was in mechanic country.
While I was on the phone with Don, whose shop is a mile away, Roberto's friend pulled out a can of starting fluid and sprayed the injectors and the car started right up.
"It's the fuel filter or fuel pump," they said.
I went to Don's shop.
He was still working on the same black car he'd been working on all month.
I was glad to see he was in good health.
Don had a fuel filter laying around and he put it in, just in case that's what it was, but the old one wasn't bad.
It looks like it will be the fuel pump, which we dreaded.
This will be a job that takes all day, because the fuel pump is located in the gas tank behind the rear end gears, so the whole rear end has to be removed.
Don thinks it might also be a screen-like sock around the pump, because in his experience the pump usually just stops working altogether, and my problem seems to be intermittent.
Even worse, the car began making a strange whirring, sound.
Don traced it to the water pump.
The water pump has something like a gear, and once that goes bad, then water will start leaking out everywhere.
When that happens, the car will overheat.
But I'd still be able to drive it to the shop.
Don gave me a half-empty can of starting fluid, so at least I have a way to keep from getting stranded at the store, for instance.
I asked Don when he'd be finished with the black car he was working on, and he said "10 more days."
I'm just grateful that all this happened on my day off, and on a day when Mom is doing OK!
This could be a soap opera? Or a car opera?
ReplyDeleteI really love hearing all these details.
Sounds like 10 more days might be a mantra? ♥