U-Haul Fail X 3 (Epic!)

[Sonoma]

My folks made sure we had a tank for a first car. Enter "Tuna Boat", a 1972 Ford Country Squire, complete with wood paneling on the side. When I started college, they bought a '74 Mustang (Pinto with an attitude) from some friends. The car had been used by the friends' daughter, but she didn't like it, because it was 'too big'. That Mustang was the smallest car I'd ever driven.

Dad was good about teaching us to be self-sufficient with our cars, but I don't think my sisters listened. One day we were driving down our residential street, and he reached over & shut off the ignition. Good way to learn what to do when your car stalls out. Came in handy, because my Ranger did the exact same thing, right in the middle of the turn into my apartment driveway one day. No problem, just dealt with no power steering, and restarted the truck.

[EvilEmpryss]

Dad was good about teaching us to be self-sufficient with our cars, but I don't think my sisters listened. One day we were driving down our residential street, and he reached over & shut off the ignition. Good way to learn what to do when your car stalls out. Came in handy, because my Ranger did the exact same thing, right in the middle of the turn into my apartment driveway one day. No problem, just dealt with no power steering, and restarted the truck.

Ooh! Got to teach her how to pop a clutch!

*jots a note on her list of to-do's*

[dalesys]

Ooh! Got to teach her how to pop a clutch!

*jots a note on her list of to-do's*

Whee-ee-ee-lie time!

[protege]

There are some people though, that simply can't work on their vehicles. My late grandmother was one of them. If her car broke down, she had no choice but to call and wait on AAA to send someone. After her accident in '94, she simply couldn't handle changing a tire--two broken shoulders left her pretty weak after that. That's why I always made sure that her car was in perfect shape

As for me, having to deal with my parents' cars made me somewhat self-reliant. Those heaps were *always* breaking down...simply because my dad didn't believe in regular maintenance. If he did get things fixed, it was done as cheaply as possible. If I wanted to borrow a car, it was guaranteed that something was either wrong with it, or something was about to go wrong with it.

[Primer]

And I even know how to find the fuel filter on older cars... and got into an argument with a mechanic, because he didn't work on Nissans (because they are "foreign" cars) and all I needed was a blasted fuel filter replaced. I pointed it out and said, "Do you have one that looks like this?" "Ummm.. yes..." "Then I'll buy it and put it in myself!"

I don't remember if it was the '69 Saab or the '70 Opel on which I had to replace the fuel filter. The guy at the parts store was knowledgeable enough to know that a VW filter would work, but I had to do it all by myself. And I did. In his parking lot.

My folks made sure we had a tank for a first car. Enter "Tuna Boat", a 1972 Ford Country Squire, complete with wood paneling on the side. When I started college, they bought a '74 Mustang (Pinto with an attitude) from some friends.

Our family also calls the old, huge full-metal cars "Tuna Boats." I have no idea where it came from, but when I used the phrase while talking to an insurance adjuster after having witnessed an accident, I could tell she was doing all she could not to break up laughing!

And my '75 Pinto DID have an attitude! ...until I got rear-ended by a dump truck who was trying to beat an ambulance through a major intersection. She just wasn't the same after that...

Daughter about to reach driving age already knows that I'll be training her to drive more than a compact car with an automatic transmission. I'll rent or borrow manual cars and fully intend to rent a uhaul or two (with and without a trailer) for some empty parking lot training, just so that I know she has some varied experience and knows how to handle herself.

GOOD! The first time I EVER pulled a trailer was at age 47 when I had to go rescue hubby and his best friend up in northeast Texas (200+ miles away) after they had an accident that totaled out hubby's Silverado PU. I was driving a little Nissan Frontier PU. We have a 12'x6' box trailer that we use to haul reenacting equipment when there are more than 2 people going. I got the call at about 5pm after a full day at work. I got the trailer hooked up and toddled off to get them all on my own. They had to take turns riding in the jump seat in the little space in the back of the extended cab of the Nissan. It was a great learning experience, but I hope nobody else ever has to learn that way!

[raudf]

I don't remember if it was the '69 Saab or the '70 Opel on which I had to replace the fuel filter. The guy at the parts store was knowledgeable enough to know that a VW filter would work, but I had to do it all by myself. And I did. In his parking lot.

*snort* The guy had dismissed me because I was "a lil' lady." He couldn't get it through his head that yes, I knew what was wrong and yes, I knew how to fix it. I had my art supply box with me, so I had the tools to do so. I've owned so many clunkers that by now, I can recognize most major issues.

He kept saying it was the carburetor. The carburetor wasn't the issue because it'd just been cleaned due to a squirrel getting into the air filter and filling it with acorns. (Screen had come off that kept the buggers out.) When it started slowing badly going up hills on a freeway, but acting fine on the straights? Fuel filter is always the first thing to check and replace.

Speaking of fixing... I have to replace two O2 sensors and maybe three ignition coils. I "borrowed" two of the coils from my totaled car of the exact same make that had the same parts. I can replace ignition coils easily enough by myself. The O2 sensors are going to be a pain, since I can't crawl under a car as easily right now.

[PepperElf]

Quoting my driver ed instructor here:

Whenever you see one of those "You Drive 'Em" rental trucks, you keep in mind the last time they drove a truck was nevah."

It's funnier with a Maine accent.

Yeah. The last time we had one, my bf handled the driving. I'm rather glad I never had to touch the thing.

i had to use one once - just to haul stuff to my storage unit. it was not fun or easy to drive around.

Still, U Haul will be contacted by the police, and U Haul can then check its records to see who the truck is rented to. The victims insurance companies, if no one else, will track this information down since it will be crucial to insurance paying out on claims: the driver of the rental is responsible and his insurance is going to take the hit, not the insurance of the victims.

And technically, what the driver did is hit and run. So he may get a surprise visit from the cops later, in spite of the fact there was no personal injury.

Good. cos i have a feeling the driver wasn't going to say jack shit to anyone about it. this way he pretty much has no choice in the matter.

There's no excuse not to know how, even if you never do because you get it taken care of at the service station.

To be honest I know how to check my fluids, add in brake fluid, etc... but I've never changed oil. and yes i know *how* to change a tire. However I don't seem to be that good at taking the bolts off. then again some of my bolts have been pretty fucked up anyway where stronger people still had trouble getting them off.

but hey that's why we also have aaa.

[EvilEmpryss]

Speaking of fixing... I have to replace two O2 sensors and maybe three ignition coils. I "borrowed" two of the coils from my totaled car of the exact same make that had the same parts. I can replace ignition coils easily enough by myself. The O2 sensors are going to be a pain, since I can't crawl under a car as easily right now.

What make/model have you got? I just replaced "bank 1 sensor 1" (first upstream) O2 on my '97 Honda Civic. It's a breeze, up front and out in the open: it can be reached with the hood up. The other one I haven't gotten to yet, but only because the parts store shipped it at a different time and it's been too freakin' cold to go do it.