And so ... $550 later ...

[Pixelated]

So not only am I off work (briefly), but a few days ago, my car decided to part company with its muffler.

Okay, the muffler didn't completely fall off. But it was quite clearly planning to.

I made an appointment with my local Canadian Tire (my regular mechanic appears to be AWOL). They said the exhaust pipe itself had broken, so ... new exhaust pipe. New muffler (THE most expensive part). Labour. Some kind of clamp.

At least now I can drive without scaring half the neighbourhood.

Also, being stuck in my apartment was driving me bonkers. Apparently I'm not as anti-social as I think I am. (Public transit in this city is really awful.)

[dalesys]

I had the gas tank of a '61 Ford Fairlane fall off in a snowstorm... it was 20 years old, had been my grandfather's car with tens of thousands of miles on gravel roads. The frame had rusted out where the straps holding the tank hooked in.

[Pixelated]

I had the gas tank of a '61 Ford Fairlane fall off in a snowstorm... it was 20 years old, had been my grandfather's car with tens of thousands of miles on gravel roads. The frame had rusted out where the straps holding the tank hooked in.

Oh, that must have been SO much fun ... not!

One of my last few vehicles had whatever it is that holds the engine in start rusting out. Luckily my mechanic caught it before the engine actually fell out ....

My maternal grandfather used to drive a Ford Falcon. Some time ago I looked them up online and all I could think was ... "I don't remember his cars looking like THAT."

[drunkenwildmage]

My Brothers Girlfriend had a Honda Ridgeline that was told her car couldn't be lifted for service anymore. The lift points were so rusted, they could no longer handle the load and could just collapse.

[MadMike]

I had one fall off my car on the way to work one morning. Apparently it fell off just as I was coasting to a stop before turning onto the next road, because it sounded normal up until then. But as soon as I gave it gas after that, it made the loudest, most god-awful noise. I actually stopped trying to make my turn because I thought I had cut out in front of some big noisy truck or something. When I got to my job, I was setting off other people's car alarms just by driving through the garage.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Once upon a time I had a safety inspection on an older car. After the inspection, as I was driving out of the station the muffler fell off.

[Nunavut Pants]

I am *soooooo* glad to no longer be living in an area where they have to put salt on the roads! I'm pretty sure I never would have become a car enthusiast if I still lived in the Midwest...

[csquared]

Back in my college days of slinging pizza, I drove through a puddle and came out louder.
Latter on, I got pulled over for the muffler violation by the same cop that I embarrassed in court the summer before. He then proceeded to lie to me about the local court options to address the ticket.