The Last Bass Outpost
Main Forums => The Outpost Cafe => Topic started by: drbassman on October 21, 2008, 08:46:21 PM
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Ok, my son has a fender bender with Mom's 2000 Chrysler van (157,700 miles on it!) in Clemson, SC. The front end is smashed in, radiator destroyed along with cooling fans, AC condenser, tranny cooler, left side running and signal lights, and bumper, hood and fender. Looks like a loss on the old girl. But, the Southern boys agree to try to fix her up so we can limp home. My idea, not theirs! We install a used cooler, radiator,and fans. We have to hard wire the fans, the original plug was crushed. I had to rewire the left running & turn signal lights. Took a day to do it all. Also, cut away some of the left fender with a saw for better tire clearance.
Got it all together and no coolant or tranny leaks! Paid the guys and hit the road. One issue I didn't foresee: the wiring and sensors that control the tyranny shifting was apparently crushed, so it never would shift out of 1st. gear.
So, not being one's to give in, we hit to road on Monday night and drove 5 hours, slept for 7, got back on the road and drove another 15 hours (including food and oil stops) to get home tonight at 9:15 PM. We covered 800 miles, averaging 45 MPH all in first gear. the old van was amazing. It never overheated and ran like it didn't even need another gear. We were really lucky to make it. Pictures tomorrow!
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Reminds me of National Lampoon's Vacation..............Wagon Queen Family Truckster
Glad you made it back Bill!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Wc92bFiZk
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I was wondering where you had been ! Everyone is ok I hope ? Quite a saga ! Yep Vacation is the first thing that came to my mind also.
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Good one! It felt like a National Lampoon trip, that's for sure! Every time I stopped or started the engine, I had to manually hook up the radiator fans to get them to work! I felt like I was back in high school trying to keep my old junkers running from day to day!
Did I forget to mention that we were pulling our trailer and the lights quit working a couple miles into the trip?
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Yeah you did leave that bit out :o How many times did the fuzz pull you over ?
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Well, we were pretty concerned about that since the first 5 hours it was dark and the last 4 also! 8) We didn't realize it the first 5 hours and assumed they weren't working from the start since I did check signals before I left.
But we saw numerous troopers, it was all Interstate travel, and not one seemed interested. The weird thing was the brake lights and turn signals worked, but none of the running lights did until you put on the brakes, then the trailer lit up like a Christmas tree!!! I just didn't have the time to mess with it and thankfully it worked out!
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Well, anyone that knows me knows that if you cut me I bleed Chrysler blue. It does my heart good to hear that your Mopar lived up to its pedigree. In 1998, Chrysler was a profitable company with money in the bank. Unfortunately, Daimler put an end to that in an effort to bolster their own sagging reputation and quality. Now we have GM looking to do much the same thing, and kill off a competitor in the process. Not to mention the damage that it will ultimately do to our already shaky economy. The unions are all up in arms because they think that their salaries and health benefits will be cut back (potential layoffs aside).
Wonderful job on all fronts - give yourself a big hand, gang. Give me half an hour and I could come up with 10 better plans than this merger. (steps off soapbox)
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Yep, I've had 3 Chryslers in a row since 1989 and every one of them was a fine car. I don't have any complaints!
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What an adventure. :-\
As for Chrysler, when Daimler was ready to sell I was surprised to see it as an independent company again. With its current lineup I don't see how it can survive without being bought by somebody else. If that somebody else turns out to be GM, they may both become extinct.
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That's WILD! Glad ya made it home ok, doc.
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Thanks guys! I agree Dave, merging with GM is not the best solution either. I always teach my students that merging two losing entities does not automatically equal a positive result. You often just have a larger losing entity!
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I thought all Amercian made cars have just one gear? ;)
EDIT: Sorry, I meant to say they just ride that way! :mrgreen:
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I thought all Amercian made cars have just one gear? ;)
Insert sound of grinding teeth here >:(
If you thought political threads were a bad idea...
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Insert sound of grinding teeth here >:(
If you thought political threads were a bad idea...
You got to have a sense of humor when dealing with the "kings of over-engineering!" I don't need no stinking gears! 8)
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German cars are great. Amphicar, Goggomobil, NSU (home of Felix Wankel), DKW and of course the Italian-designed BMW Isetta.
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Here's an example of American "over-engineering".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwTz5vSLQJg&feature=related
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German cars are great. Amphicar, Goggomobil, NSU (home of Felix Wankel), DKW and of course the Italian-designed BMW Isetta.
True. All could get you from A to B in times of resources and manufacturing constraints, used little gas, were quickly and cheaply built and were affordable for an evolving European car buyer market after the ravages of WW II.
Sensible products then, just like your HumVees. Give the people what they really need.
:P
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Here's an example of American "over-engineering".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwTz5vSLQJg&feature=related
To go in a straight line- EU be dammed!
Got love the 4' handle bar mustache on the host!!!
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Nice!
Righteous American Muscle Car.............Awesome.
I got to drive my buddies fully restored '66 Pontiac GTO 389ci tri power awhile back...............it was breathtaking!
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Chrysler had some other interesting ideas......................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1U_SSXkges&feature=related
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Dr. Bassman, I believe I would have gone to U-Haul, rented a pickup or SUV and auto transport, and trailered that van home...if I kept it, which I probably would. I quite honestly don't think I'd have had the patience to crawl home in first gear.
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Chrysler had some other interesting ideas......................
Ah, the Turbine cars. Great stuff. To get those to move out, you had to essentially powerbrake the car to about 30,000 RPMs - that's right, THIRTY THOUSAND. Unfortunately, because the bodies were fabricated in Italy by Ghia, there were duties charged if the vehicles (50 were built) went into service in the US. Rather than pay the tab, most of the cars were destroyed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io9gInXrA1A
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My wife's father was an engineer and he got one to drive for several months. My wife has some great stories about driving it around Buffalo when she was a kid.
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Dr. Bassman, I believe I would have gone to U-Haul, rented a pickup or SUV and auto transport, and trailered that van home...if I kept it, which I probably would. I quite honestly don't think I'd have had the patience to crawl home in first gear.
We had a trailer to tow, so this was our best option. It all worked out. We are very patient and tenacious. Good thing we really enjoy each other's company.
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Do not f*** with the BMW Isetta! It's one of my all time favourite cars! Especially in powder blue!
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Do not f*** with the BMW Isetta! It's one of my all time favourite cars! Especially in powder blue!
Who are you, Steve Urkel?
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OK guys, let's not get defensive over our favorite cars! It's just like basses, it's a matter of taste and we all have different inclinations! There's something good in all things whether designed over here or across one of the ponds. I have a weakness for Porsches myself as well as Chryslers. In fact, when I get my 68 912 finished in the next couple months, I'll post some pictures here! My gift to myself when my son graduates in a year or so from college will be a muscle car of some kind, not yet determined!
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Chris, are you aware that BMW is reportedly bringing the Isetta back (http://www.leftlanenews.com/bmw-isetta.html)?
Still can't beat an Amphicar splash-in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAdVcz3jLh8
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An Amphicar! I didn't realize that's what the Isetta was. What a great idea. Ted Kennedy should have had one! :P
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OK guys, let's not get defensive over our favorite cars! It's just like basses, it's a matter of taste and we all have different inclinations! There's something good in all things whether designed over here or across one of the ponds. I have a weakness for Porsches myself as well as Chryslers. In fact, when I get my 68 912 finished in the next couple months, I'll post some pictures here! My gift to myself when my son graduates in a year or so from college will be a muscle car of some kind, not yet determined!
Just joking, I like tailfins, oversized V engines and yank muscle cars that look tough, but can't really get you around the next Autobahn turn securely at a reasonable speed without getting all wobbly!!!
And I think Mercedes, Porsche and BMW are just a bore. Too prevalent here.
The only German car I ever owned was a Volkswagen 1302 Beetle. No matter what car romantics say: It was crap and unsafe with its vicious handling characteristics.
Uwe
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An Amphicar! I didn't realize that's what the Isetta was. What a great idea. Ted Kennedy should have had one! :P
No, sorry for any confusion, I was talking about two different cars. I had mentioned several German oddities in an earlier post.
The Isetta, IIRC, was designed by an Italian refrigerator company and licensed. BMW built most of them, including the ones imported into the US.
The Amphicar was pure German madness. I remember reading a road test that claimed a top speed of about 60, maybe even a bit less. But you could drive it across a lake if you didn't mind getting splashed a little. That alone makes it a collectors item today.
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Well, I owned several Beetles growing up and they were the perfect car for a high school student (except at the drive in movies!) :-*
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my first car was a '74 Beetle.i wish i still had it.
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Well, I owned several Beetles growing up and they were the perfect car for a high school student (except at the drive in movies!) :-*
My friend had one it had no heat so in the winter he wore a full one piece snow suit and had to continually scrap the wind sheild from the inside as he drove!
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My friend had one it had no heat so in the winter he wore a full one piece snow suit and had to continually scrap the wind sheild from the inside as he drove!
Yeah, the VW "heater boxes" actually used exhaust heat diverted to the passenger compartment. They were made of stamped steel and when they broke or rusted, could be downright deadly, since the potential was there for exhaust gases to get into the heated air. At the shop where I worked, the mechanics would literally run and hide if a Beetle, Karmann Ghia or Squareback rolled in on a Saturday.
For those who care:
http://www.vw-resource.com/heat4.html
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Yep, my Porsche 912 has the same exact heater boxes. I got two new ones that had been powder coated and shouldn't rust for quite awhile. Besides, I'll only drive it in good weather to keep it dry!
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OK, here she is! What a van! Actually, it doesn't look as bad as it was. We got her fixed up pretty good before we left South Carolina. We took the comprehensive insurance off last year since it had 150,000 miles and we were just keeping it for hauling stuff once in awhile, didn't really need a fourth car! I put her up on eBay motors last night for parts and someone bid $500 the first hour! Man I love the open market!
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/drbassman/van96.jpg)
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It looks so sad in this picture :-\
It knows you plan to sell it...........and that it'll get knackered up for parts!
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It's great that you have the option of eBay motors. A dozen years ago you'd have gotten a fraction of that from a local scrapyard.
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Well, TB58, she's not as sad as us! We'll miss her. Hauling kids, 4-H stuff and band gear was great with her.
You're right Dave, we'll do fine on this deal. The local yards buy by the pound and it's not worth it. A friend sold a conversion van in better shape than mine and got a whopping $300. I'm ahead already!