What I think will finally kill my car
My car’s at the age and condition where I have to weigh basically every bit of service that goes into it against the prospects of just getting a new vehicle. Sad but true, one day this magnificent beast will just have to be retired. Today I took my car to a Midas to get the front brakes peered at, because I was getting a lot of front-end vibration when I stopped. Turned out the brake rotors needed to be replaced – not turned, there wasn’t enough of them left to turn – which only cost about $150. It brakes beautifully now, not bad in the scheme of things.
That, however, was only what I chose to get fixed today. The inspection turned up a few other problems. The right front tie rod is breaking down, which is putting a large amount of stress on the right front tire and both will need to be replaced; it’s a hit, but again, not huge money-wise. The kicker was the struts. All of them are worn out, and one is leaky (this explains why I feel basically every little bump I go over). That’ll be to the tune of around $900 at Midas, and it’s something I just can’t do myself. Sorry old girl, but that’s one thing that won’t be replaced. What tears me up is that the drive train and engine itself are still just fine! I’ve had three different mechanics look at it over the past year and they all agree that it’s holding up beautifully. Problem is, I can’t just ride an engine to work…or…or, can I?
There’s a bright side to all of this. This Friday, my commute to work is going to be halved again, this time down to ten miles. The wear and tear on the car and my fuel costs will decrease accordingly, and that’s a good thing no matter how you slice it.
