Sunday, April 12, 2009

The Trials and Tribulations of Blue Thunder

I'm certain I'm not the only person who names his car (or at least I hope not), but I've had Blue Thunder now for 9 years. For the most part, Blue Thunder has treated me well. Sans the typical routine maintenance and some upgrades I've done over the years, Blue Thunder has been reliable and really only failed me on 2 occasions:
  • Coil pack failed when I got onto the freeway
  • Mass air flow sensor failed
Unfortunately, I haven't been as kind to Blue Thunder. There's a fair amount of small knicks and bumps that have accumulated over the years. This includes:
  • Front and rear bumper damage - done by other drivers and myself while parking
  • Scratched and damaged rear wheel wells while maneuvering around tight spaces
  • Door dents
  • Damaged rims
The suspension and steering rack are beginning to feel its age now. The steering rack has developed a leak and needs to be replaced and the ride gets more rough with each year. However, since I take the bus to work now, I've held off on getting it replaced and merely top off the power steering fluid when necessary.

And since I really only drive on weekends, a new car would be out of the question. Besides, since I'm married, the next "new" car I can look forward to will be my wife's car after she gets the new car. Just saying...

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