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Old October 21st 04, 05:36 PM
Daniel J. Stern
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On Thu, 21 Oct 2004, Geoff wrote:

> You can't swing the dipstick from a dead Chevy without whacking into an
> AA-body, even here in rust-ravaged Detroit.


....and one of them in rust-ravaged Detroit used to be mine. It's a
remarkably clean, unrusted silver '92 LeBaron sedan with big black
European-spec mirrors, glass European-spec headlights, and round
European-spec side turn blinkers just behind each front wheel. Bought it
for $1200 with 125k miles on it, put on an exhaust system, shocks and
struts and a set of brakes, and drove it 45,000 exceptionally dependable,
economical and inexpensive miles before impulsively selling it for $2100.
The new owner didn't know much about cars, but got 15k miles out of it
before failing to tighten the radiator draincock after having loosened it.
The coolant level dropped below the head and the engine cooked.

When I heard about that, I did a search via the Secretary of State,
figuring I might buy it back inexpensively, refurbish it and keep driving
it (or at least snag the Euro-spec lights and mirrors out of whatever yard
it wound up in). Nope, someone had already dropped in a used engine and
sold it on -- its registration is current; it's still driving around, now
probably working on its third hundred thousand miles.
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