What are all those flags for?

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Repair mistakes & blunders

I have a 1965 and a 2004 GTO. The front brake lines on my '65 GTO rusted through so I had to replace them before the car show season started. My '65 is always in the garage and my '04 sits outside as my daily driver. To change the front brake lines I had to run my car up onto ramps to get enough clearance to disconnect and re-route them. I got all the brake lines disconnected but there was one connection that I couldn't reach from below so I slid out from underneath the car and tried to reach it from above. With the car on the ramps it was to high in the air and I couldn't reach it so instantly I decided to back the '65 off the ramps to finish the job.

I started the car and backed it slowly off the ramps, but I forgot two things in my mad dash to complete the brake line job: (1) I forgot that I disconnected the brake lines under the car and (2) My '04 was sitting outside the garage right behind the '65.

My frantic blunder started when I tried to put on the brakes of the '65 and they went down to the floor, my other blunder was that I couldn't hit the emergency brake or shut the '65 off prior to it backing into the front of my '04. With the wheels of the '65 spinning on the gravel in the driveway (it was still in reverse with the engine running) it managed to push itself up and over the hood of my '04. I probably wouldn't have had as much damage to the '04 but the '65 has air shocks in the rear that were pumped up for the most height. The only saving grace was that the '65 only received some scratches under the rear bumper (I had just gotten it home from the body shop one week before this incident happened).

Byron in Illinois

Fans of the Big Three

I am a fan of the Big Three and I have fretted for months as their potential demise has been almost casually discussed in the news. My grandfathers designed and built parts for GM’s ACDelco. My mother assembled missile batteries for GM. My dad made tail lights, door handles and many other auto parts for Chrysler, Ford, and GM. I was an Explorer Scout at Pontiac when I was 15. I invested in Ford bonds when I was 17. Chrysler paid my salary and college tuition. The work of the UAW and other unions made possible my grandfather’s retirement and improved the wages, benefits and working conditions for most of the rest of us.

And then there are the cars. Like a sports fan I remember the great years, forgive the bad years, and anticipate future years. My garage holds Big Three cars that are there just because they are fun and bring back great memories. I have read that foreign car makers will “fill the void” if the Big Three disappear. There are many great, new “foreign” cars, but replacing a long-term relationship is not that simple. It is like telling a baseball enthusiast he must now and forever watch only football or cricket matches.

I certainly understand the frustration of Big Three critics. How could Chrysler, Ford and GM not anticipate a rise in gas prices after experiencing the exact same scenario multiple times in the past? My Chrysler 300 languished in the dealer’s lot in 1979 just like SUVs are languishing in lots now.

There are many valid and exaggerated gripes, but for someone living in North America to rejoice at the demise of the Big Three is like happily chopping off your nose to spite your face. Like it or not, the Big Three and their suppliers are an important part of our history and our current reality.

Much of the “new economy” has turned out to be a house of cards. We cannot all earn a living by working for the government or by selling financial instruments and $500K houses to each other. No matter where you live, some of your neighbors, customers, or fellow taxpayers still rely on the Big Three for their livelihood. Even high tech Microsoft has been selling its software in new Fords.

Many foreign manufacturers laudably build some of their cars in North America, but most of their cars, engineering talent, and innovations still come from elsewhere. Separating the Big Three from foreign auto manufacturers can also be a little murky. If Ford goes away does that also mean the end of Mazda and Volvo? Will Saab disappear with GM? Won’t the Big Three’s many foreign suppliers also suffer?

I know little about politics, bailouts, or pension obligations but I hope everyone acknowledges the importance of the fate of the Big Three. The outcome of this game is important to all of us whether we are fans or not.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

This is my 1986 Ford Ranger Turbo Diesel. Yep, between 1983 and 1987 Ford offered the little Ranger in diesel as well. The 85-87 used a Mitsubishi 2.3L turbo, which pulls mightily.

This truck was owned by a little old lady out of Texas who only put 170k miles on it in 21 years, barely a scratch, and almost no rust. Right now, I've got almost everything to replace the entire brake system from RockAuto, vacuum booster down to the rotors/drums, and I'll be swapping out the suspension too. The springs are shot, so you'll be hearing from me about those too.

Other than that, it is a beauty and gets tons of looks when I crank it up. It doesn't sound like a regular Ranger at all. Not to mention, I get up to 30 mpg on the highway, and the diesel power is a real stump-puller.

Thank You,
Izaak

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