Brian:
You make a good point. Actually, you make several good points. And you imply several more. (Wow, you're good.) I bought this car 11 years ago for $700. I bought a working parts car for another $700. I actually needed the engine from it to fix mine. All totaled, I am into "this" car about $2500. That works out to about a dollar a day to drive what is arguably the best car ever made, not including the ongoing gas, tires, and oil expenses. I have had almost no trouble with it. I have only needed a "few" parts and have done all the work myself. In other words, I have enjoyed the hell out of it. It is boringly reliable for a car pushing 400k miles. As Forest Gump said "You know - one less thang.".
Point is, that for what I haven't had to pay in monthly payments I can afford to buy new parts and install them. Overall this is the cheapest car I could hope to own.
But when I ask an independent shop about my problems and they instantly know about things like "camber kits" or the effect of other parts such as the upper control bushings, or I come onto a list like this and get baraged with knoweledge and ideas and suggestions, I realize that the franchise shop technicians are in it for the money only, and not the love of the craft. I would have thought that the guy under the car would know everything there is to know about what is "out there" in the way of front end and alignment options. Sadly, he had no clue.
Mobius' advice is good - "Cut your losses and find someone who knows his trade.".
But first I'm going to investigate all the suggestions and see where I am. It is amazing how much better I felt when I learned that there is something I can do to save my ride.
I will also be letting Big-O know, anonymously, that they have lost a customer for life and why and that I will bad mouth them to everyone I know as those opportunities arise. Because every time I have walked into that place they want money. And they take more than they give. Lesson learned.
I intend and hope to drive this car until it just won't run anymore. Or explodes. or gets T-Boned. Or something. I love these cars. It brakes my heart to hear that someone is going to scrap one and I can't do anything about it. I am putting one of these om617 engines into a jeep at the moment and wish I had ten more of these engines in my garage. You just can't have too much of a good thing, can you?
I'm rambling.
Thanks for the good points.
Best to everyone,
Bogy.
On Thursday, June 19, 2014 8:14 AM, "bstromsoe@yahoo.com [diesel_mercedes]" <diesel_mercedes@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Welcome to "the club" as almost all 200k-300k cars are going to have strut and control arm issues. Normal wear and tear, and an occasional 20' flight off an embankment will do that. A friend had a Big O tire franchise and bailed on them when their franchise fees went heavenward. Switched to Tire Pro and has been happy ever since. First thing they did when I put tires on Mary (200k) and Martha (300k) was wobble the tires up and down and side to side showing me the wear and tear on the upper and lower control arms. Frankly, the rubber just wears out. And, alignment is temporary at best if everything is loose on the front end. This is not a terrible problem for Martha as my wife drives to and fro to shop, but Mary is used for long term excursions. Cost could be $1000 to replace everything, but when I have not made a car payment in 20 years, I am OK with annual maintenance costs. Any major repair work I do on either car will easily last another 10-15 years and the DMV probably won't renew my drivers license when I am 90+ anyway.
