June 2, 2006
Well, my car's trying really hard to make itself into scrap metal. After one of my coworkers informed me that it was hemorrhaging coolant, I drove it up to the nearest garage for a quick look. Leaks near the thermostat, at the top of the radiator, and near the radiator cap. They wanted $530 to fix it up right.
The car can't be worth more than $800 right now.
I took it up to Chantilly and asked them to fit it in. I flat-out told the guy: I will not own this car this time next year. If I can get 12 or 13,000 miles out of duct tape and chewing gum, I want duct tape and chewing gum. If you need to replace the radiator, get a refurb.
It's really a shame -- Honda builds an engine that can run a quarter-million miles easy, but the rest of the car just disintegrates around it. Still, the thing is 13 years old and is just shy of 130,000 miles... maybe some of it is to be expected.
Even for the trouble the Civic has given me lately, I still like the Accord V-6 six-speeds. But if my duct tape and chewing gum doesn't hold up I won't get the IRS paid off in time to buy one. Well, a new Civic wouldn't be all that bad I guess. Maybe get one with a VTEC in it this time.
And definitely one with air conditioning.
