With the fast darkening days of Winter solstice, Inga and Grant, both home from the University, fired up the 1994 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight Royale, replete with hail dimples and large rust (age) spots and pulled away from the curb to add their voices at the rehearsal of The Joyful Noise! A reunion for college students home for the holidays, who are always invited to sing at the 11 PM Christmas Eve service at 1st Presbyterian, a gathering of those who sang in the High School Choir during worship in past years. The sister and brother duo made it about a mile and a half before "Woodrow" with his 162,365 miles began to shutter and shake and then quickly conked out in front of the Buddhist Temple. Grant called home for help, while Inga tried to restart the beast, and finally did, getting Woodrow through the intersection and parked for safe measure in a parking lot belonging to a Verizon technical center. Sue delivered them to the church on time.
At daylight, I returned to the cold chassis and Woodrow purred to life. I drove him home, rather than the shop, figuring I would take him out on a few last minute Christmas shopping errands to see how he did and make a repair decision later. That afternoon, with a trunk full of goodies, Woodrow had a seizure, convulsed and died about a mile from home. I called the roadside help number on my auto policy card and had him towed to the shop the day before Christmas Eve. Despite the new battery that had been installed two weeks earlier, the started motor would not kick the engine over. Without a running engine, the shop could not find out why the engine wasn't running. Makes sense to me.
New starter starting at $317. That is a non-started for me. Likely multiple issues with the beast. We decide it is time to put Woodrow down. But not before Christmas.
After Christmas, my first call after an online search for "Cash for Cars - running or not" got a guy who said he'd call me right back with an offer. Never heard from him. Next stop on the internet was Junkmycar.com. I got an offer for $100 to tow it away. Sue managed to find the title under a heap on my dresser and with paper work and keys, the Salvage company guy came and picked Woodrow's cold, dead chassis up leaving me with a $100 check and a sense of relief.
Out with the old Olds and in with the new!
At daylight, I returned to the cold chassis and Woodrow purred to life. I drove him home, rather than the shop, figuring I would take him out on a few last minute Christmas shopping errands to see how he did and make a repair decision later. That afternoon, with a trunk full of goodies, Woodrow had a seizure, convulsed and died about a mile from home. I called the roadside help number on my auto policy card and had him towed to the shop the day before Christmas Eve. Despite the new battery that had been installed two weeks earlier, the started motor would not kick the engine over. Without a running engine, the shop could not find out why the engine wasn't running. Makes sense to me.
New starter starting at $317. That is a non-started for me. Likely multiple issues with the beast. We decide it is time to put Woodrow down. But not before Christmas.
After Christmas, my first call after an online search for "Cash for Cars - running or not" got a guy who said he'd call me right back with an offer. Never heard from him. Next stop on the internet was Junkmycar.com. I got an offer for $100 to tow it away. Sue managed to find the title under a heap on my dresser and with paper work and keys, the Salvage company guy came and picked Woodrow's cold, dead chassis up leaving me with a $100 check and a sense of relief.
Out with the old Olds and in with the new!
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