Rejected: Failed Inspection Costs Dollars!

Oh no! My car didn't pass inspection this year and it will cost ALL THE MONEY! Well, not really. But it is still a big phooey.

Now I have some repair decisions to make, but first...


About my car
I drive a 1988 Chevy Caprice, and proud of it.

My '88 Caprice, or "The Beast," is AWESOME because:

• It's PAID FOR
• It's old enough that I can fix some things myself
• It's big and comfortable
• It's made of more metal than plastic

The Beast reminds me of stuff I like: reliability, saving money, DIY, and the freedom of not being obsessed with the latest and newest things. And no, I don't work for Chevy!

I gave my work buddy OCD a lift in The Beast. He said, "This car is SO comfortable! It's like floating down the road on a sofa!"

Thanks, OCD! I agree...


Broken!
Four things didn't pass inspection:

• Right-front brake hose cracked ($80)
• Windshield wipers ($14 x 2 = $28)
• Rear view mirror fell off ($10 to re-glue)
• Headlights out of alignment ($15 to adjust)

Total to Pass: $133

But wait! The mechanic said my other brake hose wasn't looking so hot either, but not bad enough to fail inspection. If I need one side replaced, I would rather have both sides done. After all, it's a 24-year-old rubber hose and probably could use a change.

Total Cost: $213

Yikes! Time to think about fixing the car myself.

Brake hose: Just unscrew a hose and screw on a new one?
Wipers: Like putting on pants. Got it.
Mirror: $10 glue? Really?
Headlights: We are talking about twisting a few screws here. No biggie.

Alright, I'm going to tackle this.
It's you and me, Caprice. Let's do this thing...

P.S.  A big thanks to The Yankee for the photos and camera use.