Whole Lotta Eights

What does it mean when your '88 Chevy Caprice hits 88,888.8 miles 8 years after you get it?
WHAT DOES IT EVEN MEAN?!?

True story.

Caprice Fixed, Money Saved!

After my '88 Chevy Caprice failed to pass inspection this year, I decided to do the repairs myself.

Mission accomplished! Repairs are done, The Beast has been reinspected (and passed), and I'm back on the road. I saved a lot of money, too.

Brake hoses
The mechanic quoted a price of $160 to replace both front brake hoses. I picked up the two hoses from the nationally-recognized auto-parts megastore for $11 each. Several friends have asked how I did it, so I'll show you in my next post.

Wipers
Installing wipers is such an easy job that the nationally-recognized auto-parts megastore will usually do it for free right there in the parking lot. I did it myself, but not at the mechanic's $28 price tag. I picked up a pair for $20.

Headlight alignment
This was easy, free, and took about 20 minutes. My Haynes Repair Manual has a guide for adjusting headlights with the turn of a screwdriver.

Rear view mirror
Take it from me: do NOT use super glue to reattach a rear view mirror to your windshield. It doesn't work. For $5 I found a little glue kit made just for rear view mirrors. Easy! Just don't glue the tab to the mirror or glue the tab on backwards. Lame.

Money I saved

	Quote	My Cost	Savings
Brakes	$160	$22	$138
Wipers	$28	$20	$8
Lights	$15	$0	$15
Mirror	$10	$5	$5
TOTAL	$213	$47	$166!

Since I'm NOT an auto mechanic, I'm hardly qualified to give advice or show how to fix a Caprice. But, I will show you what I did to fix mine.

That means my next post will be less of a "how-to" and more of a "how-did."

Hey! I think I just coined a new phrase: The How-Did Guide!

So be it...

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.