4 posts tagged “ford taurus”
Yesterday was quite eventful. I slipped on the ice that the university failed to clear out, or salt, or sand, until mid-day yesterday, and bruised my elbow. (It hurts just enough to be annoying.)
Then things were pretty okay for most of the day, and my mechanic, Joe, called and said my beloved Taurus was ready to be picked up. I went and got it, paid $568, and was driving it home, when--CRUNCH.
Yep. Somebody clipped me as I was stopped, making a left turn on a 2-lane road. I guess she thought she could get around me on the right in her little Kia Spectra pod car, but she was wrong. Scraped up my back quarterpanel on the passenger's side, and took out the little side brake light. The car is still drivable, and nobody was hurt.
It's your basic fender bender, but the final analysis awaits the cop's accident report, due out sometime next week.
Two years ago I had the driver's side back quarterpanel and rear door replaced from another fender bender (also not my fault). So I guess I'm gradually getting a whole new car body out of the deal.
The Taurus actually needs a new radiator. $500-ish. Alas. Still better than a head gasket fix, but. Sigh.
Yay! Just spoke with my friendly neighborhood mechanic (Joe at Slimmer's Automotive in Lawrence, Kansas -- such a nice man. If you have a car that needs fixin', go see him immediately!), and it IS NOT the head gasket, it's a radiator hose. A $15 part, but hard to get to, so about $120 with labor.
MUCH better than a head gasket repair.
So my dear blue 1997 Ford Taurus has suddenly sprung a coolant leak, and Redz helped me run it in to the mechanics in hopes that they could take a look at it. Alas. At the last servicing (earlier this week!), they had warned me that I had been losing coolant but they couldn't find a leak, and that it may mean a head gasket fix in my near future, to the tune of about $1500. Hoping it's a hose or something else a little less drastic.
Since I've already replaced the transmission just two years ago, I'll probably do what it takes to keep the Taurus running.
And I'd just gotten the car all spiffed up -- oil change, washed, and I put two new bumper stickers on it: I (heart) my Co-op and Peace Voter '08.
