I can't kill my car...

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gfh77665

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2001 Grand Marquis. I hate the thing. I won't go through long winded details, but short story is it seems to hate me. Just after buying it used, the A/C went out, and the coils had to be replaced. Paid $2000, and spent another $1200 within a month. Now the thing leaks in the rain, and the wipers will QUIT in the middle of a torrential rain storm, then suddenly start working just as I exit the rain BUT NOW THEY WON'T SHUT OFF! I swear this car hates me. LOL

So, in order to salvage some fun out of the situation, I abuse it by cutting "doughnuts" in the beach sand, immediately stomping on the gas literally one second after a cold start, buying the cheapest gas I can find, etc. If there ever was a "beater", this is it for me. But, it won't die. Crazy isn't it? LOL
 
They will take a lot of abuse and last a long time if you are willing to constantly fix niggling things like you describe.
 
Panthers, like roaches, have the superpower of being able to survive almost anything. They're notoriously hard to kill.

Even if you did manage to kill it, somebody would buy it for a fixer-upper.
 
Those cars are tough. My last police car was a 2008 Crown Vic, and it took a beating and kept on ticking. Idling for hours and hours, then engine revving to 6000 rpm for long stretches. Jumping curbs, whoopty doos through the woods. Heck of a car.
 
Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Rather than sell it and get some of your money back and moving on you're intent on destroying it for some perverse pleasure and getting nothing out of it? Money to burn.


Yes! LOL
 
The cost to fix a blend door actuator motor to control the HVAC in the middle of winter was what did it for me on my last 2011 LX. I liked the car but was not going to pay somebody $800.00 to rip apart the dash to replace this faulty part which will just break again at some point. Traded that thing in on my 2009 Camry XLE & never looked back! Toyota dealer did not even bother to drive the CV so the problem was not even realized by them which worked out well for me with book value of trade in of 8K.
 
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I live in a rural area and leave for work at 3AM, so I start it up with the rear wheels on grass, then punch it to the floor. The wheels spin like crazy, the speedo registers 70-80 mph even though I am barely moving. The car inches forward then suddenly the rear wheels find pavement and grips and I lay rubber almost a half block long, LOL. This all happens with the 4.6 stone cold, LOL.
 
I wonder about modern HVAC in cars. My 66 Valiant had a cable operated Hvac that worked well enough Hot in winter cold in summer. Chrysler, I'm sure, wasn't alone in these marvels. Even vacuum can be used. Like in the Amc Grand Wags
grin2.gif


Since owning the Rat, I have remembered why I stopped buying them after the '75 LTD wagon
grin2.gif
 
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If you have decent looking alloys (the dished ones with 20 or so teardrop shaped openings around the outside), save them for me when you blow it up, I can't find any decent ones around here!
 
"Kill it" was the wrong wording. "Torture it" is far more accurate. I want it to survive as long as I am having fun with it. I even still change the oil, LOL.
 
I had a friend like that in the 80's his father bought him a brand new Dodge Aspen fully loaded and he used to do neutral drops to burn rubber all the time needless to say it was junk within two years and a few rears and transmissions..
His father then bought him a really nice low mileage used Oldsmobile that he hit a tree with racing another friend.. on a small side street he was then walking to school.. I recently saw him years later he now works for a school in maintenance I saw him getting out of his newest ride it was impressive it has automatic doors and everything.. I think most people call it a city bus..
Posts like the one you posted makes most people think of the biggest loser they knew in high school.. In my case it was this guy George he was nice but Oh Boy!
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
I had a friend like that in the 80 his father bought him a brand new Dodge Aspen fully loaded and he used to do neutral drops to burn rubber all the time needless to say it was junk within two years and a few rears and transmissions..
His father then bought him a really nice low mileage used Oldsmobile that he hit a tree with racing another friend.. on a small side street he was then walking to school.. I recently saw him years later he now works for a school in maintenance I saw him getting out of his newest ride it was impressive it has automatic doors and everything.. I think most people call it a city bus..
Posts like the one you posted makes most people think of the biggest loser they knew in high school.. In my case it was this guy George he was nice but Oh Boy!


You know my dad? Carl?

Sounds a lot of similarities.
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
I had a friend like that in the 80's his father bought him a brand new Dodge Aspen fully loaded and he used to do neutral drops to burn rubber all the time needless to say it was junk within two years and a few rears and transmissions..
His father then bought him a really nice low mileage used Oldsmobile that he hit a tree with racing another friend.. on a small side street he was then walking to school.. I recently saw him years later he now works for a school in maintenance I saw him getting out of his newest ride it was impressive it has automatic doors and everything.. I think most people call it a city bus..
Posts like the one you posted makes most people think of the biggest loser they knew in high school.. In my case it was this guy George he was nice but Oh Boy!


Wade Callahan. Put two cars into the creek, on the school grounds.

Another guy, name escapes me.....His Daddy bought him a GTX w/hemi. A week later, he was torqueing it at stoplight, when the hemi overcame the rear brakes. Pivoted sideways from a stop into a pole, with 5 on board.

A week later, he showed up in a Porsche 911. I guess Daddy concluded the GTX's handling was the issue....
 
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
I had a friend like that in the 80's his father bought him a brand new Dodge Aspen fully loaded and he used to do neutral drops to burn rubber all the time needless to say it was junk within two years and a few rears and transmissions..
His father then bought him a really nice low mileage used Oldsmobile that he hit a tree with racing another friend.. on a small side street he was then walking to school.. I recently saw him years later he now works for a school in maintenance I saw him getting out of his newest ride it was impressive it has automatic doors and everything.. I think most people call it a city bus..
Posts like the one you posted makes most people think of the biggest loser they knew in high school.. In my case it was this guy George he was nice but Oh Boy!


Yep, sounded like 'ole George to me, too. I shake my head. But hey, if you buy a car to beat on and destroy it, you should be working for Top Gear: America. It's all they do.
 
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