First post but I'm a huge MMM fan. Thought I'd share something I'm pretty proud of. I bought a 2001 Honda Accord with 200,000 miles on it for my daughter to drive. Problems right off the bat thinking the daughter has to have a car to drive I know, but what can I say. I'm a soft touch. Anyway, car runs smooth as buttah, amazing really for having so many miles. Everything works, right down to the cassette player and AC. I love driving this car.
She, being 16, is not a great driver. And so one day she pulls away from a stop sign and right into the path of an oncoming truck. Smashes the driver's side rear of the car pretty good, but she is OK. The car is also tough. Rear wheel is at a crazy angle, door doesn't open any more, bodywork is destroyed, etc. I'm sad, but hey I've only got $2,500 into this car. So what?
Then I get to thinking: It's not the price of the car, it's the cost of replacing it that hurts. I bought it from a friend and doubt I'll ever find another cream puff for $2,500. Of course I didn't carry collision insurance on a $2,500 car. I'm a MMM fan, after all. So I jack up it, take off the wheel and have a look around. The car is front wheel drive so actually there isn't a lot of complexity going on in the back. The wheels are pretty much just along for the ride. I call a local junkyard and they have everything I need for the whopping price of $250. Remove the control arms and other bent pieces, replace them with new/used ones and I have my beloved Honda back. I even aligned it myself thanks to a tip from a buddy who works on race cars. It's pretty simple. Google it and you'll be amazed.
Driving around in a car that looks like a set piece from Mad Max has its advantages. Nobody parks near you.
I've been fixing cars myself for 30 years. I don't like doing it and would never consider making a living that way, but the amount of money I've saved is simply astonishing. This is the first time I ever repaired a suspension, though. Bottom line: this stuff isn't as tough as people make it out to be. We all know that.
