I haaaaate our car! by Jodi
Two weeks ago, I was driving our Galloper when the clutch gave out and I had to pull over because I couldn't put it in gear. Somehow, after trying different ways to force it into gear, I was able to manually pull the clutch back into position and drive it home. We took it in and ended up needing to replace the transmission. $350 and 3 days with no car.
Last Saturday, after driving home from being at a pool with the kids while Kevin was on work calls all day, I pulled into our carport. When I got out, I noticed that smoke was coming out of the muffler. Then, smoke started pouring out under the hood. The radiator was dry and the coolant reservoir was completely empty. They were both leaking, so we had to replace both. $300 and 3 days without a car.
When the mechanic replaced the radiator, he went to check that everything else was fine and found some huge leak connected with the motor. So, now we need to replace the motor. $3000 and at least another week without a car.
We've been without a car for more time than we've had one the last few weeks, which is tricky when you need to get kids to and from school. Luckily, Sadie and Tessa's school is within safe walking distance. I've been walking Autumn and Jack there in the mornings to catch the bus that goes from Sadie and Tessa's campus to the upper campus. And then the bus has been dropping them off on it's way to the lower campus after school. But, we haven't been grocery shopping all week and the only thing left in our fridge is eggs and apples.
And our oven is broken again. I just told our landlord I'm not paying rent for July until he gets someone out here to fix it because it's been 2 weeks and no one has even looked at it and last time it took 2 months to get it fixed.
Plus, our 90 days are up this Sunday and we have to go to Nicaragua. But, you can't take a rental car across the border. So, we've got to pay triple the normal rental car costs to get a car that we can drive to the border, leave there, walk across, and then pick up a different car on the other side.
Kevin wants to sell the Galloper and cut our losses, which I think I agree with. It's just hard to throw away all that money. I have to keep telling myself that despite the fact that one of our main reasons for moving here was to save money, we realized very quickly that it wasn't going to happen and we stayed anyways. Plus, we didn't have to pay thousands of dollars in import taxes to ship a car here from the States. And, we haven't been broken into like others, so we've saved money there in not having to replace our stuff. And, there's worse things that having to blow a several thousand dollars on something you don't even like, right?
Anybody want to make a contribution to the "poor Kevin and Jodi" fund? I could use some surfing lessons and Sadie really wants an iphone. :)
Last Saturday, after driving home from being at a pool with the kids while Kevin was on work calls all day, I pulled into our carport. When I got out, I noticed that smoke was coming out of the muffler. Then, smoke started pouring out under the hood. The radiator was dry and the coolant reservoir was completely empty. They were both leaking, so we had to replace both. $300 and 3 days without a car.
When the mechanic replaced the radiator, he went to check that everything else was fine and found some huge leak connected with the motor. So, now we need to replace the motor. $3000 and at least another week without a car.
We've been without a car for more time than we've had one the last few weeks, which is tricky when you need to get kids to and from school. Luckily, Sadie and Tessa's school is within safe walking distance. I've been walking Autumn and Jack there in the mornings to catch the bus that goes from Sadie and Tessa's campus to the upper campus. And then the bus has been dropping them off on it's way to the lower campus after school. But, we haven't been grocery shopping all week and the only thing left in our fridge is eggs and apples.
And our oven is broken again. I just told our landlord I'm not paying rent for July until he gets someone out here to fix it because it's been 2 weeks and no one has even looked at it and last time it took 2 months to get it fixed.
Plus, our 90 days are up this Sunday and we have to go to Nicaragua. But, you can't take a rental car across the border. So, we've got to pay triple the normal rental car costs to get a car that we can drive to the border, leave there, walk across, and then pick up a different car on the other side.
Kevin wants to sell the Galloper and cut our losses, which I think I agree with. It's just hard to throw away all that money. I have to keep telling myself that despite the fact that one of our main reasons for moving here was to save money, we realized very quickly that it wasn't going to happen and we stayed anyways. Plus, we didn't have to pay thousands of dollars in import taxes to ship a car here from the States. And, we haven't been broken into like others, so we've saved money there in not having to replace our stuff. And, there's worse things that having to blow a several thousand dollars on something you don't even like, right?
Anybody want to make a contribution to the "poor Kevin and Jodi" fund? I could use some surfing lessons and Sadie really wants an iphone. :)
We would love to donate to the fund! Well that is once we finish paying off the additional fence we are installing which will go down your old driveway and our yard. If only you guys still lived here : ( we promise to pay for surfing lessons and a new iPhone as long as you promise to buy back your old house back, hehe!
ReplyDeleteWith a new transmission, radiator, coolant thingy, and motor - plus all your previous repairs - I figure you have a new car. I'd keep it if for no better reason than for great future blog posts!
ReplyDeleteUGH... I'm so sorry Jodi... What have you decided to do?
ReplyDelete