The Truck Came Back

Last Edit July 21, 1998

        It took the Toyota dealer 5 working days to replace the truck engine. I had been thinking six weeks.
        I shouldn't have bothered to drop the insurance. I had to re-install it at once.
        I drove the newly recovered van for a week. It has enhanced insurance now too.
        Cost of the engine? $45.00 for the lube and oil and tire checks, etc. and I have a new engine block. They found one in New England and flew it in. Seems my original engine had a pinhole defect in its block. The 60,000 engine cleanout had dislodged whatever had been holding it together. They said they had only seen that twice before. So, I have a new engine. Or at least a new engine block.
        It purrrs.
        I know about the engine coming in faster than they had predicted - I lost the van windshield wipers in a rain storm. I was not amused. So, I got to see my van on one side of the garage and the truck on a lift on the other.
        I told them, "If my third car was a Toyota, it would probably be here too!"
        Actually, I wasn't joking.
        This time, when I brought the van it, they listened. I told them "check the fuse - both front and back wipers are out." I said this knowing they probably did not disconnect the battery when installing the blower motor in the van. What is the likelihood of both wiper motors going at once? Nil.
        They checked everything - just in case - two master mechanics. But this time the service guy wrote it up with my opinion of what was wrong. They came back and told me, "Yep, it was the fuse". See? They have learned to listen to a woman.
        They had the truck ready two days later.
        They cleaned the outside of the truck - looked like it came from a showroom. (The bra covers the dent in the bumper from a parking lot incident - the driver who did it did not leave his name.) The outside was so clean it intimidated my son.
        My almost-seventeen, lamenting the fact he has not worked on his Eagle and therefore cannot yet drive (Mother's Rules), spent four hours cleaning the inside of the truck with my new Kirby vacuum. I scrubbed the doors and polished the inside glass. Amazing.
        It's like driving a new car.
        The boy hasn't even left a French fry behind. He removes soda containers. He carries out the sandwich bag.
        This is nice.
        He's talking about its being his truck again. I think not. Not after spending over $6,000 to repair the van.
        The van is in for body repairs. A new side panel. Working taillights. A tailgate that opens and closes. I told them not to try to make it look like new (you'd have to replace the entire body for that). Just water tight and with a door that opens. Good enough for college. Not so good a parking lot ding will unnerve a new driver.
        I'm a nice mom.
        It will take 6 months to pay off the repair bill.
        Maybe I need a new job.......
        I keep looking at the new VW bug. I want to hug it.
        My older boy's Tacoma ain't bad either.
        BTW, the older one brought his new Tacoma truck to my dealer. Keeping it in the family. It was due for a 7500 mile service. They needed to check on a thump. He wanted me to see his new truck airhorn. (The 18-weeler kind.) And show me the new wraparound chrome bumper he plans on adding.
        The seventeen year old was eyeing a brush-catcher attachment. I reminded him we don't herd cattle.
        He's still turned on by Hummers.