Diving in...
added 2/22/98
The idea started simply enough: Procure a Samurai in decent
running condition with minimal body damage to build up into a
mild trail vehicle/fun daily driver. I did not want to build
a show truck and did not want a beater either. Both Claude
and Ric helped me out in my search for the perfect (hah!)
vehicle. Misery loves company, and now I can prove it.
At any rate, a Samurai turned up in the local photo car rag,
which appeared to be just what I was looking for (and didn’t
need). It was a silver 1988(1/2) convertible 4x4, complete
with the most hideous day-glo green beach cruiser graphics on
the side. Off I went on a snowy, blustery, miserable day to
bring back the vehicle of my dreams.
Upon arrival at the car lot, I did a quick once-around of the
truck: Excellent rust and dent-free body (pretty amazing for
an older Samurai, let alone one in salt-paved Indiana), no
major leaks, nice top, decent interior, and so on.
Out for the test drive: Starts good, goes down the road
pretty good, 4wd works, tranny making whining noise, front
shocks shot, power not quite what it should be. When we
return from the test drive, I get out (with the vehicle
running), look under the hood and underneath, and oil is
just streaming out of the back of the motor. On further
inspection, someone used silicone as a gasket for the fuel
pump-to-head connection.
Had I known how much a prelude of things to come this little
“repair” was, I should have turned around and RUN!! What I
did instead was make a gasket out of a box top and refilled
the motor with oil. All the while I was rationalizing this
hopeless vehicle to myself, reasoning that all it really
needed was some gear oil in the tranny, a few gaskets here
and there, and some lovin’. So, I beat the salesman down to
“great” price using the old “This is all I brought with me in
cash, and my wife has the checkbook” white lie, bought the
Samurai, and was off on my way home.
Now, “home” is about 75 miles from where I picked up this
little Pandora’s Box, and did I mention it was miserable out?
Stupid people should be required to wear a sign, and I must
have forgot mine that day. Anyway, about 5 miles into the
trip, I found myself beating the Samurai into a 30mph
headwind on the interstate. Which meant I was going about
45mph with my foot pretty close to the floor in 4th gear for
about 15 miles.
After turning right onto another interstate headed crossways
to the wind, I was able to cruise pretty “comfortably” in the
60mph range in 5th. But after about 5 miles, the temperature
of the motor started rising. Slowly at first, then it really
took off. Great, 40 miles from home, late Saturday, vehicle
crapping out, in a blizzard. So I turned off into a gas
station, and upon checking the oil, learned the head gasket
was blown. As it turned out, I happened to be near the home
of Claude’s Mother-in-law. My only choice was to nurse the
Samurai over there and get some help. As luck would have it,
nobody was home, so I took shelter in the horse barn, and
waited. Did I mention it was cold out??
The wait gave me time to ponder my situation: I had started
the day with visions of silver Samurais dancing in my
driveway, and through ignornace, blind faith, sheer
stupidity, indigestion, and “hope” had brought myself to
this. I was now seriously considering riding the horse home,
but it was getting dark. I am not a religious man, but
figured God was letting me take my licks just on the
principle of being such an idiot, so I sure didn’t want to
give him another chance for a good laugh.
Claude, his wife Angela, and her mother finally arrived from
dinner, and after a quick look at the day-glo green prize
Samurai parked in the drive, were probably worried the
neighbors might call the Police. So, the next day Claude
returned with me, and we towed the vehicle back to my house.
Imagine the thrill in my (quite reasonable and
long-suffering) wife’s voice upon seeing what I had just
dragged home. You better believe I wasn’t going to park it
in her part of the garage, now or ever!
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