One of the things I remember most about the last time I saw my father alive was the fact that his eyes were so blue. The bluest I'd ever seen. He was in a home because my 5-pack-a-day smoking mother had *surprise* lung cancer, and couldn't take care of him any more. Well, I left New Orleans and moved to Moscow, Idaho for a professor gig.
He died that Thanksgiving, when I was on a plane from Spokane to Seattle to catch a plane to Prague to see my fiancee. I got re-routed to Pensacola, and attended the funeral.
My mother had one of those morose open-casket things. I put his fez in there.
There was no autopsy. His death was called "multiple system failure".
He always asked me what I wanted when he died. I told him his motor home. My mom sold it to her nephew before his body was cold.
One of the things I eventually got when my evil mother died was his minivan: a 1988 Plymouth Voyager. I've been babying this thing for years, and it survived a lot, including being in the 4th floor of the MSY parking garage during Katrina and Rita.
The one thing it looks like it can't survive is commuting to Stennis from Uptown NOLA. 100+ miles a day, and the guy at Kehoe told me that it needs every single gasket replaced, including some that require pulling the engine.
Ouch.
I know it's junk. I know it is about the most unsexy vehicle on the planet (AMC products notwithstanding). But I like it.
I probably need to replace it with another minivan. Maybe not, maybe just a 5+ passenger car. But what's killing me is that this is one of the last vestiges of my father that I have.
It smells like him -- it reminds me of him every time I get in it. And now, I'm going to have to tell it goodbye.
Let me ask you a question.
Will fixing it cost more than another better car?
If not fix it.
Posted by: mominem | 11 April 2007 at 03:23 AM
I'm looking at $1500 for gasket replacement. That won't ensure anything.
Posted by: ashley | 11 April 2007 at 03:58 AM
I tell you what, can you pull that plymouth metal badge off the front? Then you can perhaps put it in a shadowbox as a keepsake.
Posted by: saintseester | 11 April 2007 at 06:35 AM
Hmmm...maybe I have a solution: http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/jan97/gasket.htm
Posted by: ashley | 11 April 2007 at 06:46 AM
Way cool about the gasket thing. But is there a mechanic in this area who is up on the latest technology?
Posted by: liprap | 11 April 2007 at 07:22 AM
Yeah...me. With this and duct tape, that engine will run forever. Or at least, will be so useless nobody will want it.
Posted by: ashley | 11 April 2007 at 07:23 AM
I rember when the vans firts came out, glad to see some are still kicking after so meny years.
Posted by: racer | 16 April 2007 at 04:53 AM
Plymouth Voyager was among the first modern minivans. Doesn't look great but still is reliable in some of its parts like its Plymouth exhuast that is still available in
http://www.flowpowerexhaust.com/exhaust_system~plymouth~flowmaster.html
Posted by: venum@ | 22 April 2007 at 05:59 PM