It was supposed to be simple. But just like Harold and Kumar on their way to White Castle, things aren't always so simple... I had a 9:30 appointment at RJs Muffler and Custom Piping shop in Raleigh this morning.
My buddy James was in his pickup and I was in the Mustang. The drive down the highway was great, kinda loud, but the car had great acceleration. A bit of vibration on hard acceleration, not sure if it is motor mount- or driveshaft- or rear pinion angle-related yet.
We get to the shop after 15 miles or so, but nothing, no shop. RJ moved--in the past two months. We call him but he's not answering.
So we drive home. As soon as I arrive I call RJ, and get a hold of him. He gives me the new address and James drives back to my house.
I hop in the Mustang, turn the key, and nothing. Hmm, maybe that's why the tach got all funky on the drive home? So we jumpstart the Mustang and I hit the road.
Ten minutes into the trip I see the Temp gauge climbing towards "H" with no electric fan running. Yikes! I pull over in a parking lot. No fan. Let it cool for a few minutes and try to start it. Nothing. We try to jumpstart it. Nothing! I figure the car has been driving on the alternator since the battery was so dead. The electric fan is hooked up to the battery and solenoid directly, so I think that's why it didn't come on the first time, but we'll see.
We pull the battery, leave the car open with no windows in some random office parking lot, we set off and find a NAPA four miles away on James' iPhone. Go there and exchange the sealed Orbital battery (free!) and drive back to reinstall. Goes right in, turn the key, and starts right up. Backing up, my shoe slips off the clutch and I catapult backwards before it stalls out. (Gotta get this thing insured!)
So we get to RJs at noon (!), and spend some time walking around the area to kill time. We drop off James' truck at Dent Wizards to get a door ding removed for $99. We buy (cheap) food at Cookout after standing in line for half an hour. We check out Priscilla's adult store next door to Cookout after driving by it for years and not stopping. (Seems to cater to the ladies mainly.) We drive go-karts at Adventure Landing. I get whiplash when some 80-pound kid barrels his kart into the back of my kart as I was parking in the staging lanes when we all were done. We go back to RJs, but he's gonna need more time... So RJ has the car tonight, and I am supposed to get it back tomorrow. Woo hoo!
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