UPDATE: 135,387

Vic is home and feeling a little better.  Taxi Guy replaced the rear brake pads and fuel filter, but didn't repair the emergency brake, as it would be a $400 job (rear axles have to come out to do the shoes).  So he didn't do the e-brakes, but did fix the exhaust leak. 

Thing is, it wasn't the gasket.  The flanges on the pipes were rotted away!

So he did a little welding so that there was something to put bolts through.  Otherwise, we'd be looking at actual pipes, or at least replaced flange parts.  So what he did was weld on some thick washers, and... well, just take a look at the photo. 

Now that Vic is 15 years old, I wonder if soon I should replace it.  The fenders are rotting, rear wheelwells are rotting... but it runs great.  Interior is almost mint.  A hard decision to make, but once things start rotting away, well... that isn't a good sign...

UPDATE: Crown Vic Monster Truck

Yesterday I decided to run a quick errand, and half way to my destination, I started hearing a rumble.  At first, I thought it was the Subaru in front of me.  Then when I pushed the gas pedal, I came to the realisation that the sound was coming from MY car. 

Exhaust gasket #2 has failed.  And Vic sounds like a Dodge truck with an 8 foot lift kit, chrome everything, and lots of decals.

If you look back through the WUWV archives, you will see that Todd and I replaced one back in 2006.  So it took 6 years for the other one to rot away!  I think I still have a replacement gasket in the trunk, as I bought two, figuring I'd need the second one done soon.  Six years isn't exactly "soon". 

Taxi Guy is on vacation, so Vic will have to wait until later this week to get fixed.  I guess this will be a good time to get rear brake pads, and see if the e-brake can be sorted out... again... I have had that emergency brake setup fixed a billion times, and it always stops working. 

As for Todd's '06, it had been acting strange.  Todd kept having to turn back during his morning commute because the car would barely run.  But when we took it out on weekends, on longer drives,  it was fine.  Finally, it got so bad one day the engine light went on, so now there was a code to read.  The problem?  The throttle position sensor.