149,619 Mile Update: SHOCKING! ... again... really...

Vic 3.0 had new OEM shocks/struts installed by Taxi Guy... without a lift, thanks to two of his being down and a third having a car already on it.  BUT it was done and I no longer need to think about a front coil spring taking out a fender!  Amazingly, there isn't a "night & day" difference, but things like bridge expansion joints are way nicer to drive over.  I'll have a better idea of the difference once the less-than-perfectly-balanced snow tires are off, which should be done today, and new tires are installed (hopefully later this week if Taxi Guy's lifts are repaired). 

So assuming the shocks that got replaced were original, they lasted 149,619 miles and about 14 years.  The ones on 2.0 leaked but these never did.  Then again, 3.0's and Mom's '11 had a front coil spring break, but 2.0 never had than happen despite being driven aggressively for years. 

129,000 Mile Update... AAAW NUTS!!!

Two days ago, I was out and about doing errands, and noticed something about Vic 3.0 didn't look right.  Upon closer examination, I found some roasted peanuts inside the passenger side marker light!  Either a chipmunk or possibly a mouse must have found the hole left by the PD when they took out the strobe units, and started hoarding their nuts in there. 

One drawback to feeding the local wildlife...

When I got home, I took out both units, removed the nuts, and taped up the holes.  After cleaning off the rubber gaskets and waxing the paint they press onto, I reinstalled them and hopefully that will be the first and last time it happens.  Vic 2.0 drove around for years with the same holes and never got used as a "larder". 

While I was under the hood, I sprayed WD-40 into some holes I found in an effort to rust-proof the front fenders.  Will it work?  I doubt it, but it made me feel like maybe I can stave off fender rust for at least one day. 

128,000 Mile Update

My 128,000 mile update is that there isn't much to update you on!  Still have a mystery exhaust leak, and need a new windshield.  Otherwise, things have been ok (knock on wood...).

125,000 Miles...

End of an Era: Nells Vic 1.0 RETIRED

Wellp, welcome to a new year.  I won't go into how crappy 2015 was, and my feelings about what 2016 will be like (HINT:  Crappier.)

Instead, I will FINALLY update the blog with something I have been putting off for months.

As visitors to the main site may already know, Vic has been retired, and will furthermore be referred to as Vic 1.0.

What started on April 6, 2000 ended on July 20, 2015.  On that day, I gained ownership of my boyfriend's 2006 P71 Crown Vic.  Plates were swapped, and suddenly I was driving a blue car instead of a gray one.  You can read a bit more about the change HERE.  

Being a new year with a new/used car, I shall begin with the traditional mileage count, which can now include the car's idle hours:

Vic 2.0 was a Ford demo, and never saw police duty.  So most of those hours were from us railfanning, or from Todd sitting in a cold/hot parking garage trying to eat his lunch.  

One thing that even I can't get over, is the fact that neither myself or Todd has snow tires on yet!  It has been a very mild autumn, and our first bit of snow arrived on 12/29/15.  For some reason, we just keep putting the tire swaps off...

Vic 2.0 at Sleepy Hollow, Concord MA (11/18/15)

Todd is now driving a 2013 Ford Interceptor Sedan, also known as a Taurus police car.  It is the AWD V6 version, non-turbo.  He seems to like it a lot.  I'd like some carpet and a fabric rear seat, but so far it has been ok.  It is rather peppy.  It has grown on him more than on me...

2013 PI goes railfanning (9/5/15)

142,000 Miles

Vic Hits 140,000 Miles

Vic has hit 140,000 miles.  Average fuel mileage 22.4MPG.  Snow tires went on 12/4.  Fronts may be too old, thinking about swapping out with 2 more generic snows I got from Todd.  Fenders still rusty.  Hoping Santa will bring me a bag of money for Christmas...

Vic at the Wayland MA Depot on what was once the Mass Central RR line

136,000 Miles