UPDATE: Snow Tires On

Originally, the weather forcast said snow this week.  Now it looks like less of a chance, but Todd and I figured it was a good idea to initiate the annual Snow Tire Blitz. 

We started off taking off my alloys and Goodyear RS-A's, and put on steels and Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice's... The two front ones may have to be junked after this winter, but the rears are still good.

Next, we had to plug one Firestone snow tire, move the cars around, and swap the Firestone with a police spec Goodyear Ultra Grip from Todd's mother's car that was originally his.

Next, we moved cars again, sifted through Todd's collection of tires and rims, and installed two Goodyear Ultra Grips on Todd's car. 

THEN we tried to make heads-or-tails out of all those tires laying around the place... some junk, some good, some on rims, some not. 

Lastly, back in my own driveway, I managed for the first time to get all 4 center caps on my wheels all by myself!  The key seems to be a rubber mallet and no fear of denting them. 

I hope you followed all that!

Brand New 2011 Ford Crown Vic Police Interceptors For Sale WINCHESTER MA

Seeing as Bonnell Ford in Winchester MA sold me Vic way back in 2000, and it is Thanksgiving, I am giving them a bit of a plug here.

As of today, they have 7 brand new 2011 Crown Victoria Police Interceptors in stock, for sale only to  government agencies.  If you would like more information on these vehicles, please contact Allan Eydan at (781) 729-9700... and tell him Jonelle sent you!

Lot Full of New Taxis Flooded After Hurricane Sandy

A parking lot full of yellow cabs is flooded as a result of superstorm Sandy on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in Hoboken, NJ. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes)...

RETIRED: The Valdez

1995 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

AKA: "The Valdez"

May 1995 - Fall 2012

Total Miles: 241,503

This was once Todd's parent's car.  It is seen here awaiting a trip to the junk yard

UPDATE: Going Nowhere Fast

Yesterday morning I stepped out of the house, ready to run some errands, and I noticed the car didn't look right.  It seemed to be slanting in one direction.  A peek around to the passenger side and there it was, a very flat tire.

After some worrying and fretting, things ended up working out.  I used my life saving little portable air pump and got the tire back up to pressure.  I drove down to my old mechanic's shop, and his son did a real pit stop.  Tire off, fixed, and back on car in less than 20min.  That includes the time we spent taking the spare tire out of the trunk.  I didn't expect him to offer to plug the tire right then and there. 

The tire had a slow leak for months, and now I know why.  It was the beat up 3/4" brad/nail he pulled out.  The big leak was from the 1 1/2" screw.  I could actually hear the air blowing out after I pumped it up in the driveway.  I had driven the car the day before with no issues, so I must have picked it up close to home...

UPDATE: Mirror, mirror, on the car...

After some delays, today we finally got the new mirror on Dad's Grand Marquis. 

Switch panel removed.  Not the best design, as it appears every single one of these ends up with a broken tab (you can see where it was, on the left edge.

Door panel removed

Door guts...

Broken mirror removed

Rear of a heated mirror glass unit

Color cap swapped from broken mirror, added to new mirror, and Dad's ready to go!

 

UPDATE: Tree Magnets and Mirrors...

Vic is still chugging along, now at 132,222 miles.  Needs an oil change.  Also, two of my winter Goodyears will have to be replaced with two I got from Todd.  I am not a fan of running two different types of tires, but finances are low, and I got these almost new ones for free. 

Todd's mom's car, though, is like a magnet for trees.  A few weeks ago, yet ANOTHER town tree branch broke in the wind and crashed down on her car.  Same damage it got this summer.  In fact, a news man showed up and filmed Todd stating that the "paint was still wet" on her roof, and made it into TV!

Todd's mom's car... tree magnet

Dad's mirror...

Not long after, someone hit the side view mirror on my father's '10 Grand Marquis and broke it off.  After all these years, this is the very first time this has happened.  I am waiting for a new mirror assembly to arrive.  The place I ordered it from sent me a passenger side one, instead of a driver side.  So there has been a delay in making the repair.