Oh Beast, Wherever May You Be?

[Cory Wolfe]

This is turning into a little weekly series.

Where's it at this week? Dubois, 20 miles away. Imagine this... Idiot lights flashing, clouds of steam trying to escape from the gaps of the hood and the wheel wells... It's quite a sight.

It overheated. I was on my way to Dubois, driving along I80 peacefully when suddenly the temp light comes on. "What?!" I look into the rear view mirror to see a nice trail of steam. "You've got to be f@#king kidding me." Luckilly, I was coming right up to my exit when it happened. Pulled onto the off ramp and pulled over. Steam is rising from around the hood, especially the back. I pop the hood and upon it. Oh, the steam. Coolant had sprayed everywhere, too. It's freezing outside... I was stranded for a good hour until my parent's showed up. Attempted to refill it with coolant and drive home only to have it overheat once again after just a few miles. Before anyone says, since I know someone will, the coolant was fine before this... Fresh and filled to the correct level. I'm thinking the water pump went... but nothing would surprise me anymore. I did find something that occurred from this experience funny, though. It was an ironic statement from my Dad. "This car is a pain in the ass." You can say that again.

So, this is what? The third straight week the Cutlass has had a problem. What do you call that? I mean... I've heard "POS" applied to similar situations, but it's a special car, right? Wait, I suppose it's my fault, right? Just like every other problem it's had... It's never the car. Well... Who wants it? I sure as hell don't. I'm getting sick and tired of this car. It's next stop is going to be at the bottom of a f@#king cliff. I'd rather drive the Sunfire... Atleast it runs on a daily basis.

Edited December 2, 2007 by blackviper8891

[Camino LS6]

That's what happens when a car sits a long time and then becomes a daily driver.

[SuperSport623]

well, i know G Body's make exceptional drag cars... so maybe you should drop in a 355 and a turbo 400 trans... mix in a 12 bolt and i think you have your drivetrain fixed!

[Cory Wolfe]

Remind me to never get another 23 year old car as a daily driver. That was a stupid choice, no doubt.

I wonder how we're going to get it home. It can't see to go very far without overheating and I'm not paying for a tow truck, I doubt my Dad will either. Then again, worrying about what I'll drive to work might be more worthwhile. Diagnosing and fixing this issue probably isn't going to happen before Monday, especially seeing as how all our attempts to fix the other issues were unsuccessful.

Is a reliable car really too much to ask for in life?

[vonVeezelsnider]

Is a reliable car really too much to ask for in life?

Maybe you need a J-Body

*Runs and hides*

lol /JK

[SuperSport623]

Remind me to never get another 23 year old car as a daily driver. That was a stupid choice, no doubt.

my daily driver is 36 years old....

hell if i could, i wanna daily drive a 75 year old '32 duece

[Camino LS6]

Remind me to never get another 23 year old car as a daily driver. That was a stupid choice, no doubt.

I wonder how we're going to get it home. It can't see to go very far without overheating and I'm not paying for a tow truck, I doubt my Dad will either. Then again, worrying about what I'll drive to work might be more worthwhile. Diagnosing and fixing this issue probably isn't going to happen before Monday, especially seeing as how all our attempts to fix the other issues were unsuccessful.

Is a reliable car really too much to ask for in life?

No, but you do have to pay for it one way or another.

[BigPontiac]

Remind me to never get another 23 year old car as a daily driver. That was a stupid choice, no doubt.

I wonder how we're going to get it home. It can't see to go very far without overheating and I'm not paying for a tow truck, I doubt my Dad will either. Then again, worrying about what I'll drive to work might be more worthwhile. Diagnosing and fixing this issue probably isn't going to happen before Monday, especially seeing as how all our attempts to fix the other issues were unsuccessful.

Is a reliable car really too much to ask for in life?

I'm surprised you or your family don't have a AAA membership.

[Cory Wolfe]

Me too... We need one.

[Flybrian]

AAA is the best investment you can make.

P.S. Want a nice Sunfire? Or a low-mileage 5-speed SC2?

[2005 EquinoxLS]

Sorry to hear your plight. I am currently using my 1981 Bonneville in the snow because my sister needed my Equinox. I dont like doing it at all but it has taken it in stride. It actually drives VERY well in the bad weather we have had. I wonder if it is overheating or if it just doesnt need a new radiator and hoses. Had that happen to me a few times on my old cars. GM radiators arent the top of the line on these. As much as I love my RWD GM's there are no doubts they were trying to make them as cheap as they could. So some of the parts are pretty cheap. Again blackviper, good luck in what you do. It may be time to cut your losses and get rid of it. Fix the Mazda in your case. Thats just a little friendly advice from a fellow 1980's GM lover.

[ocnblu]

That's what happens when a car sits a long time then becomes a daily driver.

*scratches head* wait, where have I heard that before? Viper, you knew that before Camino said it, so I won't scold you for starting another thread. A car like this is something you can't just press into daily service hoping for perfection. Problems will surface due to the car's age and being parked longterm, but once they are all fixed, it would still make a fun car to preserve and drive on weekends. Which means... yes, it is time for you to look into getting something more worry-free. We're all behind you on that and wish you luck with car #4.

[Intrepidation]

AAA Plus rocks...plus the discount you receive being insured under AAA while having a membership is greater than the cost of the membership...it's win freakin' win baby.

[Cory Wolfe]

Well... We figured a way to get it home: Drive it anyways.

Before doing so, we attempted to try a few things like a new thermostat and a new radiator cap. All while its sleeting and the car is sitting in a Sheetz parking lot. In removing the bolts to get at the thermastat, one breaks. Replaced it, hoped the glue would hold to get it home. Refilled it with coolant for the second time. Jump started it, since the Alternator issues have been impossible to diagnose and fix. Went on my way while my dad went to get a water pump since it wasn't as expensive as he thought. Turns out, the new thermostat isn't working, probably due to the hose that holds it is only being held on with one bolt. I keep on driving, having not realized this at the time, while I continue to freeze. As I'm looking in my rear view mirror, I can't help but think there's more than just road spray coming from the back, as I'm leaving a trail thats about 1/4 of a mile long. Call my dad, tell him, he figures I should just keep on driving anyways as its probably spewing coolant for reasons other than overheating... or both. Oh well, I'm not about to stop and freeze my ass off waiting for him anyways. I get home, steam billowing from underneath the hood. Coolant is literally everywhere, with puddles of it collecting in dips of the engine.

Atleast its home. Now.. who wants to come to my Beastworks showing? It involves one Beast, packed full of explosives, and one rather large cliff. It's going to be spectacular!

[ocnblu]

Not cool. I hope you didn't do permanent damage to the engine.

[Cory Wolfe]

I stopped caring about this car the moment it left me stranded... And it's certainly not for a petty reason like a flat tire.

Edited December 2, 2007 by blackviper8891

[american_revolution_2005]

Sell this car to somebody instead of destroying it. It looks to be in pretty solid shape. Does it have the 3.8L in it? These cars are awesome to put a GN drivetrain in tho. Same car, just looks more unsuspecting. Best cars out there are the Buicks. They may not be cool, but they are usually driven by older folks who take such good care of the cars. They may not look cool at first but once they keep on going and don't leave you stranded, they are pretty cool. With my experience, the 3800s seem to be pretty bulletproof. My Reatta sat for 4 years and drove 70 kilometres without the oil being changed. The car has 156k miles but still runs excellent. My Lesabre runs excellent too except the fact that the transmission is extremely sluggish on it.

[vonVeezelsnider]

I stopped caring about this car the moment it left me stranded... And it's certainly not for a petty reason like a flat tire.

I wouldn't call it a reason to stop caring...

[ocnblu]

Please don't destroy this car, Viper. Won't your dad sell it to someone who is interested in preserving it?

[SuperSport623]

if i had money id be there in a second with some cash and a trailer... G Bodys= awesome platform!

try posting it up on Racingjunk.com... its a classifieds website and you should be able to find someone wanting the body/frame for a project...

[XP715]

How much you want for the old girl?

[z28luvr01]

I'll join those who are saying "Please don't kill it". Here are the facts:

1) The car is 23 years old.

2) It cost $400

3) It was sitting for a long, long time without being used, and now needs to fill the role of bulletproof daily driver

The car needs TLC, plain and simple. It needed it when you got it, and it needs it now. Whether or not you care about it, it's a classic that deserves a better fate than being run into the ground. Put it up in the Member Marketplace and watch how many people tell you they're interested in it. Just make sure whoever you sell it to doesn't donk it. Hell, if I had the space I'd offer you $100 for it and barrel down I-80 with a trailer in tow to take it off your hands.

[Camino LS6]

What Z said.

[american_revolution_2005]

If I had the time I would take it. My dad and I travel all over and Pennsylvania isn't too far.

[Sixty8panther]

BV:

What's the history of this Cutty again?

Milage?

my daily driver is 36 years old....

My summer daily driver is 49 years old & my "MODERN" winter beater is 23.

hell if i could, i wanna daily drive a 75 year old '32 duece

That's predictable and unoriginal.

How about a '31 Cadillac V16?

[Guest YellowJacket894]

If you want to get rid of it so bad, I'm thinking I'll offer about $200 dollars or so for it and take it off your hands. I'm serious.

[Croc]

[delurking]

Coolant everywhere, huh? That happened to my Aurora after an accident on the 405 (no worries, she's good as new now). There's either a leak in the radiator, or the hose from the coolant reservoir to the radiator is leaking. If the car is old and has been sitting a while, my bet is on the hose.

Try to pinpoint where the spray is coming from. Wait for the old girl to cool down (overnight preferably) and then pop the hood and start the engine. Get it warm, and try to rev it. See where the spray/steam is coming from. In my case, it was steam that then condensed and settled all over the engine compartment. After my accident, my condenser and radiator were smooshed together in addition to a crack in the plastic at the top of the radiator where the impact sheared off a peg holding it in place. It wasn't the crack in the plastic as I sealed it with JB Weld, yet it still went through coolant like a Kappa spends her trust fund.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck with it. From the pictures it looks like a beauty, so my leaning is to try and fix it and go easy on it. Again, for cars that have sat for a while, the hoses are some of the first things to go, so if that's the case, fix it. If something more serious is wrong, then I'd recommend looking for alternative transportation options because money pits are not fun. Best of luck.

[/delurking]

[XP715]

250

[Camino LS6]

Another country heard from!

WB Croc.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

$300.

I'm unsure if I can offer anything past that, however, on my paycheck. But I really do want this car. Not for myself, but for someone in the family that made a pretty hefty financial sacrifice so I could have something to replace my S-10.

[XP715]

Tree-fiddy and that's my final offer! Not because I couldn't or wouldn't spend more, but because I need another vehicle like I need a hole in my head right now; I'm already maxed out with the three I have. But I sure do like that Cutlass!

[2005 EquinoxLS]

Viper if I was you I would seriously think about taking one of these peoples offer and get it off your hands and into somebody that can do something with it. If I had the space and didnt have 2 old ones of my own it would be a cool thing. Sell it and fix the Mazda. I would usually side with keeping the American car but in your case it would be better to fix the Mazda.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

*Sigh.*

I'll try to scrape up $400 then. That's what you paid for the car, BV, when it wasn't plauged by the gremlins it has now. I know my dad wants an older car to restore, and he gave up the money he saved to obtain that car to buy my Sonoma. He looked at Cutlasses, so ... eh, whatever. $400 bucks and that's all I can possibly do.

[XP715]

I gladly concede to YJ because, once again, I need another vehicle like I need another vehicle like I need a hole in my head, and also because I find it very admirable that he wants to buy a car for his dad. I, too, have received much help over the years from my father with my various vehicles; hell, everything I know I learned from him, and I'd love to pay him back some day by buying him a car. Maybe an exact clone of the dark blue '70 Grand Prix he lovingly drove and cared for through high school and his young adult life, before a drunk lady in a Chrysler Imperial totalled it on him one winter night.

I quit, dude; your pops deserves it!

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I gladly concede to YJ because, once again, I need another vehicle like I need another vehicle like I need a hole in my head, and also because I find it very admirable that he wants to buy a car for his dad. I, too, have received much help over the years from my father with my various vehicles; hell, everything I know I learned from him, and I'd love to pay him back some day by buying him a car. Maybe an exact clone of the dark blue '70 Grand Prix he lovingly drove and cared for through high school and his young adult life, before a drunk lady in a Chrysler Imperial totalled it on him one winter night.

I quit, dude; your pops deserves it!

Thanks, XP. If I can't get the Cutlass from BV from whatever reason on my part, feel totally free to claim second dibs on it.

[Cory Wolfe]

Please don't destroy this car, Viper. Won't your dad sell it to someone who is interested in preserving it?

I'll join those who are saying "Please don't kill it". Here are the facts:

1) The car is 23 years old.

2) It cost $400

3) It was sitting for a long, long time without being used, and now needs to fill the role of bulletproof daily driver

The car needs TLC, plain and simple. It needed it when you got it, and it needs it now. Whether or not you care about it, it's a classic that deserves a better fate than being run into the ground. Put it up in the Member Marketplace and watch how many people tell you they're interested in it. Just make sure whoever you sell it to doesn't donk it. Hell, if I had the space I'd offer you $100 for it and barrel down I-80 with a trailer in tow to take it off your hands.

Guys, I'm really not trying to kill it, I'm just to the point of not caring about it. Different things. Besides... I don't think the 20 minute drive home, only half of which it was spewing steam hurt it, and it was my dad who said it would be alright to continue driving. Being made mostly of iron, a little overheating isn't going to warp anything major, like with my Grand Am. As I said, I think the cause of it on the way home was from the hose where the thermostat sits being held by only one bolt. If it did overheat, it wasn't driven long.

BV:

What's the history of this Cutty again?

Milage?

103k. One owner car, sat for about 2 years before my Dad and I came along.

[delurking]

Coolant everywhere, huh? That happened to my Aurora after an accident on the 405 (no worries, she's good as new now). There's either a leak in the radiator, or the hose from the coolant reservoir to the radiator is leaking. If the car is old and has been sitting a while, my bet is on the hose.

Try to pinpoint where the spray is coming from. Wait for the old girl to cool down (overnight preferably) and then pop the hood and start the engine. Get it warm, and try to rev it. See where the spray/steam is coming from. In my case, it was steam that then condensed and settled all over the engine compartment. After my accident, my condenser and radiator were smooshed together in addition to a crack in the plastic at the top of the radiator where the impact sheared off a peg holding it in place. It wasn't the crack in the plastic as I sealed it with JB Weld, yet it still went through coolant like a Kappa spends her trust fund.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck with it. From the pictures it looks like a beauty, so my leaning is to try and fix it and go easy on it. Again, for cars that have sat for a while, the hoses are some of the first things to go, so if that's the case, fix it. If something more serious is wrong, then I'd recommend looking for alternative transportation options because money pits are not fun. Best of luck.

[/delurking]

Nice to see you've come out of hiding. Truly surprised me to see you post. Welcome back and thanks.

---------------------------

As for offers... I may not care much about it, but I still know what a car is worth. In new parts alone, it's worth more than $300. Course, it's not mine to sell, either way.

Edited December 3, 2007 by blackviper8891

[SuperSport623]

but vipe, remember, you never get what you put into it...

[Guest YellowJacket894]

As for offers... I may not care much about it, but I still know what a car is worth. In new parts alone, it's worth more than $300. Course, it's not mine to sell, either way.

Well, consider my offer out on the table, anyway, BV.

[Cory Wolfe]

Well, consider my offer out on the table, anyway, BV.

I'll remember it for future purposes... if it does come to selling it.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I'll remember it for future purposes... if it does come to selling it.

Thanks, man.

I know it'll be a good Christmas (or birthday) gift for my dad if I can get it.

[Intrepidation]

Sell it to one of them and then fix the Millenia. Everybody wins!

Also, this makes the Shadow look like the most reliable car evar!

Edited December 3, 2007 by Dodgefan

[vonVeezelsnider]

Sell it to one of them and then fix the Millenia. Everybody wins!

I'm surprised it took this long for someone to say that

[Cory Wolfe]

Technically, I would have to get the Millenia on the road before selling the Beast. While it may be a huge pain in my poor ol' ass, it's all I have to drive at the moment.

Oh, and since everyone loved the last comment... It's not fixed and I have no choice but to drive it to work tomorrow. Hopefully it won't have much of a chance to overheat on an 8 mile drive. I can just imagine it now... Pulling into the BiLo parking lot with it leaving a trail of steam. That'll be a sight my boss will love.

Edited December 3, 2007 by blackviper8891

[Drew Dowdell]

much more of this and I'm going to be up to brookville in the wee hours of the morning in the Intervention Avalanche.

[Cory Wolfe]

It's unofficially comatose. It refuses to start... it just turns and turns and turns. I think this may be the final straw. I've already been relegated to bumming rides since Monday... its not something I enjoy. My dad doesn't seem to have the time to work on it. I don't either. I also don't have the patience for it... As if you couldn't see that. I may be speaking too soon, but it leaving our ownership is definitely a possibility. If you're serious about making an offer, I'd say now is the time, and we'll see what happens.

Operation redeem Millenia is on.

Edited December 8, 2007 by blackviper8891

[2005 EquinoxLS]

Again I suggest divesting yourself of this car and getting the Mazda fixed. Sell the Cutlass to someone who has the capability to fix it. You will be better off.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

It's unofficially comatose. It refuses to start... it just turns and turns and turns. I think this may be the final straw. I've already been relegated to bumming rides since Monday... its not something I enjoy. My dad doesn't seem to have the time to work on it. I don't either. I also don't have the patience for it... As if you couldn't see that. I may be speaking too soon, but it leaving our ownership is definitely a possibility. If you're serious about making an offer, I'd say now is the time, and we'll see what happens.

Operation redeem Millenia is on.

Well, my offer still stands. I just have to figure out a way to get it down here.

[Intrepidation]

Teleoprtation = applying enough force to a wall with your face while drunk + waking up in a area different from where you started.