Search results for

#AstroVan

#1 Click this link to see Blog page --> 08/17/2006

The sun is just coming up and as I look out upon the splendor of nature I wonder —— why the heck do we have so many cars in our yard!?

We now have five (5) cars. Actually we have four and Noah has one, but still —— three of them have over 100,000 miles and we are trading the newest (the #VW Beetle) off on the new #Honda Hybrid (if it ever gets here). Here’s the logic. The #AstroVan is ancient and paid off. We use it for a bus to haul everybody everywhere and like a truck when we need building materials. We have to keep the van. The #Blazer is mine. Period. We have to keep it too. The #Taurus was Noah’s car and now it’s just a spare, but it is also paid off. It is also nearly worthless in resale value (like the van) and we have two new drivers coming along next spring. We have to keep it. That leaves us with the soon to be traded VW which is Tracey’s work car. Since we have to keep her we have to keep her car.

So I sit here and watch a beautiful sunrise. The new rays of light glistening upon the dew covering our used car lot.

MjL

#2 Click this link to see Blog page --> 10/21/2006

I made a few phone calls yesterday and the tow truck finally hauled the #AstroVan off to the dealer for repairs.

Later in the day they informed me they had to order parts (of course, why would a car repair shop have any parts?) so they won’t start working on it until Tuesday.

Two of the steel brake lines they didn’t replace last time rusted through. I’m just glad Noah didn’t have a wreck while discovering the brakes didn’t work.

MjL

#3 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/01/2007

I took the #AstroVan in to have them look at the brake situation. Evidently it was DOA.

This time it is the brake line that goes all the way to the rear wheels. It is routed up over the gas tank, so they would have to remove that to get at it.

I talked with Tracey about it and we agree there is no point to continue putting more money into the poor thing. It has been with us for so long it almost seems part of the family, but we’ve put enough money into it trying to keep it alive for no more than we drive it. I will have to get it home and then find a place that will take it for junk or whatever.

MjL

#4 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/01/2007

Well the old blue #AstroVan is history. I made a few calls and the best I could get out of it was $150 since it wasn’t in drivable condition.

The buyer hauled it off with a tow truck and will salvage it out in parts. I’m sure they will make some money. I just wish I had known this was going to happen —— I wouldn’t have put money into new exhaust pipes, oil change, etc.

Actually we should have traded it in when we bought Tracey’s new #Honda. Hind sight I guess. We will miss the old blue monster though, we practically raised our kids in that van!

MjL

#5 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/01/2007

Aww... The Old Blue #AstroVan! I can remember when that was what Tracey drove everyday! It almost seems sad, even though I don’t own it! oh well, we just replaced all the lines on my truck and it cost about $250 in parts and we installed them ourselves... so I know what you mean!

K. Monroe

#6 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/01/2007

It was going to be a whole lot more for the old #AstroVan. The tubing had to be bent because they don’t have the pre-formed for it anymore cuz it is too old.

Also needed a new master cylinder. The worst of it was the cost of the tube bending at $80 an hour. It was getting so rusty anyway we figured it would just continue to cost us more and more money to keep it running safely.

MjL

#7 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/03/2007

The junk that was in the #AstroVan ended up in the back of the #Blazer so I spent about an hour yesterday sorting through all of that and putting it away.

One of the neat finds was a pile of rocks that Noah had horded in one of the compartments in the van. My guess it was one of the trips out west when he was really young.

There were two bags of potting soil and a nice kite (Tracey’s), a leather dog leash (Jake’s), a whole compartment filled with pencils, crayons (melted) and paper, and lots and lots of TRASH.

I even found a small box of stick matches from Florida and our van has never been to Florida —— as far as I know?

MjL

#8 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/07/2007

#InsuranceMafia
I’ve been checking the insurance company web site since we sold the #AstroVan to make sure they dropped the insurance on it. The change in my policy declaration finally showed up yesterday.

The van was no longer listed as insured and the rate on the #Blazer had increased significantly. I was grumping and harrumphing — just about ready to leave the site — when I noticed they still had comprehensive and collision on the Blazer.

I had distinctly told the lady at the insurance agency to drop that coverage to save a few bucks.

Turns out it is about 500 bucks once you add a teenage driver. So I called our agency and the gal says she will fix it. I will keep checking.

MjL

#9 Click this link to see Blog page --> 11/01/2018

Eleven years ago today the old blue #AstroVan got hauled to the scrap yard. I think that poor old thing was worth every penny. It got us through ten years of hauling kids, bicycles, the camping trailer and the dog.

MjL