Gustav = Gas Prices Will Go Up

[Morella]

A 96-mile commute in a hearse isn't even an option anymore, but I still think that any car is going to shit if you don't do the maintenance on it. At least keep it lubricated, especially if it isn't garaged, and as well as the aesthetic protection, any seal, like a hood, door, or trunk seal that contacts metal needs opening up and a regular rubber lube worked into it. Otherwise, the moisture will stay between the seal and the metal and make rust spots. Inside the fenders, you could spray LPS 3. The 3 hardens into something almost as hard as putty, but you could run your fingernails through it. Someone told me that it had an outrageous corrosion protection warranty, but we never looked into it. The LPS grade are very different. LPS1 is a light lubricant for throttle cables, seat tracks, and stuff like that, because it won't pull in dust, LPS2, we use on things like the aileron hinges on our airplane, like piano hinge. It is an oil, but and it needs to be reapplied every couple of months if it's kept outside. The LPS3 is totally different. It dries harder than grease. These are normally aircraft products, but Ace Hardware sells them now.

I envy anybody who has some land out in the sticks. I told Tony that I want to get something that's not too far from a city, in case I needed to go get something. He wants to be way out in the middle of nowhere, though, so I don't know what he has planned. I would enjoy it, but I told him that I can't take care of the land while he's out trucking. Maybe with some help from some cats and dogs and a garden tractor, I could keep them under control.

-denise

[jlprigmore]

Well my "commute" varies depending on the jobsite. But my trips to each jobsite range up to 1500 miles from home. And believe me, maintenance is my top priority with this car. Since date of purchase a year ago my bill has reached the $4000 mark getting this thing back into good roadtrip worthy condition. But I wouldn't have it any other way, people tell me to buy a new car, but theres no way. I love drivin my hearse all over, and I wouldn't have it any different. I will one day have my older project hearse but for now I'm having the time of my life driving this one. And with the gas mileage, not a whole lot of big vehicles get this good of gas mileage so for me, buying a new vehicle, with my size would have to be an suv or big luxury car, wouldn't make a whole lot of sense.

[Morella]

It would make no sense to me for you to buy a new car, because of the reasons in my long rant (yeah, I know, which one?) about your new payment, increased insurance and registration costs, etc.

Of course, everyone's situation is different. My job is mostly paperwork that I can do from home, and so I don't use much gas, and my 76 hearse and 76 Chrysler Brougham don't get run enough to cost me any substantial amount in gas. I just keep the seals wet and the oil stirred up, with some trips to the grocery store and stuff. The little solar thingies charge the batteries on the hearse.