thanks for the responses, I forgot to say that in a large number of places I
go for things, outside of my favorite foreign auto parts store, they look at
the car and say
"what make is it ?" I tell them it's a mgb. then they say, what's the model
? again, I say "mgb", in most cases they are staring at the emblem on the
trunk or the front bumper. I'm almost tempted to say 'miata', it's a '77
miata.
I'm changing the oil myself right now.
I'm sure that if I drove in with a super snipe they would be totally
dumbfounded.
thanks, Diane
----- Original Message -----
From: "Diane S." <cessna@speakeasy.org>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, July 04, 2000 9:43 AM
Subject: the passing of american mechanics
> I have to relate this story, it' something my therapist has told me to do.
>
> I was out and about, and I noticed a quick change oil change place and
> decided that after I get my nails done to have the oil and filter changed
in
> Emma, who has been through a lot lately. Emma is a 77 mgb.
>
> So I stopped in one, an acne faced young guy came right out and said "we
> don't have the filter for this car".
>
> I happened to know that he did, but I forgot the cross reference number,
> however being both a scot and english, I just looked at him and said "I
have
> one in the trunk".
>
> then he said, "well, let me see if one of the guys wants to do it, these
are
> very breakable you know".
>
> my hand automatically moved the shifter into reverse, and I told him to
> forget it I go somewhere else. I am not good with quick retorts, like "yes
> it would take some intelligence to find the drain plug", or whatever,
maybe
> that is a positive point to my character.
>
> this was a nation-wide chain by the way.
>
> so 2 blocks down was an other one, a 'grease monkey'. this time I was
> greeted by a woman who took down my info and I waited inside.
>
> they seemed to be going real slow, a big cadillac was stuck in the 3rd
bay.
> they were changing the transmission oil and charging the AC. the guy doing
> it had some problem, then it wouldn't start. This made me real cautious.
>
> I started thinking about how they could mess up Emma. and I got up and
> walked over to the woman, who had by now moved emma inexpertley a few
times,
> and eventually got the hand of the manual shift.
>
> I told her to tell the guys not to do anything with the transmission. that
> is is english, it has an overdrive and it takes engine oil and not to
touch
> it.
>
> I was told that all transmissions take transmission fluid. And the usual
> male inference that "I'm the mechanic, your just a woman", I looked at him
> in the eye and told him that it was an english LH overdrive transmission
and
> it takes engine oil, and he might look it up. They agreed not to touch it.
>
> by now Emma was giving me those looks that you get when you leave your cat
> at the vet and your almost out the door.
>
> after another 25 minutes, the car in bay 1 wouldn't start. A woman
happened
> to own it and the mechanic came out and said, "did you know you had a
> problem with your engine ? it won't start." I listened to this dialog,
then
> got up and told them that I'd come back another time and drove off.
>
> I have no idea how many cars english or otherwise have died at places like
> this. Their clientele seemed to have those personality-less japanese cars
> and lots of chrylser products.
>
> I don't know if it's better in the UK or Oz, but it pretty sobering
overall.
>
> thanks, Diane.
>
>
|