The Chariots of DOOM

[cranefly]

The catalytic converter, that was my first thought. ...

Dave thinks it's the exhaust manifold, maybe a bad gasket or a hole.  But LCF drove it the night before, never had a problem.  So I'm a bit suspicious we don't know the whole picture yet.

So the tow truck driver came this morning, and he wouldn't listen to our guess that it was the exhaust manifold.  Catalytic converter, he kept insisting, even interrupting us, saying, "Look, I deal with these all the time.  I know what it is.  I'll show you once I get it on the tow."  Fuck.  That was it.  My first thought had been correct.

We'd already gotten an apptmt with Midas in Sunnyvale, so LCF did some phone scrambling and yes, they could still deal with that.  So it's at Midas.  LCF also filed an online police report, just for statistical crime purposes, and contacted State Farm.  Surprisingly, we have partial coverage.  We'll be getting an anti-theft device installed as well.  But that just slows the thieves, from my understanding.

Which presents us with the specter of putting it in our one-car garage.  That there is easier said than done.

Lots of mistakes dealing with this.  In hindsight, Midas was a bad choice, both in terms of AAA and State Farm (it reduces our guarantees and coverage).  If I had been more on the ball, I would have just got it towed to a junkyard and went hunting for a replacement car.  Because this repair will come very close to the total value of the car.