State of the Wheels

A lot of people have asked about Herbie, my geriatric car, and how the Commute of Champions is going. Recall that it's a 1991 red roadster with about 205,000 miles. And, well, some issues:

• Brake fluid leaks and needs occasional replenishment.


• Clutch fluid leaks and needs occasional replenishment.


• Radiator fan doesn't work; heat gauge rises with alarming steadiness in heavy traffic/frequent redlights. (Solution: turn car off at lights)


• Radio often doesn't work during wet weather. One speaker gone.


• No A/C


• Hole in soft top.


• Uncomfortably loud at commute speeds (75+ mph/125 kph).


• Probable leak of power-steering fluid. Power-steering moans like Chewbacca with a bad tooth.


• Some rust. Paint job looks like a Farm-all tractor from the 1940s

Traci's Dad put it best: "I don't mean to pry into your financial situation, CC, but based on what you have told us about your educational background and career, we suspect that you could probably afford a different car that is worth, oh I don't know, more than $750." (The StL County property tax assessor values my ride at $750).

Of all these issues, the A/C is the most urgent. During the commute, I prioritize the criteria for The Next Ride:

• Quiet ride. This excludes a lot of the candidate sports cars.
• Used, circa 2002-2004. Don't buy new until you've been burned by a lemon.
  
• Decent gas mileage. I'm driving 300+ miles a week, easy.
• Killer stereo and cabin (cup-holders, iShuffle holder, cell phone dock, all that stuff)
• Stick-shift. This excludes the Prius, sadly.
• Possibly a shift in attitude: just "settle" for a damn ride instead of architecting a legacy of Hall of Fame cars. (The Miata has been cited as one of the Top 10 Cars You Can Ever Own)