The Beetle is Fixed

Just as Lorne was picking me up from work last night (Wednesday, January 4th), our mechanic called his cell to say the Bug was ready. Just in time before we took the toll 407-highway east instead of west to our mechanic, so we went and picked up my car. It finally passed the emissions test at the tune of $1508! The converter was toast (totally hollow) and replaced. I had been hearing the rattling around for a while. When we were last driving and the car began spewing only cold air we pulled over, realizing the engine would overheat - the water pump had broken. The pump itself, housing and hose were fine but the plastic ring (Alex, our mechanic, called it a hamster wheel - it was that cheaply made) broke apart.

Lorne still has to go back and pay the balance and get his Suzuki Sidekick tested for clean-air.

I went at 8:30 a.m. this morning (Thursday, January 5th) to the Driver Vehicle office in Pickering but the lazy government bums don't work until 9, so I drove from Pickering to Markham and went to the office there, which by that time they were open. I got my plate stickers for another year ($74). At least I won't get pulled over now for an unregistered vehicle.