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[quote=”barneyb” post=100167]My best POS story comes from my cousin. His daily driver had formally been a New York City Taxi. It had chain welded to the radiator cap and other items under the hood so that they couldn’t be stolen.
One day as we were tinkering on this thing, in conversation a mathematical question arose. He performed the calculation using a screwdriver in the paint on the hood.[/quote]
Funny. Makes me think of the things that car has probably seen in it’s service life.
I have had many a reliable POS as a daily driver throughout my life. No payments, liability insurance only, if the transmission goes it’s off to the wrecking yard. Both my now adult kids started out with cars far older than they were. That was some valuable education. We would start off with the stuff that could kill folks… brakes, tires, front end. Then we would go through ignition tune ups, belts, hoses. Actually, first step was usually to clean out under the hood so problems were easy to spot.
Bought each his own basic tools, each tool etched with initials. Break or lose one, kid earns replacement.
Since they had more time than money taught ’em things like rebuilding an alternator. Brushes and bearings are usually only a few bucks.
The payback for spending that time with them: I’m now old (70) and feeble (arthritis). My most used tool is the claw pickup thing for tools and parts I drop Either kid is willing and able to help me out with wrenching.
My POS is a 2005 Toyota Prius with 229K plus miles on it but one of my favorite POS memories is of the Raunch Wagon (Ranch Wagon), a station wagon from the 60’s with three-on-the-tree. My friend John (a.k.a. Motorcycle John) would reluctantly purchase an old beater each winter to get him through the lousy weather when he could ride his bike as much and the Raunch Wagon filled the bill one year. One of the best things about that particular POS was being able to cut donuts in a snowy parking lot with impunity and not worry about trashing the suspension.
How do you know you truly own a POS? Answer: When you’ve given it a nickname instead of sticking to the snotty vehicle name it came with.
I love my reliable POS vehicles. I won’t tolerate poor mechanical components for long, but I am happy with cracked, peeling paint, dented panels, non-structural surface rust, mangled bumpers, missing trim e.t.c. I have driven new cars, and (perhaps because I didn’t own them 😛 ) I found the mechanicals fantastic (no play anywhere, now rattles, squeaks e.t.c.), but they were quite sterile, a complete vacuum of personality. No, cigarette burn marks, no dodgy repair job of that ripped seat, cracked plastic trim e.t.c.
This outlook came with me when I moved over to owning sports bikes. I am in a position where I could have a much newer, fuel injected, smooth, shiny machine… but I choose not to. I like being able to park it in the worst areas of my city and know it will be there when I return. A thief would eye my old, carburetor equipped, scarred beast with disgust, then turn to the two year old smooth shiny one and steal that instead. I don’t even need to chain the thing to a post if it’s parked next to a two year old Ducati No one want’s to steal it. Which is great. The exterior look of a vehicle has never impressed me much because I don’t look at it while I’m driving/riding it. I got this for $1500 AUD from a dealership that just wanted to get rid of it. Bald tires, fluffy acceleration from idle, loose connections to the alternator stator windings, knackered battery, an awful aftermarket ‘tire hugging’ mudguard that had been rubbing against the rear tire, valve adjustment, reconditioned brakes, rebuilt front forks, all fluids and filters e.t..c. those are things I will spend money on before I fix that terrible attempt at plastic welding the previous owner used to fix the right hand cowling hahahah!
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=77175]I love the pictures and your stories. Keep posting them.[/quote]
I have a soon-to-be “Reliable POS” (presently straight up POS) and a Reliable POS. Let me post and then describe, as best I can.
Ok. Firstly, the Reliable POS: 1995 Honda Civic. Born an EX.. Sunroof, Auto. I like the EX trans.. and abused down to an LX 1.5L (!) by the previous owner. Then it got stolen.. then recovered.. from the previous owner (or attempted.) Then I had it. Ran well. Then it blew a head gasket over winter. Then it got stolen.. in the winter. Then recovered. Here is that one:
Then, of course, we have the straight-up POS at this time. 1993 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer Tahoe LT; Engine is presently from a 1994, and is almost halfway apart. This was GM’s luxo-jeep.. Its a GOOD TRUCK it just SUCKS WHEN IT BREAKS! And yes, I have the same feeling to it as Eric’s 1972 car.
Here is the most recent picture I snapped of it before I went in.
However… For the time being, I been driving a 2003 GMC Envoy XL and.. It works perfectly. I just want to KEEP it that way, particularly the trans which still shifts 100% 🙂 and then I get to get the Honda and Blazer back to.. Reliable POS. 🙂
… Also: My sister does not believe in the “Reliable POS” theory. She has one of these.. Eric, you know exactly what kind of car this is? And do you like? 🙂
How I wish I still had some of the reliable POS cars I’ve had in the past. The one I miss the most is the ’64 AMC Rambler Classic. 195 cid six, and the joy of vacuum wipers. (Step on the gas, wipers stop. Lift off the gas, wipers frantically beat themselves to death.) This thing was so simple and tough I’m sure it was assembled from recycled Sherman tank parts. Even the gauge of the sheetmetal was heftier than other cars. The body was impervious to shopping cart attacks. And the entire wiring system was simpler than that of a filter drip coffee maker.
It was one of those deals where, being without wheels, I walked onto a car lot and asked the salesman what the cheapest car on the lot was. He quietly led me out back and pointed, embarassed, at this old survivor. It was love at first sight. A neat feature about the car was the interior door release handles. Pull up, and they unlatched the door, as is normal. Push down on them, however, and they locked the door.
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