Car Jewelry

Pigbristles’ comment on Tainted:

I don’t know about Gloria, but my bike always responded well to bling. To make up for pinching her #2 carb boot, I replaced the the boring black ABS side panels with carbon-fiber. She’s been lovey-dovey ever since!  But maybe Gloria’s more of a “spa type” – you might go for the full detail, that might get you back in her good graces.  You can’t put it off though – otherwise, the next thing you know you’ll be into her for a new set of alloy rims or something!  (Oh, and get the O2 sensor fixed, too!)

I’d totally go for the detailing if I knew a place around here I thought I could trust to do a good job and not fleece me.  She’s overdue for just a wash, after toughing it out through her first Sealand winter.  Back in the fall I was washing her by hand, with Jack’s help;  then Flora’s freaking son-in-law ripped the hose off the side of the house and turned off the water to the spigot.  New landlord hasn’t replaced it, or turned it back on.

The Empress did get her those Union Jack valve stems for my birthday (kinda like earrings).  That went a long way.  And I’ve been threatening to take her back in to the dealer and have white bonnet stripes put on her since the day I got her.  (She came with alloy rims.)  Gotta spread the love around, though.  Dragonia needs bling, too!  ;)

As for the O2 sensor:  the diagnosis was “277x”:  “high pressure fuel pump fault, causing misfires across all cylinders & engine stall out”.  The techs removed and reinstalled the intake ducts, and replaced the pump, and she was good to go–  all for free, since she’s still under warranty.  That was particularly delicious, as D’s car had just stalled out the night before, and she feared a malfunction in the fuel pump, and a costly repair.  But it was actually just out of gas, and there was nothing mechanically wrong with it.  So it’s kinda like I got to take the bullet for her.

(You know, I’m a “spa-type”…)