Bumming a Ride

I’m a magazine publisher and video producer. I’ve been invited to add my thoughts to the CarDomain blog, as I seem to spend a lot of time driving and breaking them "in the line of duty." Specifically, I’m known for my Subaru Magazine (Subiesport), a pair of Mazda Magazines (Mazdasport and Forever MX-5) and a TV-show-turned-web-series called Driving Sports TV. I torture clutches, scorch tires and make a general mess of things for the sake of my dedicated readers.

However, even with several cars in my name and a world of knowledge from my staff and those I associate with every day, I’m not beyond getting myself into a transportation pickle. Case in point, a couple weeks ago when I had to bum a ride from my father-in-law, just to get to work. Continue reading…

You’d think someone who spends as much time around cars as I do would be a bit more careful about keeping at least one ticking. It was one of those times when I felt less like 35-year-old professional, and more like a miscreant: jacked up on too much Grand Theft Auto 4 and Red Bull, looking to take my rampage on the vehicles in my care.

Naturally, my father-in-law inquired about my daily driver first, a 2007 Subaru Legacy GT. I had to confess I yanked the ECU to get it reset, in preparation for a story. The company doing the work accidentally sent it back to me via ground-mail (even though I specified next day priority)–so it’s "in the system."

He didn’t seem to think that ripping my ECU out was a good idea, especially for a car I just bought last year. "How about that ‘Zero’ project, the silver Subaru you built for your Subaru Magazine and raced at Portland?" He pressed. I had to admit, that car’s motor–and most of the interior–is currently sitting outside the car in a garage down in Portland.

"The Miata?"

"Motor torn apart in preparation for a new turbo kit," I replied dryly.

"How about that really old rust-bucket, from the 70s, that little green Subaru?"

It was obvious I was beginning to appear less-and-less like a responsible family man, and more like vehicular hoodlum.   

"Oh, that?" I hesitated. "I blew the head-gasket last summer. Head needs to come off."

After a long pause, he probed further. "You didn’t take Melissa’s car apart, too. Did you?"

No. That was true, my wife’s Mazda3 was still road-worthy. That was practically a vow she had me include in our wedding, "thou shalt not approach this woman’s vehicle with intent to ‘improve’ it in any way, less thou shalt face much pain and suffering. If you agree, say ‘I do.’" More or less, I forget the exact words.

Here’s a tip for the would-be tuners out there. First, don’t disassemble the last working vehicle you own; it makes getting around a bit of a challenge from day-to-day. Second, don’t ask your father-in-law to lend you his car when you do. Walk to work if you have to. The consequence is more embarrassment than it’s worth.

Note: the car pictured above is Ryan’s daily driver… when it was running. Since this picture was taken, he’s also blown a piston and has a new motor on order. Ah, the joys of "testing."