Temporary, no-cost fix

temporary fix

after breaking and before temporary fix

In order to ease my stressed frugal, cheap, parsimonious, financially stressed mind and not wealthy mind, I took my car for an estimate. We, car and I, went to a body shop that has done all my body work in the past. Plus, I trust them and have known the family for 35 years.

Sometimes, knowing the news, whether good or bad is better than not knowing at all.

He offered to put some transparent, red tape over the light. I didn't know such a thing existed. He took a razor blade and carefully cut around the tape so that it does not look like a patch. Also, the tape does not touch what is left of the paint on the car.

He made a few calls.
cost for one 2000 Malibu, outer tail light:
New--$289
after market--$169
used--$100
another option--get someone to go remove the right tail light from the junkyard if it will be cheaper. I think that might be cheaper. Now, I have to figure who is willing that will also know how to remove the tail light and how to get the right one!

1-2-3 Group primal scream now!

I don't consider this repair cosmetic. Guess what I will get when I can afford it. I wonder if this part could be found more cheaply.

This repair is going to cost the earth in resources. That is just not right. The little red plastic lens replacement would be so much kinder to the earth.

The first picture was taken at night. The second picture was taken in full blazing sun.
Okay, no more car tail light repair posts.

Your turn
Do car repairs of any sort throw your budget so far out of whack that you are stressed?  Are you as annoyed as I am when you have to replace whole chunks of your car when a little red lens-like piece could have been made replaceable for less money and less waste in earth's resources? Do you go for the cheap repair when it is not a vital, moving, functioning part of your car?

My car got the short end of the stick!

broken glass (plastic) on rear passenger "corner"

I was exhausted, my normal state, and headed off to Huntsville. One stop was all I had--grocery. As I backed out of the parking space in the grocery store, I heard the crunch and felt the jolt, a slight jolt, mind you. I was sick. I hit a vehicle. Now, my insurance would go up. I felt demoralized.

After pulling back into the space I was trying to get out of, I went over to look at the truck. Not so bad, I thought to myself. At any rate, I walked back to the store to find out who owned the truck. No one did. Then, a woman said it was hers. She was checking out, so I went back out to grab my camera to record the glass as lay on the ground.

I hit driver rear "corner." Red cover is broken from my car.

This is what I wanted to make sure that everyone knew--I hit the "corner" of her car, not the center. No, there are no scratches to speak of. The rest of the glass is in small pieces.

Right above the tag, right in the center of the truck (below) , there was a dimple where the truck had been hit before. I don't want to show her tag, so I am severely cropping the pictures.

She laughed it off, said the truck did not matter, that she just hoped it did not hurt my car. She saw my taillight, waved me off, saying not to worry, the car belonged to her son and it was going in the body shop tomorrow.

That was a nice outcome, but my last nerve was frazzled, frayed, and pieces were falling off. So, now I have to try to cover it with plastic, tape it on with my guerrilla tape, and wait until I can afford to repair it.

No lights were damaged in the fiasco, only the plastic cover. My friend in Huntsville checked that out as I sat working the brakes and blinkers. I could have checked it at night, but it was broad daylight and I had to leave town in evening rush hour traffic.

My insurance would have paid for the truck, then gone up until they had recouped the amount from me! I think it has been over 15 years since I had even a fender bender. A half inch scratch cost $900 that time!

Your turn
Has your last nerve been worn by an accident when you could not afford the stress or money?