Why do things like, the car not starting on the one day you're supposed to take your friends around Lisbon and sight see happen. It just seems so unfair. I walk out this morning to get the car ready to go to the city with our volunteers and the key will not go all the way into the ignition, no matter how hard I try. So what choice do I have, I have to stay home and fix the dang car because we need it the rest of the week. (No, that is not my car. It a car I took a picture of while back in the states, but I would like it to be my car)
So I stand there thinking, I don't have the money to pay for a mechanic to fix this thing. Just looking at the car cost who knows how much and I'll have to pay to get it towed to the mechanic. So what to do? Bright idea! I will try and fix it myself. I figure all I need to do is pull the ignition out and go get a new one, which will probably cost me 20 euro to do, but I figure I can swing that.
But car stuff is never as easy as that. First I had to remove the cover around the steering column. Not to bad. A little tight but do-able. Then I had to figure out a way to remove the ignition. That became a problem. I have no idea how you remove an ignition from a 1991 Peugeot 505 station wagon. They're like little tanks. So after a whole lot of deep breathing and a lot of struggle, I come to a halt, but I can't give up. I have to get the car running and it's going to be today because I do not have any other time to do this. So that's it. It's decided, I'm going to figure out a way to hot wire this sucker.
When I was in high school I had to hot wire my orange, tiger stripped, 1972 Datsun pick-up because I lost the key. So I have hot wiring experience but this time it has to be better than the last time. Last time I used a hair pin to hold the wires together and every time I went around a sharp curve it would fall off and the truck would start to stall out if I didn't reach under the dash and grab the wires to hold them together until I could get the hair pin back on. Go figure.
So this time I spend some time trying to figure out how to hot wire the old Peugeot and I succeed. You just shove all the wires together and it start, but then you have to remove the hot one that goes to the starter or it keeps cranking over even after the thing has started. Once I had that solved I had to go buy some switches to turn the thing on and off. I will not bore you with the adventure of looking all over Cascais for something that would work for switches. I would have liked to have gotten some toggle switches, but I couldn't find any. So I settled for these lamp switches that I thought would work. As long as they aren't to light and don't melt on me. We will see.
I hurried home with my treasure and got right to work and after a few hour I had a 91 Peugeot with 3 lamp switches installed under the steering column that will do everything you need to start your car, make the radio work, run the lights and turn the wipers on and off. And all for under 10 euro. If I don't fry the electrical system in the car I will be very happy and proud of my hack auto mechanics. Gentlemen, (And ladies too) start your engines. Be Blessed
4 comments:
First off...I'm sorry your car isn't working right.
Second, I'm impressed that you went after it yourself and succeeded.
Third, I think that it is awesome that you know how to hotwire a car...seriously, every guy wants to know how to do this deep down.
Lastly, I think it is awesome that a CA church-planter knows how to hotwire a car. I wonder how many other organizations have leaders who hotwire cars and wear belly shirts at conferences?
Justin, part of getting into CA was the fact that I was adaptable I'm sure. I figure hotwiring cars falls into that catagory. By the way, even though I got her running, I found out yesterday that the steering wheel was locked still and I'll have to fix that before I can drive her. Step by step.
you are my hero.
Right back at ya Nelly. Bjs
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