Despite the fact that a lot of people seem to have trouble with eBay sellers, I am happy to report that I am happy with yet another selection from one of the sellers there.
I can't remember if I posted on this, but a couple of weeks ago, Oldest managed to rip the passenger side mirror off the Focus before even getting out of the neighborhood. She reported it to my executive officer by telling her NOT that she had hit something, but only that "THE MIRROR IS HANGING OFF THE SIDE OF THE CAR!!"
They just do that occasionally, perhaps.
Anyway, after I got home, the big scuff mark on the front side of the mirror indicated that gravity had received some assistance in pulling the mirror from its mooring in the form of a solid object of some sort, about mirror high. Of course, Oldest could not even BEGIN to think HOW this could have happened, insisting that she couldn't remember hitting anything or even coming CLOSE to anything.
Fine.
Fine, fine, FINE!
I lashed it back to the door frame with a couple of loops of clear plastic packing tape, and very nearly decided to just leave it like that so she'd be embarrassed enough to QUIT HITTING THINGS.
But cooler heads prevailed, and I decided to order a replacement. After finding out that Ford factory parts are apparently made of some sort of gold-dust infused styrene, I figured eBay would be a good source. Found one that was $29 ($14 for the part, $15 for shipping) which is almost 20 bucks less than ordering it from Dearborn. And since I can put it on myself (being all handy and stuff) I don't have to pay the mechanic $60 more for that.
But still, without being able to see it in person, you're sorta at the mercy of the seller, so I was quite pleased yesterday when the box got to the house, and the mirror was a very high quality part, shipped in a sturdy box, and inside of the box bundled in its very own little flannel sack, and with the tall triangular sail piece that fits up the window frame covered with a nifty little rubber bumper.
Very nice.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at November 30, 2006 12:47 PMI hope the new mirroe is a mismatched color to the rest of the car. I wouldn't paint it.
My kid's beat so hard on that Tracker that we finally decided it needed a nickname. Its now officially known as Lumpy. Its appropriate. And the passenger side mirror color is mismatched, though he knows how he knocked off the old one.
Posted by: Nate at November 30, 2006 04:58 PMNah, it's basic black, and a perfect match. I'd rather it not have any more distress done to it. I have a hearty dislike for the commission of wanton vehicular abuse.
Especially when I'm having to foot the bill for it!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 30, 2006 05:03 PMI wonder if Oldest breaks castiron pans too? If so I predict a great future for her w/TRACOM in the US Army.
Posted by: Chef Tony at November 30, 2006 05:59 PMShe could tear up a steel ball with a rubber hammer.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at November 30, 2006 09:30 PMUmmmm.... just wondering, but does the fact that she has absolutely no idea how these things happen (I'm thinking now about the tire, too) have any impact on her ability to drive the car? In our house, I suspect that there would be a strong temptation to order her carless until her memory returned -- because driving a car memory-less could be dangerous, you know. I suspect that the cost of repairs would figure in there somewhere, too.
Of course, depending on your answer, it may turn out that we are in fact the WORST PARENTS IN THE WORLD! ::evil-sounding minor chord::
Posted by: Grouchy Old Yorkie Lady at December 2, 2006 11:14 AMI think she has finally come to understand that nothing else will mysteriously break. Or else.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at December 2, 2006 11:56 AM