So, after about 80 miles of driving today, when I was only ~25 miles
from home, I thought how nice it would be to say thanks to the list for
helping with various problems I've run across so far- carb tuning,
overheating, etc - as the car is running wonderfully now. Cruising today
in the warm weather on a hilly, curvy road, the temp never got over
about 180 and, unlike before, actually went back down to 170. Nice. Then
I notice a little shutter in the steering wheel, followed shortly
thereafter by observing that my front left tire has taken off on its
own! Picture my eyes getting really big here. Amazingly, the car
continued straight and true until I was able to get to the side of the
road. Now this is a nice back country road, bordered by trees, so the
wheel headed promptly for the forest and disappeared down a slope :( You
may, like me, admonish me for having no spare, but even if I did, who
carries extra lug nuts? So, after much searching I come up with two lug
nuts and no wheel. By this time the Park Ranger (this is on the Natchez
Trace Parkway) is there telling me I must get a tow. Bummer. To make a
long story a little shorter, there appears to be no damage (other than
to my ego...), and those wide back tires look awfully silly on the front
when you move them around to facilitate a tow. So, tomorrow it's back to
the woods to challenge the bugs and trees and hunt down that tire!
Drive safely!
Chris
http://people.vanderbilt.edu
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