704sw
10-19-2021, 05:28 PM
Forewarning: long intro to the main event. As some of you undoubtedly heard me mention before, I used to have a 2006 Mazda3 sedan I called Chloe. It was the only new car I ever have or ever will own. Bought on NYE, 12/31/2005, I loved that car in a way I’ll never feel for another car.
Chloe in 2011
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51609256679_9ebf9ddd28_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2mCwVYk)
Don’t get me wrong, I love my ZHP, and it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the Mz3 in every facet except fuel economy; but the Mazda was special to me. I was 18, I had a brand new car, and it coincided with a big turning point in my life. I took care of her like it was a faberge egg—there’s something about a new car where every single blemish you know happened on your watch. There’s no shrugging of shoulders and saying “well, it’s never going to be perfect.” So I aimed to keep it perfect, and I succeeded at that goal…until I had dogs. It was such a good, reliable, spry little car that punched above its weight. If it had a 6th gear I’m confident it would’ve broken the 40mpg barrier.
But unfortunately, 2,700lbs. and summer tires led to a cold demise. I was trying to get to my girlfriend’s place in the mountains and beat an incoming snowstorm, but only halfway there the storm had shifted and cut me off. It was the same distance to turn back or to soldier on, and the conditions were the same both directions. Just a few miles later the dilemma became moot. January 25th, 2013, with only 77k on the clock, Chloe lost traction and hit the concrete walls on both sides of an iced-over bridge. She was totaled with frame damage on both sides.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51608824528_617e79659b_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/187920334@N06/5QX2sE)
My X3 replaced the Mazda. And while it has proven to be a very good car that fit my needs with 2 dogs who joined me on frequent road trips, nostalgic memories of Chloe never faded. This became even more true as the once ubiquitous sight of first gen. Mazda3s became rarer and rarer.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. An old coworker of mine texted me that she was needing to do some unplanned car shopping and asked if I’d help her. As we were talking she explained why: her old Mazda3 was dead, no crank. Fearing that, even if *this* repair was straightforward, she simply was less comfortable with an older car given her travel requirements for work, so she made the decision to move on from her old Mz3.
Here’s the hitch: it’s dead inside the parking garage of her apartment complex where traditional tow trucks cannot access. The unknown repair requirements of a 13 year old economy car in less than perfect condition, plus the logistics of vehicle recovery resulted in the car having basically zero trade-in value, and she asked if I’d be interested in adopting it. Despite not being a car person, she loved her car, and knew that I loved mine because I got doe-eyed every time she drove us to lunch. And she knew I was the best chance it has at avoiding the scrapyard and getting a chance at a second life in a loving home. This weekend I’m borrowing a friend’s truck and trailer and will be bringing it home. Here she currently is, stuck in this parking garage for a month now:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51609265634_66e98c7d6a_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/187920334@N06/Y0Eq5V)
It’s a 2009 2.3L 5-door with 135k. My plan is to bring it back to roadworthiness initially, and slowly rehab her over time back to my personal standards. I haven’t even seen this car in-person in 3 years so I have no idea what to expect. If the plan is successful, it will replace the X3 as my daily driver. The X3 is (a) simply still in too good of cosmetic condition to be using it for the things I need an suv/wagon to do [lumber, muddy dogs, gardening stuff, etc.] especially with a tan interior, and (b) at 140k miles the list of things it needs replacing is getting long and spendy. The N52 isn’t as easy to work on as the M54 in my opinion, AWD makes everything harder to do, and quite frankly, the gas mileage is a ****ing joke. 21 highway downhill with a tailwind on premium from a crossover lol.
Updates to follow (I hope). I don’t actually expect any of y’all to be interested in an old economy car project, but I want to keep a personal record of it here because the Mazda3 forum is a friggin' ghost town these days. Thanks to anyone who actually reads this novel :blushing
Foolish last words: I’m hoping it’s just a fuel pump…
Chloe in 2011
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51609256679_9ebf9ddd28_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2mCwVYk)
Don’t get me wrong, I love my ZHP, and it’s leaps and bounds ahead of the Mz3 in every facet except fuel economy; but the Mazda was special to me. I was 18, I had a brand new car, and it coincided with a big turning point in my life. I took care of her like it was a faberge egg—there’s something about a new car where every single blemish you know happened on your watch. There’s no shrugging of shoulders and saying “well, it’s never going to be perfect.” So I aimed to keep it perfect, and I succeeded at that goal…until I had dogs. It was such a good, reliable, spry little car that punched above its weight. If it had a 6th gear I’m confident it would’ve broken the 40mpg barrier.
But unfortunately, 2,700lbs. and summer tires led to a cold demise. I was trying to get to my girlfriend’s place in the mountains and beat an incoming snowstorm, but only halfway there the storm had shifted and cut me off. It was the same distance to turn back or to soldier on, and the conditions were the same both directions. Just a few miles later the dilemma became moot. January 25th, 2013, with only 77k on the clock, Chloe lost traction and hit the concrete walls on both sides of an iced-over bridge. She was totaled with frame damage on both sides.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51608824528_617e79659b_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/187920334@N06/5QX2sE)
My X3 replaced the Mazda. And while it has proven to be a very good car that fit my needs with 2 dogs who joined me on frequent road trips, nostalgic memories of Chloe never faded. This became even more true as the once ubiquitous sight of first gen. Mazda3s became rarer and rarer.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. An old coworker of mine texted me that she was needing to do some unplanned car shopping and asked if I’d help her. As we were talking she explained why: her old Mazda3 was dead, no crank. Fearing that, even if *this* repair was straightforward, she simply was less comfortable with an older car given her travel requirements for work, so she made the decision to move on from her old Mz3.
Here’s the hitch: it’s dead inside the parking garage of her apartment complex where traditional tow trucks cannot access. The unknown repair requirements of a 13 year old economy car in less than perfect condition, plus the logistics of vehicle recovery resulted in the car having basically zero trade-in value, and she asked if I’d be interested in adopting it. Despite not being a car person, she loved her car, and knew that I loved mine because I got doe-eyed every time she drove us to lunch. And she knew I was the best chance it has at avoiding the scrapyard and getting a chance at a second life in a loving home. This weekend I’m borrowing a friend’s truck and trailer and will be bringing it home. Here she currently is, stuck in this parking garage for a month now:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51609265634_66e98c7d6a_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/187920334@N06/Y0Eq5V)
It’s a 2009 2.3L 5-door with 135k. My plan is to bring it back to roadworthiness initially, and slowly rehab her over time back to my personal standards. I haven’t even seen this car in-person in 3 years so I have no idea what to expect. If the plan is successful, it will replace the X3 as my daily driver. The X3 is (a) simply still in too good of cosmetic condition to be using it for the things I need an suv/wagon to do [lumber, muddy dogs, gardening stuff, etc.] especially with a tan interior, and (b) at 140k miles the list of things it needs replacing is getting long and spendy. The N52 isn’t as easy to work on as the M54 in my opinion, AWD makes everything harder to do, and quite frankly, the gas mileage is a ****ing joke. 21 highway downhill with a tailwind on premium from a crossover lol.
Updates to follow (I hope). I don’t actually expect any of y’all to be interested in an old economy car project, but I want to keep a personal record of it here because the Mazda3 forum is a friggin' ghost town these days. Thanks to anyone who actually reads this novel :blushing
Foolish last words: I’m hoping it’s just a fuel pump…