Vehicles

sonett - first look and towing home

If you are going in order, then you already know the story of my intorduction to the car.

It was supposed to be a good daily driver but instead was ruined in Hurricane Sandy. I made the owner an offer anyways so he wouldn't have to deal with junking it. These are the photos from my second trip to see the car, this time with a car dolly so I could transport it back to Baltimore from the Bronx.

The car was still in rough shape and the mold was no better than then prior week when I first saw it. Leaving the cover off and the windows cracked did not help.

I was concerned, and rightfully so, that the brakes would be locked up or the wheel bearings would be seized thus preventing me from getting the car on a car dolly. Well, the brakes certainly took some force to break lose. In the end I just used ratchet tie downs to slowly pull the car forward and onto the car dolly.

The car is very narrow and it just barely fit onto the U-Haul car dolly I rented. It took me about 45 minute of ratcheting, back and forth between sides, to get the car moving and onto the dolly. Getting it out of the parking garage was equally fun. The dolly was scrapping the walls as I pulled the car out of its stall. If the dolly was an inch wider I would not have been able to pickup the car.

All that was exitement was soon overshadowed by the sheer terror of driiving my small SUV, while towing a old car in questionable shape, down the worst maintained roads in the bronx as rush hour approached. Not many things situations bother me as a driver but this one was rough. Cars cutting me off. Huge pot holes. General navigation issues. I would leave some extra space in front of me because my braking was terrible with a car in tow and a new yorker would immediately steal the space.

I was thrilled when I finally got out of New York proper and onto the highway home.

Now the car resides in my garage, waiting for the parts that will let it run again.

Pictures

Preview Image Size
SmllMedLrg
the car sat in a underground garage, under a cover, for months after sandy hit
SmllMedLrg
SmllMedLrg
interior was very moldy
SmllMedLrg
standing water is still in the car months after sandy hit
SmllMedLrg
even the fiberglass dash was moldy, wtf?
SmllMedLrg
rachet strap system I used to get the car onto the dolly, took about 45 minutes
SmllMedLrg
the car is out of the garage and ready for the trip home
SmllMedLrg
you might think I have a thing for the color orange
SmllMedLrg
i hope the wheel bearings hold up during the trip
SmllMedLrg
still has some ground clearance at the back while being towed
SmllMedLrg
back in my garage

Add Picture Comments
Contact Us | ©2014 Me | Page best viewed with Chromium