I was on my way to work yesterday, minding my own business zipping along the mean streets of Melbourne with a song in my heart and grandmaster flash on my lips when it happened.
My first hint that something was wrong was a light clunking noise as while cornering, moments later I heard a horrible noise and the car lurched forward and down and left.
In the few moments I had, my first though was that my undercarriage trey thing, held on my cable ties had fallen down again. (see previous mechanic story)
Guess not.
Anyway, I flailed along and tried to pull over. No success there. Thats ok though, the car did it for me, you see, my wheel had fallen off. This, I can honestly say, was unexpected.First call to the RACV: Didnt know where I was. Fucking well done.
Second call to the RACV: Consultant bitch didnt want to send a truck, not covered, hand balled me to a towing company. Hung up.
Third call to the RACV: Consultant nice lady. Told me a truck could take up to two hours. Urged her to hurry it up. I’m blocking 50% traffic exiting the freeway. Only two lanes.
SO I wait.
Just over an hour later a police car arrives. I try to wave them into the other lane as I have hundreds of other people.
Oh they are here to see me. Ok. Sweet they take my details and promise to check on the RACV then backup about 100meters and hit thier lights.
Much safer. But now I’m bored.
I check the the police. They are eventually told that a truck was as much as 50 minutes away still.
Great.
I thank them and wander back to my car. Which I cant sit in without scary noises.
So I stand there, pace a little for another 30 minutes until my phone rings.
Oh great. The towtruck driver is lost.
He eventually arrives and drags the remains of my car up onto the trey. I had to sit in it and steer.
It sounded really bad. About half way through bits of my drive shaft got caught on the tray and the policeman had to lift my car to free it.
I thanked the policeman. Shook his hand and off I went with the towtruck driver.
Not before the towtruck driver and policeman had a spat though over
In the next 15 minutes I was educated on his family structure and the details of his divorce.
After what seemed like an eternity we arrived.
It took four of us to get my car off the trey.
****
I ripped up the road 
Anyway the mechanic tells me its the BALLJOINT MATE.
I reply…..isn’t that something you should have checked when replacing my drive shafts ?
He half nodded and started to tell me that shit happens.
It was then I attacked him with a list of all the bad things that I’d had happen there.
Showed him the cable ties from my last story and asked what he was going to do about it.
He agreed to repair everything and lose money on it….I’m not sure what that means, I’ll find out tomorrow.
To be continued.
I was two hours late for work and thus far $20 out of pocket for a taxi.
Fantastic.
Edit: 10-03-2006
Went in today. Hopeing like hell that the damned thing was ready.
I freaked out a little when I noticed it was not in the yard but all was well they just ran out of parking and put her across the road.
$640 bought me:
Two balljoints+control arms.
A wheel balance.
Whatever else he did under the car.
Jerry (The mechanic) was really nice. He showed me all of the old parts and what had gone wrong.
Everyone is telling me that I have been ripped off. However before I went in yesterday to pick it up (not ready) I called around. The average price for the parts was $200-$309 and the cheaper places had no stock.
I think I did ok.
Even if he had identified the problem when I was in it still would have cost the same…..possibly more as this time I received free labor.
Car drives MUCH better now.
