Old Van Update

I talked to my mechanic this afternoon about whether or not my van would pass inspection. Here in Maine, there is an inspection sticker on every vehicle that has to be renewed each year. A big square that sits on the windshield that is colored to correspond with the year for which the inspection was done. For this past year, it was blue. I don’t know know what next year’s color is supposed to be but I will find out soon.

The sticker also has the months in numbers around the sticker. The month the inspection was done, and thus needs to be re-done, is missing. Mine is missing 3, for March.

My mechanic informed me today that all my van needs is the back bumper and a ball joint. That is it. I thought it had a number of things wrong with it but he says if those two items are replaced, I can get an inspection sticker for this year. Yeah!!!

So for about $600, I will get my van fixed, get my inspection sticker and I can drive the old van for another year. I also need to get it registered but I will do that tomorrow on-line.

I was hoping to get a new vehicle but it is taking more time than I had planned. The inspection sticker and registration needs to be done by the end of March although there is a 30 day grace period for the inspection sticker. My mechanic said he can fix it next week or the beginning of the following week. That will do. If I get pulled over, I will just explain that I am waiting for a part to come in. Which is true. The bumper needs to be ordered.

The good thing is that, once I get a new vehicle, I will still have the old van. I will be a two car family for a while.

Of course, there is still the recall on the van. But I will wait to get that checked out. Hopefully sometime soon.

I decided when I was driving home tonight that I think I will get the van washed. It needs it but I was going to wait to see if it would pass inspection. I saw no point in washing a van that I may have to give up. Of course I will wait until after the Noreaster that we are going to get on Friday. Why wash a vehicle and then take it out on snowy roads? That will just make it dirty all over again.

If I ever do get ride of the old van, I will miss it. It has served me well through the years. But it is 12 years old and sentiment can only take me so far. Someday I will just have to put my sentiment aside. Someday.