Dirty cars and bald tires...

"Wagon Guy drives a Boostang" (gimmeboost)
08/21/2017 at 22:33 • Filed to: None

My 18 year-old daughter came to see me this past weekend. Her mom lives in Houston and I’m in Austin, so we see each other when we can, which is more often once school starts (she’s a sophomore at UT Austin).

So we went to dinner Saturday night, and as she had blocked me in we went in her car. 2010 Mini Cooper. This was a mistake. Not the car, my getting in it...

The first thing I noticed was that her car was filthy, with trash inside. This will not do. So after dinner we went to the car-wash, where I instructed and scrubbed and instructed and vacuumed, and got it closer to some sort of state of clean. We then drove it home to finish things with armor all for the black trim and glass cleaner in and out. Mini has a lot of glass. As I was spraying her tires with the tire shine she actually had in the trunk I noticed that there were problems with the tires.

More than one problem. 1) The front tires were bald with bad wear on the outer edges. 2) they were from four different brands. The front passenger side tire was so bad that I had to wonder how any shop worth their fee had managed to pass it for the Texas safety inspection.

Since the car didn’t pass the “dad inspection” I took it in to NTB on Sunday morning for tires and alignment.

She’s happy because dad popped for tires and alignment...

No, I didn’t cheap out on the tires, but I didn’t get the most expensive ones either. She’s not a performance driver, no matter how hard I try to teach her. I’m just happy that this car is a manual and she likes it. I sent a text to the ex-wife that the brakes will need to be done and it’ll need new struts soon. I can only fix things on a car I have access to...

DISCUSSION (26)

itschrome > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/21/2017 at 22:44

Admit it, you only got coopers because it’s a mini.....

MrDakka > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/21/2017 at 22:44

I wish I had a car back in college; I bummed so many rides from my roommates.

Alfalfa > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/21/2017 at 22:48

Yikes. It’s scary enough seeing these things on stranger’s cars.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > itschrome
08/21/2017 at 22:49

Actually got the coopers because they were the first name brand tire on the list. Though there is a nice symmetry to having the car name on the tires.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > Alfalfa
08/21/2017 at 22:52

exactly. She blames her mom for the trash in the car and the mis-matched tires, but at least this was a thing I could fix.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > MrDakka
08/21/2017 at 22:52

my daughter is the one everyone bums rides from. Mostly because none of her roommates can drive stick.

shop-teacher > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/21/2017 at 23:17

This is good dading.

Steve in Manhattan > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/21/2017 at 23:22

You’re a good dad - tires and the suspension keep the car on the road, stuck to the road, and that’s the most crucial thing.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > Steve in Manhattan
08/21/2017 at 23:28

everything works better on a car with good tires. they change the whole character of driving a car. If only I could impress that on my ex-wife...

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > shop-teacher
08/21/2017 at 23:28

thanks. a guy can only try.

Steve in Manhattan > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/21/2017 at 23:52

Replaced the tires on my ancient college Volvo (‘72) ... such a difference. And if the car will take an alignment - so much the better.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > MrDakka
08/22/2017 at 00:15

Depends what car. I had a minivan. So most of the time nobody wanted to bum rides from me. But then on weekends I was the drunk bus. It got old quick.

JGrabowMSt > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/22/2017 at 00:23

This is okay though. Helps knowing the car can’t go for spontaneous joyrides.

My girlfriend had a bad tire on her new car (3" piece of rebar came out, luckily no damage to the wheel). I got one replacement same day (not easy or cheap around here) and had her source the remaining three to be installed later on (my budget only goes so far), but the car is much better now.

The ex wife can think anything she wants, but you’ve got your priorities on what matters most, and there’s nothing that matters more than family. And there’s something to be said for having cleaned the car with her as opposed to just being cranky about it. Good on you for setting an example. May not always feel so great, but it does leave an impression.

CompactLuxuryFan > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/22/2017 at 00:45

Those Minis are so fun! The tail comes around alarmingly easily when you get off the gas. Shoulda bought her a Corolla and kept the ‘dangerous’ Mini ;-P

MrDakka > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
08/22/2017 at 01:15

Perfect for those Costco runs

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > CompactLuxuryFan
08/22/2017 at 01:20

Oh I recommended the Corolla, but the girls got to pick their cars and they didn’t like it. My own dad blames me for my youngest not knowing how to drive stick, even though I had absolutely no hand in her driver training...

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > JGrabowMSt
08/22/2017 at 01:30

The ex responded with an “I’ll take care of that when I get a chance, thanks for the tires”. We’ll see if she actually does take care of it or not, but I feel better about the daughter driving back and forth to Houston.

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/22/2017 at 09:08

That’s not a way to treat a mini. In other words, I feel you with the tire brands. Three of my tires are falken, while the fourth is a nexen(?).

Monkey B > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/22/2017 at 09:19

good on ya dad! I avoid my daughters cars at all costs...they are usually crashed in some manner and have at least one mechanical issue. I’ve bought her 3 cars in the past 5 years...I had to cut her off in that respect. It’s just throwing my money away. Sadly she’s not a good driver, she got her mom’s talents on that one even though she seems to be getting better as the current car hasn’t come in contact with anything in some time. Oh and of course there’s always an excuse as to how it’s never her fault.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > Monkey B
08/22/2017 at 19:58

Both of mine seem to have inherited their driving from their mother. She’s terrible.

My youngest has a VW Beetle, and when I last saw it, there was a huge dent in the passenger side rear quarter, “it just appeared”.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner
08/22/2017 at 20:02

If it had been one off brand tire I would have understood. All four being different is inexcusable. My ex’s attitude toward maintenance is “we’ll take care of it when something fails”.

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/23/2017 at 08:14

Then again, isn’t that every college kids attitude

Monkey B > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/23/2017 at 09:47

haha...mine knows where all her dents come from, it’s just always someone else’s fault. My parents also have mystery dents and scratches from parking lots...but I park in all the same places they do and my car stays relatively clean. Somehow the world keeps hitting their car.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner
08/23/2017 at 17:46

Too bad she’s a 40 something mother of two...

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang
08/23/2017 at 21:38

Whoops,thought you were talking about your daughter

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner
08/24/2017 at 01:13

I’ll be fair, she doesn’t plan for maintenance either, but I’m working on it.