ne w

Julie Crawtord —
Contributing Writer

YOU are what you
drive, some say, and
it’s certainly true in
my case. I only need to
ook back at the cars
I’ve owned to see who
I am now and how far
Tve come.

Mail, Several

Mine began where many
auto stories do, with a
Volkswagen Beetle. It was a

gift from. a

yfriend. Some gift: the car

had been living in a tiekd, was

moss-stained and bore the

pungent smell of the chickens

that frequently called the car
home.

Ah well, it was a start.
Actually, it) wasn the
moss-mobile never did get

revving.

Two more Beetles and a
few boyfriends later...

My Golf GTI had a huge
golf-ball sport shift knob and,
best of all, bright red tartan
seats! (Ed: Julie Crawford
claims Scottish heritage.)

Unfortunately it was
impossible to get into
reverse, so T drove in circles a
lot. Did [mention the leak?
Every time it poured a pud-

bugs and a mini

die would form in the front,
and before driving uphill 1
had to warn unsuspecting
carpoolers in the back seat to
lift their feet before the
tsunami rolled their am |
drove alone to university a
lor.

Love and marriage and a
brand new VW Golf? Ain’t
two incomes grand?

My Mazda Miata marked
the wind-in-my-hair, I-don’t-

care-if-you-don't-like-my-
music convertible stage. | was
zippy, I was hip.... then I was
pregnant.

Tecan still keep my trendy
little car, 1 argued. I don't
need a stroller to fit in the
trunk. Eventually, however, I
got too large to tit behind the
wheel.

I didn’t take it too person-
ally when my’ husband
bought the biggest car he

could find: a 1966 Chrysler
300 convertibie. We could:
have fit Jimmy Hoffa and the
whole Soprano family in the
trunk, but the gas bills-
threatened to cat into: our.
RRSP. Time to downsize;
again

Another Golf, black: this
time. Still some. room once
the carseat, buggy, diaper bag

See Living following: pige

porary

e Repair Ail K

“plastic, aluminum, copper, brass
; domesiic . .. import .
Don’t throw that radiator away Until you've checked with us!

Why? Because you Although the materials
may not need a new one.’ - may have changed, cur
Contrary to what some attention to detail and
people would like you to ality work haven't.

ieve, the “new” e've been fixing
radiators on today’s cars. radiators for years and still
can be repaired, - ©” fix chem — regardless of
reconditioned or recored. what they are made.

Sure, macerials have - Whatever the
changed. We've changed  . radiator’s construction or
too! We've learmed new condition ~ send it to us
tepair techniques, got the
tight equipment and si
the right parts.

Now, we arent saying
all radiators can be fixed.
That depends a great deal
on the nature and che
excent of the damage. But
how will you know if you
just chrow it away? If it
can be repaired, we'll do
it. If it needs to
replaced, we have it.

Radiator repair is our
business. We fixed them

for years — why change?

We also guarantec ca
be the lowest price for alt

FREE Estimates

. oe
__* Nor-est Radiators.
- >. Serving the North Shore since 1952
[1175 Wese 14th, North Vancouver

3 blocks sourh of Marine off Pemberton

984-037.

for “the expert’s opinion.”
We have the technology ro
test, clean, repair, an

su. replace what is needed. -

“"” NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

COLUMNIST and mother-of-two Julie Crawford longs for the day she:can once |
again feel the wind in her hair behind the wheel of a Mazda Miata.’ a :

Our Fall
TUNE-UP
* Scope check and adjust to specs -
' © Labour to install tune-up parts

Special Includes: :

wrath

© Road test vehicle
ix Gs ‘

Seen ea Pa E Parts Extra Pr . See!

Sia A CEASA GLAS NR one | ene : . ES ee

PON NUANUN Wek cee evade te ‘MULTIPOINT INSPECTION WITH GENUINE HONDA OIL, CHANG:
i] , Bed ‘ © Oil end filter change. Check for fluid leaks - @ Inspect drive belt condition : :

© Battery lood/charging test : = {excludes timing bali} “2. *

© Inspect enolant level and freezing point ° inspec ciotister oP rotor and wires

° i ‘ ing ° i i i, jets

’ Chachi coating stem, inspect related hoses Oooh . - wipers, ies

® inspect all brakes for waar % and condition .. © Washer fluid top-up-

® inspect brake calipers, wheal cylinders and pork- ° Inspect exhaust system

“tag broke © Inspect springs and shock absorbers

© Inspect tire wear and pressure * Inspect all lights and bulbs.”

© Tire rotation... =

+ © Inspect transmission Auid level, power steering

~ fl level fi eppicabl), broke id lve “a

a

vet

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