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Breakdown miles from anywhere story

To: british-cars@autox.team.net
Subject: Breakdown miles from anywhere story
From: Dennis Wilson <IEDXW@asuvm.inre.asu.edu>
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1993 09:02:56 -0700 (MST)
Car:  77 MG Midget.
Place:  Arizona.

OK, on sunday I went up to the Mogolon rim with my NEW  girlfriend in the MG.
We had a picknic, watched the sunset from a beautiful vista right on the
edge of the rim of a plateau.  You get a spectacuar panoramic veiw.  Then we
watched the stars and the bats come out whil whispering sweet nothings in
each others ears.  Then we pack up in darknes, go to start the car, I dip the
throttle peddle crank it, it just fires up then snap, the throttle cable
breaks.  So here we are, miles from anywhere (nearest small twon is Payson
at 25 miles) in total darkness on a back country road without tools, a
tourch, or anything.  Then very luckily, a car pulls up, they have a tourch.
Now begins the fun stuff.  I've got to fix it.  So I take my girlfriends
hiking boot lace, and tie it to the throttle shaft linkage (I have an SK carb).
Then I rout it around an edge on the linkage bracket (I put a peice of rubber
tube on the edge to stop it cutting into the lace and lubed it with oil).
Then I routed the lace into the insdie of the car through the speedo cable
entry hole in the firewall.  Now if I sit in the car, I can pull on the lace an
d rev up the engine.  So with lace in my right hand off we go.  I pull the lace
and off goes the car.  Gena does all the gear changes.  We get back to payson
and I deceide that I should have it towed the 78 miles back to Phoenix
in case the lace should break.  This does not cost me anything as I have good
old Oregon AAA Plus with 100 miles of free towing.
   So there you.  Next time I'm carrying tools etc.  I was lulled into a false
sense of security as the MG has never broken down in the 5 years I've had it.
Of course this is probably because I fix it before it is broken!!

Cheers Dennis


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