We had 100,000 miles of happy motoring in this old beast, but now, it's time has passed.  Next stop for this 13mpg monster is the shredder.  It was a great cruiser, but fun to drive fast in too.  Scariest day was when I decided to see how fast it would go - I was on a deserted desert road, straight for about 5 miles,  with new tires on the car.  With the transmission in Sport mode it would not shift into 4th gear until about 124mph.  Just as I hit 135, the belly pan/bottom engine cover came detached and was shattered to pieces, making a huge bang like a tire blowing out.  It took me about a mile to slow down to a stop, and when I went back to look for the parts, there was nothing salvagable left.  Haven't driven that fast in anything else since.

I was given this great car by a friend who couldn't afford to keep it.  His mechanic in Boise, Id., couldn't figure out why it wouldn't start, so he told owner that iming belt was broken.  He also mentioned that it didn't have spark plug wires.  I cleaned the fouled air cleaner, replaced the plugs, and now have a luxury rocket that gets an honest 19-23 mpg.  I love this car and wish I could find someone who could appreciate it, as I'm on a limited income.