44 replies to this topic

[mobilene]

I like my '03 Matrix, I just wish that I didn't have to put a $3500 transmission in it last summer.

[DennyG]

Roll-up windows? How primitive!

But not nearly as primitive as the take-em-off-and-put-em-in-the-trunk (or garage) ones that Dave had on that MG. They were usually called side curtains and I had them on a '57 Austin-Healey 100-6. Those were plexiglass panels that could be slid halfway open like a shower door. Some use side curtains vs. roll-up windows as a distinction between a roadster and a convertible.

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

But not nearly as primitive as the take-em-off-and-put-em-in-the-trunk (or garage) ones that Dave had on that MG. They were usually called side curtains and I had them on a '57 Austin-Healey 100-6. Those were plexiglass panels that could be slid halfway open like a shower door. Some use side curtains vs. roll-up windows as a distinction between a roadster and a convertible.

Denny, Dale,

Wow, I am impressed! Any guy who had a 57 Austin Healey is a prince.....I only dreamed about having one. When was this?

And I had no idea you could hold forth on plexiglass side curtains.....But you don't mention that they rattled at all speeds...in the MGA they were stored behind the seats. That made it tough to get the cover over the fuel pump off so you could whack it with a wrench to get it going.

Did the 57 Healey have a crank like the MGA? It was great when you had a dead battery, but you needed to know how to hold the handle if you didn't want a broken thumb. Ah...another "lost art."

Dale, Thanks for letting us mess around here.....Did you note the old white semi abandoned motel just out of Gila Bend on the left as you headed toward the bridge? I have a photo or two, but no idea about its history.

Dave

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[mga707]

I like my '03 Matrix, I just wish that I didn't have to put a $3500 transmission in it last summer.

Auto or manual tranny? How many miles were on it when it blew?
$3500...yikes! I guess the days of replacing a tranny for $600, like I did in 1992 on a 1982 Plymouth Gran Fury (slant six engine) are long gone...

[DennyG]

Wow, I am impressed! Any guy who had a 57 Austin Healey is a prince.....I only dreamed about having one. When was this?

This owner was a pauper. It was in 1967-68 and the Healey was on its last legs. It went from me to the junk yard but it was great fun while it lasted. A removable hardtop that stayed on all winter and off all summer. There was a folding top that went up only once and it took three college students to manage it that time. When parked, the interior was usually "protected" by a tonneau cover.

Did the 57 Healey have a crank like the MGA? It was great when you had a dead battery, but you needed to know how to hold the handle if you didn't want a broken thumb. Ah...another "lost art."

No, but the car that preceded it, a 1961 Renault 4CV, did. One of the many 4CV oddities was its water cooled rear engine. The crank fit through a hole in the rear bumper and came in handy on many occasions. The Healey had its own unusual tool: a big rubber mallet for the knock-off hubs.

[DaleS]

Hey Dave, I didn't notice the old motel, but I'll check it out next year.

Have fun here.

Dale

[mobilene]

Auto or manual tranny? How many miles were on it when it blew?
$3500...yikes! I guess the days of replacing a tranny for $600, like I did in 1992 on a 1982 Plymouth Gran Fury (slant six engine) are long gone...

Manual. There's a known flaw in the manual transmissions from the first year or two of the car that makes them all crap out. Mine died at about 75,000 miles. I would have been fine with a used or rebuilt xmission, but those are hard to come by as Matrixes have proved to be otherwise hardy cars with few in junkyards yet. So I ended up with a brand new xmission from Toyota.

[DennyG]

Manual. There's a known flaw in the manual transmissions from the first year or two of the car that makes them all crap out. Mine died at about 75,000 miles. I would have been fine with a used or rebuilt xmission, but those are hard to come by as Matrixes have proved to be otherwise hardy cars with few in junkyards yet. So I ended up with a brand new xmission from Toyota.

Wow. I knew nothing about this but a little searching turns up plenty of stories. Apparently it's a bearing issue and affects 2003 & 2004 5-speeds. 65000-75000 miles seems the most common range but 30000 is not unheard of. At the other end, at least one guy got to 149000 miles before failure.

Just a couple of hours after reading the bad news here, I got a message through an automobile e-group pointing to a report on the 10 most ticketed cars. The Matrix is #10.

My Vibe has 73000 miles on it. I've received one speeding and one parking ticket in the last ten years and it was the Vibe in both cases.
I'm doomed and just this morning didn't even have an inkling.

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Wow. I knew nothing about this but a little searching turns up plenty of stories. Apparently it's a bearing issue and affects 2003 & 2004 5-speeds. 65000-75000 miles seems the most common range

My Vibe has 73000 miles on it. I've received one speeding and one parking ticket in the last ten years and it was the Vibe in both cases.
I'm doomed and just this morning didn't even have an inkling.

Denny,

Would it help to put it is second and leave it there? I'm thinking you can probably start in second, and while it will be tough on gas at higher speeds, you can buy a lot of gas for $3500!

Or, since a 2003 Vibe has a market value right around $6,500, you could sell it now, put the $3500 into a CD and still have the money to buy my Hyundai!. Like I said before, I need a new car anyway.

Dave

Keep the Show on the Road!

[mga707]

Manual. There's a known flaw in the manual transmissions from the first year or two of the car that makes them all crap out. Mine died at about 75,000 miles. I would have been fine with a used or rebuilt xmission, but those are hard to come by as Matrixes have proved to be otherwise hardy cars with few in junkyards yet. So I ended up with a brand new xmission from Toyota.

Whew! Glad my Vibe's an automatic! I don't think there's too many out there with 'sticks'. I remember when I was car shopping that both of the local dealers had about 10 automatics for every 5-speed.

[mobilene]

I love driving a manual transmission, so I seek them out. Anyone driving a manual-transmission Matrix or Vibe, the clue is that you'll start hearing a scraping noise and it will get louder over time. Mine scraped that way for something like 18 months. My mechanic told me he thought it was a bad throwout bearing and that I was ok to drive it until it got loud enough to really bother me, but he didn't know about The Flaw that made the tranny expire one day (when I was 75 miles from home). He said that once he learned about The Flaw that acting on it sooner would not have made much difference -- I was going to need a new tranny, period.

[Chris Rowland]

I got a message through an automobile e-group pointing to a report on the 10 most ticketed cars. The Matrix is #10.

We've had our 2003 Matrix since 2002 and it has yet to get tagged for any violations. Hopefully I can keep it "under the radar", so to speak.

It's an automatic (for my wife's sake--I prefer a manual), so we haven't had transmission issues, but the 'check engine' light for the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors became a problem after 90K. We got the sensor replaced that they recommended, but that kept the light off for only a couple of weeks. So I've been driving around with a 'check engine' light off and on for about 2 years now. The car has always run fine, though, except for that golden glare off of the dashboard.

Chris

[mga707]

Quick update: My 80 road jaunt has unfortunately been postponed. I was all set to hit the road this morning when, upon checking my tires, I found that one of the sidewalls is developing a crack. When I bought the Miata last April I figured I could get about another year out of the tires, but I guess I'll have to replace them a bit sooner than that.
And it was a perfect late winter day for a 'top-down' cruise, too! Topped out about 70 this afternoon and stayed mostly overcast, so less chance of back-of-the-neck sunburn. Oh well...

Edited by mga707, 15 February 2009 - 09:35 PM.

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Quick update: My 80 road jaunt has unfortunately been postponed. I was all set to hit the road this morning when, upon checking my tires, I found that one of the sidewalls is developing a crack. When I bought the Miata last April I figured I could get about another year out of the tires, but I guess I'll have to replace them a bit sooner than that.
And it was a perfect late winter day for a 'top-down' cruise, too! Topped out about 70 this afternoon and stayed mostly overcast, so less chance of back-of-the-neck sunburn. Oh well...

mga707,

Gees, you are breaking my heart! 70 degrees and no wheels! It has been raining all day here and even with tires with no cracks in the sidewall, I was inside all day. Well we both have next week....

Cheers!

Dave

Keep the Show on the Road!

[mga707]

Well, I finally did the delayed US80/89 road trip north from Tucson today. Weather was clear and sunny, mid-80s, with quite a bit of wind. Did not go all the way to the old stretch between Gila Bend and Buckeye, however, which of course would have included the titular bridge of this thread. Have to save that for another trip up to PHX when I have more time to spare.
What we did do today was to take I-10 to Picacho, then exit on AZ87 north through Coolidge (by the original 'Big House'--the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument), then followed AZ287 east to Florence, where I joined what had been US80/89.
After strolling around downtown Florence for awhile (it was quite dead on a Sunday noon), we headed down old 80/89 (now signed as the second iteration of AZ79--the original state route 79 was constructed in the 1950s as part of a more direct route between Phoenix and Flagstaff. The original 79 ran from Cordes Junction up to Flagstaff and is now part of I-17, having lost it's state designation long ago. So, the "AZ79" moniker was available for reuse. But I digress...).
And yes, we of course stopped at the Tom Mix memorial marker, just north of the Tom Mix Wash where the unfortunate Mr. Mix lost his life back in October 1940.
What was new there since my last visit was the addition of three metal ramadas, each shading two picnic tables. The memorial is now the centerpiece of a full-blown roadside picnic area.
I shot two photos of the marker, fully intended to post them here, only to be stymied by the inability to upload my IPhotos to this site. It keeps informing me that my uploads are two big, no matter how small I attempt to size them. Finally, I gave up in frustration. (Note: I later added the photos to the gallery. They uploaded there with no problem!)
Anyway, the Tom Mix memorial marker is still 'alive and well' on the southbound side of old US80/89--the Pinal Pioneer Parkway--southeast of Florence, AZ!

Edited by mga707, 01 March 2009 - 11:13 PM.

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Mga707,

Sounds like a fun trip! I thought about your intended trip when I read a magazine the other day that had the story of a trip in the early 20’s that included the Borderland Trail (the name of the road you were on). Not much detail, but an interesting name.

Regarding the photos…you should be able to upload them to the gallery, but if you want then in the post (as I do) you need to imbed in your post a link to the photo.

Dave

Keep the Show on the Road!

[mga707]

Regarding the photos…you should be able to upload them to the gallery, but if you want then in the post (as I do) you need to imbed in your post a link to the photo.

Dave

Keep the Show on the Road!

This will probably sound stupid, but I just checked out the gallery (first time). Did not see any way to post pictures on there, though. What did I miss?

Never mind, I just figure it out. If anyone's interested, I just added two photos of the Tom Mix memorial marker to the gallery.

Edited by mga707, 01 March 2009 - 11:11 PM.

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Mga707

Even though you didn’t make it all the way to the dam and bridge this trip, I thought you and others, including Dale, might enjoy this little blurb from a 1924 AAA magazine concerning driving across the dam before the bridge was built.



Dave

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[mga707]

Mga707

Even though you didn’t make it all the way to the dam and bridge this trip, I thought you and others, including Dale, might enjoy this little blurb from a 1924 AAA magazine concerning driving across the dam before the bridge was built.



Dave

Keep the Show on the Road!

Wow! That is really neat! Wonder how many early motorists hit that water, found it deeper than they expected, and stalled out?
Of course, most '20s cars had higher ground clearance than today, didn't they? Still, I'll bet someone with a couple of horses could've made some $$ pulling stalled motorists (or those too timid to even try) across the dam apron through the water!

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Wow! That is really neat! Wonder how many early motorists hit that water, found it deeper than they expected, and stalled out?
Of course, most '20s cars had higher ground clearance than today, didn't they? Still, I'll bet someone with a couple of horses could've made some $$ pulling stalled motorists (or those too timid to even try) across the dam apron through the water!

Yah, the more you read and learn about auto travel in the old days, the more fun it is to learn and see more…and you are lucky to have some great old roads in your ”back yard.”

I’m assuming that drivers could see the difference between 6 inches and nearly four feet of water! But no wonder they built the bridge!

When I lived in Tucson back in the 1970’s, I recall some of the washes in town were crossed on cement lined fords. That was no problem when they were dry, but as you know, the difference between dry and flood in Arizona can be a matter of an hour, if not minutes.

I recall crossing a ford in Tucson with a little trickle of water on the way to a mall one afternoon, and when I returned an hour later there was a car in the middle of the ford in deep rushing water, and there was a woman in top! She was saved, but I never crossed there after that when it was wet. Do they still have those things, or are the washes in town all bridged now?

Enjoyed your new photos in the gallery!

Dave

Keep the Show on the Road!