heres an oldy but goody....
well me and the ole lady decide to split the east coast and head back to sunny california in the fall of 1975 in our trusty (yeah right)
vw bug ok...heading across the mid section of tennesee....suddenly
we begin to loose power bigtime and oil pressure
and when i look out the back window ...i have closed down the
whole dam freeway with burning oil smoke making it look like a war ZONE.
i say:
crap! i just lost cyclinder number three and i'll have to rebuild this S.O B. somewhere around here.
totally bummin....
we pull off @ the very next exit and i size up the two service stations....one being brand spanking new and the other one lookin like something out of a movie after armegeddon....so i chose that one.
next: we rented a motel room and it's now 11:00 am....
so i drop off the wife and barely putt- putt over there smoke still pouring out the back of the car.... and i'm chokin on it....
i go in...and say
Mornin...! i'll be needing to pull my engine and
am wondering if you have any spare used v-dub parts laying around for my 64 bug because i blew piston number 3.
the guy shakes my hand and says....
nope! smilin.
you blew piston number one.....and you betcha.... we'll see whats layin around and he gave me
the full run of his shop....although i had all my own tools.
40 minutes later: i have my engine out sitting on my home made
motor stand made out of the bottom of a shopping cart and i say
to the guy..."
so tell me..." "whats up with that friggan guy or girl
or what ever it is 
working behind the motel desk in the lobby..."
he says: "
what do ya mean...?" i said:
"well, he looks more like a girl than a man ...and i was lookin for a bra strap thru his see thru shirt....but couldn't see one... he starts laffin saying:
"yeah...
that fagggot (70's talk then...gay wasn't invented yet) is a real
winner ain't he....shakin his head....then he says:
yeah, i have my boy's here, go over there and kick his ass almost every week...
more laffin...and the two sons just grin a big ole southern grin at me... as i begin to laugh out loud.
So with two helpers, i get back to the task at hand.... and start pulling off the head for number one...and sure enough there's a big ole hole burned right thru the top of it... and i looked at the old timer and said..."
how the hell did you know that?" in complete amazement.
he just says... "
i heard it as you drove up heeah son..." grinning.
so we make a great deal on new (used piston and a set of rings)
parts and i slap them in......then he buys everyone lunch which was some awesome pizza.... along with a case of budweiser beer.
he's enjoying the hell out of my mechanic experience and the fact that all he has to do is sit back in his chair and watch....and enjoy the show.
so then ....i start the installation process and we are all getting a buzz on telling stories and having a great old time talkin about hunting and fishing... and also telling them about california living which they think is all messed up. which it is... lol..
About 7pm i have the sucker back in and running like better than ever before...and he gave me some oil and a new set of plugs
just to be nice... as his two son's were getting an engine rebuilding lesson from mister do it yourself and he's lovin every moment of it.
as i back out he says to me....
i'd like ya to stop on back here on yer next trip thru he says ....ya'll come back now hear? i nod...
and he says
make sure ya leave some rubbah on yer way out....
cuz it pisses off dat ol man cross the street... the guy in the brand spankin new gas station ...his competitor... so i am sitting there reving the engine... varooom va va varoooom and errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrch
out i go smokin the tires screaming that bug back to the motel
leaving a hot sa-mokin trail of rubber on the asphalt much to his pleasure ........as i waved goodbye....
i come into the room all greasy but happy with a six pack of bud...
and say:
well , i got her done.... the wife can't believe it...thinkin we're like doomed.... and she's afraid to ask....
how much did it cost ?
i say:
well i cut every corner i could......and hesitate...for the answer... lookin at her worried face.
65 bucks!!! she's like ......
no friggan -> way in total disbelief....
i say
yep... coolest people i ever did meet and i re -tell the story about his sons beating up on the faggot desk clerk...making her laugh as we pop open some beers....and i get washed up...
next morning as we check out...and are both gigglin about the pink shirt waring fairy....and pull out honkin and waving ....goin
eeehaaaaa!!! as we pass the garage.....singin
california here we come
right back where we started from... real loud....
on a very beautiful day.