Chapter 58 Maintenance and Repair
Although Zhang Ailun didn't know how to repair cars, he knew that Darren was an expert, so he just sat next to him, holding his drink, playing with his phone, and refilling his drink when he finished it.
I went to the restroom twice and watched them operate there in a daze.
I glanced at the time and saw that two hours had passed.
No, it’s fixed now! ?
Didn't you say you were going to do a simple check on the car?
Zhang Ailun was a little hesitant. In the end, he would not ask him for several hundred dollars in labor fees, and then tell him that we can't repair it here, right?
Darren was so obsessed with repairing the machine that he asked his companions for spare parts, but was told that there were no parts at all.
He quickly came to his senses and discovered the problem. The customer didn't seem to ask him to repair the car, and the price had not yet been negotiated.
He crawled out from under the car with a dusty face, came to Zhang Ailun, and said a little embarrassedly: "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. I was a little too excited. After all, it is very motivating to be able to repair a car like this, check the health of this old friend, and restore it to health!"
"I can understand that." Zhang Ailun nodded. The people here are indeed very enthusiastic about modifying and repairing cars. It is also a special culture.
The law has no restrictions on vehicle modifications. You can even let it drive on the road with the wheels on fire at 180 miles per hour, and become a ghost-fire boy.
He said humorously: "It's like a man encountering a beautiful naked woman on the beach. He can't control the urge to look up."
"I'm glad you understand how I feel!" Darren was ecstatic, as if he had met a soulmate.
He added: "My father has run this auto repair shop for decades and has rich experience in repairs. Although I have worked here for more than ten years, I rarely get to repair a grandpa's car like this. Some of the problems with the vehicle are difficult for me to solve, so I need to ask him to come over."
Zhang Ailun asked in confusion: "So what is the specific situation of my car?"
Darren said: "The engine is fine. The spark plugs need to be replaced. The air filter can be used again after cleaning. The carburetor is just like new! There are no major problems with the fuel tank and the generator. They only need a little maintenance and can continue to drive normally."
"The brake oil tank and brake fluid of the RV need to be replaced. There is a not-so-obvious crack on the right rear wheel hub, which also needs to be replaced! The entire vehicle's brake system and chassis need to be cleaned."
"I can help you re-route and replace the vehicle interior structure wiring, and I can also disassemble the seat mattress for cleaning and installation. The propane gas tank heating water system is a bit outdated now. If you want, I can help you keep it. But it is actually better to replace it with a solar water heater, which can also be shared with the air conditioning system."
"This RV must have been newly bought and parked there only a few times after being driven. Do you know who the first owner was?" Darren asked curiously.
"It seems there is information about him."
Zhang Ailun remembered the stack of information that the old man in the car shop had given him, and immediately got in the car to get it back and handed it to the other party.
Darren flipped through the pages and took a look at the name and information, a little surprised, "William McLeven?"
"What's wrong? Do you know him?" Zhang Ailun asked puzzledly.
"Of course, he was a famous Hollywood opera and drama actor active in the 60s and 70s. He was very popular at the time! But later he seemed to have died of bladder cancer. His children even went to court to fight for his inheritance."
Darren said regretfully: "I never thought he had a motorhome like this in his name."
Zhang Ailun was surprised and asked, “Are you saying that this RV belongs to a Hollywood opera star?”
"Of course, just look at the facilities above and you will know. Advanced audio system, front-wheel drive chassis, cruise control, air suspension, these were all very advanced technologies at the time. Simmons mattresses, hand-lined seats, these are top-level configurations that many RVs of the same period did not have."
Darren smiled and said, "You are lucky to come across such a car. It won't take much effort to hand it over to a professional to repair it. I can even save you a lot of money!"
"In reality, it only costs a few dozen dollars to buy parts and pay our maintenance labor fee of $20 an hour."
"Are you kidding me?" Zhang Ailun was a little surprised. He had already prepared it and it would cost at least hundreds or even thousands of dollars to repair and maintain it. You could save him hundreds of dollars with just one sentence?
He teased, "You don't happen to be a fan of McLeven?"
"I'm not, but my father is, and he has his autographed photo! Oh my God, I must tell my father the good news as soon as possible!" Darren seemed very excited. He immediately went to the front yard with the documents and called to tell his old father, the real owner of Old Pick's Auto Repair Shop, the news.
Zhang Ailun was a little surprised that it would be such a coincidence.
Everything that appears in [Daily Intelligence] is indeed arranged by fate.
But it's fine this way, since you can save a lot of money, who would be willing to pay for maintenance that is more expensive than buying a car? Here comes my good brother!
Darren came back excitedly not long after. "My father will be here in a while, but he actually wants me to ask you if you have any plans to sell this car? We can buy it for $2000!"
Zhang Ailun was stunned when he heard it.
I just bought it for $200 and now you want to buy it for $2000?
You messed up!
"Sorry, I don't plan to sell such a big thing." Zhang Ailun shook his head.
This car means more to him than just a place to live.
Several people can live in the car, and it is also convenient for daily cooking, holding parties, and moving and traveling.
With $2000 to rent, you can only find cheap motels and apartments in old neighborhoods, small rooms of dozens of square meters, and you can't live in them for long because the water, electricity, and heating bills are also expensive. What's more, the price of this RV after renovation and maintenance is at least $7000!
"Okay, how about $2500?" Darren saw that Zhang Allen was unmoved, so he continued to ask, "3000? The highest you can offer is $4000! My father really likes this car!"
"I have to say, this is a very profitable deal! But I also reject this deal." Zhang Ailun rejected him without hesitation.
Darren felt a little regretful.
But he didn't feel disappointed for too long. He simply sorted out the shopping list and took out the order for Zhang Ailun to review.
"We need to order the following replacement parts. Although many RV parts are no longer in production, I still have a way to get them. My father's country friend has a scrapped old RV, which is also a GMC RV. Although the style is different, the parts can still be disassembled and used interchangeably. If there are any facilities you need, you can also choose to add them yourself."
Zhang Ailun took a look and didn't like too many of them because most of them were too flashy.
I wanted to replace a water supply facility, but found that a RV solar water heater would cost at least several hundred dollars.
“Just keep it as it is.”
The most Zhang Ailun had to do was replace the toilet and bed sheets, and the facilities in the micro kitchen did not need to be changed at all.
"It will take us about 3-7 days to sort it out. Please leave your contact information and I will notify you when the time comes," said Darren.
Zhang Ailun signed the agreement readily and left Dominic's contact information.
(End of this chapter)
