Suzy-Q's Grand Finale
From: Mike Murphy (fmmurphy@cadmus.ca)
Date: Sun 18 May 2008 - 17:20:34 EDT
I'd like to thank everyone on the list for their suggestions as to what was
ailing Suzy-Q, my 1988 ZDJL 5 speed GLS wagon with 205,000 miles on the
clock. In the last few months, the car had developed a severe stumble when
warm and at highway speeds - with spasms so violent that unless the engine
was unclutched, I was afraid the engine would be torn out of its mounts and
the splines stripped right out of the drive-shaft/torque tube. This
occurred during two previous 250 mile trip from Ottawa to Toronto and once
while driving about 15 miles across Toronto. If that wasn't bad enough, her
Bendix unit was also almost completely shot - the only reliable way to start
her was by gravity or pushing. To compound the situation, the relatively
new battery had gone flat, suggesting an internal short somewhere in the
car. The decision had been made earlier to take Suzy-Q out of service after
she had put in five good winters as the heavy-duty salt and snow car - a
role that she excelled in, albeit sacrificially, as her once elegant looks
were now showing visible rust in the usual places. So, when faced with
driving her from her Toronto operating base to her Ottawa-area final resting
place, I had to decide how to do it - trailer her on the back of a U-Haul
truck and trailer (about $500) or take a chance at driving her - with the
thought of a 250 miles of zooming and declutching - or even an outright
breakdown with a subsequent long distance tow (could be as much as $1,000) -
weighing heavily on my mind. What follows is the saga of Suzy-Q's final
voyage. Forgive me for the length (and please snip it from any responses)
but you all know the agony and ecstasy of owning an aging Peugeot and I
thought you might relate to the drama - and the need for therapeutic relief
- i.e., it doesn't always happen only to your lion!
The night before the trip, I had tried to see if she would start - only to
find out that the battery was flat, as was the parking lot on which she sat.
Using JetWhite, my 1986 Turbo wagon (which was full of 30 bankers boxes from
my office) to boost it, I was amazed that the Bendix coughed a few times,
and she started, albeit running at an almost impossibly slow idle. Quoi
faire? My plan was to determine if she was still stumbling and to put a
quick charge on the battery. As per the dance card, once warmed up to
operating temperature, she started to buck and snort. What was worse was
that she had only half a tank of gas and no gas station in Toronto was going
to let me hot-refuel her. Half a tank would normally just allow me to make
the trip, albeit on fumes, but the zoom-coasting is hardly the most
economical mode of driving, so I decided to buy a 20 litre (approx 5 gallon)
Jerry can and filled it with Suzy-Q's favorite libation - 91 Octane. The
smartest thing I did, aside from leaving my wife out of the operation - she
does not need yet another excuse to torch the all-505 fleet - was to park
Suzy-Q near an incline before shutting down. If the Bendix finally packed
it in, at least a gravity start was almost assured. I also asked Toronto
Pugpal, John Ewasyn, who is more mechanically inclined that I am, to attend,
in case the gravity start failed and he had to push start me with his 85 TD
wagon. Launch time was planned 6:00 pm the next day, when John and I were
finished our respective days of work.
Although we had both come from opposite ends of the city, John and I
rendezvoused, both in 505 wagons, within 5 seconds of each other. I wished
we had taken a picture, as for a few minutes, we had three 505 wagons parked
side by each an extremely rare site in Toronto. We soon discovered that not
only was the battery still flat but that the central locking system had
decided to lock the driver's door and no end of effort would unweld it!
This necessitated entry and egress via the passenger side - always fun when
you are 6'3". We tried boosting off JetWhite again and were amazed that the
Bendix rallied to its final call. Faced with a 20-liter Jerry can between
me and the passenger door - the least difficult means of exgress - I decided
it would be wise to drive the car with the driver's window down. I hit the
401 (Ontario's major E-W Interstate as it were) at 7:00 pm for the 4 hour
trip to Ottawa. As expected, the first few miles were uneventful, but I
fully expected the remainder to be pure hell. Based on previous experience,
I had calculated that the trip would require at least 400 cycles of zooming
to 75 mph (the upper threshold at which the police start to take notice) and
55 mph (causing massive disruption of heavy car and semi traffic moving at
65-mph) This was not going to be fun. It needs to be said that I have
always believed that the most important equipment for the owners of ancient
Peugeots is, in increasing order of importance: Automobile Club Membership
(one call gets you help); a cell phone with a fully charged battery (Club
membership virtually useless without it) and, lastly, but most importantly,
an abiding faith in the benevolence of God. A Technical Trinity, as it
were. It was during these few halcyon minutes of Suzy-Q performing
delightfully, that I said the Lord's Prayer, with conviction attached to
each and every word, knowing one does not lightly put the Lord to the test.
Twenty miles out of Toronto, Suzy-Q started to twitch and tremble - the
early symptoms conditions that were precursors to a long and severe attack.
Incredibly, within two minutes, she cleared her throat and ran as smooth and
sweetly as could be - for another hour, when the gas gauge was getting low.
Pulling off at a rest stop, I had to egress through the driver's window,
putting the beefy roof rack rails to good use. With Jerry can in hand, I
discovered the fuel filler door was locked - of course - it was tied to the
master controller on driver's door! Fortunately, the lads from Peugeot
anticipated this contingency, and after lifting the carpeted flap on the
left side of the cargo compartment, I found the lever that manually releases
the door. With the engine turning over so slowly that I was concerned she
would die - and no way to start it again, I emptied the contents of the
Jerry can, greatly relieved that my duty as a Kamikaze pilot was now over.
Now dusk, and cooling off rapidly as night approached, I climbed back in
through the driver's window - which I could now safely close - to continue
the adventure. Unbelievably, Suzy-Q was on her very best behaviour - a
delight to drive. When in good tune, the all-aluminum ZDJL, while a brute
to work on, is smooth, willing and happy to drive and delightfully light up
front, making the car much more tossable than its cast-iron colleagues. I
was as thankful as I was incredulous at this incredibly fortuitous turn of
events.
About 20 miles short of destination, and with the low fuel light just
starting to wink, the symptoms returned, and soon the stumbling was so
violent, I had to revert to declutching and full zoom-coast technique.
Fortunately traffic at this time of night and on this stretch of the highway
was light and no one seemed to care about my highly erratic speed control.
About 5 miles short of destination, I exited the 401, with the fuel low
light now on solidly. Aside from the prospect of fuel starvation, victory
was now nearly assured. Indeed, Suzy-Q delivered me all the way to
destination, under her own steam, to her resting place, Mike Aube's garage.
I remain convinced this was only with Divine cooperation. Having served the
original owner in Rochester NY, then Jim and Sue Lill, and finally me for
five years, it was time for Suzy-Q to take a break from the stresses of
life. Her better parts will live on in the rest of the Murphy 505 fleet. I
returned home to Toronto in Jim Lill's old 505 turbo sedan project car.
Jim's Car, as it is known, ran sweetly the whole way.
Again, thanks for all that responded to the call for help. It was another
adventure that Peugeot owners know only too well.
Mike Murphy
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