I got back to Tucumcari with my rims in time to get them put on the T-Bird and get it out of the shop.
Phillip at Jack’s Towing moved the car into the garage and put the tire on the car immediately. (Jack’s Towing was very fair with me. I recommend them highly if you happen to break down in Tucumcari, NM!) However, as with everything else in this venture, there were complications…
The tires that came with the rims are a little too wide and were rubbing on the suspension.
I towed the T-Bird to Quality Tire and Lube where I had ordered the tire on Tuesday morning. They let me cancel the order and just pay for the shipping. However, it was 5:00 and they were closing so they couldn’t rotate the fat tires to the rear. “We’ll be glad to do it tomorrow at 8:00 in the morning.”
They sent me to the Texaco station across the street. As the mechanic removed the fat front left tire, a painful realization begin filling my brain. I have special wheel locks to prevent my wheels from being stolen and the tool to remove them is safely stored IN MY TOOLBOX IN KANSAS CITY. Why am I building this car???…
As he finished overcoming that obstacle, I then remembered that when I got out of my truck yesterday at the first Enterprise Rent a Car in Amarillo, I had noticed that the front left tire on my truck had no tread on it! He wanted $165 to change it! FOR A REGULAR TIRE???
FORGET IT! How much do I owe you for the tire rotation and the 15 lug nuts?…$100!!!
Let’s just say that I was not a happy camper! I have to stay ANOTHER night in Tucumcari, NM!
I checked into the second hotel that I tried to check into on Memorial Day, the Travelers Inn. (The room was small but very clean. The A/C worked well. The bed was comfortable. The cost was $37. If you just want a nice place to sleep, I would recommend it.)
I turned on the TV only to see that there were AGAIN tornado warnings again all along the road that I was so determined to travel. Maybe I shouldn’t be all that upset about these delays after all. It could be worse!
