Our van is a basket case.

**Prages** · 11-12-2010, 09:53 AM

The Prages Rockmobile/Camping/Dog Carrier 1999 Pontiac Montana minivan is a freakin' mess.

It's rusting along the rockers.

There's a bad cellanoid in the transmission which sometimes causes it to shift really hard, and you have to turn it off, then turn it back on to get it to shift smoothly.

The sway bar is broken in two.

Recently it's been making a lot of clanging noise in the front driver's side. I figured it had something to do with the broken sway bar. Popped the front wheel off. Nope, not the sway bar. The coil spring is broken.

The parking brake cable was hanging down because one of the brackets rusted off, so I crawled under it yesterday to zip tie it back up. I touched one of the hydraulic brake lines and it disintegrated at my touch, leaking out all the brake fluid.

Guess I'll not be getting that inspection sticker until I re-run the brake lines from the firewall to the rear axle.

I think I can still get the inspection sticker even with the broken swaybar and coil spring, but I can't very well drive it until it has brakes.

**Lerxst** · 11-12-2010, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by Prages

I think I can still get the inspection sticker even with the broken swaybar and coil spring, but I can't very well drive it until it has brakes.

That would be a definite no-go here in PA. Good luck!

**Prages** · 11-12-2010, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by k4df4l

That would be a definite no-go here in PA. Good luck!

Technically it would be here to, but the place we normally take the cars for inspection basically just check that the lights are working and the insurance and registration are up to date.

**Lerxst** · 11-12-2010, 12:51 PM

There ya go....Pa has really been cracking down on the guys that pass stickers out like that. I knew a couple places that would pass anything if the money was right and refuse to do so.

**Prages** · 11-12-2010, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by k4df4l

There ya go....Pa has really been cracking down on the guys that pass stickers out like that. I knew a couple places that would pass anything if the money was right and refuse to do so.

This place doesn't just hand out stickers. They actually have a guy go out and check stuff...they just aren't very thorough.

Probably wouldn't pass with brake fluid gushing from the undercarriage though.

**Mark Wein** · 11-12-2010, 01:43 PM

Wow. I'm not sure if this is a testament to Detroit quality control, the weather and terrain in West Virginia or the fact that you guys are actually harder on stuff than I am

**Help!I'maRock!** · 11-12-2010, 02:19 PM

well at least this thread isn't about Green Day.

**Denverdave** · 11-12-2010, 04:31 PM

Van mojo...and you just got done fixing the truck.

Well - I was lived any closer I'd sell you my '96 Dodge Caravan cheap. I want to sell it here but I am hesitating. We very rarely ever drive it and it needs the brakes done and there is an electrical problem with the wipers. Mechanically it's great though. I just don't have the know-how to fix those things and can't invest the cash right now. I'm not even sure how much to ask for it...

**Mrs.P** · 11-12-2010, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Wein

Wow. I'm not sure if this is a testament to Detroit quality control, the weather and terrain in West Virginia or the fact that you guys are actually harder on stuff than I am

Oops...Prages signed in on Mrs. P's computer.

Maybe a little bit of all of it. The van had been wrecked when we bought it. I'm pretty sure the sway bar has been broken since we bought it, though we just discovered it a few years ago when the transmission went out (under warranty).

It's got 140k miles on it, but so do the car and the truck. We bought the car new and the truck only had 15k on it when we bought it. We've put clutches in both, and I just put a new rear end in the truck. The rear end was at least partially my fault...I knew it was leaking and never fixed it or refilled it.

The van, well, we've put about 60k miles on it, but if you look up "1999 Pointiac Montana problems" on google, you'll see a bunch of people complaining about terrible transmissions and weak sway bars.

Of course, the long, salty winters here don't help at all.

**jelloman** · 11-12-2010, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Prages

There's a bad cellanoid in the transmission which sometimes causes it to shift really hard, and you have to turn it off, then turn it back on to get it to shift smoothly.

...hmmmm...

solenoid, maybe?