Why We Call Them Stealers

New 10/09/2004

I left my house today around 11:15AM packed with the family heading to the 1st Annual Sheboygan SHO BBQ. I have been teased all week by the chef, Kris, regarding her wizardry with BBQ Ribs.
Heather at the last minute decides to make her world famous from scratch Cheesecake to show our appreciation.
As I'm cruising comfortably in the Speed Lane, all of the sudden I hear something hit the undercarriage. I quickly look up in the rear view and see a bolt happily on it's way to Jesus on I294.

Didn't quite put it together until I tapped the brakes. Oh crap, this is going to hurt. I make an "aggressive" three lane change while slapping her outta O/D then down to 2nd and luckily hit the ramp to the Lake Forest Oasis. OK we're safe. I get out look around and at first nothing but the pesky SES light throwing a misfire on 6 code. OK that's in the front I'll worry about that later.

Tell Heather to slowly drive the car towards me and hit the brake. OMFG. I pull it around back, take off the RF wheel and the upper 15MM caliper bolt is AWOL.

Now my day is officially turning to crap. Call Eric we discuss strategy and logistics. I'm a looong way from him. I ask him to hang loose and I'll call BIL up at the farm which is still a pretty good piece but closer.
BIL agrees to parts chase. NAPA and AZ are on his way.
About 1 1/2 hour later he shows up on crutches. (that's a story for another day) Hands me this paltry stove bolt with a 15MM head and sez proudly here ya go. I toss it back and say Nope. We hit the cell phones and find a Furd stealer in Libertyville, about 1/2 hour away.

It's now approaching 2:00 and the car is still on the jack.

Now for all who have done their own brake jobs in the front, you know what this bolt looks like. It's necked down and about 1 1/2 or so long.

Heather goes with BIL to Furd and I stay with Bubs. I get a call - "I have good news and bad news, OK I'll bite - good news they have the bolt - OK where's the down side here? It's $30.00. WTF!!!!!!!! My systolic rate hits the roof. Of course I'm in no bargaining position here so I tell Heather get the damn thing.
@ 3:15 they show up with my $30.00 bolt that she pounded the counter guy down to $15.00. OK she gets A for effort. But still $15.00 for one bolt??????

For you disbelievers, here is the entire invoice.

SESSLER FORD, Inc.
1010 S. MILWAUKEE AVE.
Libertyville, ILLINOIS 60048
PHONE (847) 362-4455
Ext. 261-262-263

ALL CLAIMS AND RETURNED GOODS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THIS INVOICE. NO RETURNS ON ELECTRICAL OR SPECIAL ORDER PARTS. NO RETURNS AFTER 30 DAYS. 25% RE-STOCK CHARGE ON ALL RETURNED PARTS.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES
Any warranties on the product sold hereby are those made by the manufacturer. The seller hereby expressly disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, and the seller neither assumes nor authorizes any other person to assume for it any liability in
connection with the sale of said products.
DATE ENTERED 109 OCT 04
YOUR ORDER NO.
DATE SHIPPED 109 OCT 04
INVOICE DATE 09 OCT 04
INVOICE NUMBER
258736
S 0 L D
ACCOUNT NO. C100
S H
I
P
PAGE 1 OF 1
ECK
T 0
T 0
258736
SHIP VIA
IB/L NO.
TERMS
CASH RETAIL
DESCRIPTION LIST
BOLT-M12X1 29.79
F.O.B. POINT
, Libertyville
NET I AMOUNT
15.00 15.00
11
-L
PART NO. N808354*S
«« CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB AT»»> «« WWW.FACTORYFORDPARTS.COM»»»>
«« WWW.FACTORYROUSHPARTS.COM»»» «« WWW.FORDNEWPARTS.COM»»»»» 'HE FUTURE IS NOW AT SESSLER FORD 1 11
CUSTOMER'S SIGNATURE
PARTS SUBLET FREIGHT SALES TAX
WE APPRECIATE YOUR 15.001 BUSINESS!
0.00 0.98
15.98
CUSTOMER COpy

Needless to say, I would not have made Sheboygan until well after 5:00, and frankly my lust for ribs was totally gone.
And they wonder why we call them stealers?????
/Rant off

Larry Eck
97TR
Mods
Welds
Occasional Webmaster
Cam Failure #425

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Always an adventure!!

FWIW, when I drove to MD and ran Summit Point and the drags in my POS green '95 (this is before I discovered the bad rod bearings), the car seemed to be rising up the right rear on hard braking on the track (per Mark Nunnally).

After the car was home and the rod bearings replaced, I happened to have the RR wheel off. Then discovered only one bolt holding the RR caliper to the bracket. The Ford dealer had done a new caliper/ABS sensor (under warranty, thankfully!) maybe two months before the Convention. No other ill effects from the missing bolt, after a few thousand miles and the track stuff.

Turns out that one of the bolts that hold the V6 snakes-to-block bracket bolts is the correct pitch, and maybe a 1/4" longer!!

Ron Porter
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Yep, Ford has an odd pricing on their bolts. The two bolts that hold the water pump to the head are $2.50 each but can only be bought in a package of 10. The rod bolts, though much shorter then the brethren stretch to yield $2.00 head bolts are $7.00 each and the AC bolt at the bottom of the AC compressor was a paltry $4.

Nope, not surprised by the price of a bolt that you MUST have and can't substitute easily with another. Though I suspect the price may be more directly related to the liability claims that may result from the failure of that single bolt???

Carter Fuji

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Among MANY reasons why I didn't buy a SHO from that same stealer, Sessler Ford in Libertyville.

I took NADA book values with me to the table to trade in my '97 Audi A6 on a '97 SHO that they had. They brought out Kelly BB values (retail +$2000, tradein -$1500), and told me they wouldn't budge. I showed them the NADA values and they just laughed at me. I gladly took my business elsewhere, just like 4 other people in the dealership that day.

Unfortunately, if you want good service from decent people on a car, Libertyville isn't exactly the best place to look...

Don't even get me started on that snake Rohrman...

-John Breen III

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Happened to me last this spring RR lower bracket bolt came loose after lock-tight on it. I probably never tightened it up.
went to Canadian tire got a bolt, flat washer and lock washer to make bolt the right length..
TO this day working great..

Clare
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I have always used loctite on these bolts. Noticed Ford did OEM and just continued to do so. This week I put on some new rear calipers and as I loctited the bolts I was wondering if this is really necessary. Guess it is. :[

Paul
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Is it just me or are we less thorough as we get older? I find that I leave a bolt loose now and again on a large job and now go back and check everything twice, especially because it's mostly motorcycles I'm working on. Glad you made it through OK.
I don't know how much of a test I'd go through before I lost my taste for ribs - I've never reached that point.
Marc

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