Just outside of Capitan on a small two lane road with no shoulders I could see a truck pulling a horse trailer a mile ahead. As I approached, a saw a car jack in the middle of my lane, a car coming in the other lane, opposite direction. If I had swerved to miss it, at speed, tires would have been compromised. So I tried to 'straddle' it. Thud thud thud underneath is what I heard. I checked the temp gauge, all seemed good, except 10 miles down the road I started to smell petroleum product.
I got out and saw a leak coming from the gas tank on the front high side of the tank. Seeing that the exhaust was a solid 16 inches from where the gas was leaking out and wanting to make the Rotary meeting I continued on. The mechanic in Capitan said it was away from the exhaust and that I could 'get a bar of soap' rub it into the whole and it would slow the leak. The problem is the car sits low, I am a big person, and he wouldn't work on it.
I fueled up and continued on. I called ahead to President Alan to make arrangements, then 100 and something miles later in Elephante Butte at C&K automotive, we put it up on the lift. The fuel was really coming out, the whole back end of the car, underneath, was covered in fuel.
What the mechanic said is shocking: "You are very lucky, the fuel was coming out directly onto the exhaust pipe, mid car". As I peered up under the lift, the exhaust pipe isn't straight to the motor, it curls up and around the gas tank. OOOOffff.
Just wow and clearly the 'Big Man' upstairs wants me around. Alan gave me a tour of the town and really went above and beyond to make sure I was taken care of.....
By the end of the day, Ray Hodges (Hodges Corner Restaurant) readied a car for me to drive for the 2.5 weeks until I come back to speak to T or C (there were no rentals anywhere, this saved me around $1600 for the 2.5 weeks). The car would be ready the next day, so Claudia and Larry Jeffrey took me in for the night. Their place is in Monticello, NM. Didn't even realize towns like this existed in NM like this, but a VERY neat place. Even if I had taken pictures of it, it would not have done it justice (kind of like Abiqui for those who know where that is in Northern New Mexico). Jeffrey's have a cool old adobe house situated on the town 'plaza' and we had home made pizza for dinner.
Unbelievable hospitality and I am indebted (especially since I am still unemployed) to Alan, Ray, Claudia/Larry, and C&K for taking care of me.
Oh, btw, when I picked Ray's car up the next day, it was washed, cleaned, and had a full tank of gas... enough said.... Classy guy and big heart.
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