Buy Japanese

I've been trying to get to work this morning, but I had to follow up on my car problem.

Og located an aftermarket COP for my car. The brand name is Duralast, and the damn thing costs about $49. The question is, will it be any more reliable than the Motorcraft COPs I can buy for $35?

Ford really blew it with this car, and instead of taking responsibility, they are screwing their customers. I knew I was buying a fun collector item when I bought it, and I did not expect it to be as reliable as a 4-cylinder Japanese pickup, but the 02-05 Thunderbirds (and the Lincoln LS) are truly disgraceful, and Ford should voluntarily fix the design problems.

To start with, they don't seal the ignition coil area correctly. There is a seal under the wiper motor which leaks, and the water goes into the little wells where the COPs sit, and then you're screwed. Also, the valve cover gaskets tend to leak oil into the wells, especially if (like me) you use synthetic oil. And then you're screwed. There are cables leading into the well area, and the places where they enter are not sealed well. So water comes in. And then you're screwed. Also, the COPs are installed in an area that gets hot. And heat destroys COPs. And then you're screwed.

There are other problems with these cars. If you're an enthusiast who likes hot-rodding, this car is useless. The transmission can't reliably handle over 300 horsepower, although the old primitive T-Birds had no problem with higher loads. Also, the cars tend to hesitate when you accelerate, which is fun when you're trying to cross a busy street.

It looks like I'm going to have to check all the places where water can get in, and then I'll have to do my best to seal them up with goop from a tube. That's what other owners have done. Then I'll have to amass a collection of COPs anyway, because they go bad even when there are no leaks.

Thank God I drive so little. This car barely moves. If I put in the normal amount of time on the road, or if--God forbid--I actually washed under the hood once in a while, the car would be a disaster.

People are telling me I should not expect to be able to work on my own late-model car. Must be New Yorkers. All they ever know is where the key goes in. As far as I know, it is not abnormal or bizarre to expect to be able to do basic repairs on your own car. And replacing a COP is basic.

I expected this car to be reasonably reliable, but I never expected it to be particularly easy to work on. I knew it was designed for style, not practicality. If modern cars are generally this aggravating to work on, we are in a sad situation as consumers. Surely the cramped conditions under my hood are not typical of new American cars.