About a week-and-a-half? two weeks ago? my Lindy began making a very strange noise. It was sort of a scrapping sound that got worse when I went slow and better when I drove faster. The first day I thought it was the road conditions. The second day it was worse. It drowned out my audiobook when I drove up the parking garage. I was panicked thinking it was something wrong in my wheel wells or with my brake pads. Twice I stopped and walked around the back of the car to check all the tires but I couldn't see anything.

When I got home, lonelydumptruck gallantly offered to take her for a test drive. He heard it too and described it as a dragging sound. When we got home, I walked around the front of the car for the first time and spotted the problem...

The plastic panel that keeps the engine from picking up road dirt had partially fallen down and was dragging on the pavement.

He was able to pop it back into place for the most part, but the bits meant to hold it securely were broken so it fell down again Wednesday. And Thursday.

We talked about how body work can be expensive. We kicked around calling a body shop. In the end, I called the regular mechanic who has always taken very good care of us.


He assured me he could fix Lindy right up, if he had the proper brackets. When I arrived he took my key. I waited for him to come back to check me in. After 20 minutes he came back handed me my key and said: "She's good. Have a great day."