TEMPE, AZ — After taking a look under the hood of the Barton family's Dodge Caravan, local mechanic Terry Ricks admitted that he has absolutely no clue how the van was still functioning.
Ricks explained to Mr. Barton that the Dodge Caravan appeared to have busted all of its hoses, frayed all the belts, leaked all the brake fluid, burned up the power steering, lost the spark plugs, flooded the engine, and had a badger living in the radiator.
"I don't know how the van even starts, much less drives. It defies all logic," explained Ricks to the family. "Every single thing we checked on our 42-point inspection was broken. By all accounts, it should be melted down for scrap metal. I can't explain it."
The dumbfounded Ricks called a senior mechanic over to take a look at the indomitable Dodge. "Ah, first Dodge Caravan, eh?" said longtime shop employee Jay Benson. "No one knows how it's done, Terry. Watch out for those radiator badgers, though. They're a feisty breed."
At publishing time, the Bartons had thanked Ricks for his time and set off in the Dodge Caravan for another 2,000-mile road trip.
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