I just returned from the Mecum auction in Kansas City. First time I had ever gone to an auction live with a loaded checkbook. I bought a very nice car (not a Corvette), took three days to inspect it from stem to stern, tested all the equipment, checked all the numbers, pulled the dipstick, looked in the radiator, etc. Bought it, OK price, great service by Mecum crew. Loaded on transport, temps around zero, snowing. I got it off the Reliable transporter two days later (Tuesday this week). It had a very cold trip all the way, down to -5 overnight. Car had trouble starting off the truck, finally started, fan belts squealing (ice blocks in water pump), warms up and coolant pouring out. Freeze plugs were popped, and now find out something is cracked beyond that. No anti-freeze in the car (seller saved $20 bucks, costs me thousands), just straight H2O. Now, block cracked (most likely in the upper block lifter valley area), need a replacement. Good news, wasn't the original block anyway. So the moral of the story, always take a hydrometer with you when you inspect a car and check the coolant.

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