Baldo by Hector D. Cantú and Carlos Castellanos for November 24, 2024

Forty buckets of Bondo and a screen door, and you’re all set.

Time to get that Low-Rider Low-Riding!!

Starting it without the hood up!?

I’m impressed it actually started.

Best road trip so far.

Fuel pump? Carb? It ran for a bit, so you have spark. You’ll figure it out.

Nothing that a stick of dynamite can’t fix.

This is the way.

You gotta stop sometimes…….

Houston, there is movement…

I was 14 the first time I rebuilt the engine in my Datsun 510. Dropped it back in, hooked everything back up and it started. Coolant and exhaust leaks, but it ran. Next project was a 283 in a 67 Chevy pickup. Did a better job on that one, except I only used water in the radiator until I was sure I didn’t have any leaks. Then it froze overnight and the block cracked. Live and learn.

Makes me miss my Dad. Good memories, gracias.

As a chemist, I always used to say, “There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved with a suitable application of High Explosive”.

No, you also have to consider the end of the universe, or at least your lifetime.

You’re getting there, slowly but surely, Baldo.

There is a guy in our area with an old rusty step side pickup. In a classic case of making lemonade when you have lemons, he had the truck clear coated and got license plates that said “Ol Rusty.”

I see the car is no longer “up on blocks”!

This is part of the process and the lessons learned along the way will last forever.

Yes I get the feeling. when after all the effort it started. You are close.

Good to see that Baldo’s making some progress!

FINALLY!!! Some progress. I’ll write this day on my calendar.

Got some work to do but it can crank up so that’s not bad……

Hey, that’s amazing progress! If you can get it to start, you can eventually get it to run. And Baldo’s attitude is exactly right, which helps explain his dad’s expression in the last panel.

Hey, yeah, that’s some real progress! Vamanos!

Good attitude, kid! Sergio is raising Baldo right!

It is important for people to know at least a bit about their car engine.

When husband and I were dating back in our late teens we were out in my car and there was an engine problem. I got out of the car, took off the engine filter and stuck a pen in the carburetor. Car started up. He was highly impressed as he had no idea what to do. My dad had taught me to do this.

Then a year or so later we were out with a couple we were friends with – in her car. Car had some sort of problem – the two guys get out of the car, lift the hood and stood there looking. Heard one say to the other “Yep, that’s an engine.” Other replied “Yep”. She got out of the car and similar to me and my car, knew what to do to fix the problem.

I wonder if there’s any floorboard left in that poor car. It’s been sitting outside with no top for years filling up with rainwater.

Wow! A major milestone! The engine runs and the Impala has all four tires. Next, get it smog checked and registered at the DMV.