Thursday evening on the way to Norwood for my regular Poker tournament my Saab’s front muffler went from "annoyingly rumbly" to full-out LOUD.  I figured the hole had just gotten bigger and decided it might finally be time to get it looked at.  Unfortunately, I still had to drive it ’cause Jeannie still had my van while hers was in the shop getting new head gaskets.  So I drove the Saab to work on Friday.  On my way home, I crossed Elm Street at Grant, doing so in front of an oncoming State Trooper who followed me onto Grant and pulled me over.  I thought maybe he had HEARD me and that I was about to get a noise violation.  Turns out my muffler was DRAGGING.  (I couldn’t hear it dragging, so I think it was just hanging really, really low.)  So now I HAVE to get it fixed in order to have the ticket I got expunged. 

It’s now in the shop and I have my van back, as Jeannie’s is fixed.  *sigh*  Saab parts are EXPENSIVE, and I wanted an estimate on the transmission problem before I sunk $$$ into the exhaust.  It might not be worth fixing!