Don't fix this car's battle scar

Dear Tom and Ray: I live in Los Angeles. I have a '93 Honda Civic Del Sol with 127,000 miles. Last week when I was driving home from work at 75 mph on the southbound 405 freeway, someone in a passing car on my left or someone in an oncoming car fired a shotgun. The bullet, a .40-caliber, went through the door and hit me in the chest, then ricocheted and fell onto my seat. I suffered no injuries. The Special Investigative Unit is now handling the incident. My question is, what is the cost of fixing the bullet hole in the door of this car? How easy is it to do, and is it worth it? What kind of financial impact does it pose to the value of my car if I want to sell it or trade it in?

Ellen

Ray: Good thing you decided to get those Kevlar implants, Ellen!

Tom: Fix it?? Are you nuts, Ellen?? A bullet pierces the car, hits you on the chest and bounces off! You walk away, completely unharmed! That car gave its own sheet metal to save your life. How could you even think of fixing it? Every time you get in your car, you'll be forced to remember that you almost didn't make it home that day.

Ray: And since the value of the car is a concern, I'd guess the car is worth about four grand if you fix the hole, Ellen. And $4,100 if you don't.

Dear Tom and Ray: A friend and I were arguing. I said that you can change your oil by punching a hole in the oil filter and vacuuming all of the oil out through the filter, then changing the filter and filling the oil back up from the top. Why would I do this? Because I like to be different! Would it work?

Franklin

Tom: Sure. But your wife's going to be ticked when she gets her vacuum back.

Ray: Well, I think Franklin means using "suction" rather than a vacuum, but the technical answer is yes, it can be done. It's a little like having your doctor take a blood sample from the top of your head rather than the crook of your arm, but it is possible.

Tom: It would do an incomplete job, though. You would have no access to the very bottom of the engine via the oil filter, and that's where most of the crud and dirt is lurking.

Ray: If you like to be different, Franklin, you might try going in through the dipstick tube instead. The dipstick hole allows you access to the very bottom of the oil pan. And there are devices you can buy that have a hose that sucks oil out through the dipstick tube.