What is is with kids and cars. I swear my Daughter's Camaro is going to drive me to start drinking. Over the Thanksgiving weekend we changed the oil in it. She was putting the drain plug back in and it stripped out. Not her fault, her arms are as big as my thumbs. Obviously stripped by the previous owner or the Jiffy Jerks. We are lucky it hadn't come loose. Since we were doing this at my parents house the closest parts store was 45 minutes away. We get to the parts house and discover that the plug that was in it is already two sizes larger than stock. Great. 
I picked up an assortment of possible fixes and we head back to the parents. After sticking my finger in the hole I discover there isn't enough material to tap it again without ripping the bung out of the pan. Great. 
She had to leave for college the next morning so dropping the pan for a permanent repair was out. I ended up sticking one of the rubber expanding plugs in it. 
On the way back to school she calls me. Dad, the car went bang and now it's rattling. The first thought that goes through my head is that damn rubber plug. It's fallen out and blown the engine. She had already checked the oil and it was still full. All the belts and hoses were still on it. I told her to drive it to the closest gas station. It won't move. Apparently the clutch has come apart. Naturally it was two hours from home on the side of I-95. AAA towed it to an aunts house and I got to spend last Saturday going to get it...again.
She got home from college Thursday and I put her to work tracking down the parts. She called me Friday and told me Rock Auto has four kits for that car and she isn't sure which one to get. Prices are $150-$190. She is the one paying for the parts, but she isn't sure if the cheapest one is the best one to get. Three of them are companies I have never heard of and the most expensive is AC Delco. I told her that if it was my car I would probably get the Delco one but any of them should work fine. She needed to look at her finances and make a decision. She actually bought the expensive one. She says she doesn't ever want to have to replace it again. Now she is deciding whether she wants to pay someone $300 to change it or if she wants me to help her do it herself. I'm waiting that decision with trepidation. I really don't want to do a Camaro clutch.
It is kind off sad that my little girl is growing up. It is also very cool at the same time. It's a good feeling watching them make decisions like a responsible adult. She's got a good head on her shoulders. I'm glad of it. 
Sorry for the epistle.
Took under 5 hours to change the pressure plate, disk, throw out bearing, pilot bushing and flywheel. Probably one of the easiest ones I have ever done. With the V6 and the smaller 5 speed there is a ton of room in the transmission tunnel.
