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A few wraps of black electrical tape will make a surprisingly long-lasting temporary repair. A narrow plastic zip tie at each end of the repair will prevent the tape ends from unwrapping.
I agree 100%
A full-face helmet with shorts and flip-flops is lunacy. If the temperature and humidity are too much for you to bear, drive an air conditioned car.
I’d like to mention footwear. A motorcyclist is best served by sturdy boots that cover the ankles. I want to scream when I see people riding with low-cut sneakers.
If you plan on keeping this car, then you should fix the rust ASAP. A Canadian once said “Rust never sleeps.”
As for the question about being worried about future breakdowns, that’s just part of the game. You pay your money and takes your chances.
You could always sell your Accord, pick up a mid-seventies Valiant with a Slant Six, and put the rest towards your house. 😛
I think another thing to consider is that the formulation of specific recommended fluids might be matched to the characteristics of the transmission seals and gaskets used by a particular manufacturer.
I’ve known aircraft mechanics who put a certain synthetic hydraulic fluid meant for a particular aircraft in their auto transmissions. (Because they could get it for “free”.) They wound up destroying every seal and gasket in their trannies.
I’m going to say that the number of cylinders and their disposition in relation to the crankshaft has little to do with durability. Some layouts are naturally better balanced and smoother running than others, but that doesn’t mean the “shakers and thumpers” are wearing themselves out more quickly than the smooth-running engines. A lumpy Harley engine is every bit as long-lived as a purring Slant Six.
What really determines the durability of an engine is the metallurgy, the quality of finish machining and assembly tolerances, the effectiveness of the lubrication and cooling systems, the state of tune, and most importantly: the quality of maintenance and how the engine is used.
For example, the old Slant Six has a well-deserved reputation for being robust and durable. However, a Slant Six in a work truck regularly used for hauling bricks, bags of cement and building materials through the Colorado Rockies is not going to last as long as the Slant Six in Aunt Ethel’s Valiant hauling groceries in Kansas.
You can make any engine last forever if you treat it right. Take the same engine to the local drag strip or hill climb every Sunday and you run the risk of it becoming a hand grenade.