BUENA VISTA, COLORADO -- The old muffler of Steve "ColoradoGuy" Garufi's Honda Accord made news last week when it decayed to the point that it began scrapping on a highway in Ouray County in the scenic San Juan Mountains near Dallas Divide. Steve used a bungee cord (bottom right photo) to hold it from touching the ground, but yesterday Steve totally yanked the entire muffler off.

The exhaust system definitely needs to be replaced, and the car is currently in a local shop in Buena Vista ... to the tune of $235.

"Why do these mufflers always do this to me?' asked Steve, as he held the muffler, "They always break off and disappoint me, kind of like the girls I date."

With the car running otherwise well, Steve has continued to drive his Honda Accord in the mountains despite the loud and horrible noises some have described as a "loud barfing noise."

"You can't take a girl on a date in that thing if it sounds like that. She won't think you're responsible when she sees that." stated Charlene in Colorado Springs.

Phil Ladden in Canon City offered some helpful advice that may have helped if it would have been delivered in a timely manner. "I used stuff called muffler tape, but I used it before it fell off. The tape was used to cover a hole."

"If you think it sounds like barfing, the muffler isn't the only thing thats fallen off." added Phil.

"When I had the bungee cord holding up the muffler, I had a few people approach me and say, 'Are you aware that you're muffler is falling off?'" stated Steve.

This is not the first time Steve has had "run-ins" with malfunctioning mufflers on his vehicles. In August 2004, the muffler on his 1991 Honda CRX came apart while driving up Mt. Princeton Road enroute to hiking Mt. Princeton. In a state of denial and refusing to deal with the matter, the muffler completely came off his car in Denver in September 2004, while driving his British friend Nick Hughes to the Denver Airport.

The old muffler is sitting on Steve's front deck. He is undecided as to what to do with it.