Quick Lube charges extra for this kind of thing

[Wolfsbrg8v at aol.com (Wolfsbrg8v@aol.com)]

For anyone who ever gets stuck in the Rocco Bizarro Universe,
as I have recently, let it be known: it is possible to change the 
oil in an 84 without opening the hood.

The situation is, I'm waiting for a slot to open at the body shop
to get the rocc's front end straightened, and have been driving 
an old slowww toyota truck in the meantime.  So I wanted to 
take the rocc out for some fun, (driveability is unaffected by the 
front end damage) but having no way to check the oil, since the 
hood is stuck shut,  I pondered .. hmm is there a way .. so I put 
the front wheels up on ramps, slid under the engine and found
that I could reach up next to the right front wheel, up and over 
the valve cover just far enough to remove the oil filler cap.

But could this work? .... double checking to make damn sure I 
can remove and replace the filler cap, several times, yup, can do.

So I drained the old oil, new filter etc, and then I took a squeeze-bulb 
siphon hose, reached up and inserted one end into the filler hole, 
and the other end below into a quart of oil, and pumped it full, quart by 
quart, plus a little extra equalling the amount needed to fill the siphon's 
vertical length, ~1/8 qt.

Now I can drive my baby for another week, anyway, without worrying 
about the oil level.

Fair warning -- I got long skinny arms so maybe this isn't a good
solution for everyone who has this problem.  

"Everyone", ha ha.  :)

Leo