Chapter 7, Shiftless, and Chapter 8, Back Country Summary

Shiftless. Ralph goes to the garage and asks the mechanic a few questions about the car based on what Mr. Larsen told him the night before. Ralph is not happy with the answers he gets, afraid the mechanic is trying to hide something. That night, Ralph takes Lonnie to the Larsens' restaurant, where he encourages Lonnie to talk to Mr. Larsen about the car. By the end of breakfast the next morning, Mr. Larsen has convinced Lonnie to rebuild the engine. The mechanic refuses to help the boys anymore, so Ralph helps Lonnie rebuild the engine, buying most of the parts from a local junk yard. When they are done and ready to take the car, the mechanic refuses to allow them to have the car until they pay fifty dollar for using...