That rattle – that’s tappets. Don’t hurt a bit. Tappets can rattle till Jesus comes again without no harm. But that thudding as the car moves along – can’t hear that – just kind of feel it. Maybe oil isn’t gettin’ someplace. Maybe a bearing’s startin’ to go. Jesus, if it’s a bearing, what’ll we do? Money’s goin’ fast.
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 12. This quote conveys the migrants’ desperation as they journey in their old and delapidated cars. The deception and lies of the salesmen who sold them the cars comes into play. The families listen for defects in the sub-standard vehicles. They worry that a car rattle means something wrong and with dwindling finances they wonder how they will survive.