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Okay....since the weather was a little warmer today (45 with light wind) I finally got off my ass and swapped the filter. It was no piece of cake (well, the actual work was easy...)
After going to the local Checker Auto Parts for the past month and a half checking to see if they have my filter in stock yet, I just decide to have them order it. Two days later, I have it.
I see right away that my shitty little tool collection doesn't have the wrenches required for the job (19 mm, or 3/4" will do). I go to pop's house to get the wrenches. Now that I have those, I start going after the little bugger (the original part had 99,700 miles on it!). Once it's loose, it starts dripping gas. And dripping. AND dripping. (will it stop?) Finally I grab an 8 ounce cup to catch the gas so it doesn't just leak all over the ground. Oh yeah, It gets filled. (Mind you, I DID relieve the residual pressure).
Okay, both sides are undone, going after the bracket. It comes off just fine. Hmmm. The original part seems a bit smaller than this one that I ordered from Checker....
The bracket is way too small for the replacement filter, but it still hangs onto it pretty well so I decide to just try to use it anyway. I get it all the way on there last bolt....TOO SMALL???? They ordered me the wrong part.
I take the part back, get a little resistance from Checker before I get my $ back. I go to 2 more auto parts stores, none of them have the right filter that I need. It is the right part # by the book and computer, but the bolt is just too small for all of them. The last parts store tells me to check with a dealer. (I'm like, FUCK that.) I decide to give one last parts store a shot. Turns out that they were the only one with any kind of a brain. They look up the 97 filter. IT FITS!
Morale of the story: check your car's build date before looking for a filter if you have a 96!!!! I have the late model and it only will take the 97-99 filter.
Here's a sneaky shot that my GF got of me from the 3rd story window (This might help if you can't figure out where the filter is)-
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EDIT: I should have known that the friggin filter would be the 97-99 filter since it is back by the passenger wheel, but fuck, I have a 96, and they didn't ask me the build date at ANY of the parts stores... oh well, it's done 
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