Alternator Noise?

I had expected to get more than 21 years out of them before having to replace a major component...

 

I purposely avoided that part because I can't believe it's been 21 years since 1996.

I'm so old.

 

I know what you mean, they were restoring a 52 Buick on one of the car shows and everyone was behaving as though it were some priceless antique. My first car was a '39 Buick. Then it was pointed out to me t'other day that an 18-year-old who voted last November was 10 in 2008 when "what's his name" got elected--no wonder they cried like babies when they didn't get what they wanted...