Worst bodge you have seen
Discussion
I did the 1993 Ulster rally. Anyway, second stage, big jump. hard landing sheared the engine mounting. This was a bit inconvenient as the engine/transmission (MK5 RS2000, Front wheel drive) would float about a bit, making gear selection a bit hit and miss.
Anyway, made it back to service with the whole powerplant rattling round from side to side. Quite surprised a driveshaft didn't pop out actually. Service crew just got a few ratchet straps and used the strut brace etc. to sort of hold it into place. It felt very iffy, but we finished, getting quite brave on the yumps eventually. Class trophy was well earned but s
te, lol.
Anyway, made it back to service with the whole powerplant rattling round from side to side. Quite surprised a driveshaft didn't pop out actually. Service crew just got a few ratchet straps and used the strut brace etc. to sort of hold it into place. It felt very iffy, but we finished, getting quite brave on the yumps eventually. Class trophy was well earned but s
te, lol.Oh, and another bodge. Back in the day when Mk2 escorts were the thing to turn into rally cars, Dad and I bought an ex plod one from Glasgow car auctions.
The front anti roll bar bush was so worn, the Plod garage had wrapped the ARB with a turn of inner tube... FFS, bushes were less than a quid. Bit of a job to swap though.
The front anti roll bar bush was so worn, the Plod garage had wrapped the ARB with a turn of inner tube... FFS, bushes were less than a quid. Bit of a job to swap though.
A neighbour asked me to take a look at his Golf to see if I could find where it was leaking oil. Underguarding was cracked, as was the sump. He admitted to having a trip through a ditch a few days before. Anyway he needed to get the car to town so some duct tape was plastered over the crack. 2 weeks later he's still driving it like that "as it's not leaking any more".
Well for me it was a recent resealing of the rocker cover on my bike.
No problems or so I thought. Anyway ride it the 7 miles to my dads to find it smoking and appearing to be burning oil.
Anyway I get the tank off to check the bolts on the head, they looked fine so I checked them with a torque wrench and when I got to one of the central ones it just span freely. (How I'm not sure as they were torqued to spec and the others were completely fine.)
Anyway the solution was rather ingenious, we got a coach bolt and put a nut on the threads right at the top and then screwed it into the block. Then we tightened the nut down against the crush washer. Test rode it and not a drop since.
No problems or so I thought. Anyway ride it the 7 miles to my dads to find it smoking and appearing to be burning oil.
Anyway I get the tank off to check the bolts on the head, they looked fine so I checked them with a torque wrench and when I got to one of the central ones it just span freely. (How I'm not sure as they were torqued to spec and the others were completely fine.)
Anyway the solution was rather ingenious, we got a coach bolt and put a nut on the threads right at the top and then screwed it into the block. Then we tightened the nut down against the crush washer. Test rode it and not a drop since.
Very good friend of mine who is sadly no longer with us "fixed" a broken headlight lense by completely removing it, cutting a coke bottle in half lengthways, and putting it in place of the lense. You couldn't actually tell until you got close up.
Same guy, same car. Went green laning down a rather damp lane. Made a snorkel by rerouting the air intake through the back of the bonnet, and up through a pringles tube that you had to hold out of a window.
Same guy again... both brake lights failed for unknown reasons. It had twin rear foglights so he just drove around with the sidelights on and switched on the rear foglights whenever he braked.
Probably loads of other stuff that I've forgotten about.
200K + miler Camry V6 GX. L reg. Fantastic car.
Same guy, same car. Went green laning down a rather damp lane. Made a snorkel by rerouting the air intake through the back of the bonnet, and up through a pringles tube that you had to hold out of a window.
Same guy again... both brake lights failed for unknown reasons. It had twin rear foglights so he just drove around with the sidelights on and switched on the rear foglights whenever he braked.
Probably loads of other stuff that I've forgotten about.
200K + miler Camry V6 GX. L reg. Fantastic car.
Edited by vtecyo on Sunday 19th October 21:22
Young lad brought a cavalier gsi into work as he felt it wasn't driving quite as it should since his recent purchase. Up on the ramps and noticed (obviously) that although it was a 4x4 model there was no propshaft fitted to the reer axle, and the fuse for the system had been removed, thus the car was now front wheel drive only. Transfer boxes on the early versions were prone to fail, had a couple do it pre sale and changed the box under warranty, previous owner obviously thought this was the best way to get rid of a problem car, young lad was pretty much gutted and went off in search of retribution.
lesstatt said:
Many years ago mates cortina mk3 throttle cable snapped a long was from home, we all took out our shoe laces and tied to carb, then threaded through bonnet vents and in drivers window, hand throttle all the way home, worked a treat
did the very same in my renault 5 many years ago . just left the (front hinged) bonnet unfastened , shoe lace from throttle to drivers window . pretty straightforward to drive considering ....This is a track rod end that unbeknown to me was in this state and on my car for the last year and a half that I have owned it.
To compound matters, the nut was in just the same condition, and I was alerted to the fact that all was not well when the nut was turning but not coming off.
It turns out that the fix was to put a thick washer under the nut so that the nylock had got enough thread to have a reasonable grip against to hold it in place, but the threads were not doing anything.
It was only the friction of the taper and a very corroded split pin holding it in place.
I was dumfounded to be honest that somebody would take that risk for the sake of a £10 track rod end.
To compound matters, the nut was in just the same condition, and I was alerted to the fact that all was not well when the nut was turning but not coming off.
It turns out that the fix was to put a thick washer under the nut so that the nylock had got enough thread to have a reasonable grip against to hold it in place, but the threads were not doing anything.
It was only the friction of the taper and a very corroded split pin holding it in place.
I was dumfounded to be honest that somebody would take that risk for the sake of a £10 track rod end.
I went to a track day in France and had a bit of a mare weekend wise, fuel pump jammed - fixed then the clutch started giving me issues couldn't disengage drive fully.
Some fault finding in the pits revealed the pedal box was effectively breaking up - all the spot welds were broken...
The issue with this was I needed to drive the car home to the UK
Cable ties, duct tape, 1/2 extension bars and some sockets as big washers.
It made it home
The following year I had no issues apart from rolling the car!!!
Some fault finding in the pits revealed the pedal box was effectively breaking up - all the spot welds were broken...
The issue with this was I needed to drive the car home to the UK
Cable ties, duct tape, 1/2 extension bars and some sockets as big washers.
It made it home
The following year I had no issues apart from rolling the car!!!
gog440 said:
Worst (as in not safe) was the one I found on my 280i, the passenger seatbelt stalk had broken off and had been "repaired" by the remains being bolted through the seat frame.
Ah, that reminds me of another one...Back in 1992, I bought a Citroen Mehari from Exchange and Mart. The guy that sold it said him and some mates had jointly owned it and kept it on a campsite they shared a caravan at - which is why it had no keys. I don't know why it didn't have a chassis plate or engine number plate, though. Or why the V5 never arrived when he posted it after the multiple £50 cheques cleared... But anyway. The seatbelt stalks were bolted through the thin steel box section chassis with LOOOONG coachbolts. One outer end of each seatbelt was bolted to the steel spaceframe, but the other was just tucked between the seat and the tupperware bodytub. One rear chassis leg was made of paper-mache, too.
But... that car was still alive until at least 2010 - no DVLA record now, oddly.
For my first car it had been off the road for 7 years and we had new working to get it back on the road engine rebuilt new brake lines a complete overhaul.
Anyway morning of the MOT just looking round noticed that the front shock was leaking.... (It had been fine/unnoticed before).
Too late to do anything about it and had to drive 200 miles in that car straight from the MOT.
Solution.... Our Hoover bag totally full threw it over the offending leak. Result passed its MOT without anything to repair... - it was a needs must and yes I did change it very soon after the MOT for my own safety.
Anyway morning of the MOT just looking round noticed that the front shock was leaking.... (It had been fine/unnoticed before).
Too late to do anything about it and had to drive 200 miles in that car straight from the MOT.
Solution.... Our Hoover bag totally full threw it over the offending leak. Result passed its MOT without anything to repair... - it was a needs must and yes I did change it very soon after the MOT for my own safety.
ChemicalChaos said:
Someone just posted this up on a facebook group....
Apparently, and I quote, "mates daughters car and that ass that sold it her is a tester - not when we get hold of him"
Am I seeing this wrong? Isn't that just tie wraps to replace the anti squeal metal springs that often sit across the two pads? Doesn't look to me like it inhibits braking force nor would I say it was dangerous. Apparently, and I quote, "mates daughters car and that ass that sold it her is a tester - not when we get hold of him"
I wouldn't do it, mind, I'd buy the correct springs or just live with the movement/ squeal.
eltax91 said:
Am I seeing this wrong? Isn't that just tie wraps to replace the anti squeal metal springs that often sit across the two pads? Doesn't look to me like it inhibits braking force nor would I say it was dangerous.
I wouldn't do it, mind, I'd buy the correct springs or just live with the movement/ squeal.
Looks like they're the only thing holding the pads in the callipers.I wouldn't do it, mind, I'd buy the correct springs or just live with the movement/ squeal.
I was blasting down an autobahn at 155mph once when I realised, with plenty of time, traffic was stopped ahead.
As I was braking and dropping down in gears, I could feel the recently purchased TVR Chimaera pulling to the left.
Next morning it felt like I had a buckled front disc.
I took it to a local German workshop. When I went back he confirmed that a new disc was required but that the front right disc was OK as the brake hose had been cut and sealed !!!!!
As I was braking and dropping down in gears, I could feel the recently purchased TVR Chimaera pulling to the left.
Next morning it felt like I had a buckled front disc.
I took it to a local German workshop. When I went back he confirmed that a new disc was required but that the front right disc was OK as the brake hose had been cut and sealed !!!!!
eltax91 said:
ChemicalChaos said:
Someone just posted this up on a facebook group....
Apparently, and I quote, "mates daughters car and that ass that sold it her is a tester - not when we get hold of him"
Am I seeing this wrong? Isn't that just tie wraps to replace the anti squeal metal springs that often sit across the two pads? Doesn't look to me like it inhibits braking force nor would I say it was dangerous. Apparently, and I quote, "mates daughters car and that ass that sold it her is a tester - not when we get hold of him"
I wouldn't do it, mind, I'd buy the correct springs or just live with the movement/ squeal.
AvonRise said:
eltax91 said:
Am I seeing this wrong? Isn't that just tie wraps to replace the anti squeal metal springs that often sit across the two pads? Doesn't look to me like it inhibits braking force nor would I say it was dangerous.
I wouldn't do it, mind, I'd buy the correct springs or just live with the movement/ squeal.
Looks like they're the only thing holding the pads in the callipers.I wouldn't do it, mind, I'd buy the correct springs or just live with the movement/ squeal.
ChemicalChaos said:
The entire caliper/carrier is missing from the top of that bracket, the cable ties are the only thing holding the pads in, and nothing will be clamping the pad on the outside face of the disc to equalize the pressure from the inside piston
He should have used black ties would have blended in Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff