Worst car quick-fix accessory?

[LFO]

Rummaging through my garage I found this. At the time I really thought it would work .... I kept it only for it's hoover unblocking abilities, which it excels at.

Has anyone ever made this daft-beyond-belief item ever work?

[Targarama]

I once used a baked bean can, opened at both ends, as the link between an air filter and carb on a MK1 Escort. It was my Mum's idea and it worked well (for some reason the air filter and carb were exactly the same diameter). Stayed on for many months.

[Republik]

In your coolant.

[richcorsavxr]

when the window motor cable snapped i had to keep the window up (closed) using fire wood in the door panel whilst waiting for a new motor to be sourced

[perdu]

There is a right way of using those emergency fan belts

measure the actual length you need, cut a slightly smaller length and join the two ends to the special double threaded fastener

make sure the two ends butt up carefully and the join isnt too wide

grip the emergency belt in your right hand carefiully lining it up against the pulley

and throw the bloody thing straight in the nearest bin

or for even more (politically incorrect pleasure) effectiveness chuck it over a hedge

or inna lake for the little fishes to play with

Absolutely the uselessest thing since the car was invented

[mel]

Alright not a car but a bike, Endurance racing I crashed and ripped the filler cap and half the neck off of the top of the radiator, 3 hours to go and it would be a good half hour fix, rammed into the large nut on the top of the yokes was a champagne cork from a podium finish in the previous race. Mallet-cork-radiator-done lets go racing, and we finished.

[Howard-]

perdu said:

uselessest

[Big Rod]

I bought one of those temporary fan belt things a few years ago when the belt for my power steering decided it wanted to stay on the A50.

Stuck it on and forgot about it until about 3 months later when I had cause to open the bonnet and realised it was still there. Changed it quick smart, but it worked a dream.

[Remagel2507]

I've heard of someone using some string to convert their BMW to hand throttle after the cable snapped

[gib6933]

I have 3 1p coins that are replacing 3 core plugs.

Queen facing out and the right way up. I thought if god saves the Queen he might also look kindly to my engine.

[Cactussed]

Remagel2507 said:

I've heard of someone using some string to convert their BMW to hand throttle after the cable snapped

I did this on my first car.
Damn thing accelerated around every roundabout

[rigga]

We did a dealer open evening for a car launch one year,and part of the night was some demo's of bits and bobs to customers,these emergancy fan belts were one of them that i did,and to be honest,as a temp rep which is what they are designed for,they worked ok..... worth keeping one in the boot just in case,though pretty useless these days as very few cars have v belts fitted,normaly ribbed poly belts.

[mel]

I still don't get it though, I mean if you're going to keep a spare emergency fan belt in the boot "just incase" then why not keep a correct spare fanbelt in the boot? I mean most are sub a tenner anyway.

[Escort2dr]

Radweld always does me proud with the old Mk2 Escorts but I can't say the same for Gun Gum. Never tried Petropatch though for some reason I have some in the garage - no idea why.

Edited by Escort2dr on Thursday 8th April 16:07

[LFO]

Two cut-up coke cans and hose clips would be great for most straight exhaust holes - spray it black then mot-worthy!

[LFO]

Republik said:

In your coolant.

I have heard that it works though .....! Either that or it fills your coolant up with scrambled eggs ....

[Big Rod]

LFO said:

Two cut-up coke cans and hose clips would be great for most straight exhaust holes - spray it black then mot-worthy!

I recently repaired the exploded back box on my snotter with three McEwans Export cans, a family sized tub of Halfords best exhaust putty, two packs of steel wool, five hose clips, a few lengths of household electrical wire and a perforated bean can so the lot wouldn't be ejected out the tail pipe.

Works a treat.

Beats the £95 stFit quoted me for a new rear exhaust section. Hell, the car's not even worth that!!

[richcorsavxr]

the other day i saw a brand new z4 with parcel tape holding the bonnet down, the whole front of the car must have been in a smash

[rigga]

Republik said:

In your coolant.

Only the white part though....... bit messy trying to seperate the egg at the side of the road.

[Escort2dr]

Most of these aren't 'accessories' though are they?