Car DIY disasters
Discussion
Following on from the can you build an engine thread I noticed it deteriorated into some sort of DIY near fubars along the way 
Just having a think about some of the silly things I did as a kid with cars such as the capping of the fuel return for the carbs I fitted as the car I fitted them to never had the pipework... the car in question was my very first Capri. I was and still am a capri nut through and through, but I was 17. I had the Capri Clubs really s
te but loud 3 inch system and banana branch manifold coupled with twin stage webbers it sounded the bks, set car alarms off but ultimately was over fuelled. As I had all the sound I took to the idea I needed more spoilers so bought the zakspeed kit.
Having spent a few months driving round with a white grp front bib spoiler I thought it was time to paint it. PArents were away for the weekend so on the friday I tootled off to halfords and bought 20 cans of paint and a couple of laqure. Now I didnt have a garage so I thought I would do it in my bedroom. Obviously I am not stupid so I covered up everything in the room with bedsheets.
Now by the next morning my spoiler was perfectly painted, no over run and it matched the car perfectly. What a top job. After fitting it back to the car I went back into the house. It was then I realised that the entire house from top to bottom, litterally everything was covered in a very very fine mist of red paint powder. The house still had traces 2 years after when we moved out
Just having a think about some of the silly things I did as a kid with cars such as the capping of the fuel return for the carbs I fitted as the car I fitted them to never had the pipework... the car in question was my very first Capri. I was and still am a capri nut through and through, but I was 17. I had the Capri Clubs really s
te but loud 3 inch system and banana branch manifold coupled with twin stage webbers it sounded the bks, set car alarms off but ultimately was over fuelled. As I had all the sound I took to the idea I needed more spoilers so bought the zakspeed kit.Having spent a few months driving round with a white grp front bib spoiler I thought it was time to paint it. PArents were away for the weekend so on the friday I tootled off to halfords and bought 20 cans of paint and a couple of laqure. Now I didnt have a garage so I thought I would do it in my bedroom. Obviously I am not stupid so I covered up everything in the room with bedsheets.
Now by the next morning my spoiler was perfectly painted, no over run and it matched the car perfectly. What a top job. After fitting it back to the car I went back into the house. It was then I realised that the entire house from top to bottom, litterally everything was covered in a very very fine mist of red paint powder. The house still had traces 2 years after when we moved out
18 years old, decided to rebuild the engine in my vauxhall viva (my 1st car), even though my knowledge of engines was virtually nil. I was quite proud as the motor went back into the car - but it was short lived though as i soon discovered that the crank wouldn't actually turn! Turned out that i'd put a Big End bearing cap on arse first and it had nipped the crankshaft! Doh....
Couple of years later whilst fitting a 4 barrel Holley carb and Swaymar inlet manifold onto my beloved 3.0 litre capri, i cranked the engine over and petrol was literally p*****g out of the top of the carb in near vertical jet - so i rang swaymar to ask them 'if it was supposed to do that!'....i then learnt from the guy on the other end of the phone that you are supposed to set the float levels in the carb first!
Ahh...happy days..
Couple of years later whilst fitting a 4 barrel Holley carb and Swaymar inlet manifold onto my beloved 3.0 litre capri, i cranked the engine over and petrol was literally p*****g out of the top of the carb in near vertical jet - so i rang swaymar to ask them 'if it was supposed to do that!'....i then learnt from the guy on the other end of the phone that you are supposed to set the float levels in the carb first!
Ahh...happy days..Spraying a spoiler (being 17 at the time) for my Clio, I had the sense to do it outside, but no sense on where. I set up a table next to the kitchen window with the wind not in my favour.
Imagine the scene of my Mum coming to wash the dishes and realising that her lovely Kitchen window had a nice misting of green paint on it. I have never heard a shout so loud without the help of some fancy, high wattage PA system
Imagine the scene of my Mum coming to wash the dishes and realising that her lovely Kitchen window had a nice misting of green paint on it. I have never heard a shout so loud without the help of some fancy, high wattage PA system
I fur-lined the interior of my first car, with fur fabric laid out on the living room carpet and cut with a stanley knife. Need I go any further?
A year or so later the carpet was lifted (to be replaced, thank fk) and parents couldn't work out why the middle of it was in strips and stuck down with Evostick 
A year or so later the carpet was lifted (to be replaced, thank f
k) and parents couldn't work out why the middle of it was in strips and stuck down with Evostick karona said:
I fur-lined the interior of my first car, with fur fabric laid out on the living room carpet and cut with a stanley knife. Need I go any further?
A year or so later the carpet was lifted (to be replaced, thank) and parents couldn't work out why the middle of it was in strips and stuck down with Evostick
A year or so later the carpet was lifted (to be replaced, thank
) and parents couldn't work out why the middle of it was in strips and stuck down with Evostick Haha thats a classic!!
Starting a bit earlier, at the age of about 11, I was allowed to strip my mums pushbike and paint it, during the summer holidays (to keep me out of trouble).
The deed was done. All back together, and not too many 'spare' bits left over (mainly washers), I road tested it. Nuts kept falling off - mainly due to bolts (spookily) not having any thread on them - the most spectacular of which was when I pulled on the front brake, and then watched the caliper disappear over the front wheel, before I crashed.
It was then that I discovered that nuts and bolts should not be over-tightened.
The deed was done. All back together, and not too many 'spare' bits left over (mainly washers), I road tested it. Nuts kept falling off - mainly due to bolts (spookily) not having any thread on them - the most spectacular of which was when I pulled on the front brake, and then watched the caliper disappear over the front wheel, before I crashed.
It was then that I discovered that nuts and bolts should not be over-tightened.
Drew SS said:
i was 19 and as a weekly chore had to mow the bloody lawns so i decided to make it cut quicker and strapped my sisters hairdryer to the intake it did rev harder but had a job not to run over the extension cord
The child in me is wondering if its worth getting my mower out to try this today...just to see what effect it has! S800VXR said:
Drew SS said:
i was 19 and as a weekly chore had to mow the bloody lawns so i decided to make it cut quicker and strapped my sisters hairdryer to the intake it did rev harder but had a job not to run over the extension cord
The child in me is wondering if its worth getting my mower out to try this today...just to see what effect it has! go on i dare u....u no u want too
ARAF said:
Starting a bit earlier, at the age of about 11, I was allowed to strip my mums pushbike and paint it, during the summer holidays (to keep me out of trouble).
The deed was done. All back together, and not too many 'spare' bits left over (mainly washers), I road tested it. Nuts kept falling off - mainly due to bolts (spookily) not having any thread on them - the most spectacular of which was when I pulled on the front brake, and then watched the caliper disappear over the front wheel, before I crashed.
It was then that I discovered that nuts and bolts should not be over-tightened.
The deed was done. All back together, and not too many 'spare' bits left over (mainly washers), I road tested it. Nuts kept falling off - mainly due to bolts (spookily) not having any thread on them - the most spectacular of which was when I pulled on the front brake, and then watched the caliper disappear over the front wheel, before I crashed.
It was then that I discovered that nuts and bolts should not be over-tightened.
we all have to learn that lesson at some point some more painfully than others lol
My cousin (when she was about 12) offered to wash my Uncles pride and joy brand new Range Rover. He set her up with the buckets (dirty/clean), cloths (dirty/clean) etc etc and went to great pains to explain how to use them.
She set to work, soaping and scrubbing - he was a bit sceptical at the start, it was his pride and joy after all....but looking out of the window, she seemed to be doing a good job. What he didn't realise was that she was putting the clean cloths down on the sandy/gritty driveway inbetween rinses....
Total Respray required
Oh how we laughed
She set to work, soaping and scrubbing - he was a bit sceptical at the start, it was his pride and joy after all....but looking out of the window, she seemed to be doing a good job. What he didn't realise was that she was putting the clean cloths down on the sandy/gritty driveway inbetween rinses....
Total Respray required
Oh how we laughed
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