Strangest thing you or someone you know has don trying to repair a car (fuel, valve)

[studedude]

I once saw someone try to remove a transmission, to change a clutch, from an MG Midget by cutting the transmission tunnel in the floor. Normal procedure is to remove engine and trans as a unit and then remove trans. What this rocket scientist did weakened the unibody construction and made the car junk. Lets here from the mechanics out there who have been asked to fix others blunders.

[tstone]

No one I know did this, but I did see a car in the shop that had a drywall screw and a big blob of blue RTV used for an oil pan drain plug. You know.... instead of rethreading a new hole with a tap, or at least using a pan-saver plug?

[JBrown]

I had a beater that I used for gettin to work only that got rear ended just enough to knock the trunk lid out of alignment...so the lock/latch wouldn't work. I pulled the assembly out and brazed a backyard fence gate hasp across the gap and used a padlock to lock the trunk down !. It didn't look all that spiffy what with the scorched paint and all but it worked fine...

[burdell]

I saw some guys one time straighten a bent valve with a hammer to get a car through a racing driver's school........................and it lasted the weekend

[JustPassinThru]

Originally Posted by burdell

I saw some guys one time straighten a bent valve with a hammer to get a car through a racing driver's school........................and it lasted the weekend

Well, now that you mention it...

I sawed through the a/c hoses on my Javelin and discarded the unit, only to realize that I no longer had a bracket for the alternator. I pounded a 2X4 next to the block, where it maintained the proper belt tension. I did have to carry a hammer in the vehicle, though, for minor adjustments.

[Katie1]

My 1990 Astro sportsvan...that I just got...Has wire hangers to open doors! Button on dash for the horn...a 4 inch square hole cut in center of floor for god knows what!! Wires & duck tape hanging every where.Dog house is there but no fancy cover...door covers gone...2x2 wood nailed above holding the header up....hehehe!! Good points runs great & I can get a w/c lift for my mobiliy scooter!! Now if I find more I add to this!!

[BigTuna76]

a guy i knew back in high school had an old cutlas. he went over a curb or something and broke something near the fuel fill. he then decided he needed to get the gas tank down to do the repair. needless to say he sucked the gas tank dry with a shop-vac. blew up his car and his dads garage. true story. i still laugh about it sometimes!!!!!!

[burdell]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

Well, now that you mention it...

I sawed through the a/c hoses on my Javelin and discarded the unit, only to realize that I no longer had a bracket for the alternator. I pounded a 2X4 next to the block, where it maintained the proper belt tension. I did have to carry a hammer in the vehicle, though, for minor adjustments.

A hammer AND a 2X4...........THAT's CLASSIC!

[burdell]

I watched someone change multiple parts on a "backyard car" one time before they found the mouse nest in the exhaust system that was keeping it from starting

And heard second hand about 2 guys who'd installed a freshly rebuilt engine in a car. Sadly, they each thought the other had filled it with oil before they fired it up Betthey never do it again.

[Bydand]

Most half-butted thing I ever did to a vehicle was have the throttle cable break WAY out in the boonies in my Jeep while fishing. So I took a length of 20# fishing line, tied a swivel on and clipped it onto the throttle lever on the carb, ran the end through a hole in the firewall and just pulled the string to give it the gas. Drove all week-end like that until the parts store opened Monday morning. Had to change line once or twice due to breakage, but finished the fishing trip, got out of the woods and didn't kill myself or others while going down the road. All in all a good time.