Crazy fixes / bodges

[rok-the-boat]

haha mate, sounds like my Austin A40 Somerset. Bought it for $75 in about 1969 to run around in until I fled to Aussie for an OE of sorts. The spring hangers popped thru into the boot so I used two pieces of 4x2 wrapped in rubber from a tube to stop it sagging at the arse . Worked great for months as we only ever did about 80kph in it anyway ,always with mates and their beers as we headed off to piss ups. It was classic blue with a Bell sticker in the rear window and was always a standing joke .(Gazzas Somerset !!).

My mate bought an old ford van (like a car, not a big van) at an auction. Really cheap. He was so happy. At the auction we had been unable to open the bonnet. Once home we pushed and pulled and pried and levered and 'bang! ... once opened, the car dropped to the floor. The suspension top had rotted through and it was resting on and pressuring against the bonnet, which was why the latch wouldn't free the bonnet. Both sides. He scrapped it and had to pay to get it towed.

[rok-the-boat]

I swapped an old mini for an old Fiat Panda, early 90s. Took it for it's MOT (UK = WOF) and it failed on a few things ... but one was that the previous guy had hammered the rear brake pipes flat to cure a leaky cylinders. The bodge worked, of course, and I managed to find everything super cheap at a breakers yard.

That same Panda had low oil pressure so I pulled the sump and oil pump an put a small washer against the pressure relief spring. Presto - instant boost. No oil light. But WTF ... oil started leaking out of everywhere. Checked the oil pressure switch - bust. Replaced it. But my brother sold it to someone before I could pull the washer out (I had gone overseas) ... and I hear it always leaked. I mean, would any mechanic ever know to check for that extra washer in the oil pump. Ha ha.