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Makeshift Car Repair -- Most You've Done with the Least
Posted on 3/12/19 at 11:46 am
Posted on 3/12/19 at 11:46 am
Warning: This is a crotchety post from an old dude.
Back in the day when I was poor, I fixed cars anyway I could. You just made it run with duct tape, JB Weld, and a pair of pliers.
When the solenoid went out on my 67 Chevy Pickup (rusted through on the floors), I jumped it with a screwdriver to start it until I could afford a new one.
When the fuel hose broke on my VW bug, I got a piece of tubing from a lab on campus and spliced it in until I could get a new one from the junkyard.
A buddy of mine fixed a hole in his muffler by pounding a tin can flat then soldering it over the hole.
What's the most makeshift thing you ever did to keep a car running?
Back in the day when I was poor, I fixed cars anyway I could. You just made it run with duct tape, JB Weld, and a pair of pliers.
When the solenoid went out on my 67 Chevy Pickup (rusted through on the floors), I jumped it with a screwdriver to start it until I could afford a new one.
When the fuel hose broke on my VW bug, I got a piece of tubing from a lab on campus and spliced it in until I could get a new one from the junkyard.
A buddy of mine fixed a hole in his muffler by pounding a tin can flat then soldering it over the hole.
What's the most makeshift thing you ever did to keep a car running?
24
Posted on 3/12/19 at 11:51 am to JudgeHolden
Used a square block piece of wood and wedged it between the exhaust line and heat shield to stop a loud vibration noise. Worked great until the wood block caught on fire.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 11:58 am to JudgeHolden
In college for a short time I had a 1979 POS Chevette.
Hole in the driver's side floorboard was covered with an old license plate and a floor mat.
The retainer ring for the stick shift was plastic and wore out a lot, so I shifted it with a long handled screwdriver.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:04 pm to JudgeHolden
A friend had a VW Bug and his oil filter had a problem.
He could only find another oil filter housing, but was too big, so he mounted it on the rear bumper and ran hoses to it.
Best I've seen online is the home AC window unit mounted in the car/van.
He could only find another oil filter housing, but was too big, so he mounted it on the rear bumper and ran hoses to it.
Best I've seen online is the home AC window unit mounted in the car/van.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:09 pm to JudgeHolden
I used a piece of floss to keep the truck nuts on my dad’s King Ranch
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:11 pm to JudgeHolden
There’s another word I use to describe what you did
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:23 pm to JudgeHolden
Checked oil at gas station. Forgot to put cap back on. On the way home I start smelling oil. Pop the hood and the engine bay is covered. Realized my mistake. Put a leather glove over the hole and zip ties it on. 
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:25 pm to JudgeHolden
I took thumbtacks and used them to keep my headliner from sagging and touching my head in my old s-10 Blazer.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:26 pm to JudgeHolden
baling wire tightly wrapped around rear wheels in lieu of chains during an ice storm
Didn't work too well - one wire cut loose and skimmed the paint off around the wheel well
Didn't work too well - one wire cut loose and skimmed the paint off around the wheel well
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:29 pm to JudgeHolden
Use a road sign bolt to fix a broken axle bolt on a 69 VW Bug on the side of the road once.
The threads weren't the same but it held long enough to get it home.
The threads weren't the same but it held long enough to get it home.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:31 pm to JudgeHolden
Would take too long to type
Filled radiator up with ditch water once
Filled radiator up with ditch water once
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:32 pm to JudgeHolden
I tapped some wooden wedges in the AC Clutch after the clutch went out,and ran car with ac on for 2 years controlled temp. with inside controls.
Cost $1.50
Also use Liquid steel on Radiator cap outlet. Worked for years.
Cost $1.50
Also use Liquid steel on Radiator cap outlet. Worked for years.
This post was edited on 3/12/19 at 12:46 pm
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:36 pm to JudgeHolden
Girlfriends sister was a terrible driver. Ripped the front bumper off of her Accord backing out of carport. I popped it back on and wrapped nylon string around the bumper and frame in like 4 different places. She drove that car another 3 or 4 years like that.
I used a coat hanger to hold a muffler to the heat shield in my old Corolla.
I used a coat hanger to hold a muffler to the heat shield in my old Corolla.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 12:45 pm to JudgeHolden
Had a 1973 Mercury Capri. Every so often the exhaust pipe would separate from the manifold and that was freaking loud. Couldn't repair it, so I took 2 c-clamps and clamped the pipe to the manifold at the bracket. Wired the c-clamps to the firewall with baling wire so I wouldn't lose them if they fell off. Good times.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 1:06 pm to JudgeHolden
Pulling a 40 foot drop deck loaded with hay into New Orleans. Throttle linkage breaks while I’m crossing the Bonne Carre. Pulled onto the “shoulder.” Found an old stick in the toolbox and used that along with hay string off a couple of bales to rig a handheld throttle. Left the hood cracked and ran the string out the engine compartment, around the windshield, and into the driver side vent window. Cranked her back up and drove on into N.O. with the throttle in my left hand, stick shift in my right, and steering with my knees.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 1:51 pm to JudgeHolden
Had an overflow tank bust on a drag car, cut the bottom out of a mountain dew bottle zip tied it on the core support, ended up winning that event. That bottle helped me win 15k that weekend (biggest pay out I've ever won)
Posted on 3/12/19 at 2:02 pm to JudgeHolden
Rattling exhaust. Hose clamps. Cheap effective fix.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 3:31 pm to JudgeHolden
Fuel pump went out on old Blazer. Drained windshield wiper spray jug. Rerouted hoses in place of inline fuel filter. Filled with siphoned gas. Made it to next exit while pumping dash switch.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 6:55 pm to JudgeHolden
windshield wiper motor on my truck quit working. Tied trot line string to the blade and ran through the vent window of the truck. My girlfriend's job was to operate the wipers by pulling the string at the right speed when it rained.
Posted on 3/12/19 at 7:34 pm to JudgeHolden
quote:
Most You've Done with the Least
I have used black pepper to clog a hole in my radiator.
A guy that worked for me plugged a tire with two cigarette butts....tire man was impressed.
I have heard of old timers using pantyhose as a fan belt.
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