Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » What's the most you've fixed with very little? « 1 2 3 »
  • Taiden

    Nov. 6, 2011 11:19 a.m. Taiden Dork

    Today I fixed a lot with very little.

    On the e30 I fixed these items with a single paper clip:

    1. Speedometer
    2. MPG gauge
    3. temp gauge
    4. cruise control

    What's the most you've fixed using very little while still remaining confident that it was a high quality fix?

  • Derick Freese

    Nov. 6, 2011 11:25 a.m. Derick Freese Dork

    I fixed almost every electrical issue on my jeep by fixing some splices in the harness. Less than $5 in materials, including tape for the harness, heat shrink tubing, and solder. I fixed a Kia Sportage that wouldn't shift out of park with a zip tie.

    I do side work on friends' cars, so I'm good at fixing things without anything but some cleaning and diagnostic troubleshooting.

  • alex

    Nov. 6, 2011 11:28 a.m. alex SuperDork

    Fixed my truck's door with a rubber band. Proud of that one.

    The only two things in life that make it worth livin' are guitars that tune good and firm feelin' women.

  • oldeskewltoy

    Nov. 6, 2011 12:22 p.m. oldeskewltoy HalfDork

    I fixed an over expanded front hub with aluminum foil

  • familytruckster

    Nov. 6, 2011 1:31 p.m. familytruckster Reader

    I fixed 6500 bucks worth of damage to my protege with 30 bucks. Well, if you count the body hammer set I bought and the seal, more like 80......

    I had hit a nice chunk of steel beam on the highway that punched a hole in the trans and ripped a 14" gash in the floorpan under my butt.

    30 bucks for a used trans case, hammered the floor down, mig welded it up and some rubberized undercoating. The insurance company was going with a new trans and replacing the entire floorpan. I got 5700 bucks and have put another 100K on the car since then.

  • a401cj

    Nov. 6, 2011 1:35 p.m. a401cj Reader

    dad bought a used Ford dually with a 7.3 PSD. Right after he got it it started making a horrible almost train-whistle sound when climbing a steep hill. I poked around and noticed one of the clamps under the turbo was loose. fixt for 0

  • Taiden

    Nov. 6, 2011 1:59 p.m. Taiden Dork

    familytruckster wrote: 30 bucks for a used trans case, hammered the floor down, mig welded it up and some rubberized undercoating. The insurance company was going with a new trans and replacing the entire floorpan. I got 5700 bucks and have put another 100K on the car since then.

    You could crash cars for a living!

  • familytruckster

    Nov. 6, 2011 3:31 p.m. familytruckster Reader

    Taiden wrote:
    familytruckster wrote: 30 bucks for a used trans case, hammered the floor down, mig welded it up and some rubberized undercoating. The insurance company was going with a new trans and replacing the entire floorpan. I got 5700 bucks and have put another 100K on the car since then.

    You could crash cars for a living!

    That would be a lot more fun than my current job. And I would get harassed about it as much.

  • Nov. 6, 2011 5:36 p.m. Knurled Dork

    I repaired the starter solenoid in my Subaru with a couple of thin washers to space the stationary terminals closer to the plunger. The terminals were worn thin as a razor blade.

    Lasted at least as long as the rest of the car.

    Cheap starter repair seems to be a common theme for me. I've filed the slots in the brush holders so that the brushes could extend more, when I was too impatient for the new ones to be delivered. Lasted at least 10k.

  • Nov. 6, 2011 5:58 p.m. thestig99 Reader

    Fixed the clutch cable on my '95 Saab 900S (and then my '96 900SE) with a bottle cap.

    Edit: making the difference between driveable and not, should be mentioned.

  • Woody

    Nov. 6, 2011 6:15 p.m. Woody SuperDork

    alex wrote: Fixed my truck's door with a rubber band. Proud of that one.

    My neighbor fixed his bull with a rubber band.

    Porsche. Everyday.

  • Giant Purple Snorklewacker

    Nov. 6, 2011 6:26 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

    I once unclogged a wiper nozzle on the side of the road, in a snow storm using a piece of finger nail I bit from my index finger.

    Lord of drivel and harbinger of Floundering

  • Twin_Cam

    Nov. 6, 2011 6:39 p.m. Twin_Cam SuperDork

    I helped a buddy secure most of the front clip of his Civic with zip ties.

  • Gearheadotaku

    Nov. 6, 2011 6:43 p.m. Gearheadotaku Dork

    put a copper washer on a battery cable to take up space worn away from a side post terminal.

    Old enough to know better, too young too care!

  • chandlerGTi

    Nov. 6, 2011 6:49 p.m. chandlerGTi Reader

    I usually just focus on breaking stuff...

    This guy fixes stuff with little though...Here!

  • Nov. 6, 2011 6:53 p.m. egnorant Dork

    My old 67 Mustang decided that it wanted 2nd gear while I was cruising in 3rd gear. Transmission locked up and broke a motor mount. Upon inspection I noticed that the Clutch linkage had dropped out as the motor (200 6 cyl) flopped towards the passenger side.

    The transmission would operate in 2nd gear if I put the shifter in neutral, but when I started the car, the engine would flop over, drop the clutch linkage out and pull the throttle wide open.

    A bit of work on a pallet with my tire iron yielded a proper length of wood to wedge against the engine and the fender wall...drove for 3 weeks like that.

    Bruce

  • Toyman01

    Nov. 6, 2011 7:20 p.m. Toyman01 SuperDork

    I fixed a vacuum leak in a Ford Pinto carburetor with a snapped off pencil. Fixed it on the side of the road when the car shut down. Drove it like that for 3 years and only had to replace the pencil once. I never did figure out what fell out of the carburetor leaving a pencil sized hole.

    I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

  • wearymicrobe

    Nov. 6, 2011 7:37 p.m. wearymicrobe HalfDork

    Fixed a slightly smaller version of this with a soldering iron, 15K board of ~0.01$ of solder. Bad trace was down for over 6 months.

  • SVreX

    Nov. 6, 2011 7:52 p.m. SVreX SuperDork

    Fixed a dented quarter panel in a unibody hatchback with a toilet plunger.

    Perfectly!

  • oldtin

    Nov. 6, 2011 8:19 p.m. oldtin Dork

    Fixed most of the rust in my TR4 with a scrap fender. Cost about $6 for welding wire - maybe another $20 in argon/CO2

  • novaderrik

    Nov. 6, 2011 8:50 p.m. novaderrik Dork

    the ABS in my '04 Cavalier just fixed itself.. for free and with no effort on my part.

  • neon4891

    Nov. 7, 2011 12:14 a.m. neon4891 SuperDork

    Zip ties. Air dams, fender liners, under body trays, emission equipment, ect.

  • Nov. 7, 2011 12:30 a.m. fasted58 SuperDork

  • amg_rx7

    Nov. 7, 2011 2:47 a.m. amg_rx7 HalfDork

    I fixed every issue I ever had with my E36 by selling it

  • dean1484

    Nov. 7, 2011 6:13 a.m. dean1484 SuperDork

    Gal Gas Book of matches

    Optional

    Marshmallow Chocolate Gram Crackers

    Respectfully, Dean

« 1 2 3 »  

You'll need to log in to post.

Lime Rock Park
Saferacer
CMS Ad Dept

Birthdays

Yes or No

What’s your favorite British sports car?

Triumph

45%

MG

13%

Austin Healey

19%

Aston Martin

3%

Jensen / Jensen Healey

3%

TVR

13%

Morgan

3%

Check back soon for the next poll. View all polls