Had a 6cyl LX Torana back in the day...
Not really a repair but I got good at changing gears without using the clutch and timing my approach to traffic lights, when the clutch cable snapped. A couple of times
Had the cog in the ignition barrel partially strip at one stage, it was enough to turn the power on but wouldn't engage the starter...
I was too lazy and tight to go buy a new ignition barrel, so I used to do the old trick of shorting out the starter with a spanner to get her started.
I got sick of popping the bonnet everytime I went out, so I wrapped a piece of wire on one of the starter terminals and tied a string to the loose end. I then fed the string through the firewall to where I could reach it easily. I hooked up a spring to the wire I had put on the starter terminal, to keep the wire off the other terminal.
So to start my car I turned the power on with the ignition barrel, pulling the string engaged the wire to both terminals on the starter, car started, I let go of the string and the spring would disengage the wire and away I'd go.
My current car 2001 Vectra
Ive recently hit two kangeroos one off the median strip into the drivers side (did a little damage to headlight and drivers side door) and one into the passenger side (managed to take out both headlights). Anyways both headlights are pretty worse for wear but the high beams sorta work. They are still to bright so after I hit the second one so I have packing tape over the headlights to dull the high beams down to normal beam light. Will maybe get it fixed next week and just pray I don't get picked up over Easter
PS Anyone want to buy a Vectra?
My VW van drivers door mechanism broke for the second time. first under warranty. 2nd 4 years later. Price to fix it using genuine parts and labour $1200+ all because a 50c piece of plastic broke and then the pull cable broke. Fixed it with some rigging cable, Rapid fix glue (brilliant stuff) and a cable tie. less that $30 and about about an hour of work .
^^^ that RapidFix is amazing!!!
Seen it used to join radiator hose (butt join) and holes in thermostat housing etc.
Worth its weight in gold, would not be without it if driving in a remote area
A mates kombi blew a spark plug clean out of the head, destroyed the thread and all.We mixed up a wad of quicksteel and bunged that around it, screwed it back in as best as we could.Lasted a few years before the engine totally died.
used pantie hose for V belt
Old mate used a piece of wood for a front wheel bear once out in the Simpson Desert very slow trip out of there
Replaced a rear wheel bearing on the side of the road going to Bathhurst. Found a bit of gal pipe to take if off and replace it with 69 Monaro
Had a old FB I bought two made one good one and drove from Melbourne to Darwin out of Alice Springs she was running on 5 so I pulled up and removed number 5 piston , push rods and spark plug lead wrapped a old boot tongue around the big end journal and added a hose clamp . She smoothed out at 85 klms per hour. Mate was driving her later around Darwin and the rear wheel bearing slide out he pulled off the road took the stereo out of it and walked away
trying to dry out a distributer in the bush the carbon tip and spring went bush.
built a new one from a biro spring and builders pencil. ran for over 600kms!!!. . mechanic at next tune up just shook his head and kept repeating "bu*****t"
(Sorry if any ladies are on this thread)
How about an apology for the guys as well!!
Most would think it is your right to repair modify you own car (within reg's/engineering std's of course) well the automakers are starting to try put an end to it..