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Tue Jul 23, 2013 7:10 am

Test-driving a T-6 B, I felt that the shifting was a little 'off' even though it shifted into all 5 gears. I went underneath and pulled back the boot and trans oil drained out. Guess I know what I have to do there, but what's the black 'lectrical tape doing around the coupling?
As I cut the tape, a metal part fell out. Yep, there were two 356 lug nuts modified to fit into the coupling from the outside and held in by a few wraps of tape...AND the set screw was on TOP. Never seen that before and likely the person who did that had never seen a 356 before.

The real trick, once I put proper bushings in the coupler, will be to pluck the shift finger (rod) seal from the nose of the trans 'in situ.' Putting one in is not a big deal.

In the immortal words of Roseann Roseannadanna, "It's always something and if it's not one thing, it's something else."

Tue Jul 23, 2013 7:27 am

Welcome to the world of PO hackery.

I'm never ceased to be amazed how some people "fix" things.

Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:05 am

Wow that is ingenius, huh? :shock: I can't believe they used electrical tape when the correct thing would have been duct tape. :lol:

Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:14 pm

Or for a real good fix a hose clamp

Tue Jul 23, 2013 4:07 pm

Well, at least they were 356 lug nuts.

Tue Jul 23, 2013 4:26 pm

Thanks, Phil, I looked and made sure 20 were on the car. :roll:

This car came to me for a 'wake up' as it had been parked over 20 years ago...and then.....not driven until 2012, so that ingenious repair was at least 25 years old or more, as the current owner has had it since then. (It was one of those "life gets in the way" situations and now that there is more time, the 356 will be a great driver once again...as soon as I get that problem solved.)

Tue Jul 23, 2013 7:26 pm

I had a car in last year where you could see the bondo was pretty thick, but after transporting it home a huge chunk came off, and guess what was under it, yup, Great Stuff, the kind you use to fill those cracks around your plumbing.

So, yes, these cars fall into the hands of those who really shouldn't try to help them.

Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:02 am

Too bad that The Maestro isn't around to see this. Being from NorCal he would swear this unit was Turkeyfied in LA somewhere. :)

Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:07 am

Bruce,
The sad thing is that the PO did not use 120MPH Duct Tape, which could have assisted the speed shifting alowing the coupler to have remained in good shape. :lol:
Frank

Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:09 am

My absolute best sorry along these lines is of a late SC Cab I restored about 10 years ago. The right rear fender had a football sized hole angled across the curve. It had been filled with a piece of aluminum sheet(-man!), held in place by a couple of pop-rivets and filled with thick plastic filler outside and covered by tar (what the muck?) on the inside.

When removed rather forcefully, the layers of Bondo came off the aluminum where one could see "Wearever Super-chef, 11x14"

Before I could take a picture, the customer took it to be framed with glass on both sides to be hung in his office as "a reminder of where and why all my money is going." It had some Bali blue, some pink Bondo, some tar and the great logo on the aluminum sheet with a remaining pop-rivet, so it was a great 'memento' but we both agree that "somebody's Momma wasn't too happy her cookie sheet went missing."

Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:40 am

Bruce,
Here are a few more examples of fine workmanship by the practitioners of
'Bubba Mechanics'. '

http://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?_adv_pro...hs-att_001

These guys are the real Mothers of Invention...

Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:26 pm

356JAEGER wrote: Bruce,
Here are a few more examples of fine workmanship by the practitioners of
'Bubba Mechanics'. '

http://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?_adv_pro...hs-att_001

These guys are the real Mothers of Invention...

At least they kept them on the road and didn't scrap them.

Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:14 am

I bought my car from a well known (scumbag) restorer out Costa Mesa Ca now in Newport Beach. He told me the interior rear section had just been replaced and all the car needed was a fresh paint and It would be perfect. The repair they said they did looked great with a perfect new spray of interior undercoat.
When I got it back from the media blaster the entire rear seat section was swiss cheese. Had I taken his advice and put my kids back there they would have fallen through to the street.