Stupidest previous owner "repair"?

flyingCoyote

I think I might have a record - I once bought a '76 Westy, and found that one of the "fuses" was actually a .22 cartridge. I guess he REALLY wanted to be notified of any current surge..

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1985 Vanagon GL / homebrew camper (daily driver)
1974 Super Beetle (Wife's daily driver)

51split · Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:02 pm Post subject: Stupid POs

OK
In 1975 I bought a 56 oval window the PO who had a new motor installed but couldn't get running right.
He was so mad he wanted to sell it for $100.
I went to see the car at night, and it looked OK.
He started it up but it ran but badly.
As I watched it run I could see it sparking against the engine tin.
Paid him the $100 and he signed it over.
He told me I would need to tow it home.
I moved the wiring around and reversed number 3 and 4 plug wires.
Reached in the window and started the car up.
Drove home and kept that car for several years.

andk5591 · Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2006 5:34 am Post subject:

This was last fall.
So, every once in a while a see a small spot in the front of the car. hmm smells like gas. Anyway, while I am under here - I want to reset that big rubber bumper that is looks like it must be a tank mount. It's wedged between the top axle tube and the tank. Looks like its crooked.

Slip it out - gas pouring out of a hole that it was covering.

Guess he hammered the tank to clear the axle and the damper. Put a nasty crease at the bend on the corner of the tank, whcih cracked.

Added a new tank to shopping list LOL.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone 1914. Ex wifes car.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Ex-wifes car.
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

cbr900racer · Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:54 am Post subject:

hey, do a search for "dumbest PO award" and you will find a thread i started a while back. my PO had a rubber fuel line laying across the header and the axle nut on the passenger side was finger tight to just name a few Shocked

hambone · Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:51 pm Post subject:

'69 Beetle, front brake cylinders held together with bailing wire...

Kafer Wolf · Samba Member Joined: September 18, 2003 Posts: 333

cracked portion of front windshield rubber was slapped with epoxy and marker-penned black. everytime it rains, water pours into the interior Sad

vwaddiction · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:47 am Post subject:

Pulled up to pick up my new car to find the previous owner tinkering around in the back seat. He had disconnected shift linkage under the seat for me to prevent transmission damage during the tow home.

That was nice of him.
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Not just a car its a cult

ScottK · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:30 pm Post subject:

My PO replaced the floorpans, but neglected to cut the old ones out. Just welded the new ones in on top of the old rusted out ones.

John- · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:50 pm Post subject:

DaveM · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:03 pm Post subject:

I've been working on some rader wheel restorations for a couple of years now (sorry Manuel for the loooonnnnnng delay). When we started in on the wheels, we found one had all but 1 spoke completely broken and the cracks had been filled in with body putty and then it was painted.
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Sounding like a broken record as to why You should be measuring protein during harvest in order to better your agronomic practices.

67stang302 · SBS Hit Squad Joined: February 08, 2005 Posts: 1236

My 68 Square has half of the wiring replaced with speaker wire. My super had no throw out bearing installed (they couldn't figure out why the clutch didn't work). Got a 78 toyota corolla given to me they said the trans was bad so I pull the trans and find that who ever did the clutch forgot to put the disk back in. Drove my first bug home and the first time I hit the brakes the wiring caught on fire(they didn't understand that ground wires don't go to hot leads). I have had numerous PO experiences.
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Travis H. · Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 7:26 pm Post subject:

the PO of my camper took out the waste holding tank for the sink and replaced it with a big hole in the floor and a PVC pipe
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- 67 type 1
- 59 panel

KTPhil · Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:27 pm Post subject:

A few months after buying a '65 bug to replace my stolen '67, I discovered a problem with the clutch cable (it seemed to have broken).

PO, a lazy but creative bastard didn't know to hook the FRONT of the clutch cable first, THEN put on the wingnut on the tranny lever. To add length to the seemingly too-short cable at the pedal cluster he added a large thick paper clip looped around both. I discovered this when it eventually cut the "finger" that hooks the cable eye at the cluster.

As I looked at this broken setup, I remembered him saying he had rebuilt the motor himself a year ago. Amazingly, it lasted nearly 100K miles.

vwjosh6070 · Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 1:55 pm Post subject:

the PO of my 60 installed a house light switch in for the headlights, and removed the relays and strait wired everything. now i only have turn signals 50% of the time, but my headlights work!
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josh, AKA "the infamous josh"

1973 Transporter "Floyd"

****Wheres my old bus?! 1967 Montgomery Ward Camper****

KI4MXO

Kommercial · Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 2:18 pm Post subject:

Here is a thread I started a while back along the same lines-
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=92641&highlight=dumb

Some interesting ones in there also

sunroofghia · Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:37 pm Post subject:

Not really dumb but overkill, my PO put rattle can undercoating all over the entire interior of the car....because someone said "Old VW's rust out fast". I bought it from him in Fu@%'n Phoenix! Mad

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72 ghia coupe w/Electric Golde slider
65 fiat 600D

jroymcd · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 3:47 pm Post subject:

insanitize · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:06 am Post subject:

I once bought a 62 Oldsmobile vert from a man who repaired small aircraft. He replaced the canvas with the fabric that they used to make the skin on planes and then used the hardener to make it stiff. What a pain it was to remove but I was young and wanted a vert. My friends and I removed the pseudo hardtop and replaced it with green boat canvas, (the car was red) no sewing just glue and staples the worst looking job you can imagine. I drove the car for two summers like that then wrecked it. I miss that car.

OVLWNDO · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 10:42 am Post subject:

Old piece of shag carpet used in place of the steering coupling disc.

Karnage · Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:57 am Post subject:

The ignition on my 64 had gone out and instead of just replacing it the PO added a tiny toggle switch and a starter button. I kinda dug the starter button though.

the '74 standard(which i turned into a horrid chop) i had when i was a teenager had the windshield caulked inside and out with white caulking since the windshield leaked. I bought a used gasket for five dollars and replaced it the next weekend, as well as pulling out the house carpeting and emptied the rear ashtrays of the roaches...
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"the truth is ugly, so we throw our prophets in prison"~C.M


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