Thiird World Fixes: Heath Robinson tribute thread

[Loz]

So to start with, let me explain. Living here in Thailand, when someone says go and buy a 5/8 nylon bush, I think, "fcuk! How do I ask for that: followed by, how can I get around that!

 

Well last night and into the wee small hours of the night I cut to rattle can lids into c shape bushes and sandwiched a peice of box section plastic with them to create the "bush" of which you spoke to cure the sloppiness in my tranny. (gearbox that is, not male of questionable dress sense).

 

So it is that sometimes a "makeshift, get you home, last resort fix" is happend upon.

 

So can we list them in this thread and then when we need it, we'll know where to look!

 

I'd be interesting in speedo cable related stories.

 

welding floor pans stories would be good too!

 

Anyone got any good budget lowering advice?

 

:confused:

[hang_510]

welding floor pans stories would be good too!

 

street signs!

[wilderb]

street signs!

 

street signs are aluminum so I don't think you can weld them to steel, they make good garage decorations though:cool:

[Skib]

street signs are aluminum so I don't think you can weld them to steel, they make good garage decorations though:cool:

 

who said anything about welding :lol:

[LAYEDOUTB2K]

one time when i thottled into my ranger in third i blew up the u joint and part of the yoke. i was only about a mile from my home and wanted to get it home before it got dark. i had just put speakers in and happened to have the rest of the spool of wire behind the seat. i found most of the parts i could that was scattered in the street and assembled it the best i could. i then wrapped the rest of the speaker wire all across it and made a knot. i drove it home slowly making sure to stay out of boost.

 

 

another one:

 

within a week of driving my mazda the first time it was bagged by the previous owner, i had a bag blow out. i was on the freeway, with no phone, early in the morning and on my way to work. i had to make it on time because my boss was pissed at me for being late the previous day. i ended up finding a chunk of 2x4 on the side of the road. i used the jack handle, pried the control arm down and jammed the 2x4 in there. the first time i pried on it, the handle slipped and i went face first onto the top edge of the fender with all my force. i was 15 minutes late but the boss seeing that my eyes were already starting to turn black from a broken nose, he wasnt mad and let me go home early.

[Loz]

Oh, I like the way this is shaping up.

 

Street signs? But this is thailand...we DON'T HAVE street signs!!! PMSL

 

great thought though.

[Cuts metal like mad]

Oh, I like the way this is shaping up.

 

Street signs? But this is thailand...we DON'T HAVE street signs!!! PMSL

 

great thought though.

 

you may have to travel to bangkok, or some other tourist place then... :D

[Loz]

Fuses:

 

My 1967 Benz (sorry not Ratsun) has the old bullet style fuses. I blew one lastnight messing with wiring in the dark (yes, stupid!) today I found the blown fuse cut two strips of solder. and placed them over the fuse. then zip tied it on. maybe that was dumb, but it worked.

[moparvwfreak]

Fuses:

 

My 1967 Benz (sorry not Ratsun) has the old bullet style fuses. I blew one lastnight messing with wiring in the dark (yes, stupid!) today I found the blown fuse cut two strips of solder. and placed them over the fuse. then zip tied it on. maybe that was dumb, but it worked.

 

get that fixed right ASAP! you dont want to be drivign around and have the car burn on ya.

[Loz]

Here is a new one for you!

 

Last night I was on my way back from town and the damn fuel pump which had been on the blink, gave up the ghost!!:eek:

 

Of course its rainy season and just getting dark and pissing it down. But I have been in thailand too long not to know that anything can be fixed at any time!!

 

So first I remove the pump (facet type not the mechanical standard one) then I try the shop suggested by a local but its closed (sunday 6 pm) so I buy a tooth brush from 7 11 and 20 bht of petrol in a whiskey bottle and sit down under cover from the rain and rub the breaker points with petrol using the tooth brush. Gave them a few good goes and then re-assembled and re installed and it almost worked. Battery was on the blink so got a jump start from a tuk tuk and....Hey presto!!! My first truly third world "field repair" got me all the way home!! :lol:

 

Today I'll replace it, but I had to tell you guys cos I think this would only happen in Thailand. Can u tell me any different?

 

:confused:

[hang_510]

but I had to tell you guys cos I think this would only happen in Thailand. Can u tell me any different?

 

mexico, and no rain.

i actually found a set of points for sale (duals!) in the middle of Baja (late 80's)

 

(correct) spare fuses are essential, everywhere!

[drxfter]

Yeah, I do Road Service: I don't know what they call it in the US. I had a guy with a F-100 running on LPG (Propane), and he'd tried to fix it himself, damaging the distributor rotor in the process. I cut and modified a cable (zip) tie to act as the locating lug to hold it in place. The engine ran ok (after some minor idle/mixture adjustments) and he drove it to a garage and bought a new rotor.