- Joined
- Jul 2, 2010
- Messages
- 6,564
- Reaction score
- 82
- Location
- Warrenton, Virginia 20186
- My Car
- 73 Mustang Conv.
01 Mustang Bullitt (my son owns now)
04 Oxford White Mach 1
04 Azure Blue Mach 1 (sold)
I was recalling some interesting roadside repairs that I and my father had done in the past and wondered if anyone here had any similar stories. Here are a couple of mine:
One night I was towing my boat and trailer home from the lake and I noticed in the mirror my running lights were out on the boat trailer. I stopped and checked and found a blown fuse. After replacing the fuse it blew again a few miles down the road. So after checking the wiring on the trailer I found that one wire was pinched in the trailer frame and was shorting out. My young kids (at the time) were watching me intently looking for a way to repair the wire. Not having any electrical or duct tape with me I finally got an idea after noticing my daughter chewing bubble gum. I asked her for the used gum and she asked me what I wanted it for. I just said watch. Well I formed the gum around the wire to insulate it, then stuck the gum to the frame. After replacing the fuse we made the remaining hour long drive home in the dark with the lights working fine. My kids were pretty amazed that it worked. I hate to admit it, but initially putting off the repair for later I forgot about it. It was about a year later and I noticed the gum and decided the make the repair. The lights were still worked all that time.
I also remember back in the 60's when the family was traveling home from a 400 mile trip on a Sunday in our 64 Pontiac Bonneville. Well my dad noticed the fuel level dropping more than usual and stopped to check. The fuel pump was leaking fuel. Back in the 60's hardly anything was open on a Sunday (the old Blue Laws) so there was no chance of getting it repaired. So Dad took the fuel pump apart (they use to have screws in them so you could get to the diaphragm) asked for one of my mother's leather shoes, then cut a leather diaphragm out of the shoe to repair the fuel pump. The fuel pump worked fine and we made it the last couple of hundred miles home. In fact, he drove it several more days after getting home until he got a new fuel pump.
Anyone else have any good stories about McGyvering or Jury Rigging?
Note: You younger members may not have seen the old TV show called "McGyver" but he was always getting out of close-calls and saving the day by rigging something up with whatever was around him.
One night I was towing my boat and trailer home from the lake and I noticed in the mirror my running lights were out on the boat trailer. I stopped and checked and found a blown fuse. After replacing the fuse it blew again a few miles down the road. So after checking the wiring on the trailer I found that one wire was pinched in the trailer frame and was shorting out. My young kids (at the time) were watching me intently looking for a way to repair the wire. Not having any electrical or duct tape with me I finally got an idea after noticing my daughter chewing bubble gum. I asked her for the used gum and she asked me what I wanted it for. I just said watch. Well I formed the gum around the wire to insulate it, then stuck the gum to the frame. After replacing the fuse we made the remaining hour long drive home in the dark with the lights working fine. My kids were pretty amazed that it worked. I hate to admit it, but initially putting off the repair for later I forgot about it. It was about a year later and I noticed the gum and decided the make the repair. The lights were still worked all that time.
I also remember back in the 60's when the family was traveling home from a 400 mile trip on a Sunday in our 64 Pontiac Bonneville. Well my dad noticed the fuel level dropping more than usual and stopped to check. The fuel pump was leaking fuel. Back in the 60's hardly anything was open on a Sunday (the old Blue Laws) so there was no chance of getting it repaired. So Dad took the fuel pump apart (they use to have screws in them so you could get to the diaphragm) asked for one of my mother's leather shoes, then cut a leather diaphragm out of the shoe to repair the fuel pump. The fuel pump worked fine and we made it the last couple of hundred miles home. In fact, he drove it several more days after getting home until he got a new fuel pump.
Anyone else have any good stories about McGyvering or Jury Rigging?
Note: You younger members may not have seen the old TV show called "McGyver" but he was always getting out of close-calls and saving the day by rigging something up with whatever was around him.