- Joined
- Nov 13, 2014
- Messages
- 2,914
Having witnessed some horrible things in my time like seeing cars run off the highway and roll over to hearing stories about mechanics and other people crashing cars that didn't belong to them I decided to start this thread.
I have personally heard stories about mechanics writing off people's cars that were in excellent condition when taking the cars for a "test drive". Some of these cars were then straightened, cut and shut. This is an improper repair and even after repair those cars will never ever be the same again.
I personally went to inspect an old Nissan 120Y for a friend who was very eager to purchase this car from a shop where the owner was rebuilding the engine. As soon as I walked in and saw the car I said no.
With the engine out I clearly saw hammer marks on the chassis rails indicative of straightening. The entire front of the car was bent, the firewall had tons and tons of filler to hide creases and other imperfections. The fenders were plated and then welded in place. It reminded me of a cut and shut. The cowl to the base of the windshield was severely bent and filled. Despite being painted I know my way around "tricks of the trade" and an "on point" paint job was not enough to hide the truth from me. I was very dismayed to understand that somebody would repair a car that seemed to have been potentially written off. The back of the car sounded hollow as prior to painting the quarter panels were fillered.
I could not believe that someone was actually serious about selling a car like that. Even after straightening, the creases and deformation of the chassis rails clearly showed evidence of a major frontal impact no doubt from a major accident and this would never be safe in the event of another accident.
It is for that reason I do not trust shops who install or mechanics. Some of them do very improper work and then hide it assuming no one will ever see it. I prefer to do everything myself because of the stories I have heard. In doing so I have never once encountered any major issues and I know that the job was actually performed.
To me it is never short of amusing to know what "pros" do for a repair sometimes.
What are some stories you have to tell about bad automotive experiences?
I have personally heard stories about mechanics writing off people's cars that were in excellent condition when taking the cars for a "test drive". Some of these cars were then straightened, cut and shut. This is an improper repair and even after repair those cars will never ever be the same again.
I personally went to inspect an old Nissan 120Y for a friend who was very eager to purchase this car from a shop where the owner was rebuilding the engine. As soon as I walked in and saw the car I said no.
With the engine out I clearly saw hammer marks on the chassis rails indicative of straightening. The entire front of the car was bent, the firewall had tons and tons of filler to hide creases and other imperfections. The fenders were plated and then welded in place. It reminded me of a cut and shut. The cowl to the base of the windshield was severely bent and filled. Despite being painted I know my way around "tricks of the trade" and an "on point" paint job was not enough to hide the truth from me. I was very dismayed to understand that somebody would repair a car that seemed to have been potentially written off. The back of the car sounded hollow as prior to painting the quarter panels were fillered.
I could not believe that someone was actually serious about selling a car like that. Even after straightening, the creases and deformation of the chassis rails clearly showed evidence of a major frontal impact no doubt from a major accident and this would never be safe in the event of another accident.
It is for that reason I do not trust shops who install or mechanics. Some of them do very improper work and then hide it assuming no one will ever see it. I prefer to do everything myself because of the stories I have heard. In doing so I have never once encountered any major issues and I know that the job was actually performed.
To me it is never short of amusing to know what "pros" do for a repair sometimes.
What are some stories you have to tell about bad automotive experiences?
