Some people

[HOT40ROD]

I do not know if I want to laugh or grab this person by the throat.

I just bought this 58 Nash rambler. That was suppose to be done by a guy that does cars for a living.

I guy had a list on two pages of all the work he done to the car. One of the items was that he replaced the brakes, wheel cylinders and brake lines. Well I decided to put new wheels on the car and . First I would replace all the studs with longer RH thread studs.

I pulled off the Left front wheel and drum to remove the hub to change the studs. I look and the brake shoes are on backwards. No big deal just take them off and change them. Well here is problem #1 The pins that go between the wheel cylinder and the shoes were longer pins that were just cut off and stuck in the wheel cylinder. #2 He almost got some grease on the wheel bearings.

So now I pull the right front. well the brakes are on right but again the pins were cut to fit and the wheel bearings almost had some grease on them.

OK now I pull the left rear. #1. Both shoes on this side are the short shoes and again the pins were cut to fit.

Now I pull the last wheel. Here I find the two long shoes and again the pins were cut and the grease seal was missing on this axle. What a mess.

At least there are all new parts in the brakes.

Also on his list was that he rewired the car. So far I found that there is no Fuse block and the fan for the heater stay on with the car shut off. The heat gauge goes up and down when you step on the gas. Its hooked to the oil pressure sender. And some wires are spliced a couple of time with the crimped connector.

He also had that he rebuilt the trans on the list. I have no park.

I'm can not wait to look at anything else.

Just had to vent.

 

[donsrods]

I bet 90% of the cars people buy that other people built have lots of crappy workmanship, like you are describing. Some of it is because the PO is just fixing it enough to unload it, but some is due to some people who should never be let near a tool.

There is a thread on another forum where this guy bought a 34 Ford sedan (I think on Ebay) and the work that was done on that car was criminal. The front and rear suspensions were welded with the worst examples of welds ever seen on this planet. Some of the rear suspension was actually bolted right through the sheet metal of the floor, instead of to a frame member, and stuff like that. For the tail light wiring the guy used an orange garage type extension cord. He was either a real hack or a thief.

At least you were smart enough to start digging on your new car, and you have the skills to be able to make proper corrections. Good luck with all of that.

Don

 

[Gastrick]

I feel your pain. I'm redoing some rear suspension work on a car right now that was done by a high dollar rod shop. The work is shameful and had the car been completed as is, the rear suspension would not function at all, or would snap some major components. It's pitiful that a shadetree builder like myself has to correct a professionals work.

 

[wnaplay]

He didnt lie, he rewired the car. Did he say he rewired it correctly?

 

[sneakysnake]

The standards that some people strive to.LOL I pulled the drums on a rearend the other day and they had both long shoes on one side and the shorts on the other.Be surprised how many people dont know theres a difference.

 

[Willowbilly3]

I would also have all those drums measured. First to make sure they aren't worn or turned past the limit but also to make sure the size is uniform. If you have a different diameter side to side, the brakes will pull. Front to rear isn't as big of an issue.

 

[HOT40ROD]

I would also have all those drums measured. First to make sure they aren't worn or turned past the limit but also to make sure the size is uniform. If you have a different diameter side to side, the brakes will pull. Front to rear isn't as big of an issue.

I do not know were he found them but all the drums are new. The old ones were in the trunk.

Also the new exhaust. I looks like he bent the tail pipe around a tree. There is enough kinks in the pipe I you would not need a muffler.

I did by this car as a driver not a project which it is turning into. Live and learn.

 

[Toad]

Oh the wonderful world of cars!

Toad

 

[LilD]

Im running into this alot too looking for a truck to buy. People need to put down the wire ties and duct tape and leave the cars alone.

 

[Todd]

There are alot of people out there that work on cars for a living. They just aren't very good at it.

 

[hotrod preacher]

holding some pine-needles doesn't make you a pine tree........


.....owning tools doesn't make one a mechanic!


and sadly, many even half-way decent "mechanics" these days know NOTHING about drum brakes...i know enuf to avoid them!!

 

[cycledog]

I It's pitiful that a shadetree builder like myself has to correct a professionals work.

You are amongst friends. You needn't be overly modest.

 

[the reverend muddy grimes]

dude, my IHC had lampcord for wiring, and a waterpipe for bracketry. It happens to us all. Buyer beware after all

 

[HOT40ROD]

I'm starting to feel better. I got the brake issue corrected all but the pins. Now it wants to stop when you put on the brakes. Straighten out the E brake so it will not roll away because of no park in the trans. Made up my own cables and brackets. Wiring I am going to get a fuse panel and start from there.

I still would like to just punch him in the head next time I see him. He is not the guy I bought it from. The guy I bought it from gave me all the paper work from this guy and said to me. read this an have a good laugh. It was funny at first but after spending almost a week and more money then I wanted to fixing the stuff this Brain dead did it was no longer funny.

Just think he is now redoing a 1964 T-Bird.

 

[frank p]

Some People

A while back, I found a 1951 Ford COE on CL close to home, I went to check it out and found it had a nice cab, front fenders and decent front sheet metal but it was mounted on an Olds frame with olds motor and tranny. I gave it a quick look and found more things done wrong than right but the seller was in need of some fast cash so I got it for a decent price. I loaded it on my buddies trailer and hauled it home where it sat in my backyard for 4-5 months before I began tearing it apart to do it over and hopefully better...(no way I could do it any worse). I found the PO had welded on angle iron to the frame to even out the cab as it sat on the frame and the welding was nothing but gobs of spatter and burn through. The cab was bolted on with six 3/8 grade 5 bolts and the fenders only had 3 bolts on each side holding them on. The wiring was a mixture of modified original wiring and whatever size and color wire thrown in with at least two rolls of black electrical tape wrapped around it all. The steering wheel only moved 1/2 turn each way before the knuckles bound up ( loading and unloading on the trailer were straight shots). Like I said it had more wrong than right but I have ideas,plans and a modern truck frame to mount it on so with any luck I'll end up with a decent truck. The funny thing about all this is I remember the owner saying he did all the work himself and was proud of his work.

 

[earthman]

I'm sure i saw this truck at the lot in Quartzsite.It will be cool when you get it straightened out Frank.

 

[42chevy]

It is sad what some people think passes as fixing things. I am not perfect on fabrication but am also honest about it and would not do frame welding beacause of my lack of welding skill.

 

[HOT40ROD]

Now I have another one.

On an other site a guy was looking for a set of wheels that I had so I contacted him and he said he was interested and I should get the shipping cost. So I went down to were I was storing them and weighed them. At that time the guy E-mails me a said he found an other set and was buying them. No problem just forget about them.

Well about a month goes by and this guy Email me again wanting the wheels. Ok so I forgot were I put the info on the wheel and have to go back down to the storage and measure and weigh them again. Figure out four ways to ship them. Send him a E-mail. My storage barn is about 15 miles from were I live. So it not like I just walk out the back door and I am there.

Two weeks have gone by and no word on if he want them or not. I even E-mail him two times with no response.

He could at lease get back to me on what is going on.

Some times you just want to slap people.

As for the car I started the wiring and wow it is interesting. No fuse block. The wire from the heater switch to the heater is about 13 inches long and has three solderless connectors in it. also the heater is wired up that when the key is off it still runs. There are hot wires just hanging loose.