Questionable repairs that you have done, which have lasted a long time..

[nando]

What sorts of things have you found on your own car, that you did long ago, was definitely not the proper repair, but it worked just fine?

I've had my car for quite a long time - 14 years. I've touched pretty much all of the car at some point. I have never dropped the gas tank, or messed with the sunroof, but pretty much everything else has come off at one point or another. During that 14 years, I've had various states of knowledge, tools and abilities for different work I've done.

Recently, I was peeking under the car while changing the wheels. I remembered that way back in 2003, one of the first big projects I did was the H&R suspension, bushings, and shocks. At the same time I had the subframe out, I rebooted the rear CV shafts. I did not have the proper CV boot clamps or the tools to crimp them - so I put them on with zip ties. Yep.

I thought to myself, if I had just bought this car from myself - I'd be cursing the PO for being a cheap bastard. lol.

13 years later, many thousands of miles, hundreds of autox runs, several track days, and generally beating the shit out of it - they're still holding up fine. It bugs me now but really, probably 10% of my car is held on by zip ties anyway. I'm sure there are other things that I have done that I've long forgotten about, thinking they would only be temporary fixes or that I'd redo it better next time.

I think a lot of people see an E30 with shiny paint and wheels and think it must be super nice, but even the "nice" cars out there are old, with miles and history to tell. And I'd be willing to bet almost every car here has at least one thing that's held together "temporarily" with zip ties. :p

[jpod999]

I once asked my grandfather to help me install my smileys. He has been working on and racing cars since the 50s and I figured he would know the right way to do it. This was probably eight years ago now.

I recently removed the whole front end of my car and scoffed at the electrical tape job we did. He didn't even have me use heat shrink!

[Kershaw]

When I swapped to plastic bumpers on my ix I converted the sidemarkers by twisting the wires together and using electrical tape. It held for 5 years before I saw it again and said, "wtf is that cheap shit?!" Now they are soldered and heat shrunk.

My stereo wires are all still twisted and taped though. I'm not removing that until I have a new stereo to put in. But at least they are interior wires.

[nando]

yeah, I unfortunately hacked into my stereo wiring when I was a n00b. It's probably fucked now. But the car hasn't had a stereo in it anyway for probably half the time I've owned it, and I doubt I will ever put one back.

Oh, I remembered another. When I first did my smiley conversion (Depos, in 2004 - yes, they sucked), I couldn't find the right connectors. Well, it turns out that a 110v chord from Radio Shack had the right pin diameter and spacing so it fit right in. I bought two of them for a couple bucks, hacked off the outlet end, and crimped them onto my factory wiring. They've been like that ever since - I haven't had any problems, but I did end up buying new connectors to replace it. I just haven't bothered.

[rcsoundn1]

"I think a lot of people see an E30 with shiny paint and wheels and think it must be super nice"This IMO is why so many shit cars sell for good money. I have not done any poor repairs as of late that I can recall to my current e30s, though I am sure I have done some shady shit to my old cars that are long gone.

[varg]

After one of the studs broke off in the turbine housing, the downpipe flange on my Volvo 240 turbo was clamped on with a rusty vice-grip, it stayed that way until I replaced the turbo. This isn't really a repair but my intercooler bracket (some long bolts and punched galvanized angle stock) and upper radiator supports (zip ties!) were supposed to be "temporary" and have turned out to be quite permanent.

[dnguyen1963]

Zip ties are god-sent gift.

[Fsnow]

While changing my fuel filter a few years ago I noticed one of the clamps that hold the fuel lines to the car was missing. So a few zip ties later it was good and still is. Damn I'm lazy, I really should take one off my parts car. One day maybe

[kickinindian]

duct tape ball in the ICV hose to pass smog stopped my idle surging so there it stayed!

[Kershaw]

Well, it turns out that a 110v chord from Radio Shack had the right pin diameter and spacing so it fit right in. I bought two of them for a couple bucks, hacked off the outlet end, and crimped them onto my factory wiring.

You can't just say that and not post pics.

[Matt-B]

Had a small hole, rusted in trunk area where Jack goes. I used fibreglass. Bondo etc. It was 8 years ago. No leaks, and it has held up. I'm surprised. Will fix it with metal one day

[rcsoundn1]

I do recall now using a self tapping screw to stop a leak n a gas tank. It was in an 80s Camaro if that helps.

[McGyver]

When I was swapping out the transmission on one of the verts I intend to sell, I found out that the PO managed to hold the guibo on with a 17mm bolt and a 5/8in nut. That fucker must have replaced 1/4 of the bolts on the car with either oddly sized shit from home depot (12mm or SAE) and another 1/4 of the bolts were never put back in. Needless to say, I replaced all the miss-matched hardware I found. Then the new transmission died on the test drive.

On Topic - Maybe bypassing the throttle body heater? Leaky gasket + stripped/seized screws = just bypass it. I guess it's not too janky, but it's also not the correct repair. It's lasted forever like that though.

[Kershaw]

I guess it depends on how and why you bypass it. I bypassed it with a solid new piece of hose.

[nando]

I guess it depends on how and why you bypass it. I bypassed it with a solid new piece of hose.

clear plastic tubing :p

I always just fixed it, but I think those special screws are NLA now and so are the housings which tend to corrode.

After one of the studs broke off in the turbine housing, the downpipe flange on my Volvo 240 turbo was clamped on with a
rusty vice-grip, it stayed that way until I replaced the turbo.

that's awesome. I bet it would have lasted quite a while like that!