ok here's the ones i can think of off the top of my head:
1) '68 jag e-type: these cars have inboard disk brakes on the rear.
the brakes and the irs are assembled into a subframe assembly which
is then attached to the car with mounts similar to motor mounts.
someone decided that dropping the whole unit to work on the brakes
was too much work, so they CUT THE SUBFRAME to get access to the
brake disks. i'm still looking for a new subframe, in case anyone
knows where i can find one. :-(
1b) not a mechanical problem, per se, but unbelievably lame. someone
has reupholstered this car with vinyl instead of leather (leather
was stock), and also got a scheib-job. i have the only vinyl
upholstered, scheib-painted e-type i've ever seen.
2) '70 tr6: entire dashboard had been rewired wrong in an amazing
attempt to install a stereo. the brake warning light was connected
to the oil pressure sending unit, the oil pressure light was
connected to the high beams, and several guages were just not
hooked up at all. the speaker wire from the stereo to the left
speaker (which are about 12" apart on this car) was 18 FEET long.
3) '74 norton commando (ok, it's a motorcycle, but it is british):
three of the head nuts on a commando are in deeply recessed holes
which you can't really see into with the engine in the frame, so
you have to just use the schwarze to get the socket and extension
in there and on the nut. i just couldn't get the socket onto one
of them. turned out there was already a socket in there, apparently
left from the last time the head was retorqued. i'd already ridden
the bike about 2000 miles, carrying that socket around with me.
3b) i got this bike for a great price, because the wiring harness had
been melted into one big glob by the previous owner who didn't
understand what "positive earth" meant.
i always feel i have done a good and noble thing to rescue these
machines from the clutches of idiots.
-tim
aka timke@microsoft.com or uunet!microsoft!timke
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