This is not a hack so much as a bizarro breakdown-on-the-road kinda
story.
I was on the road with a buddy (not in a britcar) and we stopped for
gas. Upon filling and emptying of the appropriate reservoirs, it was
time to move on. Turn the key, no action. Try again, no action. The
starter motor didn't crank atall. All of the obvious casues were OK,
finally my buddy said "maybe the starter motor is on a dead spot on
the stator" (or rotor? whatever) and if we knock it with a hammer we
can move it off the dead spot. I said sure and if pigs had wings they
could fly, and he said no, really, it could happen.
OK, so we ask the gas station guy (who had previously expressed an
interest in replacing the starter for a couple hundred bucks). For the
loan of a hammer. No way, sez he, I don't loan tools. How the hell can
you hurt a hammer, fer Chrissake? No F...'in way, sez he again. In
fury my buddy takes off his boot, starts whacking the starter motor. I
remember thinking very distinctly "this is both stupid and desperate".
He put his boot back on, said try it now, I turned the key and of
course it started, and we drove off with our middle fingers raised in
salute.
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