Lift springs with stock flexible brake line in the rear - the line was going taut before reaching full articulation.
Worst PO Mods
- Thread starter TimJG
- Start date
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The worst mod from the po on my 40 was definately the railroad tie for a front bumper
I had a 1952 International Harvester pickup with three railroad track rails welded together for a rear bumper. But a railroad tie? That must have been fugly.
Yeah it was hideous. It also had a home made wooden roof rack. Looked like the PO used an ax to cut the lumber for it.
How bout a speaker screwed to the side of the heater. I didn't like it so i unscrewed it and antifreeze started pouring out! Yelp, 2 inch screw right through the heater core. Also has a massive port hole looking sun roof, complete with about 10 lbs. of silicone.
My PO wanted to sit higher so used electrical junction boxes for spacers. I was barely able to get my legs under the steering wheel to drive it home.
My PO was pretty good and did some fairly decent backyard mechanic bodywork (replaced rear fenders, wheel wells etc.), did a bolted-in tailgate with half ambulance doors. Like I said not too bad.
Only problem is that various pieces and parts of my Cruiser were painted purple. My truck was originally Freeborn Red (still poking through under the paint), has been three different shades of purple and is now silver (all oversprayed over the previous paint job). When I took possession of it the valve cover, instrument cluster bezel, glovebox door and ash tray door, as well as shift levers were still purple.
Other than that there were just a bunch of random things missing (dash pads, defroster vents, windshield hold-downs, sun visors, etc.) - don't know why but that's been part of the fun of bringing it back closer to stock. I just found out a few weeks ago (after owning it for 4 1/2 years - didn't know because they were burnt out or missing) that there was supposed to be a headlight knob backlight, a dash knob illumination light, and a heater control illumination light! Crazy!
Only problem is that various pieces and parts of my Cruiser were painted purple. My truck was originally Freeborn Red (still poking through under the paint), has been three different shades of purple and is now silver (all oversprayed over the previous paint job). When I took possession of it the valve cover, instrument cluster bezel, glovebox door and ash tray door, as well as shift levers were still purple.
Other than that there were just a bunch of random things missing (dash pads, defroster vents, windshield hold-downs, sun visors, etc.) - don't know why but that's been part of the fun of bringing it back closer to stock. I just found out a few weeks ago (after owning it for 4 1/2 years - didn't know because they were burnt out or missing) that there was supposed to be a headlight knob backlight, a dash knob illumination light, and a heater control illumination light! Crazy!
Well, I've got you all beat. The PO of my1974 FJ55 decided shackles on the front springs of my truck were utterly useless so he took them off entirely. Zero shackles up front. Makes for a rather bumpy ride. Gonna start a new trend with this. I tracked down the owner before the PO and he said it had shackles on it when it left TX.
The hangar set up was 3 pieces of plate steel which were booger-welded together but only on the outside edge. The innards were not welded. not exactly safe in any way.
(also the rear springs were off of a 55 and a 60 series and sagged miserably)
The hangar set up was 3 pieces of plate steel which were booger-welded together but only on the outside edge. The innards were not welded. not exactly safe in any way.
(also the rear springs were off of a 55 and a 60 series and sagged miserably)
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My truck had a plywood and fiberglass (only on the bottom) body when I bought it. Ohyea, shagg carpet in the back too!
lowenbrau
SILVER Star
My first Cruiser was a 1982 BJ60 that I bought when it was 8 years old for $700. I probably paid too much. The owner hadn't changed any fluids since the warranty ran out. It had 195,000km when I bought it with probably 100,000 on the motor oil. The front brake pads had worn to the metal and then worn the rotors to the cooling fins before the calipers began leaking. The PO snipped the front brake line and folded it closed and called the problem "fixed". Spray foam 'fixed' the rust holes. A muffler clamp 'fixed' the broken main leaf.
That rig took me another 120,000kms and four years as a daily driver, as well as many trips between BC and Ontario. I haven't been without a diesel Cruiser since.
That rig took me another 120,000kms and four years as a daily driver, as well as many trips between BC and Ontario. I haven't been without a diesel Cruiser since.
Mark W
Yep, I really don't really care that much I guess.
Can I count the pinto rack and pinion steering welded to the fame of a customer's ig since it was not *my* PO who did it to *me*?
Or the bolts welded to the leaf springs for shock mounts?
And of course window screening and expandafoam to fill rust holed and replace missing sections of fenders prior to repainting.
Partial bypass oil filter removed and not replaced because the lines leaked.
Entire front axle rotated in a hack job SOA instead of cut and turn jobs.
Chunk hacked out of the frame to clear the mechanical clutch linkage that was cobbled together for a ford straight six swap.
I could go on, but why give anyone more nightmares?
Mark...
Or the bolts welded to the leaf springs for shock mounts?
And of course window screening and expandafoam to fill rust holed and replace missing sections of fenders prior to repainting.
Partial bypass oil filter removed and not replaced because the lines leaked.
Entire front axle rotated in a hack job SOA instead of cut and turn jobs.
Chunk hacked out of the frame to clear the mechanical clutch linkage that was cobbled together for a ford straight six swap.
I could go on, but why give anyone more nightmares?
Mark...
Too funny. My dad made me some sweet plywood rear inner fenders for my first 40 back in 1991. I had rolled the truck and the stock inner fenders (which were previously mostly body filler and rust) literally tore right off. I actually used the plywood inners, they were held in place by drywall screws right through the floor and the outside of the rear quarter, then I went over the outer ones with filler. I had it carpeted with house carpet too! I can't believe it actually passed inspection like that. It was short lived though, It leaked oil like crazy and I actually ran it out of oil and seized it about 3 months later.
The PO of my rig did very few mods, but one of them cost me some time and energy. The PO placed a rubber mat with a heavy felt lining in the rear. Water made its way under the mat and the felt held the moisture for an unknown period of time. PRESTO - rust-o-matic. It certainly could have been worse as it didn't rust through, but I did have to prep and RustBullet the area.
now that's given me an idea for shock mounts!!!
do we count a snapped inner axle that was welded together, then braced with cut up leaf springs?
Flaminbandit has seen that rig too
Mine was in suprisingly great shape with no PO issues except that he was not handy with a MIG and did a half decent fiberglass job over the cut out areas where there was rust through instead, it was passable I guess but I refuse to do anything less than all steel. My dad's, however, is the complete opposite. Jump seats mounted with plywood as the floors are rusted through, holes for the front bumper were cut with an oxyacetylene torch and aren't even spaced the same on the frame rails, ranchos mounted to the frame cross member and bailing wired to the rear axle, some 80s era magnavox deck mounted with a piece of 2x4 in the glove box, giant kicker enclosures right by your head, a booger welded set of V8 mounts with a rebuilt (for some reason) 305 out of a Monza (that he said was a 350). Oh and the frame is slightly munched on the pass side. I knew there would be issues when he said "well you know, with these old rigs you can just bash them into trees no problem it's what they're for".
Blue77FJ40
SILVER Star
My only PO work was a repair done to the fiberglass top that was apparently in a fire of some sort, but was quickly removed from the fire. Anyways, the top must have been repaired by a ship/boat place, because there must have been *at least* 100lbs of fiberglass/resin. I noticed that it seemed top heavy in turns, but the real clue came when I went to remove the top for wheeling using 4 guys. We had already removed the top of another '40 and when we tried to remove mine, it took all of our collective strength to lift it off. I eventually replaced it with another, normal weight cap, and in the process, when I went to remove just the fiberglass top part, it took 3 of us to do so! In contrast, the replacement cap went on with 2 people, practically only using fingertips to lift!.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
Purchased a 40 that the PO had just done a SBC conversion & there was something wrong w/the clutch. He commented that It worked for about 100 miles then it quit. The PO used a racing steel bellhousing, I took it apart and found the Pilot bushing was wallowed out from wear. Evidently they didn't center the trans input shaft w/the crankshaft when they drilled and cut the hole in the bellhousing. To this day I still can't figure out how they got it to go together in the first place.
On another 40 the PO cut out 3/4 of the boxed frt crossmember for a saginaw PS conversion & added no additional support, which overtime created cracks in the front part of the framerails where the PS box mounts. I had to scab the frame for strength, replace the crossmember and adapt scout steering. Eventually I will need a frame.
I narrowed & installed a frt dana 44,opps! Still works though! That was b4 longfields were available.
The dana 18t/c is currently on the chopping block.
On my 1st 40 I installed rear fender flairs, never again!!
On another 40 the PO cut out 3/4 of the boxed frt crossmember for a saginaw PS conversion & added no additional support, which overtime created cracks in the front part of the framerails where the PS box mounts. I had to scab the frame for strength, replace the crossmember and adapt scout steering. Eventually I will need a frame.
I narrowed & installed a frt dana 44,opps! Still works though! That was b4 longfields were available.
The dana 18t/c is currently on the chopping block.
On my 1st 40 I installed rear fender flairs, never again!!
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Only mod my PO did (it was actually the PO's PO) is actually coming in useful, but took me a while to find. It's a nice little kick button that kills the ignition and fuel pump. Guessing someone was planning on turning it into a crawler, or didn't wanna spend the money of a security system.
thats a good idea! might just do that one myself
