Traffic Safety Inspection (Fun/tragic Story)

[Guest RQBBAN]

Ok, since this turned into a restoration/project for me I figure it suits best here....

 

For 1.5 years my cabby's been standing due inefficient brakes. Now that I finally got the time to look into it (3 month paid vacation, no girl complaining and sun's shining an beer's out).

 

Some of you might remember me as the guy who was changing the exhaust pipe and brakes out on the parking lot in mid-winter, well, I'm back with even more crazy stuff going on. After having resolved the issue with the brakes (combination of brake pads being worn, air/water in the system and brake mechanisms having rusted) I decided to give the inspection a shot.

 

Ready as she will be for now...

 

The inspection commented on a weird electrical fault on the rear where if I had the right brake lightbulb in, both brake lights would constantly light up as if I was braking (never seen this before). While as if I removed it, the left one would function normally.

 

Also there was a bit of rust in the front, but not enough to fail me (also I was being nice to them so they were being nice in return )

 

This is a pic of a proud owner driving his cabby back home after a successful inspection. Just moments after the pic, the steering wheel acted strangely and I immediatelly slowed down and started looking for a good place to stop. Moments before I stopped (about 20 metres after the wobbling started) there was a loud BANG!!! lots of smoke and the coachwork on the right hand side was visible from the drivers place (left hand side for us normal people not living on a certain island ;P ). Somewhat disappointed and surprised I got a stop on the car and was met by this visual experience...

 

A flat, to be modest...

 

Since I am not a modest guy, I'm going to describe this as an explosion which caused a huge amount of smoke and the whole coachwork to be ripped apart. The guy behind me described it as "the worst flat h ever saw" and I do hope it will be the worst flat I ever saw as well...

 

From another side now...

 

It is amazing how selfish some people can be in traffic, it took me 30 cars to get a ride to the closest gas station (5km) and that was only because I was standing ON the trunk and waving both hands in the air. After a while the driver who was initially behind me when the tire exploded had made his appointment and came back to check on me. He drove me to the gas station where I could get some tools and gloves I foolishly had forgotten in my other car (a cally).

 

First thing's first, had to get the old tire out and bend the coachwork to a more discrete posture. That's when I learned the amazing quality of the standard jack that came with the car...

 

I mean COME ON!! The car doesn't even weigh 800kgs and the jack is utterly demolished trying to lift the car, luckily a trucker stopped and lended me his jack after having laughed a bit with me about the broken jack.

 

A tirechange and some metalbending later I was on the road again, sun's shining and the water is gleaming. Plus I knew that I had even worse tires mounted on the car but no more reserve tires, so I had to make sure the tires did not get too warm. 40km/h for an hour, stopping every now and then to check on the tires. In other words, a perfect cruise!!

 

Now all I have to do is to lay my hands on a new coachwork, some plastic that's supposed to be in there and mount it as well as fixing the electrical problem before the car can be sold to someone with more time, money and enthusiasm than myself. (being 23 and owning 4 vehicles in a country known for its high taxes is NOT the way to get rich )

 

Any advice on the electrical problem would be very much welcome

 

Edit: Before anyone tries to lecture me about using old tires - I think I've learnt that now...

Edited June 10, 2013 by RQBBAN

[Guest escott1973i]

Gutted for you m8 get it fixed an love the car more as you grow with it old cars are here to test you just thank god its just the car hurt and not you