Another load of poop Workmanship in NW Highlands

[Dave2302 387]

Hi,

OK, back to cheap parts and shoddy workmanship for today's "Workshop" example 

Not the usual example of Vehicle I'd work on but he's a local young family fella with an old Mazda Bongo Camper Van, 4X4 Automatic, he works in the woods, stays in the Van when working doesn't have much money, normally I wouldn't touch something like this, but I know the family well, and I know why they are having hard times, he's a good guy, and helping a good guy out is no problem in my books ................

Transmission died recently, only had 1st gear and Reverse and oil very black and stinky !!

Because this is an old vehicle and he couldn't afford or justify paying for a Rebuilt Unit at ~ £1600, he bought a good used Transmission from a reputable Breakers for a few hundred.

This took time where it stood unused in which time both the front Brakes became seized, Right Front almost locked solid, left very stiff, the Van needed a helluva a lot of throttle to drag itself into the Workshop to get it on my lift, once raised I could barely turn the wheel with both hands !!

So I fitted the Auto Box, also repaired a drippy leaky Trans Oil Cooler Pipe, which I suspect caused the failure.

Well I can't give it back to him like that, (brakes seized) so I'll spend 1/2 hr, wheels off and see if I can get them a little freer then advise him they need overhaul.

When I get in their, I find 2 piston Calipers, the Right one has no outer rubber boots on one Piston, absolutely rotten, and the left one has no outer rubber boots on either Piston, so I buff the Pistons with a little Emery, and work them back and forth, also buff the sliders and lube them.

As I'm refitting them I notice someone has fairly recently fitted just 1 (singular) Brake Pad in it, which is almost like new, and the other 3 are 2mm off the Metal !!

So anyway, I chuck it all back together in disgust, as I know he doesn't have any money left to fit 2 Calipers, Discs, Pads and Caliper Carrier overhaul etc once he's paid me for the Transmission Fit !!

I quizzed him when I advised him of the Brakes a few minutes ago, and he tells me they were seized last time it was MOT'd about 6 months ago and 'XXXXXX' at the local MOT garage fixed them for him 

Workmanship huh, 1 pad, presumably because he couldn't get the pistons all the way back !!

So anyway, while I was under it I noticed it had had 2 new lower Suspension Arms, and they had funny writing on them ##### etc, bloody Chinesium Crap

There is a big bush that has a large pin go through it, that's what holds the lower arm in .......................

Apologies for the poor picture quality, bad light under the lift ...................

But you can still see the "Bird cr@p" welding, and one weld hasn't even penetrated the Arm, it has missed altogether and the other weld has a blow hole in it  ......................

 

[trade vet 697]

If that was us and my wife found out she would be saying ‘ WTF are we doing charity work for’ you know what happens.

[It's me 613]

problem with going in deep at little cost other than karma is it often comes back to bite you

today

customer booked in for an mot and service

she says only done low miles so doesnt need service just mot

so im stuck taking a car for an mot and that doesnt pay the bills and its not how i work,customers who purchase off me buy the complete service/mot package or i dont entertain

im not a charity

she slipped through the net but this car wont be getting an mot only next year at my gaff

[Dave2302 387]

LOL, this is me  I don't do fuck all for nowt, it wasn't a charity job, he got charged proper rate to fit his Auto Box, and he fully understood he'd still be paying if the Auto box turned out to be a wanker, no warranty from me etc etc other than whatever he got from the seller 

My locals are still sensible people unlike many in England 

OK, so I didn't charge him to free off the Brakes, but I had made a lot more than a half hour out of the Trans Install, and I didn't want to put my name on having anything to do with the Brakes   

I never even mentioned the Lower Arms, just told him I noticed he needs to get his front brakes sorted, and in my opinion he will need 2 Calipers Discs and Pads.

He's bringing it back for them next month after pay day

1 hour ago, boring dave said:

so im stuck taking a car for an mot and that doesnt pay the bills and its not how i work

If my Customers ask me to take for MOT I charge 'em 2 hrs, half hour there, 1 hr for test and 1/2 hr back, most take 'em themselves, I just book it for them after I've done all the work, if I haven't done the work I book or take fuck all for Test

[It's me 613]

6 minutes ago, Dave2302 said:

 

If my Customers ask me to take for MOT I charge 'em 2 hrs, half hour there, 1 hr for test and 1/2 hr back, most take 'em themselves, I just book it for them after I've done all the work, if I haven't done the work I book or take fuck all for Test

agree

[BHM 994]

I hear a similar tale every week from someone in the trade doing a ‘love job’ & every time I end up asking “Why?” It’s all very well helping out someone struggling with finances BUT the problem is always they’ve no money for parts & then they usually want to take the car & pay on the drip. 

This is assuming there’s nowt else knackered, which due to minimal maintenance, is normally the case as Dave witnessed with these clearly faulty brakes. This particular van is a death trap but all his punter is interested in is being mobile. 

[NOACROSS 414]

No good deed goes unpunished Terry. 

[Dave2302 387]

4 hours ago, BHM said:

I hear a similar tale every week from someone in the trade doing a ‘love job’ & every time I end up asking “Why?” It’s all very well helping out someone struggling with finances BUT the problem is always they’ve no money for parts & then they usually want to take the car & pay on the drip. 

This is assuming there’s nowt else knackered, which due to minimal maintenance, is normally the case as Dave witnessed with these clearly faulty brakes. This particular van is a death trap but all his punter is interested in is being mobile. 

/\ /\ /\ I don't get that ........................... Of course no business is a Charity, and I charge very well for doing a good job, with no exceptions

Hopefully this will explain ...........

The only 2 things I did to help him  was .............

1)   I agreed to fit a good used Auto Trans which he bought and had shipped to me. Normally, on a punters Car I wouldn't fit any used part, or parts supplied by punter !!

It was strictly on the understanding that if it was no good I still got paid, (which I knew I would), and as I knew he would, he paid when he collected it yesterday afternoon !!

2)   I freed up his Calipers took half hour, which are now atm working fine. they still have 2mm + on 3 of the Pads, the other pad being the new one bodged in by the local knob jockey Garage !! I didn't tell him / charge him because I know he would want to pay the half hour, and also I don't want my name involved with doing that sort of temporary repair.

Upon collection I simply told him that I noticed his front brakes including calipers need doing ASAP

He has 2 times 50 mile journeys into the woods to do to work, (so 200 miles total), where he kips in the Van all week, cuts wood all day.

He has 2 working weeks left this month, so clearly the Brakes will be OK in this mileage / time frame

He gets paid at month end and has booked it in with me for 2 new Calipers, Discs and Pads.

These guys up here are not like the pot less English council estate wankers who drive around like looneys in old Vauxhalls run on a shoestring and want everyone to do everything cheap and then knock them !!

This couple have a very close relative dying of cancer and with dementia, so he stays home 2 weeks and his wife stays home the other 2 weeks. They are living on half income for the foreseeable. They are not "cake holed" they are simply proud people on hard times.

I could have done the job for nothing if I'd wanted to, my only expense was a couple of Jubilee Clips and a half litre of Trans Fluid, plus a little time on the lift fitting it, but he wouldn't have wanted me too, I have known him over 10 years now.

He came to me because he knows fine well no one locally would be able to fit an Auto Trans without fucking it up. He will now become a regular customer and recommend others, like all my customers.

Those that choose to go to some of the local goat herders because they are cheap will continue going and getting their Cars bodged, and tbh they aren't the sort of Customers I want  I am always booked up 2 weeks in advance, and seriously considering building a much larger Workshop so I can have more jobs on the go at any one time

[trade vet 697]

Dave is clearly a ‘ local hero’,remember the movie.

[Dave2302 387]

I honestly don't think so at all.

I earn good money for doing a good job / selling good cars.

I don't need to do this, I do it because it keeps me occupied and I've always loved Cars, still do, running the business supports my Mercedes obsession   

[Stalker 180]

1 hour ago, Dave2302 said:

He has 2 times 50 mile journeys into the woods to do to work, (so 200 miles total), where he kips in the Van all week, cuts wood all day.

Hes a lumberjack and hes ok

 

I know what you mean dave, we constantly have to do these shitty jobs FOC, we have an old bird that we have just put a clutch in her 11 year old Matiz, now the alternator isnt charging and its our fault!

 

Its currently parked on my recovery truck until she comes to her senses, if she doesn't, its getting dumped on her drive.

 

 

[It's me 613]

Just now, Stalker said:

Hes a lumberjack and hes ok

 

I know what you mean dave, we constantly have to do these shitty jobs FOC, we have an old bird that we have just put a clutch in her 11 year old Matiz, now the alternator isnt charging and its our fault!

 

Its currently parked on my recovery truck until she comes to her senses, if she doesn't, its getting dumped on her drive.

 

 

this

case closed..............

[Dave2302 387]

4 minutes ago, Stalker said:

Hes a lumberjack and hes ok

LOL, there's a good customer of mine, a nice young fella, with a 2011 high top Sprinter 4X4, log burner in it, double bed, toilet, cooker etc etc, he often uses it to stay working in the woods, works there with another guy who stays with him .............

I often hum that song and wonder, but in his defence he does have a real fit young "pussay" at home  

9 minutes ago, boring dave said:

we have just put a clutch in her 11 year old Matiz, now the alternator isnt charging

Didn't leave or yank the thick red off the starter did you's

Experience has always taught me before "never saying never" to have a butchers   

[Stalker 180]

3 minutes ago, Dave2302 said:

LOL, there's a good customer of mine, a nice young fella, with a 2011 high top Sprinter 4X4, log burner in it, double bed, toilet, cooker etc etc, he often uses it to stay working in the woods, works there with another guy who stays with him .............

I often hum that song and wonder, but in his defence he does have a real fit young "pussay" at home  

Didn't leave or yank the thick red off the starter did you's

Experience has always taught me before "never saying never" to have a butchers   

Nope, the alternator is not charging until the car is revved up to 3000rpm, the regulator or slip ring must be fooked

It had a recon unit fitted 3.5 years ago!

[Mojo121 229]

18 hours ago, boring dave said:

problem with going in deep at little cost other than karma is it often comes back to bite you

today

customer booked in for an mot and service

she says only done low miles so doesnt need service just mot

so im stuck taking a car for an mot and that doesnt pay the bills and its not how i work,customers who purchase off me buy the complete service/mot package or i dont entertain

im not a charity

she slipped through the net but this car wont be getting an mot only next year at my gaff

Do they normally pass, I mean, it’s an opportunity to make if it needs something right?

(No, I do not run a garage as you may tell!!)

[Dave2302 387]

Aha, fair do's you've took a look

Fuck it off outta it then 

D'ya know what, I just cant get motivated today, a reasonable and fairly late X5 on the lift for all round Brakes .............

Discs Pads and 1 front / 1 rear Caliper plus an intermittent Air Suspender Fault, Wheels are off and Right Front done, bah ..............  

 

\/ \/ \/ I thought this earlier

2 minutes ago, Mojo121 said:

Do they normally pass, I mean, it’s an opportunity to make if it needs something right?

Someone should make this thread a sticky for Workshop craic

[Stalker 180]

2 hours ago, Stalker said:

Nope, the alternator is not charging until the car is revved up to 3000rpm, the regulator or slip ring must be fooked

It had a recon unit fitted 3.5 years ago!

Oops....

Ive just unloaded it and put it on the ramp....

It turns out i didn't put the charge wire back in the back of the alternator!

 

Ive just given myself a good talking to and i told myself i wont do it again!

[Dave2302 387]

3 hours ago, Dave2302 said:

Didn't leave or yank the thick red off the starter did you's

Experience has always taught me before "never saying never" to have a butchers   

We've all done it lol, (well actually I've not done that particular fauxck pas, but ya get the drift

     ..........................

Now, who was it took the piss  when I said I'd have a go at diagnosing TG's Jeep over t'internet on the other thread about what's the longest you've had a Car sticking around ????????

Ahhhh @tradex

Ner ner ner ner ner  

It's on form today 

3 hours ago, Stalker said:

Nope, the alternator is not charging until the car is revved up to 3000rpm, the regulator or slip ring must be fooked

It had a recon unit fitted 3.5 years ago!

 

[Dave2302 387]

• LOL