This album has pictures of things that did not simply wear out or break, but had been "repaired", abused or neglected so poorly by other shops and owners that we ended up having to straighten out the mess. There's a few pics of non-Corvair issues too, showing poor repairs can happen on any make.
Date(s): January 5, 2007. Album by larry claypool. 1 - 24 of 86 Total. 5571 Visits.
1 Take a good look at the crankcase stud hole threads (or lack of them) at the bottom right of this crankcase. This 66 Monza engine was "just overhauled". There's another hole like it on top.
2 Where did the threads go? Right here on the end of the studs. The studs pulled out of the crankcase after operating the engine a few thousand miles- long enough for the engine builder to be long gone.
3 This '64 had been advertised on ebay with "a new tank sender", which it did in fact have. But whomever installed it failed to notice or ignored the rotted filler and vent hoses.
4 Inside the tank was total rust. That's not coffee grounds in my hand, but sure looks likes it. There was at least a cup full. Anytime we see extra in line gas filters plumbed in, the tank is the first thing we check.
5 Nope, that's not trans fluid or gear oil, that's the gas that was in the bottom of the tank, red from rust. But like the ad said, it did have a new sender.
6 This Corsa came in with a nice new upper heater hose installed, but notice there is no clamp to hold it to the shroud outlet.
7 If the hose blew off the shroud I guess it wouldn't have mattered since the other end of the hose isn't connected to anything- it was just shoved through the hole!
8 This 65 Monza came in to us with a new owner. We had replaced both heads for the prior owner, and it left with all sheetmetal and seals 100%. See the perimeter seal out of place and no heater hose clamp?
9 Prior owner thought we were too far away to get the torque converter replaced, so he had it done (after we'd done the engine work) at "a local shop". Do you suppose they charged him extra to tear up the rear of the perimeter seal?
10 Or extra to leave out the shroud bolt (hole visible in the middle of the picture) or bend up the shrouds so they don't fit together anymore? Other side is the same way. We saw the bill,and they really did charge PLENTY extra!!
11 Note the throttle linkage at the trans- they rigged a bushing out of fender washers. And the locating clamp for the shift cable is gone- cable is laying in parking brake cable.
12 See the nice new gas tank? Then look at the piece of split heater hose somebody tried to use for the inner sway bar bushing.Of course it slipped out of place in a short time. You know they had to have that off to install the tank!
13 Here's a few things from the next car in. Neat cotter pin, huh? Well, at least the nail was better than nothing!
14 When I tried to adjust the play out of this steering gear box, look what i found- a bolt instead of the adjuster!!
15 The clutch and seal had "just been done" but look at the oil at the bottom...and those washers under the lower 4 bolts (which is a no-no.)
16 The leak was from an improperly installed front seal- note the tensioner spring has popped off. Clutch had also been put together with stock rivited (known-to-fail) flywheel.
17 At first, these brakes don't look too bad; but since this the left side, you'll see the shoes of this early convert are on backwards- the short one in back.
18 A freshly refinished 63 coupe came in with a loose parking brake. I could not get it to adjust properly. Thinking the cable was stretched, this is what i found when i took the tunnel covers off.
19 This 63 convertible came in with "new brake lines installed". Here you can see the missing body gromment and the parking brake cable sawing through the misrouted line...
20 Wire nuts on the turn signal wires raise a red flag. Both sides were connected wrong so the parking lights were bright but the turn signals lit dimly.
21 Another "freshly restored" convertible in with the homebent brake lines being rubbed through by the brake cable!
22 Perimeter seal, all it's retainers,upper heater hose, and all the front shroud boots and grommets were missing from this 67 Monza. Did somebody think they really weren't needed?
23 The next 4 pictures are all from the same engine. A valve seat came out but the owner just kept driving untill the loose seat ate a huge pocket in the head.
24 #6 piston had a hole knocked in it from pinging; two more had broken skirts. Several rings were also broken.
