It seems as though every time I have an issue with my car I find a very shonky fix from the PO.
Just thought I would share the latest one I have found - electrical tape wrapped around the gear lever internals.

Ah, but did it work (temporarily).
My 850 had the battery cable run from the battery inside the car and then out under the gear lever boot to the starter button. When I gave it a tug to pull it through from the boot, only half of the cable came out. The two halves were twisted together and covered with electrical tape
Everything I have looked at to adjust has been dodgy by the PO
Buyer beware !

_________________
Find a job you love and you will never have to go to work !

i guess sometimes you need a temporary fix and then you end up just leaving it because it works? i have done that a few times but have always gone and fixed it all up afterwards having said that i found quite a bit with my mini (red one) that i would have changed / done differently to the previous owner. i guess its all down to the person that owns it at the time because he might have thought that it was ok to leave it like that because it worked? or maybe he had to fix it to sell it you never know.

_________________

An informal/dodgy "clearing house" (run by a middle aged couple from their house) working for a large Nth Shore dealer sold me a Mini (private sale) where the wheel cylinders had been sleeved with shim brass...quite dangerous.

unbelievable when you consider that replacement units were cheap as chips at the time...

_________________
"Show me the Mini!"

i agree with dodgy repairs are not cool but sometimes i guess people look past them and say it will be fine. like the red mini i bought the guy went to all the effort in doing what hi did to the car but still left the old gear stick in that had be cut and rewedded to make is smaller.it snapped in half going down the free after shifting in to fourth.

_________________

My favourite was the cardboard glued over the top of a huge rust hole.

So that's how you fix the gear lever rattle!

_________________

Fiberglass repairs to rusty floors! I hate em!

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I suppose I should be thankful that the cardboard wasn't glued down very well. Fiberglass would be a bit harder to lift.

Easy to replace though. Or upgrade to waxed cardboard protection.

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Waxed cardboard genius Mick.
Won't rot/fall apart when wet. Remind me not to buy a car off you

_________________
Find a job you love and you will never have to go to work !

Previous owner of my mini worked on the idea that stone guard hides all sins, if in doubt spray another coat! Inside the boot looks dodgy? Spray some stone guard!

_________________
Basil - 1978 Leyland Mini, Brooklands Green, bit of a bitsa, and a park brick in the boot.

Only the best!

_________________
SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I had a mini van that had been entirely re-wired in transparent speaker cable - it was a nightmare to troubleshoot!

I found a christmas card used as a gasket once.

How about slices of Coke can to pack out main and big-end bearings?

Tim

_________________
1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

well, they'll never be NLA....

_________________
Basil - 1978 Leyland Mini, Brooklands Green, bit of a bitsa, and a park brick in the boot.