Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[62rebel]

last night i spent four hours removing welded-in frame mounts from my Torino. four hours lying on my back in the driveway swinging a 4lb sledge on a chisel persuading welds to give way. in wet weather at first and a full blown thunderstorm by the time i was done. lightning flashed in harmony with my swearing.
what possesses people to make modifications so permanent in cases where the FACTORY made it possible to simply bolt in what you wanted? the very mounts i needed did just that, bolted right in. the chappie who did this abomination had access to the very same parts source i have, yet he chose to bodge up everything on this car.

[Job-Rated]

It's cowboys like that who have caused the market for American tin in the UK to gain a rather 'seedy' reputation. This is a great shame because there are many fine examples around.

There again, I suppose it's down to the person who's buying to do the necessary checks.

[Uncle Joe]

I cant recall EVER having bought a classic car that hasnt been bodged in one way or another, irrespective of its country of origin.

The trouble is, there are too many people that just cant afford to run ANY kind of classic car, or even modern, but still try to do! And the consequence is, other people suffer!

Incidentally, I wonder how many people know what a Bodger is?

UJ

[62rebel]

as far as doing undercar checks, i did look this one over before the deal but these were "sneaky" rigging, very hard to detect until you try to correct the problem they cause. i've been too far into a rebuild many many times before to stop and recoup my losses, so i've learned to watch out for certain things on my chosen field of expertise, which is the 60-63 Falcon. much as fans of Spridgets can spot bodges quickly, i can spot problems on Falcons most might overlook. i tried to look at the same areas on the Torino, but missed these masterpieces of gumbyism all the same. i'm still happy with what i got; a very solid and fairly rare GT Torino that runs. and i'm learning more about it all the time!

[buzzy bee]

Hi

Me and a certain blacksmith were asked about teaching students how to Bodge at a college, in a good way of course! In the ag engineering game, it is very important to be able to get the job done with few parts, as they are rarely available, or won't be bought!! The farmers/contractors just need to get back on the job, then when there is time and the bits are ordered/delivered or made, then the job is done properly.

Cheers

Dave

[Uncle Joe]

I suppose though that what a bodge is is up to the individual. I had this thought a few moments ago reading a response to another topic. The advice given is what I PERSONALLY would call a bodge, but obviously, other people consider it the normal thing to do!

Theres a couple of old sayings that apply. 1) If a jobs worth doing, its worth doing well! 2) Do it once and do it right.

UJ

[UKdave2002]

I guess the problem is that at some stage in our cherished cars lives,there was a time when the car was just old & unloved, like a 15 year old Metro would be today (sorry if I have offended any metro owners!) But you see what I’m getting at.
The decision would be scrap or bodge, so in an ironic way we have to thank the bodger’s for keeping what would have been on condemned car on the road.

As a student I on a very tight budget I once “repaired” some very noisy worn rocker arms on my Simca 1301, by lining with molten solder and then reaming. The bodge lasted the life I had the car. Today I would call it a bodge, then it was just what I had to do to keep the thing running.
As the Simca 1301 never really made classic status I doubt my bodge has been cursed since!

Another other think to remember was in the UK war & post war years, car spares were not in plentiful supply, folk had to “make do and mend” again we would probably call some of what they did a bodge.
I’m not condoning bodging, but I think there are “essential” bodges, which were done for the right reasons at the time, as well as the downright unnecessarily ones like 62rebel has had to deal with!.

Dave

[Uncle Joe]

But what about people today, who bodge just to save money?

UJ

[Penman]

Hi
Can I make a plea for another name for those who do botch jobs, perhaps Botchers.
After all there is an honourable history and present for Bodgers.

http://www.bodgers.org.uk/

[Uncle Joe]

Finally, someone who realises that Bodgers were skilled craftsmen with a history stretching back maybe 500 years.

So yes, lets call them Botchers......

UJ

[62rebel]

i'll acquiesce; BOTCHER it is. we have more colorful names for them but this being a family scene..... of course, BUTCHER could do equally well!
it's the idea that the parts are readily available for these cars and at good price which scratches me the most. ANYWAY; i've left my post at VW and have gone to manage a warehouse for a salvage firm. very much quieter and no harrying customers to deal with. the worst aspect of THIS job is the grime and dust!

[buzzy bee]

Salvage? Is that car Salvage? It could be very good if it was!

Cheers

Dave

[62rebel]

we're only doing 1999 and up, dave; our neighbor affiliate does the older stuff purely as pull-it-yourself. i've taken over a warehouse that had been involved in a fire, and the soot/ash/debris is really taking a toll. i've spent the last two weeks getting sorting done and clearing damaged goods out. it is to my great relief that we no longer stock many damage prone and fragile items separately due to the fire. i have been conducting inventory of various types of parts, especially window glass, which luckily was undamaged by the fire. not so the storage method; some genious used PVC pipe to separate the pieces on the shelf standing up.
oddly enough; i do have two Triumph windshields, one for a tr4 and one for a tr6. not to mention the OLD plymouth Colt. several Peugeot and Saab pieces show upalso.

[rdover]

The Great British Bodge is a fine and honourable thing. It is seat of the pants engineering at its best and should be celebrated.

Some examples of mine:

I got home from a [horribly disastrous] date in my MG based MGTF kit car having broken a throttle cable AND a clutch cable. We drove home with the clutch activated by pulling on the cable remains with mole grips and the throttle cable replaced with string led through the bonnet louvres and over the screen.

I arrived at a 4x4 competition and upon braking spotted the front brake pads shoot out the front of the car (www.blitz4x4.org.uk for pics). We removed the calipers pressed the pistons back and put a thick bit of slate in. The caliper was then cable tied out the way for the comp and the drive home.

They say there are only 3 emergency tools required: Gaffa tape, WD40 and cable ties. If it doesn't move and it's mean to use WD40, if it moves and it shouldn't use gaffa tape and if it's fallen off use cable ties.

I've seen entire axles held on using baling twine, gaffa tape and prayers to get a 4x4 out the forest.

Ingenuity is what made Britain great - long live the Bodge!

[62rebel]

i sense a bit of LRDG ingenuity surfacing here.......