Projects This car suffered a brake failure. Don't do this.

as kids we built go carts with stick welders......., if i had of presented that sort of crap, i would have been banned from the shed!!!!, and thats at 14yrs old!!!!, wow wee, surely alarm bells would have been ringing in head??????

 

Sad they just didn't see what they where doing right in front them. Or worse didn't care. Someones in over their head! Run...

 

If it seems like they'll listen, maybe someone could point out WHY those are bad welds. They probably honestly don't know. It looks like they went to a lot of trouble and work - so maybe they're not lazy. Maybe if someone talked to them without the, "You're stupid, I'm smart. Here's proof." attitude, they might listen.

You went to a lot of trouble to take these pictures. Maybe a quick welding lesson on some scrap steel would have been more effective at preventing future bad welds. Especially if you put their bad welds in a vice and showed them what happens when it's under stress. Then, after a quick lesson, put their good welds in the vice and do the same thing. Then it wouldn't just be your opinion vs. their's, they could see it with their own eyes.

However, if they are too proud to listen (like most of us), then don't throw your pearls of wisdom before the arrogant "swine". They'll only get mad, trample the pearls, and attack you. (Ancient Hebrew saying.)

 

maybe its been said..but just in case it hasent

what state is this abortion on the road in?

I just want to be sure My family and I are no where near it

Holly crap!

 

And posting examples of the dangerous crap some people build on the internet for millions to see doesn't help. Somewhere, a government bureaucrat is looking for reasons to stop us from building cars like the one in this thread. Hope he doesn't see this one. Short of government involvement, how do we as a group make sure cars like this don't make it on to the road?

Bob

 

looks like a chimpanzee welded that..................with his feet!

 

Just to clarify a few things. The car came to me for front frame work after an accident. It was subleted by a body shop, via an insurance company. I had no direct contact with the owner. It was insured by a specialty insurance company familiar with old cars. Before I touched the car, I took pictures and submitted my findings in writing and photo to both. The insurance company will only pay for accident damage, not all the clear safety related stuff
So all I could do was good work in hopes that the owner could see the difference and value in professional work.

I talked to my insurance guy and was assured I was not liable for others, or previous work.
Turning the job down would only send it to the next guy, who may do more of the same.

 

Finally someone who welds look just like mine..Not..
The talent on here is often really intimidating.

 

Hey Bob,
I'm quite comfortable that I'm not contributing to the downfall of hot rods with this post. You ask what can we do? I'm doing it. Calling out bad work.
Secrecy is not the key to improvement.

 

That sums it up pretty good - wow! I can't believe the guy's even able to insure that thing...

 

Looks like fun. We had a similar issue a while back, the poorly engineered and installed split bones came apart at speed and came through the floor/running board of a local model T. Insurance would only cover the cost of the broken side even though the other side was barely hanging together and the rest of the car was an absolute deathtrap. Luckily we were able to convince the owner it was necessary and he stepped up and foot the bill for me redo the front and rear suspension, brakes, all the lines, some wiring, etc.

 

This is a different kind of blind..

 

QUOTE Gator; That sums it up pretty good - wow! I can't believe the guy's even able to insure that thing...



If the insurance Co. were smart, they would pay for the accident damage, then cancel the policy and inform the owner that they need to correct all the wrongs in order to reinstate the policy.

I'm not an attorney, but now that you've informed the insurance Co. with photos and written "notice" of what's terribly wrong with the vehicle, I think they could be accused of gross negligence if they continue insuring the car and the car ends up killing someone while they "knowingly ignored your warnings".

 

OlSkoollllllllRodzzzzzzzzzz called, they would like to contact the owner to set up a set of "How To" articles as well as a ten page feature and cover shoot.

 

WTF is the story with the two hose clamps in picture #9? Is that the fuel line that you're referring to? Wow, just wow.

 

Does the actual owner know how dangerous his car is or did he just buy it and does not really know much about cars. Some one needs to point out each individual area of concern. I wonder if the body shop that subleted the car to you informed him or just patched it up and collected their cash.

 

I love how everyone is focusing on the "quality" of the welding but there's an even more fundamental problem: whoever built this couldn't even figure out the proper/safe away to use zip ties. I mean, if you don't know how to use a zip tie in a way that doesn't create a safety hazard, you certainly should never even consider picking up a welder. Yikes.

 

Is it for sale? I'd like to give it to my ex girlfriend.

 

Hilarious

 

This is why everyone thinks a home garage built car is crap - and why on TV shows they say you "should always have this work done by a professional" which is total BS, I know of a lot of home builders who do exceptionally clean, detailed and SAFE work.

I think the "Overhaulin" thing of getting a car built in a week is making these shitty shops push out such unsafe garbage - people want to hear they can pick up the car in a month. As long as it's shiny and looks cool from 10 ft. away, people are happy to have their car back. Quick money for the shop, ignorantly happy customer.

I once fixed up an O/T car as my driver - mechanically redone top to bottom, super solid. I needed money so I put it up for sale - couldn't move it cuz the paint was faded and the headliner was falling down. I quickly glued up the headliner and threw a quick shiny paint job on it and sold it two days later for my asking price.

People see shiny and are happy to believe anything you tell them beyond that.

 

Suddenly I feel better about my own build skills.....

 

So, THAT'S how ya fix those leaky brake lines. LOL

 

That abomination is overwhelming . The more I look at the pictures , the more I see wrong . Just the ugliness of it all should have prompted someone to do something . I've worked on cars held together with duct tape , bailing wire , a bungee cord adjusting the alternator and nails for cotter pins . Compared to this , those were fine .

 

Gosh, I'm feeling lot better about some of the stuff I've done. This car was atrociously bad - not only from a workmanship standpoint, but absolutely not safe in any way. Amazing how folks that claim to be 'hotrodders' or 'builders' are perfectly happy sitting behind the wheel of something like this. Do they NEVER look at a well-built car?

 

where is LIKE button :O)

 

So what is the problem?

in all seriousness though. good for you dad. now the fact that maybe they did not realize this work is bad is not real comforting either. but teaching, guiding is a great tool. i think i read a story somewhere about teaching a guy to fish or giving him a bass boat...or something like that.

Skeezix -- just so i understand. bad welds are not funny. but killing ex's isl...good times.

 

I guess my standards of safety are just too high. I felt bad about some of the things I did on my A but they are nothing compared to that junk.

 

I bought a 40 ford deluxe 2 door sedan built like that once. I first noticed it sitting in a back yard behind a privacy fence. Found out who owned it and asked if it was for sale? He said yes, and I'm thinking here it come's an over priced pile. He looks at me and say's 200.00, whoa I just about fell over. Whipped out the 2 bills and started loading my truck with the spare parts. Ended up using the body parts as trade material, frame, running gear junk. Funny thing about it was about 2 years later I met the guy that built it. He bragged, "It only took me 1 week to build that car!" OK then.......

 

I weld at work everyday and it always makes me cringe to see stud like that. We scrap non structural welds that look better than that. You should put a business card and a note in the car for the owner and offer to show him your safety concerns and how they could be fixed. I bet a little kindness and an offer of a friendly lesson would make this guy see the light.

 

The one good thing about this economy is that the better builders prevail and the ones that put out this crap go away.