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Funny Fiat Stories / The PO Strikes Again |
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1998 - 1999 |
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Cob Jobs |
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- One thing that this car has definately taught me is the meaning of a cob-job. I define it as a job done (to a car or otherwise) that is done poorly, oddly, and quickly for a reason known only to God and the previous owner (the notorious PO). There were quite a few 'cob-jobs' that I found in my car that the previous ownder had done, to my surprise and displeasure. The first was in the carb. When I took it apart to rebuild it, I discovered that instead of a brass float like there was supposed to be, there was a slightly modified 35mm film canister. By modified, I mean that it was sealed with epoxy. Needless to say, I could not for the life of me understand why someone would do this, but it was done nonetheless.
- The next cob job I found was in the rear brakes. On the passenger side, instead of a bleeder screw, there was a giant sheet metal screw torqued in there, and sealed with white plumber's tape. The brake lines were wired to the rear axle with high grade fishing line. Thank the lord for 50lb-test I guess.
- Perhaps the most dangerous concerned the front suspension. Someone at one point had installed the tie-rod sleeve clamps backwards, so that upon turning, the bolts of the clamps would hit the other suspension components. This contributed to an alarming tendency for the steering to lock up when braking ... not a desirable situation. |
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The Deer |
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- One weekend while I was away, during the first summer of owning the Fiat, my brother and father borrowed the car to go to the movies. When I came back on Sunday night, they told me that on the way home, they had come to a herd of deer in the road, and so had come to a stop. Supposedly, one of the deer came up to the hood of the fiat, sniffed, jumped on the hood, scrabbled around, and ran off when they honked the horn. Luckily, no damage was done besides a few scuff marks to the paint. When they told me this, I didnt believe it at all ... until the exact same thing happened to me two days later. The first thing I did after that was to clean all the grounds to brighten up the lights so they could see me coming. So far, no more deer. |
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2000 |
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Roadside Carb Rebuild |
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- One time I was out for a drive during the last week or so of the summer of 2000, when my car began to stumble and jerk. I figured right away that either my fuel guage was shot and I was out of gas, or the car was starved for fuel. I pulled over to the side of the road since I didn't really have much choice, turned it off, and popped the hood. I could smell a really strong smell of gas, so I figured first that a fuel line had come lose or developed a hole. However, I couldnt find any fuel leaking anywhere, so I removed the air cleaner to look down the carb barrels. What I saw was that there was about a half inch of gas or so inside the carb ... it was flooded, quite the opposite of being starved! Since I was a considerable way from home, I undid the top four screws and pulled the top half off the carb. I saw that the needle valve seat had vibrated completely loose, so gas just kept pouring in. A quick use of a crescent wrench tightened it back up, and a minute to put the carb back together saw my car running fine and on its way baack home. When I finally got there, I changed the oil, and it was loaded with gas, as could be expected. Rebuilt the carb immediately after. |
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2001 |
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We Don't Need No Stinkin' Clutch Cable |
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- In the middle of Rome, NY, my clutch cable lets go for the second time that year. This time, it was in the parking lot of an Advance Auto store ... so I figured that I would go in, buy a new cable, install it, and get back to camp (I was working/living at a summer camp for Boy Scouts). They didnt have the cable, so I thought for sure I'd have to have it towed this time, but luckily I ran into the ranger from my camp outside the store. I asked him if he had a tow rope, and when I told him why, his reply was to ask if my car had full synchro. It does, and so he told me that if I took it easy, I could shift without the cable ... just not to make a habit of it. Sure enough, starting the car in 1st at the lights, and blipping the throttle let me shift it well enough to get back to camp until the cable came in. The Fiat has never left me stranded, knock on wood! |
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Fiat Goes on Vacation |
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- By the end of summer, 2001, I determine that the car has to be taken off the road for quite awhile, as it is really not safe to drive anymore. Because of suspension issues, when you brake hard, you are unable to turn the steering wheel, which is not a funny situation at all. There are a few small rust spots that need attending to, the engine needs a few new gaskets, the exhaust system needs to be done ... the list goes on and on. The car is officially a 'project' instead of a daily driver, and will remain that way at least until I graduate from college in the spring of 2003. |
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