OT, getting them home stories, Car stories Options

[r_towle]

OT! So move it if you feel the need.

I laugh more now when thinking of the crazy stuff I did when I was young and broke just to get a car home or repaired.

One night, heading up to go skiing with a buddy, by beetle accel cable broke.
It was super cold, dark and we were in a section of NH that has about ten exits of nothing....so remote.

Thankfully there was a gas station about 2-3 miles ahead.
I put on my winter ski clothes, goggles and all.
I sat sideways on the rear bumper with my hand hugging the upright fan and I drove the carburetor while yelling when to shift etc...

What could go wrong......??

How about you guys?
I have a few more stupid stories that make me wonder why I am still here at all.

[iankarr]

I lived in the Virgin Islands for a while in the 80s before the Internet and FedEx made getting parts easy. I had a Toyota tercel and the hilly roads tore through brake pads down to the rotors. The local dealership was out of replacement pads for at least two weeks, but I still needed to get around...so the 21 year old me decided it was fine to drive the car using the hand brake. With those ridiculously steep roads, it's amazing I'm still alive.

Also...

On the way to my high school prom, the gas pedal on my 1977 Fiat X 1/9 dropped to the floor and wouldn't spring back. The linkage blew apart on the Hutchinson river parkway...with no shoulder to safely do anything. In my tuxedo I macguyvered a spare nut and bolt to secure the cable wearing all black with cars driving at 50 mph around me. Good times.