Tell us about your best roadside fix
Driving a vintage car carries an increased risk of breaking down compared to modern metal, especially if the car is mechanically original. Whether it’s fuel delivery or lack of spark or whatever else, sudden vehicle failure can really ruin an otherwise blissful day. Those drivers who regularly venture out seem to have at least one story of getting nearly stranded, only to save the day with a stunning roadside fix.
Whether it’s something simple or a real MacGyver moment, an impromptu repair seems to be a rite of passage for those who drive vintage cars. No matter what it took to get the car back on the road, if you and your heap got home it was worth the price in elbow grease.
So tell us in the comments about your moment of roadside repair heroism, or if you’re brave enough, when things didn’t quite pan out as you’d have hoped.
roadside assistance
Got a call from my brother who was traveling to join up with a bus going to put in for rafting on the Colorado River. He was in Las Vegas, in an older Ford Taurus that wouldn’t run. I asked him, what were the symptoms? Answer, cutting out going up hills. Do you have fuel? Yes. OK, give me 15 minutes and I will call you back. I check the NTSA website for complaints. Lots on fuel pumps. I call him back. Crank the engine and then smell the exhaust. No gas smell. You need a fuel pump. I tell him that it is an easy repair as the wagon has an access panel over the pump. I tell him go to the local auto parts store (it was a sunday) buy one, and I told him what tools to buy. Two hours later, a call from him says all is OK and he is back on the road again.