Crap designs

[adamb]

I am sure everybody has their favourites and here's mine for the day.

I have a Triumph Daytona motorcycle which, to my dismay, I discovered has body panels screwing straight into the fuel tank. I accidentally used a bolt that was 3 mm too long and ended up piercing the fuel tank. Now it leaks... from that screw hole. The solution involves removing the tank, removing the internal fuel pump and patching it up from the inside. What a b*stard design     

[Tony66_au]

That'd piss you off!

I have to admit that the modern Trumpets leave me cold, I have 2 friends who went and bought them a few years ago to add to their collection or vintage and classic Triumph bikes and they too came to realise that they were not quite what they were expecting.

What a silly design flaw.

[Tony66_au]

My Crap design is for 200 series Volvo's heater fan.

Both the 3 and 4 speed fan motors fail with cold blooded regularity and to replace them the Volvo way involves removing the entire dash assembly and center complete with fiddly capillary tubes for AC and heat control.

There is a shortcut I have used a few times after doing it the factory way the first time which involves cutting the side from the heater fan box and replacing the fan that way and then gluing a huge patch over the side of the box when done although this is best done by experienced contortionist yoga guru's in spandex body suits.

And as im a short fat bloke with the contortionist tendencies of a house brick it means that the short method also means removing the front seats and adding foam rubber (Half a cheap mattress) so you dont climb out of the car with more holes than you climbed in.

My old V6 Wagon (265GLE) was such a pain to work on but at the same time such a great thing to drive that I ended up doing a lot of "innovative" stuff to it including gutting the OEM HVAC system and bodging up a hotrod heater/AC system (A neat lil box with everything) and eventually when I got sick of fettling the B27 V6 I added a 350 Chev.

[TJ 450]

Damn, I was thinking of getting a 242gt. Still might though. That fuel tank situation sounds terrible.

Tim

[Tony66_au]

Actually the SB Chev used about the same amount of fuel the old V6 did lol.

The 242's are ok but also suffer the fan issues although the 4 speed fans tend to be a bit more hardy.

The problem for me is the early Red motors are getting to the end of their lifespan, a B230 2.3 is still ok but the 2.0 and 2.1 (B20 and B21) are beyond their useby date unless you are a serious enthusiast.

And the price they ask for a 242 is criminal, Have a good look for a 142 or 162 though, they kinda grow on you and the straight 6's are not a bad thing with D jet and most parts are readily available still plus IMO they are a better balanced car.

[TJ 450]

I would probably fit a B230FT off a late model 740 TIC if I could, with LH Jetronic, or even a 16 valver (just gotta watch that timing belt then). Anyhow, that's dreaming.

As for the cost, only a serious Volvo enthusiast will buy them normally, so it's a limited marked, and I have only ever seen them listed for a few grand. Coincidentally, there as 245 listed for 7k here at the moment.

Here I go again, LOL.

Tim

[Squiggle Dog]

Did someone say ACCII? 

[Tony66_au]

Did someone say ACCII? 

Never seen that climate control system here in Aus fortunately lol

[oversize]

Gosh there's so many I don't know where to start!!!  Window regs, poor corrosion protection, water drains, holes in panels, HVAC complexity, anodized mouldings, bumper mouldings retaining moisture, sunroof drains, lack of electric seats n mirrors (missing on the 6.9), head bolts that are impossible to get at, diesel adjustable tappets, exhaust slip joints, alternator mounting below AC compressor, V belts impossible to adjust, exhaust Y pieces, seat base springs....  And it's not just W116s either; don't get me started on other vehicles or vacuum cleaners!   

[JasonP]

I had a 2000 Toyota Corolla, and the cup holder was put right where our front ashtray is, right front of the button shift knob. If I had any drinks in the the cup holder, everytime I put it into Park my knuckles would smash against it.

[adamb]

I fixed my Triumph today with JB Weld Stick. Great product. Pleased that there's now a distributor in the UK (http://www.jbweldadhesives.co.uk/)

[ZCarFan]

just a few:

Any heater core that takes more than 2 hours to replace

Ford twin I-beam suspension

Swing axles

Any engine with an iron water pump held to an aluminum housing with plain steel bolts (WTF, really?).

Any mechanism to create fake vacuum signals to a transmission modulator to provide load info instead of fitting a cable like a sensible person

Expensive, complicated OHC designs that provide no benefit over pushrod engines yet cost more in every way

Sedans with radically sloping rooflines so the back-seat passengers have less headroom that an eighties sporty coupe with no real aerodynamic benefit.

Datsun Z rear spindle pins (if you know... you know!)

[Bakoo]

First thing that comes to mind is the windshield wiper rods on the W108.

[KenM]

The female mind - can I say that?

Too bad, just did. and,

The original volkswagen beetle with negative camber rear end, what were they thinking, you go hard into a corner and the rear end of the car beats you to the apex, mind you 'going hard into a corner' in an

old beetle is a relative term, you really have to try hard to get up enough momentum, certainly no street machine there...

[ptashek]

Using vacuum as a signalling/reference medium. Ever heard of electrons?
Look at the W116 - vacuum driven almost-everything. It annoys me that I need to care about diaphragms, tubing, seals and vacuum tanks to operate something as simple as a central locking or heating.

Using two-stroke engines to propel cars. Maintenance nightmare.