Idiot things previous owners have done to your car.

[_Matt_ 42]

I have heard in some threads of dumb things previous owners have done to your cars and thought it would be amusing to share them.

I just spent about 15mins prying the front emblem off my bonnet cos some muppet had siliconed a fake one on.

Another is not so much what they did do but didn't. All the bloody rust that fills my boot is obviously due to previous owners not even caring that their boot was nice and damp and couldn't be bothered lifting up the carpet to investigate. Now there are a lot of repairs to be done.

I know you guys have some good ones

[3series 0]

I think the worst is cutting holes for 6x9's although personally I havent come across it yet.

[BMW012 1]

I hate the one where people have drilled holes in there dash to attach a tacky cheap cellphone holder.

[Tristan 338]

All the bloody cheap crappy plastic storage holders from jap imports that are glued all around the car.

[Jacko 2156]

E30 -

Kill switch installed up under dash, just floating around in the wiring, With half assed connector crimped on too it...

Ended up with a dodgy connection, took me ages to figure out WTF was causing my car too die seemingly randomly....

Bluetack/playdoh holding the covers over the back of the headlights.

The Beegees greatest hits jammed in the CD player!!

944 -

Had the beginnings of central locking installed in the door, actuators and everything, but it looked they just gave up half way.

Also had a bunch of bog in a chassis rail...

Edited August 8, 2010 by Jacko

[Driftit 2078]

My black E39 had its bonnet and boot painted. The paint was so cheap and it was such a poor job that it cooked during the summer.

I also have an E30 parts car that has had 6x9 holes cut in the rear parcel try. And it looks like they used a blunt axe to do it.

[cliffdunedin 8]

Once bought a nice Subaru wagon in Chch that the guy had very hori, appoxyed(sp) the radiator. which blew just out of Timaru on my way home, same guy also screwed 6x9 boxes directly in to the fuel tank...F@#$ i was pissed when i figured out all the hori jobs he had done to a nice car.

[[email protected] 0]

Nothing, I have never bought a car that has had stupid things done to it previously, I am very fussy with what I buy and have always bought stock vehicles from older owners.

[e30plz 1]

I think the worst is cutting holes for 6x9's.

This.

[Nobimmer 694]

Dodgy alarms are the worst... have caused me so many problems in the past.

[1rotty 40]

Parts car with cutties in front-cable tied top & bottom rubber mounts lol.

Mates e30 m/sport-wanting to re-seat fogs-bottom spoiler urethaned on-try getting that off !!-& by a fkg panel shop

[nath 134]

Nothing, I have never bought a car that has had stupid things done to it previously, I am very fussy with what I buy and have always bought stock vehicles from older owners.

Same, almost exlusively 1 or 2 owner NZ new bmw, audi or mercedes cars...

My last car was a 1 owner Audi S6- pulled the standard stereo out and the wiring behind it was such a botch up amatuer job, as was the alarm install behind a kick- panel (car had factory alarm stickers on windows).

Strange and semi- redundant trailer wiring leading to the factory audi towbar was another wee gem i discovered.

Current 2 owner E30 with 120km's when i got it had wee surface rust spots all under the boot carpet due to a leak from badly re-installed tail ligt seals, completely rusted re-weld of the battery tray which i had fully remade, botched up stereo wiring and seriously butchered airflow meter. Why god why!

[kiwi535 538]

i want to thank the first two owners of my 535 for not(allegedly) driving it in the rain

Edited August 8, 2010 by kiwi535

[Apex 693]

Washed it only once a month with what looks like a stealo pad, its swirled to fork.

[hybrid 1043]

The e30,

wiring ... OMFG. Spent a whole day replacing the interior loom wiring back to stock as it had been hacked and spliced.

The stereo install .. all speakers installed out of phase so the sound always sounded a bit off and no bass. fixed it all ... suddenly the stereo jumped into action and the car actually had some bass.

hmm, lots of other winner stuff when I was changing everything over like munroe shocks installed, non OE brakes etc etc.

Alarm was installed by a monkey ... fixed that.

Everything else is sweet however.

Basically when people tell me they have 'modded' their car I think instantly 'so youve f**ked it then'

[pureboiracer 0]

not on my car but saw a car someone had bought that had an amp previously wired up using speaker wire for + and - and then removed without removing or disconnecting wiring..

[paulo 66]

On an e36 325i:

- door cards and exterior door rubber strips held on with large self tapping screws (the bright zinc poz-drive type_

- Fog lights glued in with RTV

- Sunroof glued shut and sunroof motor missing

- Head lining held in place with thumb-tacks and dabs of contact adhesive (laid out in an almost straight grid for a deep-buttoned hot rod effect)

(The previous owner was a builder / farmer type obviously keen on applying a bit of kiwi ingenuity to his vehicles)

I knew it was a s*%T car when i bought it, but thought I could turn it into something nice.

200 hours and $2000 later it was still a s*%T car, but i've learnt my lesson now, and will only buy low owner NZ new cars

[antil33t 90]

Nothing really wrong with the car.

But the engine I bought....

Broken rocker shaft bridge.

Waterpump gasket was made from cardboard.

Never had antifreeze in it.

Hesitates.

[Phatputer 3]

I keep finding little things in the E30 coupe that frustrate me, from previous owners.

Previous head unit caused a small fire behind dash, that was fun which also blew a hole in the fuse

Drivers side mirror: went to pull the car apart for repaint found that the plug had been removed and all the wiring for electric mirror system had been hard wired in.. to make matters worse they had used the same colour wire for everything.

Aftermarket aerial had been installed at some stage due to stock electric one failing, this poorly done and leaked, this resulted in a rather large rust hole that needed to be replaced shortly after buying the car, and a bit of rust in the boot.

[gouba 0]

But the engine I bought....

Waterpump gasket was made from cardboard.

Never had antifreeze in it.

Hesitates.

Wow, wtf

[khairul23 0]

Bought a 520i with a 540i badge! Anyone has a 520i badge and wants to swap with a 540i?

[_Matt_ 42]

Bought a 520i with a 540i badge! Anyone has a 520i badge and wants to swap with a 540i?

de-badge, it's what the cool kids do.

[antil33t 90]

Wow, wtf

Funniest part.

The head had been "rebuilt"

you could tell the rockers were brand new, and the valvetrain had no gunk at all.

[_Matt_ 42]

Another RTV situation.

Any suggestions on how to get that crap off? how much did they bloody need grrr?

and yea that bolt has rusted through so ill need to replace that.

[e30plz 1]

Carefully with a razor blade?