Worst Car You've Worked On?
#17
But by far the worst car I've had the displeasure of working on is my POS Saab 9000 Turbo. The motor was designed for the 900 chassis - i.e. longitudinal and backwards (i.e. clutch up front). The transmission on that chassis is bolted *under* the engine. Now consider that in the 9000 the same block is in a traditional transverse fwd layout. So how is the motor mounted to the chassis? Not with the standard setup of mount+bracket bolted to the block. No no. The block was designed to be braced with the transmission housing in the 900. Since that isn't there, the oil pan takes up those duties. Yup, the oilpan is a structural part of the block - and the motor mount brackets are CAST INTO the damn pan. So if you have a pan related oil leak... you guessed it... motor comes out. Jebus! And that really is just the start of it.
#18
RS6 is an absolute nightmare...motor out for nearly everything, short of plugs and oil change...There are shortcuts, but still by far the most ridiculous car to work on that I have ever owned...
#19
HA! By far the worst Car I have ever had to work on was a Peugeot 504 Diesel.. What a massive pile of cr@p!!!! I got so frustrated with it that I contemplated torching it and just walking away... EVERY SINGLE BOLT on it was rusted, the electics were worse than Lucas "Prince Of Darkness"...
#20
I have done minor jobs like removing bumpers, changing control arms, removing intercoolers, some interior stuff, rwd conversion and diverter valves.
Other than the diverter valves I think the car is pretty easy to work on relatively speaking. Anything I did with my Corvette was a PITB and my BMW always broke stuff not worth trying to DIY.
Other than the diverter valves I think the car is pretty easy to work on relatively speaking. Anything I did with my Corvette was a PITB and my BMW always broke stuff not worth trying to DIY.
#21
The B5 S4 is worse IMHO. Eveything sucks to get to and pulling the engine take 2x the time it does on the 996TT. And on the S4 half of the work requires front bumper removal, radiatior and support removal. The other half is an engine pull.
Don't get me wrong, the 996TT isn't as easy as an older domestic but it could be alot worse.
Don't get me wrong, the 996TT isn't as easy as an older domestic but it could be alot worse.
#22
I had to fix an exhaust leak between the header and motor on a Jag XJS V12. There was virtually no room under the hood and I was undoing fasteners I could not see nor feel, just knew their approximate location and could tell if my tool was making contact with them or not. I had an earlier E-Type that was a joy to work on.
#23
You B5 S4 guys know nothing, until you have worked on the B6 S4. Because of my 04 S4, i will never own another Audi. just changing the valve cover gaskets are a bear. Not to mention an alternator replacement. Stupid water cooled alternators....audi wants $1200 for a new one, and they are not available remanufactured from anywhere.
#24
I had a couple of early MGBs, besides a couple of other nondescript hand me down British Leyland cars. The Lucas influence is legindary and they never went back together the same way you took them apart (or fell apart). The Pcar is a pleasure to work on in comparison, tight in places but "precise".
#25
My '04 RX8. I have to take the front left wheel off to change spark plugs. Due to my supercharger kit, I have a 5 min window from the time it takes for the manifold to cool down to the oil being cold for an oil change. I have to do this because i contort arm up under the manifold through a gap where sharp things and my blow valve sits and hope that I don't get cut, stabbed, burned, or drop any tools.
I am still trying to solve an electrical problem that has been going on for allmost 2 years.
I am still trying to solve an electrical problem that has been going on for allmost 2 years.
#26
B7 S4. I though I would just whip on a new serpentine belt today. Long story short you have to basically dismantle the entire front end just to get to it. I'm sure there must be a better way as I am just winging it. All this just for a new serp belt.
#27
You B5 S4 guys know nothing, until you have worked on the B6 S4. Because of my 04 S4, i will never own another Audi. just changing the valve cover gaskets are a bear. Not to mention an alternator replacement. Stupid water cooled alternators....audi wants $1200 for a new one, and they are not available remanufactured from anywhere.
The B6 and B7 S4 are very reliable relatively. So maybe you have to tear the **** out of your car for a serpentine belt, but you will also most likely go 40k+ miles before having to do that again. The B5 S4 sucks due to the frequency of maintenance more than the difficulty. Every real B5 S4 enthusiast has ripped their car down to almost the chassis at least once. If not in one maintenance cycle, in the combined maintenance.
Last edited by VAGscum; 12-22-2011 at 11:23 PM.