A story of neglect

We all know that sooner or later, every vehicle comes to the end of the line. Here are some pictures of a 1992 Buick Roadmaster wagon that are notable not just because of the level of its deterioration… but because someone went to an awful lot of trouble to keep it on the road for as long as possible!

The pictures come to us from David Fenton of Lakerange Service in Port Elgin, Ont.  He says the car came in for a red fluid leak at the right front.

“The customer suspected transmission fluid because the tranny started ‘acting funny,’” writes David. “The frame is so badly rotted away at the right rear control arm that we couldn’t lift the vehicle.”

Worse, someone had used a great deal of creativity to keep parts from falling off the car. The exhaust and gas tank, for example, were held in with wire and bent up brake line.

“My favorite fix was the serpentine belt that had been cut and wrapped around the upper radiator support and the bottom of the radiator to keep it from falling out,” says David. “There was no steel holding the lower part of the radiator.”

Confronted with the scope of the problems, the staff at Lakerange Service knew the writing was on the wall for this particular vehicle. But if you thought the owner would accept their grim conclusion without debate, you’d be wrong.

“The customer was still hoping to get more time out of this car, even after we told him about all the problems!”

In this business, we see neglect, damage, and corrosion all the time. But keeping the vehicle on the road is only good for the customer if it’s safe to drive!

Send us your EyeSpy pictures. They’re a great reminder of why we’re in the business of fixing cars!