16-01-2022, 11:44 AM
On a London to Sydney Marathon (as I recall, 1968) an Australian Holden V8 broke a half-shaft on the way through India to Bombay - it sheared at the end of the splines. There was about 3/4" of spline showing on the shaft. An Indian workshop worked through the night on the broken end and by continuous turning and hammering the shaft, extended it enough for the splines to engage in the hub, sufficient to allow the car to be driven (gently!) to get it to Delhi I think it was. There they "borrowed" a shaft from the Australian Ambassador's Holden - apparently the only one in India. On another Marathon (1993) a Triumph 2000 had a complete replacement of pistons, rods and bearings carried out overnight....apparently using local Triumph Herald parts! We had a the cracked exhaust manifold on our Cortina Lotus welded up in the open air using a road grating as a straight edge by a man who did it without goggles....and his assistant who held the pieces together without gloves! It lasted another 4000 miles on that rally and another 10000 from Panama to Alaska!
Amazing skills.
Amazing skills.