A couple years ago, I was finally getting 'round to putting an Olds Cutlass carcass I'd had for way to long, back on the road. After dropping the engine in and getting it hooked up and running, we noticed gas leaking out the back- the hoses to and from the gas tank had dry-rotted in it's decade-plus wait out in the back forty.
Anyway, while I'm under there putting new hose on, I notice this:
Somebody had clamped a (knockoff copy) Vise-grip to the rear brake line,
and then taped it in place.
Why? Your guess is as good as mine. The rear brakes weren't leaking- the backing plates were (and still are) dry as a bone, and the brakes work great.
Best I can think of is the dipwad PO had done it so he could do burnouts. Stand on the brakes (which would only lock the fronts) and punch it.
With a wimp 2-barrel 350 and an open 10 bolt.
Anyway, despite being knockoffs, the Vise-grips surprisingly still worked. I cleaned the rust off, gave it a dab of lube, and tossed it in the wreckin'-yard toolbox.
Doc.
Who knows how many miles. Tough little tool. Good thing they were on in a fashion where "Down" was tighten.
