[urq] Thieving Monkey Lads - long story

[Jim Haseltine]

About this time 3 years ago I chanced on an early 81 Ur-q (early January by 
the numbers) which the owner was wanting to sell - long story, but he worked 
abroad, was only at home 1 month in 6 and wasn't happy that his car would 
spend 3 weeks of that month in the shop so I ended up buying it. Now I've 
spent the odd hour or two over the last three years gradually gettng the 
thing properly sorted but it's not 100% yet so I've never driven it.

Anyway, on Saturday I had a job to do for a mate that involved draining his 
fuel tank and of course the ass turned up having brimmed the thing the night 
before. What to do with 15 or so gallons of fuel? Stick 'em in the 81. The 
task on his car took longer than expected (what job doesn't?) and there was 
no way that I wanted to transfer the fuel back again after dark so we put a 
spash in the tank and headed for the nearest station where I paid for 15 
gallons.

Sunday morning I did a few minutes work on the 81 and noticed a strong smell 
of fuel - just figured that we'd spilt some. Then tonight I opened up the 
car again to an even stronger smell. Opened the boot to find the tank wet 
and a pool of fuel in the spare wheel well. Thinking back I remembered that 
the PO said that the last job he had done was a new fuel gauge sender 
because he'd been told by his Monkeys that the old one was leaking (thought 
it was odd at the time and checked later to find no new sender).
What's leaking? The sender? No it bloody isn't - one of the screws holding 
the tank carpet trim has pierced the tank.

 Firstly, what sort of cack-handed dick could cause that damage?
Secondly, why didn't the Monkeys notice it?
Thirdly, why tell the PO that you've fitted a new sender and let the guy 
drive off in a car with a leaking tank?

I've sealled the tank for the moment until I have the chance to drain it 
(luckily I've got a spare tank) and siphoned the pool into my other car.

I really thought that I'd found all the Monkey screw ups on the car (loose 
hydraulic pipes, jumpered electrics etc etc) but this one caps the lot. 
Bloody glad that I didn't do any welding yesterday......

Regards,

Jim Haseltine