Have any stories of mechanics who just could not help themselves?
 

I have driven a bunch of very fast, and super cool cars over the years. Funny part is , when it is a customer car... I hate it. I am nervous as heck. A guy threw me the keys to his 360 last year, and told me to make sure that I take it for a nice drive before I service it.
I was pins and needles nervous. And as much as I love to drive p cars, I keep drives in customer cars short, sweet, and to the point.
I had a buddy who built a mean tubbed ,blown, 502 el camino. the owner of the body shop could not resist temptation, and while melting off the rear tires, he got sideways, hit a curb, rolled it, and hit a few pedestrians. Not cool!

Austrian Mechanic Can't Resist Lamborghini, Promptly Flips It

I drive rental cars like they are going to break at every turn. They are usually GM's though, so it may be plausible. :)

You, my friend, are missing out on the rental car experience. Needless to say, I'll never buy a former rental car.

A guy a worked with (sat right near me) got a phone call from the Nissan dealer saying that one of their mechanics totalled his 280Z (this was back in the late 80s). I still remember the look on his face.

He actually had to take them to court to get any money out of them. They foisted total responsibility off on the "ex-mechanic" that used to work for them....

Seriously this. As the saying goes, the fastest car is a rental.

Ever jump a Dodge Journey? I have.:D

so we can safely say drive it like if you are a mechanic and not like if you stole it?

I got a Fiat 500 for a rental car a few months ago. I beat that thing like a meth-amped drummer pounding out a solo in front of a herd of topless groupies...

Do NOT buy a used rental car - LOL!

angela

"There are no speed bumps in rental cars"

I never liked the saying "drive it like you stole it." because if I stole it, I would drive very carefully.

Now, "drive it like you rented it," has a very different outcome!

I once reformed a Dodge caliber to enterprise with a flat tire, complete and utter ABS failure, check engine light on and it creaked if you even looked at it wrong. .... and mastering my inner dick Cheney, I got the top apologize and give me a discount for giving me such a death trap. ..
Anyway, the caliber is miserable off road....I got stuck in 2 foot deep mud like 4 times

Add me to the Caliber off road club! Except I was in the desert on Jeep trails being chased by an airplane and some USAF guys in a truck. Every once and a while, my job is really fun.

The entire story is funny enough for it's own thread. Here's a quote/teaser:

P.J. O'Rourke

I managed a high-end body shop several years ago. My boss, the owner, took a customer's car out and ended up blowing the engine. My boss's brother owned a dealership that sold and serviced this particular make of car.

The body shop customer with a blown engine received a new, factory engine, and never knew anything about it.....

I'll just add to what others have posted....

"Would you like insurance coverage on this rental Mr. KC?

You bet I do! You don't think I want all of that damage to be on MY personal policy do you :p?

When I worked at the VW dealerships back in the day, one of the lot porters took the one and only Phaeton we received and was supposed to take it for gas. He flipped it on the on ramp to the highway which was no where near the gas station and promptly got out of the car and went home, no call, no nothing. I never did hear what happened to him but I bet he was getting his affairs in order.

i always take a cell phone pic of my oddometer before leaving a car with the mechanics.

Rentals - oh schitz and snickers! Pro-race crew members, have anything to share? LOL

Some I know of (not me and not guilty!! Got that?!). For start... high velocity bumper love taps on the freeways.... 70mph to slams into reverse. Rental vans... E350 club wagon driven by X-named pro driver and full of wealthy cliental + 2 will-not-name pro sports athletes runs off of tarmac on closed course (no rollover... OK) Biggie contractual violation... ah but that's life. Another van T-BONED by open cockpit s.racer WHILE van was CROSSING TRACK DURING SESSION! Don't ask but I still have a clear as yesterday vision of it.

FFRacing- Customer cars. We had a BB converted 930 trade. Euro spec flashy pants as swoopy and red as the police love. Returned from a test blast and into the shop. During the check over discovered the spare gone and you can only guess what was in its place!!! Heart drops thinking what might have happened if busted for speeding!

We had a rep who was new to this country and from Poland. While driving with a customer, rolled a new 944 turbo-S. Incredible neither was hurt. The rep was late hauled away in cuffs. I never heard or knew what happened to him.