[cripplecreek]

I have and I used 2 pairs of vise grips. I also drove a pickup truck the shifted with 2 gears on the column and 2 + reverse on the floor. I drove a Ford Courier all summer without a starter.

[katana]

For this inventive Aussie the hit skip accident may be the bigger worry.

There are parts of Australia where men take special pride in making machines work without buying the parts "necessary", even if they're accessible and they can afford them. In New Zealand it's practically a national mantra called "Kiwi Ingenuity". Dare say it used to be common here too. And still is in places where the road winds and the Liberals never go.

[from occupied ga]

I drove a Ford Courier all summer without a starter.

Been there done that. Who needs a starter when you can find a hill?

[WayneS]

I laud you for your commitment to safety. Using two pairs of vise-grips SO much safer than relying on a single pair. That guy must be crazy.

And safety isn’t the only concern - there’s also convenience. having a set of vise grips on either side of the steering column allows you to shift your cup of coffee from one hand to the other without having to reach across your body to steer.

[canuck_conservative]

I drove a Ford Courier all summer without a starter.

Always park on a hill?

[Fresh Wind]

I drove a good distance once after my throttle cable broke by tying a piece of wire to the throttle linkage and pulling on the wire to operate the throttle.

Worked great.

Also had a car with a bad ignition switch that wouldn’t operate the starter solenoid, so I became quite adept at bridging the contacts with a big socket to start the car (had to do it from below). Eventually, I installed a switch on the dashboard to do the same thing.