Messages from prior expeditions into the deep!

Pulled trans and clutch from my spec E46 today to chase an assumed rear main leak. I wasn't the last guy in there. But apparently last guy thought he'd be the next, as well.

Anyone else have any good finds from prior owners or prior techs?

Ha, that’s epic. 

A friend of mine used to write messages for the next unfortunate explorers on the inside of engines he built. His messages were not usually polite. Some of the GRM staff probably know him, no not that one...

I've found a couple wrenches lodged in tight spaces of the engine compartment, but probably the most unusual was on a 1988 BMW 325iX I once owned.  On the underside of the hood there was a sticker indicating it was originally owned by Chrysler Corporation and used for comparison emissions testing.

I've found a few notes from a check lists inside panels.

In the 80's I found things left deep in brand  new cars by what I assume were disgruntled UAW members.  Most notably a glass soda bottle in the passenger side rocker panel of a Cutlass Ciera and a wood screw in the transmission of a Cutlass Supreme

In reply to stafford1500 :

Were you looking at me, or my mentor, or someone else we know?

David S. Wallens said:

Ha, that’s epic. 

See, I thought so too. But this is a non-embellished retelling of my coming in the kitchen and informing my wife: 

Me: "I got the transmission out, only two hours!"

Her: "Great! Wait, what car? Also, why?"

Me: "BMW, rear main...I told you this... Anyway, flywheel had this on it from guy at Quantum!" (Smiling, I show her my phone) 

Her: looks at picture, looks at me blankly, "ok......So, lunch in town?"

I changed both outer tie rods on my Armada in 20 minutes.  It was a gift from the PO, anti-seized and not over tightened, in fact they were barely even tight.  Alignment after changing did not change, thanks Moog.

Weirdest things i found were in a door of a 1968 Chevy pickup. A big chunk of asphalt and a claw hammer. 

Took them out and solved the clunk upon closing the door. 

In reply to low_n_slow :

I pulled a bath towel out of the door of an '84 GTI. It had apparently been there to stop a clunk from the loose end of the window regulator cable flopping around...

We always taped a business card inside the door panel on any restoration.

Not car related, but I left an empty cigarette pack with my name, number, and the date inside the walls of every building I've built, usually taped to a stud so it might stand out in a future remodel. I've found messages, pictures, newspapers, all kinds of stuff in walls and under carpets or behind cabinets in buildings I've done maintenance on. 

TurnerX19 said:

In reply to stafford1500 :

Were you looking at me, or my mentor, or someone else we know?

Definitely not you, but yes, someone we know. Unfortunately deceased now.

Found this under "Colin"'s ABS unit.

Not sure what the O rings and zipties were for, but they were missing for a long time.

When we renovated our first house in the 90's I put a local newspaper in one of the walls. 

APEowner said:

In the 80's I found things left deep in brand  new cars by what I assume were disgruntled UAW members.

When I took it apart for restoration in 1982, my '67 LeMans had someone's lunch down in the interior near the top mechanism, I assume from when it was built in 1966.

There was a desiccated bologna sandwich about the size of an index card, some rock hard cookies, and a shriveled banana that looked like a vanilla bean, all in a brown paper sack.

We always figured it was a lunchtime prank on the line.

Spearfishin said:

Anyone else have any good finds from prior owners or prior techs?

Sort of. On a number of the electrical components of the NA NSX there is the slogan, "An eternal Sportsmind for you." It's definitely from the factory in Tochigi, or the design team at Honda, but beyond that who knows.