Carnage part 2

Ok, a week or two ago someone posted pics of automotive carnage. My computer was on the fritz so I couldn't post the pics I wanted to. So, here's some pics with the back story.
Back in my dealership tech days I had a customer bring in an Eagle Talon TSI for some maintenance. I suggested a new timing belt due to mileage. He said the car runs fine. I tried to 'splain to him that the engine will run fine till the belt breaks. When that happens parts of the engine get intimate with other parts and make quite the unholy union and cost copious amounts of money to set right. He actually told me I was "one of those mechanic that uses scare tactics to make other people get work done that's not needed" Then he went on to tell me that he wasn't one of those people. He's good with tools and knows there's nothing wrong with his timing belt. Even after showing him the factory recommended change interval and that he was already on borrowed time he insisted I was being "crooked."
Fine, I'll do the maintenance and let you out the door. It was less than 2 weeks later I was given a work order for a Talon (this was the days when Eagle was still a company so Talons and Premiers were normal) with the complaint "died while driving, crank no start" I push the car in, crank it and know it's a broken timing belt (did at least 1or 2 a month easy). I do a compression test to confirm ventilated pistons. So, the writer sells the guy a new long block and the customer shows up to get personals out of the car since it'll be down for a while. I meet the customer and remember him right away, and so does he. He looks at me and I see his face go blank and he says "oh, i remember you. How are you today?. I actually said "better than you I suspect. Lemme show you something."
I show him his engine and remind him of the "unholy union" I warned him about just 2 weeks ago. He thanks me and apologized for his asshattedness.
Here's what he saw (these are cleaned up though).

I was a nice guy though, I didn't charge him for rotating his tires

I would mount the piston with the valve imbedded in it, and give it to the guy as a reminder trophy. Free of charge.

I hope you kept the piston with the valve in it

I'd hang it on the wall along with some pithy statement like:

Advice: Cheap

Not listening to it: Expensive

In reply to JoeyM:I did a few (hundred) of those.

We use mangled valves as paperweights. The most interesting one is a D16 exhaust valve. It's not bent, it just looks like Pac-Man because the vehicle's owner never had the valves adjusted, and the clearance was shrinking. Shrinking. Shrinking. Valve started hanging open...

Knurled wrote: The most interesting one is a D16 exhaust valve. It's not bent, it just looks like Pac-Man because the vehicle's owner never had the valves adjusted,

That's wonderful.

I've been wanting some old valves, but not like that. I want to use them as drawer pulls. (Remember the grassroots bathroom thread?)

Momentos decorating my office conference room: 1) intake valve from my first 911(dont ever believe the seller who says that maintenance has been done but has no records), 2) ventilated piston from Sports Renault engine(2nd over-rev on the motor) and 3) broken rod from 1.8 EGT(over-rev on missed downshift). Clients love it and they all remind me why I am willing to work so hard to support my car habit.

thatsnowinnebago wrote: I hope you kept the piston with the valve in it

Yes, I have them both. Not going anywhere I love them.