Update: My soda can and hose clamp exhaust fix still has me smiling
I was on a long haul through Arizona when my truck's heat shield came loose and started banging. No shop for miles, so I grabbed an empty soda can from my cab, cut it flat, and wrapped it around the broken bracket with two hose clamps. It looked absolutely ridiculous, like something from a cartoon. But the rattling stopped instantly. That was over five months ago, and it hasn't made a peep since. Most mechanics I tell this to shake their heads and say you should always replace with the right part. But stuck out there, using what you have can be the smartest move. I've patched a radiator hose with electrical tape and a stick before, and it got me to the next town. Sometimes the 'wrong' fix is exactly right.