What are your dumbest automotive moments?

[carbking]

A post in another thread got me thinking about mistakes. I have been working on my own cars since 1959, and carburetors professionally since 1966. So what are my dumbest moments?

 

(1) installing an electric choke on my wife's car that had an automatic tranmission (not dumb, just plain stupid!)

(2) thinking I could make my son's Pontiac 301 Trans-Am run with a basically stock 1969 Toyota Corona (family car) by adding a factory turbo

(3) listening to the internet that blocking the heat cross-over on my GTO was a good idea

(4) NOT buying a 1958 Ford flip-top in excellent condition in 1970 for $45. because I personally thought the 1958 was ugly!

 

So tell on yourself, what have you done (or not done) that you wish for a do-over?

 

Jon

[1937hd45]

Selling a Vintage Race Car without tracing is history, did it TWICE! One was powered with a 1940 Harley - Davidson Knuckle head, EXTRA stupid points with that one. Sale price was $100.00, Tripple Stupid. 

 

Bob 

[60FlatTop]

Being in my mid-20's with a little machine shop experience I put a good used brake rotor on my '71 Ford. I had seen water based machine lubricants on lathes so why not sand them with a little light oil.  Probably wouldn't have even remembered if I hadn't taken that ride up to Skyline Drive over Keuka Lake..... and down again.

 

Oh, that picture was taken the day I had to use the high speed tangential approach to get off the beach at Chimney Bluffs.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Posted this before but swapping my very nice 56 Chevy 210 for a ratty 71 Corvette is up there.  

 

56 just prior to getting bumpers on. (My 76 Chevy Stepside in background on the road)

 

71 Corvette had many gremlins and even more needs.  

 

Live and learn...

[Carroll_1]

In 1987 I removed the engine from my 1967 RS/SS Camaro and put it in a race car. The engine lasted two races. Then I sold the Camaro rolling chassis in order to build another race engine. That engine lasted two weeks. Then I sold an 18-1/2 ft. Larson ski boat w/125hp motor, to build another engine. I won't continue. I eventually learned how to build dependable race engines, but the dues to join that club were high. 

[3macboys]

Connecting wiring under the dash - without disconnecting the battery.  Amazing how fast you can find a half inch wrench and disconnect the battery when motivated! 

[keithb7]

Not quite automotive but close.

 

I was rebuilding a Honda, single cylinder 4 stroke dirt-bike engine. I was young.  The crank big end bearing was done. It was pretty decent sized heavy duty caged ball roller bearing. The proper repair was too expensive for me. I did some research (this was before the internet was created) and matched up a needle bearing type. Best size I could get. I had to get it pressed on the crank. I remember the guy asking me, are you sure you want to do this?  Have you done your research? I was like, yes please press it on. He shrugged and did so. I paid him and left. I put the engine together and flashed it up. That needle bearing lasted about 2 seconds and failed completely. Oh well, the crank was wore out anyway. Except now there was contingent damage. I got a replacement crank and fixed it right. It ran fine after that. It was at that point I learned something, but not quite enough.

 

Later in life I was able to work with mechanical engineers. I learned of their skill sets. What they did. How and why. The amount of math, metallurgy, design and testing that goes into automotive systems. I now know that I don't remove seemingly stupid little things that I think are not needed in a car. I won't put a V8, new tranny, axle, brakes, upgraded suspension and steering in a 1930's mass produced family car either. They were never designed by engineers to go 70 MPH on the interstate. They were designed to pass a 25 MPH Model T on a dirt road. Humbly, I respect automotive engineers. At times I was dumb enough with my Grade 7 math grades to think I knew better!

Edited September 16, 2022 by keithb7 (see edit history)

[Flivverking]

Mine is getting involved with vintage automobiles at age 5. 

I would have done more great and meaningful things in the time I spent on crappy old cars , and YOU TOO!  But here we are..

You and I can can redeem ourselves,but it is unlikely for most of us.As we are too selfish in on our wants and desires.

And don't every think your not selfish....with your unneeded toys .

[edinmass]

9 hours ago, Flivverking said:

Mine is getting involved with vintage automobiles at age 5. 

I would have done more great and meaningful things in the time I spent on crappy old cars , and YOU TOO!  But here we are..

You and I can can redeem ourselves,but it is unlikely for most of us.As we are too selfish in on our wants and desires.

And don't every think your not selfish....with your unneeded toys .

 

I’m guessing my mistake is identical to yours…………I was in the garage by five years old, building mini bike engines by the time I was seven with adult supervision. Running a boring bar ten hours a week by age eleven, at the family motorcycle dealership. Becoming the “tire guy” at the same busy shop at age twelve. I’m certain I have changed several thousand tires by hand, as there were no machines for them back then. I figure I have 15,000 or more hours in the shop/garage by now. Half of that time spinning wrenches. Go figure a guy with a masters degree likes Snap-On wrenches better than anything else………now that IS stupid! Overall, no complaints as I have had mostly fun and great days in the shop. The last fifteen years only enough bad days to count on one hand. Makes me a lucky guy. I get paid to do what I would do for free. 

Edited September 17, 2022 by edinmass (see edit history)

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Walk through any casino at say 7:30 AM, and see the folks in there literally throwing money away and you will never feel bad about any money or time spent on this great hobby...

[Flivverking]

 

I love Steve. Mack 100 persent.

 

 

 

 

But comparing one's selfish addiction to another doen't really work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[edinmass]

1 minute ago, Flivverking said:

 

But comparing one's selfish addiction to another doen't really work.

 

 

Who says having owned more than 50 pre war cars means you're addicted? 😉

[46 woodie]

While cutting off a rusted exhaust system, I was using a small hand grinder with a 4" cut off wheel. The grinder had a "click on-click off" switch, meaning it kept running until you manually shut it off. I somehow dropped the grinder and the cut off wheel landed on top of my right hand. I put a paper towel over the cut and wrapped it with electrical tape and kept working, but realized my hand wasn't working as it should. Off to the ER we went. The cut off wheel cut deep into my hand, severed the tendons and put a 1/8" groove in the bones. After 4 hours of hand surgery and 3 months of PT, it's good as new. 

[30DodgePanel]

18 hours ago, 3macboys said:

Connecting wiring under the dash - without disconnecting the battery.  Amazing how fast you can find a half inch wrench and disconnect the battery when motivated! 

I can relate...

 

Remember when we were kids we used to change the flats on our bikes at a young age as most of us were taught "if you wanted to ride, you had better learn how to fix it".

 

When I was 9 years old I neglected tightening the nuts on the front wheel after changing a flat which I had done many times before (I blame it on the glue ). After I proudly got it back together while attempting my first wheelie I flipped over the handlebars as the forks slammed into the street (Youtubes epic fails anyone?). From that day forward I quickly developed OCD and learned to triple check things.  

 

Until the time.... (der da der)

Until the time I swapped out a battery on a truck someone else had rewired previously. In my defense there were no positive or negative signs and neither of the cables to the battery posts were red, both were solid black. Of course I was in a rush that day and I A$$umed that I had them correct and neglected to follow each cable to it's source. I remember thinking "I got this, I've done this a million times". From that point forward everything has been a blur quite honestly. 

[Professor]

 OnFresh out of the military (as a track and wheel vehicle mechanic), I was hired into my first post-military job: working at a corner gas station with a repair shop.

 

My very first job, first day,  was to finish up installing an alternator that another mechanic had started.  No problem.  I loosen the bolts to allow the alternator to move so I could install the belt.  Reached for the belt and the alternator slipped out of my hand and rotated outward into the metal inner fender on the car.  It just so happens on this particular car, the positive terminal was not insulated, and it is located near the fender side of the alternator.  Alternator rotated, positive terminal hit the metal inner fender, and I swear, in slow motion, like a fuse to a bomb, I watched the interior of the car fill with smoke, and then the fuse melted through the firewall connector and burned up the entire engine harness.  

 

First day

First job

 

It was also the last day of my first job.  I was employed for maybe one hour.

 

I often wonder if that job had worked out, if I would have stayed in the mechanic field.  Needless to say, I did not stay in the field.  That was my first and last private sector mechanic job.  Now I only work on my own stuff, and I am (mostly) a bit more careful.  I still do stupid stuff, but the older I get, the fewer stupid things I do.

 

Joe

[joelj]

I once bought a rare but not necessarily valuable car that was a complete basket case and mostly disassembled. I spent a lot of time and money on the front suspension and steering before I realized that how bad the car was prior to being taken apart and partially restored by th previous owner. I guess I was blinded by optimism and an inflated view of my own abilities at the time. I remember that I was happy to sell it at a loss to someone with a different vision of what it could be.

[8E45E]

Parting out a rather uncommon 1961 Studebaker Lark Cruiser.  The body was indeed rough, but I've seen worse restored.  In 1979, a '61 Lark didn't have a lot of value back then.

 

Craig

[Str8-8-Dave]

So I bought this cute 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente in 1969 or so, it was lemon yellow with black vinyl top, black vinyl bucket seat interior, Ford chrome styled steel wheels and powered 260cu in V8 with C4 column shift automatic.  The trans was toast so I swapped it for a rebuilt unit.  With 2bbl carb, automatic and 2.79 axle It was a real slug.  I thought I could hot rod it a bit and tore it apart, sent heads out for valve job and bought cheap Jr headers, a mild hydraulic cam, aluminum 4bbl intake and a 600cfm Holley carburetor.  While the heads were gone I set to work swapping the cam.  I removed the water pump, radiator and fan parts, crank pulleys and damper, pushrods and lifters, cam gear and chain and the retainer plate for the cam.  Then I tried to pull the cam and it came out, oh, about 1/4" and stopped.  The car had 70,000 miles on it and there was a nice coating of varnish on the cam bearing journals.  Ok- wanna play hardball- I'll fix you...  I put the cam gear back on the cam and was going to use it to rotate that stupid camshaft back and forth while pulling it out of the bearings.  I rotated it clockwise and it was really good and stuck in the varnish.  Then, determined to get that rascal out I grabbed a big handful of cam gear and twisted it counterclockwise.  It was stuck hard in the varnish and suddenly let go and rotated and suddenly my right thumb hurt like hell and blood was running down the cam gear and dripping into the oil pan.  Worst of all my thumb was wedged between the cam gear and the razor-sharp edge of the cast iron timing case wall on the front of the block.  I finally decided the only way to escape was to rotate the cam clockwise again which did release my thumb which was cut to the bone and spurting blood.  In the house I went, into the bathroom and ran cold water over the gash.  My mother took one look at my thumb and said "You need stitches" to which I not too respectfully declined.  I wrapped my thumb with a clean handkerchief and spent the rest of the day on the couch looking like Tom Thumb, holding my thumb sticking straight up.  Eventually it stopped bleeding.  I finally got the parts swapping finished and got the car running again but while it was louder, it wasn't much faster.  I still have the scar on my right thumb that goes with the story....

[yachtflame]

When after riding bikes for 8 years, I finally decided to get a car in 1974.  A neighbor offered me a ‘57 Lincoln Premier convertible for $700 or a Olds Rocket 88 sedan for $100.  Well, who’d pay $700 for a car? So I bought and still have the Olds.