What automotive mistakes you have made and are willing to admit to

Bone Head said:
Let's have some minor thread drift. We've all read what we're willing to admit to. How about stuff that we wouldn't want our parents or anyone else know?
Click to expand...


Sure why not. I'm enjoying this thread and confessing my automotive sins.

mmcmdl​

Your post brought up the memories of going to see my step son in eastern Washington. On the way home there was a straight stretch of road you could see for miles. We had a new IROC-Z camaro (still have it) and I decided to stretch it's legs a bit.

Wee saw a sign for a store and decided to stop and get something to drink. While we were inside a local cop came in and started BS'ing with the guy in the store. He turned to me and asked is that your camaro and I said yes. Then he asked "is 135 all she will do?"

I didn't answer, we just quietly left with our drinks and drove 55 the rest of the way.
 
alloy said:
He turned to me and asked is that your camaro and I said yes. Then he asked "is 135 all she will do?"

I didn't answer, we just quietly left with our drinks and drove 55 the rest of the way.
Click to expand...
I had very similar encounter, i run out of fuel and costed in a gas station. Cop pulls in, so me and my friend distance our self from my car, he walks to the car looks inside, ask the attendant who's car. He looks at me and the cops measure me up, no driving licence, underage, unregistered car with Yugoslavia old plates, and i was expecting the worst. But after he finished staring me down he said, what the hell have you put in this thing, a nuke. My friend not missing a bit asks explain. He smile and said, i was behind you up to 180 km/h and you disappeared. We all looked at each other not said another word, he got back in his police car and drove off. The gas station attendant started to lecure me and my friend we got in and left him two tire marks to clean up.
 
The posts about gasoline reminded me of another story, but not involving me or a car. Still good though. My wife decided to add gas to our 1946 Ford tractor by pouring it into the radiator which must have been running low for anything to get in there. Then she gets me because the "radiator is spitting water everywhere". LOL
 
We had a great group of machinists working at AAI years back , one day our phone rings and it was Rick's wife . He told us his wife had cut the entire lawn with the tractor but it didn't look to good .

We all looked at the 3 blades on the desk that we had just sharpened . :grin:
 
Here's mine. Late '70' I had a ratty old '68 Firebird. Pathetic looking at best. Under the hood was a 400" Pontiac. "Slightly" modified.
Left one of the local establishments one night and tried to impress some locals. Wound her tight and kept her there in 4th gear.
I was at least a mile and a half out of town when I saw the lights come on behind me. I'm a good guy; I pulled over. Local cop shows at the window, usual song and dance. He then asked me to get out and raise the hood. He stared at the dual Carters for a bit, then asked me why I pulled over. Told him I was "a good guy". he wrote me a ticket for 9 mph over the limit if I remember right. Mr' Good guy had to go to mayor's court.
I then learned that my doctor was the mayor. And that the cop who pulled me over was his son-in-law, so he knew what really was what. Rest of the evening didn't go so good.
 
Too many to mention but probably the worst was I had one of these and gave it up when a lifter stuck and it started smoking. Paid $600 for it and I think I still have the owners manual that tells what to do if you're going to run over 100mph on a regular basis (which I did)....

suburban.jpeg


Mine was a white "economy" model with a 318 and 2bbl carb.

Might have been a 383, it was a long time ago....

John
 
Last edited:
Just today a friend of mine reminded me of a very big fail i had in my young days. I bought an export only 325i E30 at a police auction. Decided to drive it for a few day to test the drive train before taking it apart. And being my first RWD car to rely drive at 10/10 i ended up left foot braking mid corner like in a FWD car to set the back and that span me directly going backwards in a cliff. I made it in a hatchback, looked like a honda CRX. It was so crashed that the back coil springs are visible. It drove home but everything was destroyed, all engine mounts, flex discs. Good lesson to learn thankfully no one got hurt i was sore for 3 days.
 
This happened about 30 years ago. I had a 65 F250 that had a 390 in it. I decided to get rid of the heavy cast iron intake and replace it with an Edelbrock Performer aluminum manifold and Carter AFB. I pulled it into the pole barn, pulled the manifold, (did I mention that thing is HEAVY), and got it all put back together. I also decided while I was under the hood I would put new points and condenser in the distributor. When I tried to start it the points slipped as I hadn't tightened them down enough and it wouldn't start, then I noticed white puffs of smoke coming out the exhaust pipe as it was turning over. I hopped out of the truck and quickly popped the hood (I'm much older and wiser now and don't shut the hood until AFTER I've fired up a motor I've worked on). There in the engine compartment is my brand new expensive K&N air filter on fire! I had to run up hill about 70 yards to grab the fire extinguisher from the basement and run back down the hill to put out the fire with a litany of colorful expletives all the way. When I got the fire out I walked back around to the drivers door, opened it up, and noticed the fire extinguisher strapped to the floor right beside the drivers seat (doh).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top