admit to your stupidity

[75Carrera]

Suck, suck suck... Doesn't anybody pump anymore!?

[deanjorr]

While traveling in downtown Perth with my mates on a Friday night, I had an old HG Holden sedan with Graffiti down the side ( real classy like) I was at the traffic lights when a V8 coupe pulled up and issued the challenge, I booted it and the car spun the wheels for two seconds and the engine jumped right off the mounts at the middle of the intersection, I was able to coast to a carpark to see what had happened.
My Magyver like skills came into play and I was able to use a fanbelt, two hose clamps and a stick to jury rig the engine straight enough to get the "three on the tree" back into second gear, you can imagine my mates amusement at driving down the freeway in second with the engine screaming it's box off.

Dean

[svandamme]

ok, did a new one today... lately i've been doing testruns with my rebuild
all topless...the car i mean.

everytime i go home from the garage , i put the targa top back on, but i didn't secure the latches


this morning , i take off ... with the roof on .... because it's still cold and foggy... as i pick up speed, i suddenly notice the latches pointing down

as my hand reaches up to fasten them.. the roof takes off...
at 60 mph ... that thing flew like it was designed to fly

it wasn't designed to land , that's for sure...
2 front corners are dinged... i managed to bend em back in to shape
the roof is functional , but it ain't pretty...

[livi]

I guess this probably happens once in a while:

Came out to my car and immediately notice the plastic plug for the factory jack is missing on left side. Start thinking dark, evil thoughts about the neighbors kids. I am gonna get those brats for molesting my car !

Order new ones and the next day I open the trunk - and voila - there it is. Tucked it away there last time I jacked the car - for safe keeping.

Ahh, kids ! Want an ice cream ??!!

[techweenie]

I was finishing body restoration on a '72E that had survived with mechanicals and electrical system intact for 30 years of sometimes neglectful handling. As I reattached the battery clamps, my mind was on autopilot as I put the red wire to positive and the black to ground. SIZZLE! Fried the tach, alternator, voltage regulator and heated a lot of random wires. Someone had replaced the woven metal ground strap with a red cable and I hadn't taken the extra second to notice that.

[Bobboloo]

Just came in from the garage where I was competing for the Darwin award.

I was trying to POR 15 my metal S spoiler. Only problem is I could not get the dang lid off the can because of dried previous stuff on the rim. That stuff is tuff.

Tried screw drivers, pliers, hammer. The can was quickly changing shape.

Finally I said fuch it. I grab the MAP torch to heat the rim, no go. So I decide I'll get it a little hotter and the pressure should build enough to get the lid off. Well, it worked like a charm. The lid goes POP! and a flaming lid goes flying through the air. I've now got an open can of flaming POR 15. Well I put another can over it and it immediately doused.

Just in case I decided to go inside and make sure I didn't get any on me. Well I look in the mirror and my face is speckled black.

Thank God for olive oil.

[msk1986911]

I bought my 1986 911 in May 2005. Prior to the purchase, I knew that I'd have to change the stereo since the original Blaupunkt no longer functioned at all. The previous owner had installed a CD changer, which worked off FM RF. However, since the radio didn't work, the changer was useless. As I was installing the stereo and ripping the CD changer out, I came across what I thought was a part of the changer (located under the radio). I subsequently cut the cables for that part and then threw it in the trash. While taking the car for a drive, I attempted to activate the cruise control, with no success. When I got home, I did some checking and found that the part that I had ripped out was the cruise control module (list price around $600). I very quickly dug it out of the trash and attempted to re-install it. I stripped the wires from either side, thinking that I could just re-splice the cut. One side had all differnt color wires; easy enough. The other side has 6 wires (I think) of which 2 were black and 2 were brown, with no stripes on either. Matching those up to the correct mates would then be a hit or miss proposition. On my first and 2nd attempts, the speedometer did not function. Forthunately, the 3rd time did the trick. Leson learned: know what you are cutting BEFORE you cut. I guess the P/N on the unit (started with "911") should have been a good hint.

Kids, don't try this at home.

[ADRNLN]

Three cheers! My sides are splitting... That has to win for the best story so far! Man, I feel your pain... The bright side is that you are now an expert on re-wiring cruise control modules!

--Steve

[bt1211]

Back in the day,
My first car that I worked on was my 66 Impala SS. I had it on a ramp at my fathers friend's shop( He was letting me hang around and learn how to do "stuff"). Anyway, while the car is still on the ramp, I removed the drive shaft and think to myself, Hey did this thing just move??? Dam straight the thing is moving, I jump out from under the car knocking over whatever was in my way (with the look of horror in my eyes)My fathers friend looks over and asked me whats the problem? Just then the car rolls off the ramp backwards and crashes onto a customers car front end. Bent my car and broke my pride. I had to work pt at his shop for about 2yrs to help pay the cost. 20yrs later I cannot remember why in the hell was I taking off that dam drive shaft!!!!

[audi2.7t]

I bought a 911 that needed a "front fender only"....

[ronin]

Originally posted by audi2.7t
I bought a 911 that needed a "front fender only"....

that says it all!

[safe]

I think I need to add a post here...

I rebuilt the rear calipers last winter, and it got a little stressed in the spring...

When I recently got the car up on jack stands and removed the rear wheels I did a quick check of the brakes...
On the right side I managed to put one brake pad the wrong way, with the lining toward the piston.
Fortunately there is some sort of stuff on the metal plate designed to be against the piston, there were newer any metal to brake disc contact.
I have driven 3000 miles like that and just a few miles ago the car passed the MOT brake test with better brake performance on the right than left (correct) side!!

[911S Targa]

Bought a Air Cool Scoop and put it on my 76 911S. Ran the car with the scoop for almost a year. While taking the AC hoses and fan out of the smugglers box, came to realize my year didnt come with a trombone cooler.

At least the passenger wheel well was cooler

[MobileWrks]

Originally posted by 911S Targa
Bought a Air Cool Scoop and put it on my 76 911S. Ran the car with the scoop for almost a year. While taking the AC hoses and fan out of the smugglers box, came to realize my year didnt come with a trombone cooler.

At least the passenger wheel well was cooler

[POKDUB]

Rust protection and welding dont mix.

I'm looking to get at those hard to reach places to add some rust protection. Use a can of something which sprays a wax like coating. Small aerosol tube to direct wax into the most difficult to reach places.

Then I decide to do some mig welding repairs in the vicinity of the waxing. You can see whats coming.

The wax ignites, the fire is internal, yes, at those hard to reach places, I rush in, get the domestic fire extinguisher and let rip.

OK, I put out the fire before real damage was down, (some speaker cabling melted), however spent the next few weeks clearing up the yellow powder from the extinguisher which got into every crevis.

And I lived to tell the tale.

[JohnJL]

I just spent 2 hours trying to figure out why I couldn't get the right-side cam timed...it seemed to do exactly the opposite of what it was supposed to do!!!

Then I realized I had the dial indicator on the #4 exhaust valve instead of intake...

[Super_Dave_D]

Bleeding my brakes with a pressure bleeder. Forgot to clamp the overflow. Lost and entire can of blue break fluid on my garage floor. Glad I bought two!!! Now thats bad!!

[loot87]

Good stories. I've done a lot of bonehead things with various cars. I'm still pretty embarassed about my last one. But just make sure you know where ALL your jackstands are before lowering the car...

[Steveinatlanta]

Did it.

Yep, did that one too.

Drained the oil out of the transmission, only to be confused why the engine would only take three quarts of oil.

Saw a Fiat 124 this weekend at Road Atlanta. Hideous. Reminded me of "Earth shoes".

Did it more than once. 11 quarts of oil in an 8 quart oil pan: "What, again?!" Same oil pan.

Personal favorite: Road Atlanta DE's, they make you do an initial run around the track following a minivan to learn the line. It's called "Momma DucK".

Anybody else spin during a "Momma duck" run? Anybody!?

Best part - The two WOMEN in the Miata behind me (As I am now looking directly at them) were shaking their head back and forth in unison.

[mtech325ic]

Here is a classic for everyone. My dumb @ss checked the oil while the engine was cold. Two quarts low, I thought. After filling it up with two quarts, I smoke screened the whole neighborhood for mosquitos. The worst part is this is my second 911 and I remembered the warning just after I started the car.