• Got the Contributing Memberships stuff finally worked out and made up a thread as a sort of "How-To" to help people figure out how to participate. So if you need help figuring it out, here's the thread you need to take a look at -> http://www.corvetteflorida.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3581 Thank you, everyone! Rich Z.

Whats The Dumbest Thing You Have Done

N

Nytro

Delta House Member
while working on your car ???????


Come on lets hear the stories, forget to put oil in after an oil change ??? Forget to use jackstands and have the car nearly fall on you ???? Perhaps you forgot to put the emergancy brake on and the car almost rolled away. Lets hear 'em.

Mine happened the just the other day. I was putting a new fan shroud on the GTX and like a big dope I laid my forearm on the aluminum droplite cage that was about 1000 degrees hot. :NoNo: I got a burn about 3 inches wide and long. :eek: Ahh, the smell of flesh burning first thing in the morning. MMMMMMMMM :nonod:
 
The first vehicle I ever had was a 1964 dodge truck. That truck ALWAYS needed something done to it. The original engine was long gone and someone had got a 383 engine out of a wrecked highway patrol car and put in it. It ran pretty strong but it drank oil by the quart. One night me and a buddy are going to Tallahassee and it developed a skip, so I stopped and popped the hood and saw a plug wire arcing. I didn't even think about it...I just reached over and grabbed that plug wire! I hit my right elbow on the inner fender and the back of my head on the hood.... my buddy's lookin at me kinda funny and says "Why'd ya do that for?". I don't remember what I said back to him but it wasn't nice...
 
it all started with a 73 ss nova that was built by the devil himself 1st put the rotor in backwards the cost 2 new mufflers
2nd got set of headers for christmas put them on christmas day back to the muffler shop day after note temple terrace police dont like the sound of a healthy small block at 7am the day after christmas
3rd rubber freeze plugs are a temporary fix
4th never try to replace blown head gaskets on in apartment complex armed with craftsman beginner tool set girlfriends livingroom lamp and helpful friend after 8pm,somethings should wait till morning
5th throw out bearings work best when put in properly
 
About 12 years ago...

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

We we living in TX and had just purchased a Ford Escort. I was installing a stereo system in it, trying to :grd: before our trip to Fl. to visit my mom, which was in two days.
I had everything installed :dancer01: and only had the amp wire left to run (from the battery to the trunk). So I picked what I thought :thinkin: was a good spot to drill a hole thru the fire wall coming from the passenger floorboard side into the engine compartment, and let'er rip.:badidea: Within a Millisecond after punching thru the firewall my face was covered in this oil like substance..Yup, Freon. I punctured the condenser!:ahh: :sillyme:

Man... was My wife P!SSED:spank2: :spank2: :spank2:

~Ray
 
I learned that you really shouldn't try to open up the automatic convertible top on a GTO when going 30 miles per hour down the road..... I THOUGHT I was going slow enough...

I also learned that you shouldn't throw the ice scraper into the back when it is 5 degrees outside and let it hit that plastic back window on the convertible top.....

I also learned that Pontiac 400 heads ALMOST fit a 389 short block.

:banghead:
 
I got you all bet.I probably should'nt brag about this.

1- When I had my 70 nova in the mid 80's I was doing some rear end gear work on it and those cars had bumber jacks.I'm sure you all remember those.While I was on my butt in 40 degree weather on very cold concret.I had me legs under the car like I was sitting down,legs straight out and sitting there bent over under the car,the jack slipped of the bumber notch and landed onto my right shoulder,no I didn't have any jack stands under it:ack2: The weight of the car was on me and there was no one around.I could not stand up because I could not raise my knee's that high because of the car was now to low.So I had to left the car up with my one shoulder until I could move my legs out from under me,about 3 tries later I finally got the car off my shoulder and carefully positioned myself to let the car fall to the ground without landing on to me.My shoulder was bruised so bad for about a month.Ever since that cold winter day I always use jack stands.O and the car had no tires on it because I had taken the axels out.Yep landed right on the rear end I was trying to change out.:eek:
2- One day I was at a gas station and the Nova was back firing from the carb.When it got really cold I would have to pour gas into the carb to allow it to start.O like you have'nt done this before.Well that day I had poured a tad to much in the carb and didn't notice I spilled it on the front of my clothes.When my passenger started it up a HUGE flame shot out and up I went,I was offically on FIRE,The gas attendent had to shut of all the tanks and then he put my out with a exstisher.Need less to say I had no eyebrows,burnt clothes,burnt shoe's and I looked like a snow man:lmao: What really sucked about that day, I was on my way to a wedding.I never did make it there.Remember kids "Only you can prevent Carberator fires":lmao:
3- Have you ever forgotten to put the snap ring back into you rear U-joint seals and then go racing,Well I have.It was not pretty,drive shaft comes off and the sparks start to fly.They told me it was cool looking from the back.:lmao: It was'nt cool when I had to buy another custom drive shaft.:bash:

I sure miss that Nova.:lmao: :lmao:
 
About 15 yrs ago I was setting up a 60 ton crane on a construction site.I was on a slight hill with a parking lot below.While I was outside the crane doing my safety blocking the parking brake released without warning.
six cars and a garage we're totaled before the crane came to rest on an old Chevette.$325 damage to the crane and $123,000 in property damage.One of the cars was bought that am and had 12 miles on it.

Thats the good part of the story.The only person injured was the crane operator (thats me).What I learned that day is that a 200lb man in good physical condition can not stop an 80,000lb piece of iron with his body.It could have been worse only the crane and one car ran over me.

The first medic on the site looked at the mangled body and declared me toast.I found at that moment the most appropriate thing I should do mas to let out a soft but manly moan.

Broken feet ,legs,arms ,ribs total of 16 bones.Thats the most I have ever had at one time.

Accident happen on a fri. .Being self employed I had to go back to work on Mon.Accident was a factory defect.

Now to end this :i've always had more luck than brains.Am I bragging or complaining ? I'm complaining.
 
Backyard Mechanic said:
1- I was on my butt in 40 degree weather on very cold concret.I had me legs under the car like I was sitting down,legs straight out and sitting there bent over under the car,the jack slipped,no I didn't have any jack stands under it:ack2:
2- When it got really cold I would have to pour gas into the carb to allow it to start.Well that day I had poured a tad to much in the carb and didn't notice I spilled it on the front of my clothes.When my passenger started it up a HUGE flame shot out and up I went,I was offically on FIRE
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:lmao: :lmao: :rofl1: :lmao: :lmao: :hehehe:
 
1 - It was Indian Summer in Western NY. That is the break in the weather that makes you think Winter is over, when it really isn't. Myself and 3 friends took my '70 Dodge Challenger for a ride. M50x14 on the back and Moroso Drag Specials on the front. We were having a ball. It was getting late. It was getting COLD and it started to SNOW:yesnod: . We started to head for home on the expressway at about 65 to 70 mph. As we crossed the 1st of a series of bridges (remember those signs that say "Bridge Freezes Before Road Surface"?) we went into a spin and ended up sliding backwards at around 50 to 60 mph and crossed the next bridge about 6" from the concrete wall. :eek:
When the car came to a stop you could hear a pin drop. Then there was sudden laughter and cheering and a suggestion of "Let's Do It Again!" :dancer01:

2 - Same '70 Dodge Challenger. Had just bought it and was having a great time going through tires like they grew on trees. Had people betting that I could lay rubber from here to there and so on. I took on all the challenges. I felt like the power brake king. :peelout 1: Needless to say my antics end up blowing the pinion gear through the rear end housing. I had it towed to the dealership where I had bought it and claimed that I had no idea what could have caused it. I know they didn't believe me, but they replaced it and told me there was no longer any warranty on the drive train. Imagine that :shrug01:
 
I was riding GSXR Suzuki and I took a corner to fast. Ended going off the road Hit a huge boulder and I flew up in the air My head was down by my headlight, my right leg was over my tank I was vertical with the left leg. When the bike came down It threw me in my seat and continued to ride without incident, except for my pants.:eek: ;)
 
About 10 years ago I was changing the fuel filter on my old '96 T/A. As I'm cutting the damaged end off the fuel line prior to putting it on the new filter, the cutter I was using hit the frame rail and caused a spark which instantly ignited my hands, which were covered in gas, as well as the bucket under the car to catch spilled fluid. I rolled out from under the car and began frantically smothering my hands to put out the flames. Meanwhile, the fire under the car is getting bigger, having started to feed on gas dripping from the fuel line. This is taking place in my garage so I'm thinking "get the car out of the garage so the house doesn't go up too". I reach inside the car and turn on the key to put the shift lever in neutral, completely forgetting that when you turn on the key, it primes the fuel pump. Guess what this does to the fire under the car? I shift into neutral and push the car backwards out of the garage, stepping over the flaming puddle of gas on the floor. The bottom of the car is now pretty well engulfed in flames and spreading fast, but at least the car is in the open now. I had just moved into the house 5 days before and didn't have so much as a garden hose to fight the fire with. I didn't even have a full bladder so I could pee on the flames. After calling 911, there was little I could do but stand there and watch my car be consumed by fire in my driveway. I'd have to check to be sure but this episode might qualify for the Darwin awards.:banghead: :banghead:
 
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