Circa 1989
I had just got done swapping a 340 into my 68 Dart, the car was parked on the gravel lot next to the house. I thought I was all done, jumped in the car hit the key,- neer, neer, neer, neer, neer, neer, (Chrysler starter sound), pump pump pump pump,(you know, give it some more gas)-neer, neer, neer, neer, neer, neer, pump pump pump,neer, neer, neer, Pump pump pumpneer, neer, neer,
Well, maybe time to check something. Start digging around under the hood and see that I forgot the coil wire. Hopped back in the car, (now realize, this is Florida so we’re talking flip-flops and shorts, and only one leg in the car.
Hit the key, neer-BOOM!!!!!
WTF! My ears were ringing like some cartoon gong, I couldn’t hear nothing. I jump out of the car, and look around and neighbors are coming out of their houses all over the place.
My foot, ankle, and calf felt like it was on fire, it was all red. I don’t know if it was a flame front, or sand blasting, but it hurt like hell. I gathered my wits enough and looked under the car and both my mufflers looked like Wile E Coyote after accidentally dynamiting himself. Bits of shrapnel hanging on the end of the pipe-blown open like some crazy shredded megaphone.
Exhaust system had been nothing more than mufflers hanging right on the collectors and suspended on the backside by some coat hanger to the seat bolts, you know, right next to where your foot would be dangling out of the door.
