Well that was dumb...

Another one, probably 50 years ago. Old plymouth with a flat head six, customer car. Wouldn't start when cold outside. Remove the air cleaner, and give it a shot of either. No good. OK, this will work, get the oxy/acy torches, put the torch down the carb, and turn the acy on, crank engine, nope. OK you SOB, your gonna start. Turn on the oxy with the acy, crank engine, BOOM. These engines had the dipstick on the oil fill cap in a big tube on the side of the engine. Blew the cap/stick over my shoulder, and about 100 feet away. The cap missed me, but the 2-3 qts of oil that followed it, didn't.
PS: It did start, and the owner never had a problem starting, after that.