How Could I Be So Stupid/Careless?

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Not my mistake, but my buddies. He had a 70 Challenger with a 440, and he was always working on it. His parents house was up on top of a hill with a pretty steep driveway. He had his car up on ramps up by the garage and was working on it. It rolled off the ramps and down the hill where his dads camper was, one of those campers you put in the bed of your truck, so it was up on pipes that held it up so he could back under it with his truck. You guessed it, the car slammed into the camper, knocked it off the pipes and crushed the roof of his car. Needless to say, he was bummed to the max, and never did get the car fixed right.
 
Everything and anything has happened if you can dream it it's happened probably twice
 
cosgig said:
Not my mistake, but my buddies. He had a 70 Challenger with a 440, and he was always working on it. His parents house was up on top of a hill with a pretty steep driveway. He had his car up on ramps up by the garage and was working on it. It rolled off the ramps and down the hill where his dads camper was, one of those campers you put in the bed of your truck, so it was up on pipes that held it up so he could back under it with his truck. You guessed it, the car slammed into the camper, knocked it off the pipes and crushed the roof of his car. Needless to say, he was bummed to the max, and never did get the car fixed right.
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Kid I knew growing up used to play in his dad's Dodge truck sitting atop their steep driveway. One day he shifted it into neutral and took off the parking brake. It rolled down the hill and into the house across the street. That kid wasn't the brightest bulb
 
dibbons said:
I began taking High School Auto Shop as a junior in 1972. Circa 1995, I was re-building a small carburetor belonging to a 1984-84 Dodge Caravan 2.2 liter four-cylinder for a customer of my then mobile auto repair. Every one knows to be very careful about insuring nothing falls inside the intake manifold when removing/replacing/storing the carburetor.

Well, after the rebuild when I went to install the carb, I only found three carb attaching nuts. This really befuddled me because of the caution I always employed when during such repairs. I don't remember if I looked inside the intake manifold for the fastener or not. I must have found or purchased a fourth nut in order to re-install the carb.

Later, I was driving the same vehicle over to get a smog check (California) and the little four-cylinder began to miss and loose power so I aborted the smog appointment and drove back. Lo and behold, I found a cylinder chamber all chewed up (along with the spark plug) where the nut had entered the combustion chamber. Unforgivable error on my part, but at the same time still unbelievable it could occure with someone so careful as myself. I had to rebuild the cylinder head.

If you like, be sure to include below any mishaps you have experienced (your own fault) that should have/could have been avoided. Thank you.

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I did something very similar involving an air cleaner wing nut when I was......17 I think. It was my sister's 76 Chevy Monza 2+2 hatchback with the smallest ever 262 (4.3L) V8. Since it was my fault, Daddy made me fix it out of my own pocket.......so it got what I wanted to put in it. A 1971 low mileage small block 400. That car would obliterate the rear tires at will for as long as you held your foot in it. It also introduced me to how quick Monzas could be. I had four myself after that. lol
 
This happened to me quite a bit in the 70s.


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Talk about getting distracted. A friend called me up a couple of days ago. He installed a new 440/727 engine and trans into into his car, and tried to fire the engine. The engine would not turn over although the starter would spin. Three different starters same thing. I went up to take a look. During the build/install he had gotten interrupted and forgot to install the converter to flexplate bolts. Starter would engage the ring gear, converter would spin, but not the engine.
I had a similar issue one time. Had the converter bolts installed finger tight, and got interrupted before putting Loctite on them and torquing them. After the second pass at the track, thought I had a rod knock.
 
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Charrlie_S said:
Talk about getting distracted. A friend called me up a couple of days ago. He installed a new 440/727 engine and trans into into his car, and tried to fire the engine. The engine would not over although the started would spin. Three different starters same thing. I went up to take a look. During the build/install he had gotten interrupted and forgot to install the converter to flexplate bolts. Started would engage the ring gear, converter would spin, but not the engine.
I had a similar issue one time. Had the converter bolts installed finger tight, and got interrupted before putting Loctite on them and torquing them. After the second pass at the track, though I had a rod knock.
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At least the transmission was gettin lubed. A little. lol
 
RustyRatRod said:
I did something very similar involving an air cleaner wing nut when I was......17 I think. It was my sister's 76 Chevy Monza 2+2 hatchback with the smallest ever 262 (4.3L) V8. Since it was my fault, Daddy made me fix it out of my own pocket.......so it got what I wanted to put in it. A 1971 low mileage small block 400. That car would obliterate the rear tires at will for as long as you held your foot in it. It also introduced me to how quick Monzas could be. I had four myself after that. lol
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I will never forget the first clutch job I did on a Monza with the 262, it sucked so bad that was the last Monza I ever worked on! That had to be around 1979...
 
HemiSSDart said:
I will never forget the first clutch job I did on a Monza with the 262, it sucked so bad that was the last Monza I ever worked on! That had to be around 1979...
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Do one in a C3 vette, factory 4-speed cars had no removable cross member to drop the trans.
 
HemiSSDart said:
I will never forget the first clutch job I did on a Monza with the 262, it sucked so bad that was the last Monza I ever worked on! That had to be around 1979...
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They are TIGHT with the factory Y pipe and everything stock in place. They are one of the FEW cars that putting headers on actually HELPS.
 
cosgig said:
Not my mistake, but my buddies. He had a 70 Challenger with a 440, and he was always working on it. His parents house was up on top of a hill with a pretty steep driveway. He had his car up on ramps up by the garage and was working on it. It rolled off the ramps and down the hill where his dads camper was, one of those campers you put in the bed of your truck, so it was up on pipes that held it up so he could back under it with his truck. You guessed it, the car slammed into the camper, knocked it off the pipes and crushed the roof of his car. Needless to say, he was bummed to the max, and never did get the car fixed right.
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I did something similar once. Just got back from camping with my Colman pop up. unhooked it in my pitched driveway with my Van in front of it about 30 foot away. I got inside of the camper without dropping the legs and the camper rose up off the front wheel and I went for a ride into the side of my van. Hope someone learns from our mistakes. LOL
 
I found out that my convertible top will self open at 40 mph if it isnt latched. No damage but needed new underwear.

I also decided to put the thrust bearing in the front instead of the middle where it belongs. I was able to add another thrust bearing in the middle without pulling the engine.
 
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