[Krister]

We all have done dumb things around cars. Here’s one of mine to start with:
It’s 1981, I’m 16 years old working at a Goodyear Tire Center and checking a car that came in with an oil leak. Thinking I might see more oil leaking with it running, I start it and raise it on the lift. 'Oh look an oil drip from the bell housing inspection hole'. Stick finger inside to feel for oil and it hits the spinning flywheel. Quickly pull finger out, whew - finger tip is still there. Quickly made note to file, ‘never do that again’.:noway:

 

[DOUG G]

Who hasn't done the timing light in the fan deal

 

[wills65]

The first time I did brakes on one of my cars. I did them in the garage with the car backed in. Finished the brakes and was so proud of myself, so I diceded to take it for a ride around the block. Forgot to do one little thing. PUMP THE BRAKES!!! I pulled out onto my street, gave it a little gas and started to get to the end of my street a little quick. I hit the brake pedal and you guessed it...I freaked out. Not brakes. I stopped ok and didnt hit anything or anyone, but you can bet I never did brakes again without remembering to pump the pedal. Thats just one of my stupid car stories

 

[mmurphy77]

When I was 16 I bought our '71 El Camino off my Dad. I saved up enough money to put headers on it. Holding the right side header up to get some of the bolts started, I couldn't reach the other bolts I needed. So I let the loose header "hang" there and when I let it go, it swung over and hit the starter solenoid and blew the top off the battery covering me and everything else in battery acid! Now I know why the FIRST step in every repair manual is to disconnect the battery. I had to wait another week to afford a battery!

 

[jpete]

Holy Christmas where do I start?!?!? I'm lucky to be here about a million times over!

The first time I used a pneumatic nailer was when I was helping to roof a house. No kid mind you, I was in my mid twenties.

I grabbed it, pointed it at myself, depressed the shoe(?) and pulled the trigger!!!! Luckily, the owner didn't leave nails in the gun so instead of a roofing nail, all I got was a blast of compressed air between the eyes and a reminder why you shouldn't go out of your way to defeat safety devices.

I'm a walking, talking Darwin Award runner up! I only missed it because the other guy managed to ACTUALLY kill himself!

 

[Dave]

I'm a walking, talking Darwin Award runner up! I only missed it because the other guy managed to ACTUALLY kill himself!

That's funny, but I thought that was Me.

 

[Jim Mac]

I decided to put the AC back into my camaro. I had a old condenser from some import car. I also grabbed parts off a impala I parted. I couldnt get the hoses to hook up to the condensor, So being the great engineer that I thought I was, I just cut the metric ends off and clamp the ac hoses to the thing. Of course Ive never heard of evacuating the system. BUT I did hear when the system is full the accumulator will stop bubbling. I also dont know how much of this .99 freon it will take. so I grab about 10 cans and start filling it up. The compressor starts lugging. (whoops, whats a hi/lo pressure switch?), I just rev the motor and about the time the 6th or 7th can is stuck on the hose. (with my head under the hood) POW! the hose blows off the condenser! jim

 

[OrrieG]

I once dropped a screw driver into running fan. Got to pull the radiator and get it fixed.

 

[BlueSS454]

I forgot to drain the coolant out of the Charger when I pulled the heads off last week. That made a mess...most of it ended up in the oil pan.

I pulled the driveshaft out of the 70 while it was sitting in the trailer. It rolled backwards 6 inches. Glad the parking brake was on.

 

[Dcairns560]

When I was in high school I had a 77 Cutlass with a 350 Olds with headers. The engine had developed a miss that I was trying to diagnose. I had read somewhere that the exhaust port of the non firing cylinder would be "cold" compared to the other exhaust ports... so I stuck my FINGER on the header tube of cylinder number one! After yelling "DAMN thats hot!" I decided I needed to find a different way of diagnosing the miss!

 

[esponet]

when i was at sears point raceway (thats what it was called back then), i was unloading the car off the trailer. when i got to the last strap, i unlocked it. since i was parked on a hill, the car started rolling backwards, oopps did i forget to put the safety chain before i left the house? you should see how quick i jumped over the trailer and got behind the car to stop it. luckylly it was a honda so it wasn't so heavy.

 

[Mstehle]

About a thousand years ago, when I was 19 or 20 I had a Ford LTD that I bought from my mom. I wanted to change the oil so up on the ramps she went. I drained the oil, and changed the filter. Put the oil plug back in the got in the car and started it up and backed it dowm off the ramps knowing that I had not put oil in it yet. Now I only ran the car for a few seconds but my older brother, the aerospace engineer (how's that for a little family pressure?) reminded me that even though I only ran the car for 30 seconds or so, doing so without oil was probably not the smartest thing anyone ever did. Yeah, he was right, I just wasn't thinking.

I was remembering this just last night as I was changing the oil in the Camaro. I think I got embarrased about it all over again

 

[70_Malibu]

Never grab the top of a distributor with a high output coil hooked up to it and adjust the timing with the car running. No matter how insulated you think your spark plug wires are.

ZZZPOW!! I ricocheted off the underside of my hood and found myself on my back in front of the car with my whole arm tingling. That was fun...

 

[blue55]

Too many years ago I decided to rebuild the front end my '55. I had no idea of the tention coil springs were under. Only lost a thumb nail in that episode. Oh yeh, found out that if you open a hot radiator cap real fast rusty water will reach the underside of a gas station canopy! You guys got me thinking of real stupid things I've done. Stop it!!

 

[FlameOut]

When I was about 17, I was having trouble getting the harmonic balancer back on my engine (69 Chevelle SS) so used a hammer. It went on, but when I fired up the engine, the balancer exploded into pieces, actually taking a chunk out of the frame. Luckily it didn't it anyone. I don't use hammers anymore to install them

 

[Rich64SS]

I have 2. First, I'm 17 at the time and had just installed a new 350 in my first car, a 70 LeMans Sport. Couldn't get it to fire. Had a buddy who was a mechanic come over to help. Reinstalling the distributor, he asks "is the key off". "yup". Of course, it wasn't. He installs the coil wire to the distributor and loses an eyebrow. Boy, was he pissed.
Second, I had just replaced the center link on my first '64 Impala SS. Late for work, so I go to check the power steering fluid level with the car running. Fan completely ripped the fingernail off my index finger. Man, did that ever hurt.

 

[bdss396]

When I was a kid I had a problem with getting the oil filter on to tight. Seems I did it on a fairly regular basis. Just glad my mom never heard the cussing going on as I had to drive a screw driver through them to get them off! I would've had some real problems then.

 

[SSx3]

I was born into the wrenching game. My first Oops! came when I was pretty young maybe around 12. At the time we had a big family and back then my Dad always had a fast car around to keep up in the family rivalry. Ya'll know how that works, big brother get fast CJ Ford, youngest brother gets faster Hemi GTX, middle brother gets faster Chevelle SS, then cousins come in with associated attempts lol. Anyway I just changed the oil and filter in our 67 SS and we had gotten halfway into town when white clouds of smoke started pouring out the back. That was my first gut check. I was in a hurry and forgot to remove the rubber ring from around the filter boss, it had stuck up there when the old filter came off. Evidently double stacked those rubber oil rings leak 40psi streams of hot oil. Lol. Luckly we made it to my "Ford" uncles place, who much to my dads chagrin got a fresh dose of grief for my him at my expense. After they fixed it, my dad was cool about it. He just messed my hair up gave me a wink and asked "... Lesson learned?" To this day I triple check just to make sure that piece of rubber is where its supposed to be. Lesson learned

 

[rbwjr325]

I got you all beat...14 years old and my go cart just would not burn em.It was home made and belt driven.Kinda had a clutch.Im thinking that if the belt isnt tight enough I should be able to grab it and stop it,,,NOT.I grabed it and in a second my index fingertip was gone.Down to the first knuckle.......OK, are you done laughing? Kaiser hosp. in Paramount sewed it back on and it almost looks normal....Yeah thats the dumbest thing,wait..no,yeah,well...I did hit a tree at a mental hospital once but that was in a 64 Rambler,and there was that Amish buggy thing...

 

[RedSS454]

Ok you guy's are the best,Great reading on a slow afternoon.
here is mine, 10 years old trying to change a toilet seat for my mom.
the bolts would not budge, so I got the BFH and a chisel.
well the next sound I herd was water and my mom running all over the place.The plumber felt bad for me and mom and only charged 1/2 price.

I am now 19 and a mechanic test driving a customers 69 GTO 4 speed.
I pull out in such a rush i forgot to latch the hood.
well to my suprise i wounded it up to 6 k and hit second to have that hood flying in my face. Not a happy customer or my boss.
Now I am and old guy and teaching my son as we build our chevelle.
1 day he is in the garage with a friend,all of a suden his friend comes screaming for me the car is on fire. well we get there and my son has the fire extinguisher foam all over the engine.
while taking a valve cover off he got it lodged between the back of the alternator hot leed . smoked the wires and he now knows to disconect the battery.