Hot Rods your scary situation in a hot rod

What was the most scary situation you have been in a hot rod with no injuries ? I was I about 17, In about 1960 we had just put a early Chrysler hemi in a 1950 Ford . We are about 1/4 mile from Pomona drag strip. Down white avenue we went. That is on the east side of the Pomona Fairgrounds. They were digging the walkway underpass under White Avenue. If you have ever been there you know where I mean. One half was dug and open with a berm. Congestion and we had no brakes. So up the Berm with the front end was hanging over the hole 20 feet down. First and last drive for that car. Nobody hurt but the cops didn't like our "Jalopy".

 

Back in 1963, I had a nice Buick powered 47 Chev coupe, the first rod I had that was complete including the paint. I was driving home from University on a wet day, and the road had a 90 degree sweeping turn. After passing the apex of the RH corner, a large dog ran out in front of the car. I had no choice but to kill the dog or attempt to turn further to the right to miss the dog. I turned it to the right, and missed the dog, but now the car was in a 4 wheel drift. I have the philosophy of driving as far into the crash as possible, so I continued to do what I had to do to keep control of the car. I ended up driving off the road, across some grass and finally was able to straighten it out on the sidewalk. The sidewalk had a steep dropoff on the right side and there was a telephone pole on the left. I attempted to miss the pole, but I didn't have quite enough room. I nailed the pole just hard enough to wipe out the left fender and the grille, but fortunately didn't damage the frame.
I didn't have a place or the time to work on the car, so for the first time in my life, I took it to a body shop. The owner of the shop really liked the car, and did a beautiful job of the body work. He found a bumper, fender, and frenched in the headlight to match the other side, all with lead.
I walked and took the bus for over a month, but resulting job on the car was well worth the sacrifice.
In 59 years of driving, I have hit other animals on the road, and knowing how I felt, I have no regret about making the decision to avoid the dog.
Bob

 

This just happened to me about a month ago. I had just did a disc conversion on my 41. It was working fine, but I noticed an infrequent and inconsistent loss in pedal pressure when on a slight incline. So it drives good, except when pulling out of my garage occasionally. I went to get food and parked my car. I had good pressure when it was parked and when I pulled out of my parking spot. Then I started to exit the driveway and lost all pressure. I was already coasting and my e-brake is not hooked up. So I had to drive it along the sidewalk a little and off the curb and parked it on the road. The pedals came back once it got on the road. Lucky for me there was no traffic at that moment, it was a red light at the intersection. My car has been parked ever since. Trying to figure it out right now.
Another thing that happened to me about 20 years ago was in a non-hamb car. It was a 71 Datsun 510. I had 215 wide tires on it that helped it grip the road good. I was heading to my dad's place at night and it was raining like there was no tomorrow. There is a section on the freeway that goes under a street, so there is a low spot in the freeway. I hit this spot that had filled with water and hydroplaned a bit. Lucky for me again I didn't panic and let off the gas. I got control of the car and continued on my way. What also didn't help was that my headlights were not that bright and I couldn't see diddly.

 

We were in my old flathead powered 32 Mordor at Goodguys in Charlotte,N.C. and headed back to the motel after a evening of festivities
it was about 11:30 PM and traffic was insane,we were running about 65 to 70 and all of a sudden the lights went out and I feared we would be run over,I got off on the shoulder and started trying to figure out what went wrong,

I replaced a fuse and made it to the exit and when I hit the bright lights i blew another fuse,I went through 5 fuses before getting back to the motel,I tracked it down to a bad headlight switch.

In all the years I've had hot rods I've had a few scary close causes but nothing major.

I've been extremely fortunate. HRP

 

I guess the scariest thing lately was one day I was driving my brother's '29 roadster pickup back from Snelling, (car was built by me and brother in my shop in Campbell, 1982. R-P/U was stripped, frame boxed, 9" rear moved forward 8", 30" aluminum bed, 472" LS6, M21 Muncie. We built it for the Old Time drags, Fremont/ Baylands)
Car was a legal 'Street Roadster'. 11.50, potentially quicker...Lil' bro wanted to play 'Bully' on the street, so ended its drag career early.
I had care of the roadster for a year and a half after we moved here, we have some room...
Anyway, on way home from Snelling, 25 miles from here.

Cruising on the 2 lane road, 75 or so, saw a 4" branch in the road, too late to avoid it, slowed a little, let off brakes, gritted as I ran over it with the right tire. (Front Tire.) The log came up over the right side of the engine, WHAP! Hit the windshield, (I ducked) then it brushed my arm and bounced off the seat (bench seat, cool flat 4" rolls...) then it's down on the floor, passenger side...and it's moving...and I know why...I've got the binders locked, 4 wheel skiddo, "Screeeeech!" Still rolling 10, 15 or so, I got the door open, about to bail out...Now, it's coiling...It's a Western diamondback rattler, about 3 feet long, and fat...
I'm taking the big step, but the slick scrapes my pantleg, trips me, I scrape flat, eating road...Now I'm free...
Up on two feet, chasing that blasted roadster...Grab hold of the rear door jamb, watching that damned snake...he's movin', seems like minutes, but it's been seconds, happened fast...
But the snake's still ridin shotgun!
Car's stopped now, engine's idling, no traffic down this way...I walk across the road, find a REAL STICK this time, long one...
Walk around the car, ease the stick under him, (heavy bastard!) and just try (4 or 5 times) to balance him enough to bring him out the drivers side...half carrying, mostly 'coaxing'...He wasn't hissing, but did a little rattle, finally most of him was on the ground...He was bigger than he looked in the car, maybe 4 feet...He didn't want to be friends any more than I did, just slithered away...not FAST, mind you...not fast enough!
THEN I got the 'shakes'...
Roadster had a 2,000 lb. Bear clutch in it, my foot was d-d-d-d-doin' the ankle shake all the way thru the gears... I knew why they used to have fender laws, but now I know it a little better.

 

Last summer I took my roadster out for a run and stopped by a friend’s house for show it off.
When I left his driveway I let her rip.
About 200ft in to a good burnout the steering wheel came off in my hands.
I locked it up and skidded in to the ditch stopping just before hitting the culvert.
No damage to the car or me.
I borrowed a wrench from my friend and put the steering wheel back on to drive the 5 miles home where I applied a generous helping of thread locker to the steering wheel bolt.


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I’m shaking just reading this one


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I ran over a big Texas diamond back on my dirt bike while driving off road down near Laredo TX. The sucker was right across the trail, and can't have been too happy when those big knobby treads did a number on his back.
My riding buddy was just far enough behind to exit the trail and take his chances with the cactus and the mesquite trees in an attempt to avoid getting bit. He ended up crashing into an 8 ft mesquite bush, and I had to extract him while laughing my ass off. It was a good thing he was wearing a new flying suit and jacket and a full face helmet, or he would have been torn to shreds.
Getting cosy with a venomous snake is not something one soon forgets.
Bob

 

Back in '59, I had a channeled '30 'A' Coupe we built for my friend; he saw my roadster, and had to have a hot rod.
He bought a stock 'A' Coupe, we channeled it 4", grafted a '38 Ford 'X' member in, stock 'A' wishbone, Dago axle, hydraulic brakes ('40 Ford, along with the 16" steel wheels) '37 221, I dual carbed it, Weber cam, shaved heads. Belond headers, fast for what it had. Painted it shiny black.
I bought the car, (roadster wasn't running yet) made a new friend with a chopped '32 Five window, hiboy, flathead, black primer. We would cruise San Jose, usually in second gear, like we were racing...His name was 'Wimpy'...(looked just like Seinfield when Sein was younger...)
I showed Wimpy my favorite corner to hang, a cop was chasing us and I said, "Watch this!" Stabbed the throttle, about 60 (second gear) turned left, into the first curb...Wimpy hung on...The 'A' drifted about 25 feet, and thru the corner as slick as you please. The cop went straight, '59 Ford Blue-and-white. I told Wimpy I had been hanging that corner for weeks, now 'found a groove'. The corner was at the Alameda and Newhall, the turn was around the Carnation Creamery.
Wimpy was nervous...but wanted to learn that move.
So, he and I go thru it in his Deuce. (Deuce was 'loose', steering was sloppy, engine not 'peppy', so we worked on his car. Improved it.
He practiced that turn almost daily, (traffic permitting) Got pretty good.

So, one night we're downtown, both cars, and 'grandstanding'...after a couple times around the 'main', (1st and 2nd Sts) we headed down the Alameda, side by side, 2nd gear, changing a lane to pass someone, then right back side-by-side...Cop behind us, puts on the heatlamps, siren...Wimpy's on my right side, I signal to turn...a block up is Newhall, Wimpy comes alongside close, wheels are 'locked in'...he's in second place, we drift thru the turn like always, the cop's on his brakes...Just like a ballet, you could hear the music...Then "Ka-BOOM!" Wimpy climbed my right tire, I look and see his floorboard, pipes, the whole underside! I stab the throttle and steer left, get out from under...he crashes back down, tears a bunch of grass out of the parkway, and is right behind me!
Zooooom! Up Newhall, he goes left on Park, I run the stop and go straight...we meet up at his house, some minutes later...Wimpy says he doesn't want to do that again...
We get in his Dad's '55 Chevy and cruise past the 'scene'...The cop's still there, he drove into the car lot on the other side of the turn. Not to shop...we went back to Wimpy's.

 

I live out in the country. When I first got my Model A pickup running I decided to take it for its first test drive with no front shocks on it. I pulled out onto the highway and got it up to speed. Shortly thereafter the I-beam front end started bouncing violently up and down, one side up, the other side down, over and over again. I was all over the place trying to keep it straight and on the road while I slowed it down. Thank God it was a 4 lane highway with nobody next to me because I used the whole thing.
LESSON: NEVER RUN WITHOUT SHOCKS.

 

Poorly constructed petals. Gas and brakes.
They were to close and so small, the break felt like it needed a good 40 pound of pressure to hold the car down.
I go into an intersection where I was to turn left so I had to yield to oncoming traffic and wait for an opening. As I went to slow down to yield, my foot sliped or hit the gas as I was wanting to hit the breaks. Normally the gas petal sits little lower than the brakes. Not in this case. Well I romped on the gas and VROOMMMMM the the car went and me too heading towards a plastic car. The engine was so load the oncoming car stoped and swerved. I swerved to. I QUICKLY mashed on the brakes. It all happened in about 2 seconds. It's hard to correct yourself with stiff stearing and no power brakes. Size 11 1/2 shoe don't help either. I think my ass chewed a hole in my boxers. Man that could a been a bad one.

 

One more but it ain't me, just a funny one from my youth.
I had a friend come over my house as he left he told me his brakes were squeeky, he asked if i had any wd-40. I told him yeah. He spayed the crap out all four rims shooting into his brakes. He left my house and I was watching him drive away for some reason. As he reached the stop sign a good 6 houses away. He applied his brakes ( I could tell because of his brake lights) and he didn't stop he slid onto traffic causing a couple cars to swerve crazy. I'll never forget that dumb ass just sliding past the stop sign.

 

Damn! My legs would have been shaking too, along with a log in my britches and wet pants legs!

 

Mine was in my O/T 74 vw bug, battery died and could not understand why there was this card board box thing on top of the battery, so in the trash it went, out cruising and my fat buddy Brian was in the back seat, kept saying how the seat bottom was hot, kept rubbing him it was because he was fat!!

Well that “ cardboard box” was there to keep the battery from arching on the seat springs and all of a sudden the horse hair caught fire and started smoking something bad flames coming out and all

Pulled into a grocery store parking lot lucky an employee came out with a fire extinguisher got the seat out and the flames doused with no other damage then a toasted battery and seat bottom

Car smelled like dirty ass after that !!

 

not a HAMB hotrod but when I was in grade school a mother of a friend of mine killed herself driving too fast and going of a ledge. fast forward to when I was 19 and a little smoked and had a hot 72 firebird. Came over the top of the hill at 80 in a 40 in hit sand in the road. Sideways left, sideways right, 360 and against the guard rails facing the wrong way on the road in the exact spot she went over. Went to church since then......

 

Wow! Atwater Mike. Did that really happen with you and Wimpy? You're stories are better than Henry Gregor Felsen! I'm impressed! Love your description of your rod.
Mark

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My first experience with "death wobble".

 

I remember the time that ended my reckless driving. My "hot rod" 72 Vette, I was driving 130 on a four lane divided highway. It seemed pretty safe at the time because there wasn't much traffic and the ones that were there were all in the right lane. So I am boogieing down the road and as I am coming over a little hill that I am very familiar with, there is this car crossing the highway right in front of me. Never saw anyone turn there before so I never expected to see that. I hit the brakes hard and I just barely clear his rearend by maybe 2 feet and I was still probably doing about 70. I go on home, still a little nervous and realize I nearly bought the farm. I decided I am too old to be stupid and quit driving like that.

 

1968 and I'm driving my big block model A sedan with a swap meet steering wheel and adapter. I'm at an intersection waiting to make a left turn. traffic clears and I hammer the throttle and half way through the turn the adapter breaks completely off. The car straightens out and drives right into a gas station parking lot. I got out of the car trying to act like that was my plan.

 

It was a little scary for us at the time, but nothing like sharing seating space with a rattlesnake.

My buddies and I built our first dirt track race car when we were just out of high school. For the 1st 1/2 of the season, we were towing to the track using a tow bar. One night, as we were leaving the track, a policeman friend advised us it would not be good for us to use the tow bar to get to and from the track the next week.
One of the guys had a connection where we could borrow a trailer. It wasn't much of a trailer, just old gas station ramps with axles welded under it. We wired up the lights, and we were ready for the races. Mind you none of us had any idea how to keep the car on the trailer. We discovered before we left the driveway that just putting the race car in gear wouldn't work. We somehow managed to get a log chain around the rear axle and something on the trailer, then we added a come-a-long on the front for extra safety. Off to the track we headed. We were pretty happy with the arrangement until we encountered our 1st red traffic light. The tow car stopped OK, and the trailer stopped OK, but the race car moved forward right off the front of the trailer, over the tong, and came to a rest with the race car's front wheels wedged tightly between the front of the trailer and the tow car's rear bumper. It took us about an hour, but we finally was able to get the race car back on the trailer, rearrange the tie down method, and get to the track. That was however the last time my buddy would use his car to tow the race car and trailer.
About a month later, same race car and the same trailer, this time we were towing with an old light duty pickup (early 60s 1/2 ton in about 1975). The races were over for the evening, and we were heading home. Just after the races were over, it started drizzling. At the same traffic light as the 1st experience, when we tried to stop for the red light, the trailer with the race car on it pushed the truck right through the red light. It didn't even slow down! Fortunately there were no other cars around. We drove the rest of the way home much slower and made it OK. Gene

 

in High School had a nice '55 Chevy - lived in So Cal - buddy and I were heading home late one night after hanging out in Newport Beach. Got off the Freeway, waiting at a red light at bottom of offramp - third in line with no one behind us - a little bit of fog - all of a sudden see a set of headlights coming at us from behind - did not have time to alert my friend - it all happened so quick - the car plows into us and pushes the once nice Chevy into car in front of us - turns out that it was a older drunk gal that never saw us - we were very lucky that the impact broke the bolts that hold the seat down that sent us toward the rear seat instead of the dashboard and windshield -car totaled - bought it back from insurance company & used as much as possible to build a '57 Chevy

 

When I was 17 I bought a 69 Buick. My buddy and I were both dating girls from a small town about 30 miles away. We would take turns driving to the small town, and this night was my turn. We were both still living in our parents home, at his home curfew was a suggested time to be home, but at my house, we were expected to be home by curfew, or my sister and I would be in trouble.

On this particular evening, we were running a bit late for me to be home by 12 midnight (curfew for me). It was about 11:45 when we left the town, 30 miles from home. My theory was I could double up the speed, and make it home in 1/2 the time, I could drop off my buddy and maybe sneak in around 12:15. It was night, I knew all the roads well, and they were back roads, so there probably wouldn't be any cops. What could go wrong?

The Buick topped out at about 110 mph. We were only about 10 miles from home, it was still before midnight, and my buddy was sleeping in the passenger side seat. The car hit one of those bumps in the road that sort of bounce the car, at 110, it bounced pretty good. When it bounced, my headlights flashed on something in the middle of the road ahead of us, but I couldn't make out what it was, and only saw it when the car bounced. For some reason, I locked up the brakes. My buddy fell off the seat, and asked what the hell we were stopping for. I told him I wasn't sure. As the tires were screaming as they tried to slow down the Buick, it became pretty obvious to both of us that something big was on the road ahead of us and we were approaching it very fast. Neither of us could tell what it was yet though.

It seemed like hours (but I knew it was just seconds) as the car slowly reduced speed, and the object was growing ever closer and bigger. At some point, we were able to determine whatever it was, was moving the same direction was we were, only much slower. We were still at about 50 mph at the time.

Soon we were able to see the object in front of us was a farm tractor pulling an empty hay rack. He was motoring down this stretch of county road at midnight with no lights on at all. We finally got slowed down to the speed he was moving about 10 feet behind the trailer. The trailer had one of those reflective red triangle warning signs on the back of it. What I saw when my car bounced was probably my headlights reflecting off the red triangle!

I'd like to say I slowed down after the encounter with the tractor and hay rack, but that would be a lie. After we got around the guy, we had time we had to make up! I don't remember what time I actually did get home that night, but nothing was ever said about being late.

I blew up 3 motors in that Buick. I quit dating that girl in that small town, but I don't remember if I quit dating her before or after the 1st motor. I got rid of the Buick too. Gene

 

When I was about 17 I had a rusted out '59 Impala with a decent 327 and a PG. In a sweeping left turn I put the throttle to the floor. At about the same time the rear tires lit up and I started going sideways I slid across the vinyl bench seat and ended up against the passenger door as the car spun out of control with nobody at the wheel. Miraculously, nothing was hit and I just got back behind the wheel and continued driving.

 

It was early spring and I'd just barely gotten my 49 ford coupe on the street. No window glass in the doors and the bucket seats weren't yet bolted down. My buddy, Tom talked me into driving over to our local Ford dealer Saturday morning to attend their all-Ford show. They wouldnt' let us in because my car had a 350 chevy engine so I left, driving up L street in Omaha. Was a wide street with 2 lanes in each direction and a wide turn lane in the middle.
I built the 350 from my annual winter beater...a rusted 77 Camaro. Bored it to 355 with flat tops , little lumpy cam and I ported a pair of 186 heads and a 780 Holley...no big deal but that thing was so light it ran like stink! I put a shift-improver-kit in the 350 turbo and was running a maverick 8 inch with 3.00 gears and short 14 inch tires.
It had no business running like it did.
I pulled up to the light at 50th street and Tommy Tire just happened to put right up next to me. He was driving a black Porsche V/8 928 coupe and he looked over at me and grinned....the light turned green and Tom and I took off easy but I kept it in 1st gear. Tommy gave his car a little gas and I gave mine a little gas and it was ON! We both nailed it and mine began to drift around so I let off....the engine stayed at full throttle and the tires were rally beginning to spin....the car was fish tailing all over the place and I looked over at Tom but he wasn't there! His seat wasn't bolted down and he almost went into the trunk...he was pinned against the package tray bulkhead and I shifted into 2nd gear to keep the shiny new engine from over revving and it went sideways again......Tommy hammered the brakes on the Porsche and headed for the turn lane to miss me. My car was beginning to catch traction and we were rocketing toward the red light at 42nd....lots of cross traffic! At full throttle!
I'd installed the tilt column from the camaro in my coupe and I was praying the steering wouldn't' lock if I turned the key off....I turned it off and the engine died. The light at 42nd went green and we slid around the corner at about 65 MPH....all 4 tires howling.
Oh Man! Tom was frothing at the mouth he was so mad. Opened the hood to find the fast idle choke linkage had bound up, went over center and stuck. That was a close one.

 

Fall of 1966 I bought a cut down 54 Buick Brush buggy for cheaps to pull the engine out of and put it in my 50 Chevy hardtop. I got the Brush buggy running good, gave my little brothers and sister a ride around the yard and then decided to run the two miles over to my buddy's house to see if the hacked up Nash coupe body he had might fit on my chassis. About a mile from mom's house down Rocky Ford road is Rocky Ford Creek and at that time it was a rather rough dirt road with an old wood bridge over the creek. I had been running about 70 according to the speedometer but had slowed down considerably when I went over the bridge and the buggy bounced around and took on a life of it's own. A neighbor told me my tracks missed a cattle chute built out of cross ties by less than a foot before I went off the road and through a hundred feet of barb wire fence taking out the fence. The Fence took the radiator cap and neck off my radiator and in the process put a cut under the left side of my chin that took 12 stitches an one in my left leg that took ten stitches. Sold the buggy to the doctor who sewed me up while he was sewing me up for what I paid for it. He put a roll cage on it and ran around the hills around his mountain cabin with it.

 

I was coming back from the old GG Indy drags one summer in my roadster, and my buddy was a ways behind me pulling his 32 5W, which he had run there. We were on I-65 between Bowling Green and Nashville.
I'm running with traffic in the left lane, doing about 80, when this Peterbilt gets so close all I could see was the radiator. I pulled away and he stayed right on my ass. All of a sudden I'm boxed in, slow cars in front, Pete on my ass, and three cars in the right lane.
Then all hell breaks loose...BOOM!!!!......the car started shaking so violently, the steering wheel jerked out of my hands and both doors flew open! Peterbilt checks up in a cloud of smoke, and I hit the brakes but the pedal goes to the floor.
Car is still violently shaking, with doors open, and I'm still boxed. Can't hold the wheel, but the car doesn't head toward the median. Guy on the right finally sees what is happening, slams on brakes, and I manage to swerve across in front of him to the pull off lane and coast to a stop.
My 32 buddy pulls up behind me and I'm shaking so hard I couldn't talk. Finally I tell him that I must have blown the driveshaft or the QC. We walk around the car a couple of times and nothing.
Then I see it! The RF caliper had broken off from the mount, sheared the line, and lodged between the wheel and rotor. No wonder there was a vibration. We unloaded the 32, pinched off the brake line on the roadster, loaded it on the trailer, and he drove the 32 with race motor and 4.56 gear on to Nashville.
Thank you, Lord.

 

About 1967 , 58 chevy 348 3speed on the floor.. Had JUST gotten the car running and was going down alabama ave which was a long,straight dirt road that ran alongside my parents house. Just wound out second gear and went to third when I was passed by a wheel---turned out the lug nuts were kind of loose.Seemed to take forever but could only have been a few seconds before the front bumper and\or brake drum touched down.That car spun for what seemed like 5 minutes! For some reason it didnt quite roll.The bumper wasnt hurt much but the brake drum was! we put the wheel back on the car and drove it (slowly) home.

 

That story will be hard to top.

 

I wouldn't want to top it. I guess only dieing tops some of these close calls

 

OMG! Worse than a horror movie.

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