Older and Stupider or Just One of Those Days

oh ya, the worst part it was my wifes suburban ,maybe im starting to forget

 

Worst I did... Backing up a vintage motor home I had been working on (1966 Clarke.. can you say rare?) Some guy has parked in the spot I had selected before getting in the big beastie.. I can't see him. Crunch. Ended up doing a complete brake job and CV axle for him free to cover the body work costs PLUS free work on the motor home. Ugh.
(it was a cool motorhome though

 

Dad had a oil change pit (those old enough to remember those) in his garage- was changing the oil on his truck- got a phone call from a friend needing help- rushed the oil change and drove off to help his friend- drove home after dark and drove into the open pit- I've also done some bone head things myself- guess no one is above stupider-

Wife reading over my shoulder and says- "Tell them some of yours!" Nope, not today-

 

Working on my '56 in high school - they only started in neutral and I had rigged up a remote starter switch so I could start it while working under the hood. All work was done outside since we hadn't yet finished my Dad's shop. Got called in for lunch - afterwards went outside and the car is gone. I figured my brother moved it as a joke so I go back inside where they are all still sitting at the table and demand "OK - where is it?" After much accusing and finger pointing we walk out on the rear deck and my Mom points down to the woods behind the house - tailend of the car sticking out of the trees. We followed the tire tracks for the story. The car had slowly rolled backwards and when it started going down the hill in the backyard the wheels turned so it headed back up the hill - wheels must have slowly drifted the other way as it started rolling back DOWN the hill again and this time it steered itself straight into the woods. Stopped when it ran into a giant mass of blackberry bushes, giant oak trees about 6" from both doors, hood still up. After that I added a neutral safety switch from a '57 to allow starting in park. My family still laughes over that one 35 years later.

 

yep, I'm sure

 

I have a very good friend who is a very good mechanic.There will be days when he comes to the shop the get some parts from the parts counter.He'll come in the back to yak.Sometimes he will confess something really stupid that he did.When he gets done baring his soul,I look at him and tell him "You know,if it were me....NOBODY would know".

 

Finished a brake on my sons o/t ford when he asked if he can let it down and I said yes but forgot to take one jack stand out from under the car and it drove a hole through the gas tank. What a mess ruined the driveway, Had to have the tank replaced by Ford many $$$$$$$ later, oh well.

Getting old is not fun.

 

When I was changing the rear shock on one of my Jeeps, they were of course rusted solid to the body and I broke the head off of one. So I get out the drill and drill it out and tap a new hole. So when I was tightning it back up I thought "ok good and snug", well maybe just one more little turn and "snap" I popped the head of the new one.

 

Not to out do your story, but I WALKED into the " Pit " early one morning. Caught my chin on the wall on the way down!!! Half my chin hanging by the meat of my lower jaw, still have the scars, it was a real bloody mess. Hey what doesn't kill you, makes you a mean old mother trucker.

 

No, its a condition, and many of us have it! lol

 

Do you remember the talk specks. ( One click before it breaks ) LOL

 

I bought a '52 International truck for spare parts and started tearing the engine down for the pistons, it also had a good radiator. After taking the engine parts out and putting them safely on a shelf I had to work on my daily driver so I pulled the old remnants of the truck out of the way. After fixing the window in my GMC I backed it out of the garage, running over and promptly destroying the spare radiator.

 

I always promise myself I'll take the screwdriver out of my back pocket before I get back into the car...