How many times have you felt like a fool in this hobby?

I'm 57 and still ask questions.

 

absolutly never have to ask for advise, NEVER!!!!!!!!......................................................if you believe that I have a good used car for sale. some people think your dumb for asking for advice, but I think your smarter for doing so.

 

That fact that you're not afraid to ask the questions will put you way ahead someday, hell, you're only 25 you can't know everything (and never will). Too many young guys try to act like they know it all, and so never learn anything, I guess it's always been that way, I know it was when I was young.

 

The Hamb is foolproof, billetproof and bulletproof!

 

If I had a nickel for every time I felt like you do, I could afford that 32 three window that I want. We are all in the same boat, I guess the HAMB could be considered a life preserver

 

Like everyday.

 

I don't mean to sound like Mr Brady, but as long as your diggin in and learnin along the way, you're good. I'll never forget the day I stabbed the distributor to fire on the exhaust stroke at TDC (360 out). Felt really dumb when my older buddy fixed it within 5 minutes, but I've corrected atleast 3 other folks when they made the same mistake. Including that guys son. Try to embrace the stuff you can't figure out. Each time your trouble shooting skills will get better and you will likely better understand your car. Now go tell Greg to turn down that good time rock/roll music.

Im back to bein a HAMBer now!

 

i know enough to get me in trouble, and yet again, today, it was going sooo well....and i made myself look like a simple minded moron who shouldn't even be in the same building with a vehicle , never mind work on one.....and this one was in front of three people who know absolutley nothing about mechanics, but at that particular point in time, i felt like a huge heel....just like in the Looney Tunes cartoons, I should have had a big shoe on my head.

feel better now, but always know...it WILL happen again!""

 

when i stray away from basics while troubleshooting a problem for someone because they are sure they checked that!

 

its your first build, nobody could expect you to know everything. you never will. I'm 26, a mechanic by day, and I run into stuff all the time that I dont know or necessarily understand. I actually look forward to that, it's a chance to test myself and learn. you need to have confidence in what you do know, but if you're not sure, ask...it's better to learn by asking than by making expensive mistakes.

 

Like some one else said "the older I get the less I know"

I wish I was 18 again so I could know it all again. My shift in thinking must be that wisdom thing the grey beards keep on yaking about.

 

I know guys that seem to be able to troubleshoot/fix/repair/etc. without much trouble. Not me. I will ask when I can, and try and take my time when help is not avalable. I try and remeber my Acadian is a hobby when working on it and things are not going well...

 

miller 35===did the same thing last week, only the other way around==i'll have a beer with ya, believe we need 1 or 2

 

I feel like a fool pretty much everytime I pick up a wrench, because it seems I have to do everything 2 or 3 times before I get it right

The only time I don't feel like that is when I just read about builds in magazines, rather than actually doing something

 

Uh, actually small block Fords have two different firing orders, depending on hi-po 302 windsor or standard 302. hi-po is same as 351 windsor. Also Ford and Chevy cylinder numbering is completely different! As far as asking questions is concerned, I'm 62 years old, and asking more questions than ever. I've found that the more you learn, the more things you find that you don't know,so don't feel bad about asking.

 

Humility is your friend. If your not learning, your not advancing, regardless of what stage you are at.

 

The "Only" Dumb question is the one you Don't ask!

 

Or trying to cranking a flathead for the first time,,,This happened to a hamber I know,,

He had worked on trying to get the engine to fire for several days and in desperation called for help,,

After I arrived at his house and a few spins of the engine and checking the normal things I ask if there might a wire crossed,,and he preceeds to go to the other side of the block and starts to remove the plug wire ,,I ask what are you doing?

The look he had on his face was like this>>>>>>,,

I hit him as soon as I ask,,he had used sbc fire order,,,we quickly corrected the problem and the little flatty hasn't missed a beat since then,,

As for myself,,,way too many times I have failed to ask for help,,the Hamb has kept me from making even more mistakes,,,never be afraid to ask questions. HRP

 

Get used to the feeling. The only people that do not feel like fools from time to time while working on hot rods....don't actually work on hot rods they just talk like they do. The more you learn the more your confidence grows and the less you rely on the book. The less you rely on the book, the more likely that you will screw up something that is so very basic. The biggest thing to remember is that when things don't go as expected it's most often something very basic and simple that you are over looking. Arrogant pride can be a big detriment to happy hot rodding.

I pulled my hair out for a whole weekend trying to get my 421 Pontiac started. I checked the firing order and no 1 plug wire so many times that I memorized it and that was 40 years ago. It turned out that Pontiac distributors rotate CCW unlike the Chevrolets that I was used to. I got a friend to double check my work and we both spotted it at the same time. It's always something simple. Rearranged the wires and it started right up.

I've had plenty of egg on my face over the years and it will happen again unless I give up playing with mechanical things. I'll just live with the egg on my face.

 

but the cyl..are not numbered the same..so it dont work..trust me..see now i dont feel so bad..you could have done it too.

plus what 32ratsass said..its definetly a no go situation..give it a shot,..see how you feel after you do it..

I'll call the bus for ya..dont feel left out..we even got beer

 

I'm 30, doing my first build, and I feel like a gawdam fool every single minute that I'm working on it. I leech knowledge out of anyone I can, and often times I feel like an ignernt newb....luckily there are folks on here like Tugmaster who put up with my shiz.

 

Been there with the different cylinder numbering between Ford and Oldsmobile.

For those who don't know:

Front to rear.

Ford right bank = 1-2-3-4
Ford left bank = 5-6-7-8


GM right bank = 2-4-6-8
GM left bank = 1-3-5-7

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If you don't slip up once in a while, you're not doing very much....

 

Anyone who has the answer to your question only has it cause they were in your place asking someone else 10 years ago.

Don't be ashamed, or emabarrassed (no one knows everything) get the right answer and pass your new knowledge on to the next person who needs help.

 

Its a GIANT puzzle. One piece at a time.

 

I always love listening to people know more than me and learning new stuff.... And trust me that feeling of being a fool is here to stay lol sad but true. Just have to not give up and ASK

 

I knew someone would field this one.

 

There's 2 kinds of fools, those that are right now and those that always will be. For the fast ones it's always temporary

 

Like Gerg said....Every time I think I have a good idea for a thread...I'm wrong.

 

Can't count the number of times I've felt like a box of rocks without the box, but if you pay attention and stay after it, you can get there. Hell, if I can do it, how hard could it be?

 

The "Only" Dumb question is the one you Don't ask!

unless you ask for something for free. i made that mistake on here once.