Never Be Afraid

[John DiBartolomeo]

"What’s the worst that can happen? It’ll cost you more money to fix what you screwed up? Hey, it’s only money."

https://dragracingedge.com/the-blog/never-be-afraid/

[jmcarter]

Can identify mightily, at 16 and with no mechanically inclined adults in the family my Buddy and I set in to install a “hotter” cam on my 59 Vette. Comedy of errors but just before I was about to go back in and advance the cam to where it should be I was wrecked by an uninsured driver. Bought a front clip but the body shop kept stringing me along until finally offering to buy the car from me so I could get a car for college (67 SS396/325 Chevelle, a very nice car BTW).

Thanks John, lots of memories stirred by this story, not all good but hey, that’s how many of us learned. We weren’t all fortunate enough to be raised by gearheads.

[Henrys Toy]

Originally Posted by John DiBartolomeo

"What’s the worst that can happen? It’ll cost you more money to fix what you screwed up? Hey, it’s only money."

https://dragracingedge.com/the-blog/never-be-afraid/

In my youth I had a No Post 1955 Chevy Belair without an engine and trans.
I had an acquaintance with a 1958 Chrysler, with a 392 Hemi and Torqueflite. My friends and I around 16 years old. So the acquaintance says I can have the engine and trans if I get it out of his yard. So with a steel Bohack shopping cart that I modified to accept the Hemi, I wheel this monster home. The trans comes later.
Once home my friends and I figure out how to wire the battery to the ignition , strap a One Gallon gas can to the shopping cart, stuff the garden hose into the engine and we're ready to fire this Bad Boy up!
Now this is a Dual Quad, Dual Point Chrysler engine with spark wires that go through the valve covers just like the AA/FD Dragsters have. We're all set and by the grace of God we get it running. Collectively, we all brought something to the table and worked on what we knew. So now with the exhaust head pipes cut about 6" to 12" from the exhaust manifolds, this thing makes a hell of a racket. We all take turns revving to engine up , each one revving it higher then the last. Now my friend Bob grabs the make shift throttle linkage and yanks it almost all the way back to WOT.
The Hemi now jumps out of the shopping cart , spinning in mid air as four , scared to death teenagers scatter like mice.
The engine comes to rest on the ground upside down and suffocating itself. for about a half an hour we all stood in disbelief over what we did.
To this day, fourty seven years later I am soooo glad none of us were killed that day.
We cleaned up that mess, and my father asked what the hell happened to his lawn in the very spot the Hemi came to rest. If I would have told him - I probably wouldn't be writing this post today. That's probably why I chose to race a Chevrolet Stocker instead of a Chrysler. Have a Happy Thanksgiving to all that read this - we all have something to be thankfull for.

[Stewart Way]

2 short stories. 31 ford with, I think, a 48 Merc flathead with 2-2s and a 3 speed. I was 15 and the owner was 16. Needed a tune-up. Distributor had 2 caps 4 wires each. We tore it apart not really checking where the wires went. Don't know how many combinations are possible but I think we tried them all before we got them on right.

Second one was a 65 GTO that a buddy had. We were in high school and for some reason we had the engine out and apart. We kept track of the rod caps but not the mains. It was so tight the starter wouldn't turn it over. What do we do? Tow it and let the clutch out. We got it to start and had to do that a few times but it ended up loose enough to start with the starter and still wonder today how it was able to run and keep the mains in it. He had the car for another year and it was running when he climbed a tree with it.

[mtkawboy]

Me and my 16 year old buddy bought a 39 Buick coupe with a 50 Olds 303 engine & Hydramatic trans it less the carb. We spent our $50 on the car so we had no money to buy a 2 barrel carb for it. Doing some pioneering work on fuel injection I came up with the bright idea of borrowing my Moms enema bottle for gas and dug up an old turkey baster for the fuel injector. We decided we could see how it ran and then save up or sell something to buy a carb. He sat inside and spun it over while I handled the fuel injection. It fired right up and revved up then back fired and caught the whole works on fire when it burned all the hair off my arm and singed my hair causing me to drop the baster which further stirred the fire up. We put it out with some rags that were by the car. Thus ended my pioneering work with FI and I decided to let Mr Hilborn handle it in the future. My Mom was none to happy with the gas in the enema bottle and we had to buy here a new one. Ill see your stupid and raise you

[Mike Jones]

I was 16 or 17. I had a 68 Chevelle 327, 4speed. I installed an LT-1 intake and 780 Holley, in my parents garage. I get it started, but its flooding pretty bad, and the timing is late, so naturally I keep reving it up to clear it out. It backfires and BOOM the valve cover gets blown right off the motor, misses me and hits the wall. I`m shaking like a leaf when my mother opens the door and asks if I`m alright. I can only nod as she looks around once and goes back inside. Scared the crap out of me.
MJ

[jmcarter]

Originally Posted by mtkawboy

Ill see your stupid and raise you

And that my friends would make a great title for a new thread.

[Frank Castros]

Originally Posted by jmcarter

And that my friends would make a great title for a new thread.

Holy **** where do I begin?

[Frank Castros]

Never afraid, but stupid wrong more than a few times but never catastrophic.

[Keith 944]

As a youngster i decided to check the oil in the lawnmower while it was running!
lesson learned.

lesson #2
I wanted to be a car customizer, my first car a mustang II, had a dent in the quarter, so i went to pep boys bought a gallon of bondo and mixed the hardener right into the can.