Your Most Embarrasing Street Moment.

rayfin · 06-15-2010, 02:46 AM

A friend of mine wanted to get a picture of his Henry J gasser big block with the chute out so they blocked off the street and were standing in front of the houses with their cameras. He comes blowing down the street and the chute didn't open. Barely got stopped before the lumber yard.

Bobby Zlatkin · 06-15-2010, 10:45 AM

I'll tell one. Dates me and lets you know how much of a street squrrel I was.

Year, 1957 and I was living in Miami at the time. Car club I belonged to (Road Rebels) had a beer party one Friday night at Cranden Beach. Never any cops there so us under aged drinkers could have at it with no police fears. This was back when drinking & driving were socially acceptable.

After leaving the beach we decided to have some races on a nearby road leading to the sewage treatment plant. No one used that road at night. I had a '47 Chevy at the time with Fenton headers and an Offy manifold with 2 one barrel carbs. Was to run a guy with a '49 Chevy to see who had the fastest 6 cyl. in the club.

We lined up together, brought the revs up and I let go of the clutch when the flagman waved his shirt. The other car took off and mine just sat there. I felt something moving, my speedometer was showing 30-35 mph. I figured I was spinning the tires and as soon as it hooked up I would catch him. But, it never moved an inch. So, we pushed my car off the road and I caught a ride home.

The next day I got the local service station guy to go after my car with the wrecker. Lifted the front and started pulling me along. Shortly, thereafter, car pulled up along side and pointed back at my car. I looked back and saw smoke coming from one of the rear wheels.

It seems the wheel, with the axle attached, came all the way out until stopped by the fender well. No C-clip eliminator kits back then. The tire was wasted but didn't blow. We unhooked, lifted the car from the back and he got me home.

That was my first experience with changing an axle with that car. There were more to follow and I got to where I could change them on the spot. Didn't ever have to have it towed again for a broken axle although I had other problems. Like when I somehow got it stuck in two gears at once. Thought I could free it by reving it up and popping the clutch.
That broke the trans case, but that;'s another story.

Thank goodness 1) the fender kept the axle in and 2) the axle broke just past the spline. In fact. every axle I broke broke in exactly the same place.

Tom Goldman · 06-15-2010, 03:44 PM

In 1970, I had just taken the Hydro out of my '50 Olds and put in a T-10 with an Ansen bellhousing. [open on the bottom]...We went out to the local back roads 1/4 mile and picked on a '67 GTO . .....I had no idea where to launch it with the stick ,so I really left it fly! ........The Olds hooked up and immediately blew the ring gear off the flywheel,cutting up my floor and the GTO'S FRONT FENDER!!.............The GTO driver took it in stride and even towed me back to the local Sunoco we hung out at.........lucky I still got all my toes. .....Tom

Randall Klein · 06-15-2010, 04:20 PM

For some reason I did not have a hood latch on my '56 Nomad, but during construction, body work, etc I was driving around town (LS6-Muncie-Monte Carlo swivel bucket seats) for about a week, when stupid hit and I jumped on it....hood (with bird) straight up and over, bird digging into roof, corners of hood dug into fenders...... can't see, middle of town going about 30...painful to remember

Paul Ceasrine · 06-15-2010, 04:49 PM

Randall K,
Those birds were pretty heavy, if I do recall.
Duck,,,Goose!!

Todd Boyer · 06-16-2010, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randall Klein

For some reason I did not have a hood latch on my '56 Nomad, but during construction, body work, etc I was driving around town (LS6-Muncie-Monte Carlo swivel bucket seats) for about a week, when stupid hit and I jumped on it....hood (with bird) straight up and over, bird digging into roof, corners of hood dug into fenders...... can't see, middle of town going about 30...painful to remember

Randall, I'm guessing this is the same Nomad that you now run is SS?

06-15-2010, 02:46 AM	#1
rayfin Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: sioux city Posts: 134 Likes: 1 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Your Most Embarrasing Street Moment. A friend of mine wanted to get a picture of his Henry J gasser big block with the chute out so they blocked off the street and were standing in front of the houses with their cameras. He comes blowing down the street and the chute didn't open. Barely got stopped before the lumber yard.

06-15-2010, 10:45 AM	#2
Bobby Zlatkin Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Mills River, NC Posts: 417 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Your Most Embarrasing Street Moment. I'll tell one. Dates me and lets you know how much of a street squrrel I was. Year, 1957 and I was living in Miami at the time. Car club I belonged to (Road Rebels) had a beer party one Friday night at Cranden Beach. Never any cops there so us under aged drinkers could have at it with no police fears. This was back when drinking & driving were socially acceptable. After leaving the beach we decided to have some races on a nearby road leading to the sewage treatment plant. No one used that road at night. I had a '47 Chevy at the time with Fenton headers and an Offy manifold with 2 one barrel carbs. Was to run a guy with a '49 Chevy to see who had the fastest 6 cyl. in the club. We lined up together, brought the revs up and I let go of the clutch when the flagman waved his shirt. The other car took off and mine just sat there. I felt something moving, my speedometer was showing 30-35 mph. I figured I was spinning the tires and as soon as it hooked up I would catch him. But, it never moved an inch. So, we pushed my car off the road and I caught a ride home. The next day I got the local service station guy to go after my car with the wrecker. Lifted the front and started pulling me along. Shortly, thereafter, car pulled up along side and pointed back at my car. I looked back and saw smoke coming from one of the rear wheels. It seems the wheel, with the axle attached, came all the way out until stopped by the fender well. No C-clip eliminator kits back then. The tire was wasted but didn't blow. We unhooked, lifted the car from the back and he got me home. That was my first experience with changing an axle with that car. There were more to follow and I got to where I could change them on the spot. Didn't ever have to have it towed again for a broken axle although I had other problems. Like when I somehow got it stuck in two gears at once. Thought I could free it by reving it up and popping the clutch. That broke the trans case, but that;'s another story. Thank goodness 1) the fender kept the axle in and 2) the axle broke just past the spline. In fact. every axle I broke broke in exactly the same place. __________________ Bobby & Norene Zlatkin L/SA

06-15-2010, 03:44 PM	#3
Tom Goldman VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Allentown,PA Posts: 2,476 Likes: 891 Liked 882 Times in 236 Posts	Re: Your Most Embarrasing Street Moment. In 1970, I had just taken the Hydro out of my '50 Olds and put in a T-10 with an Ansen bellhousing. [open on the bottom]...We went out to the local back roads 1/4 mile and picked on a '67 GTO . .....I had no idea where to launch it with the stick ,so I really left it fly! ........The Olds hooked up and immediately blew the ring gear off the flywheel,cutting up my floor and the GTO'S FRONT FENDER!!.............The GTO driver took it in stride and even towed me back to the local Sunoco we hung out at.........lucky I still got all my toes. .....Tom __________________ Tom Goldman 1500 SG , 1506 STK

06-15-2010, 04:20 PM	#4
Randall Klein Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Lincoln, Nebraska Posts: 785 Likes: 45 Liked 316 Times in 67 Posts	Re: Your Most Embarrasing Street Moment. For some reason I did not have a hood latch on my '56 Nomad, but during construction, body work, etc I was driving around town (LS6-Muncie-Monte Carlo swivel bucket seats) for about a week, when stupid hit and I jumped on it....hood (with bird) straight up and over, bird digging into roof, corners of hood dug into fenders...... can't see, middle of town going about 30...painful to remember

06-15-2010, 04:49 PM	#5
Paul Ceasrine VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,546 Likes: 0 Liked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Your Most Embarrasing Street Moment. Randall K, Those birds were pretty heavy, if I do recall. Duck,,,Goose!!