School of hard knocks

[40phil41]

Can't match any of the above stories but I do have to get this one off of my chest. Last year I was helping my Brother-in-law with his '37 Oldsmobile. Somehow 'we' got the timing off by one plug wire (a long story) and when he tried to start it it back-fired out the tail pipe and split the muffler completely open. Sounded like a canon went off in the garage and my normally bad hearing was non-existent for at least 1 hour. I figured that since it cost him $140.00 to get the exhaust fixed he wouldn't ask me for help again but this isn't the case. Guess he figures I owe him for some reason :-)

Phil

[Norm's Coupe]

Can't match any of the above stories but I do have to get this one off of my chest. Last year I was helping my Brother-in-law with his '37 Oldsmobile. Somehow 'we' got the timing off by one plug wire (a long story) and when he tried to start it it back-fired out the tail pipe and split the muffler completely open. Sounded like a canon went off in the garage and my normally bad hearing was non-existent for at least 1 hour. I figured that since it cost him $140.00 to get the exhaust fixed he wouldn't ask me for help again but this isn't the case. Guess he figures I owe him for some reason :-)

Phil

Phil, all your really did was give him a Cherry Bomb muffler. :D

[hkestes41]

The one where he dumped his wife out of the boat with the nasty water reminds me of a duck hunting trip we took to Milford res. near Fort Riley KS when I was in the 6th grade.

It was colder than a well diggers you know what that day in fact there was ice along the shore of the lake. Anyway we put the johnboat in and go out to set the decoys. When we return to shore I am in the front of the boat. I jump out and grab the handle on the front of the boat to pull it up on the shore. I was probably all of 100 pounds and pulling for all I was worth when my dad's friend who had been setting in the middle seat stepped out of the boat. That made the boat about 200 pound lighter just as my dad who was setting on the rear seat stood up.

I pulled the boat right out from under him. I hear a big splash, and every unmentionable word he had learned during 20 years in the army and look up to see him setting chin deep in the freezing water with his feet draped over the back of the boat.

Needless to say that was a short day hunting. He still reminds me of that and it was about 35 years ago.

[Don Coatney]

How many of us have backed out of the garage and rammed our other car? Thas how I found out that my insurance won't pay for damage I do to my own stuff. I was so mad at myself that I didn't need any help from my wife when she came out to see what the big bang was.

I finally had a chance to read this entire thread. Brought back several bad memories. I once had a very nice 75 Olds vert and a chuby mini van. I just finished cutting the grass and my feet were wet and slippery. I jumped in the van to back it out of the garage. My foot slipped of the brake and on to the gas. With squealing tires I smashed the front of my olds.

Another time I had a 57 Desoto hemi and I wanter to remove the driveshaft. I pulled the car up on a wooden ramp to elevate the wheels. I then set the emergency brake and crawled under it to remove the driveshaft. As soon as I removed the last bolt the car lurched off the ramp pinning me under the car. You guessed it, the emergency brake was on the rear of the transmission.

Then there was the time my old buddy Phil amd I were replacing a head gasket on his 54 furd OHV V-8. We worked most of the night doing this. Got everything torqued down, oil in the engine, water in the raditor, and spark plugs screwed back in. Then we started installing the plug wires one by one. Got to the last one and could not find the end of the wire that goes on the sparkplug because it was torqued down under the head.

If anyone would like to know the exact words I used in all of these examples of fine craftsmanship PM me and I will send you the list:D

[Young Ed]

Don what model 75 olds? If it was an 88 or 98 I would imagine it took that hit pretty well. The bumper is massive on dads 88.

[Don Coatney]

Don what model 75 olds? If it was an 88 or 98 I would imagine it took that hit pretty well. The bumper is massive on dads 88.

Ed;

Delta 88. I found a replacement left front half bumper in a boneyard and had it re-chromed. I have a good picture of that car somewhere. I will scan it and post it when I find it. I drove that car to Florida and back twice with the top down both times. When I moved from New York State to California I gave it away at an auction for seventeen hundred bucks. I should have kept it and drove it to California.