Was heavily involved with several dirt modified cars over the years. The class always had a $500 motor claim rule so you couldn’t stick much money in the motors. Needless to say we gave last rights to many a 377’s and 406’s over the years after they scattered their guts all over the track.

 

And when you claim someone's engine and they deliver it with every external bolt twisted off in the block. They had to make a rule at Tulsa Speedway about doing this.
Did you know that have a claimer rule in some horse racing?

 

I guess if you're not breaking stuff, you're not trying hard enough to win.

 

A plumber on a job I worked said he flew from California to Montana to get a truck he owned and was storing there. Short on cash, he slept in the truck on the way back. One morning he woke up and proceeded to resume the drive back to the interstate when he encountered a sharp turn on a slightly elevated road surface. He skidded off the road into a field and made a full roll but landed back on the tires. The windshield was smashed so he kicked it out and drove the rest of the way home.
I called bullshit but he wasn't the lying type so maybe it did happen as he said.

 

You don’t want me to post in this thread.. oh no.. it’ll be like Chunk in the Goonies when he confesses everything to the Fratellis!

That said, I think all my automotive hard luck stories involve Fords. Yeah, let’s just go with that, they all involve Fords.

 

I was young and stupid and in a hurry... I was rushing to get my El Camino back together for the Street Machine Nationals way back in 1998. I sent it off for a paint job. I also took the entire suspension out and blasted and painted it. It looked good... black paint with new red poly bushings all the way around... detail painted everything BEFORE going to paint: suspension, brakes, driveshaft etc. Of course even though I showed the painter and told him about the chassis numerous times, it came back from paint with a large amount of yellow overspray from the paintjob. Sooo I took it all apart again... scuffed and repainted everything... cleaned off the bushings the best I could. This put me way behind and I was still putting the car together when it was time to leave. Turns out I rebuilt the double pumper wrong and it was dumping fuel so much it hydro-locked the motor. I pulled the wires... pulled the plugs and reached in through the window to spin it over...

I hit the key and WHOOOOOMP a big fireball rises from the engine compartment and lovingly wraps itself around my new, freshly painted, cowl hood.

Yeah I knew better... but was working on limited sleep and under pressure and rushing around like... well, like an idiot. Thankfully there was no damage and I borrowed a carb and made it to the show (5 hours away) with no issues other than cutting a brand new 17" tire

It was all worth is as Truckin' Magazine shot a feature on it and the following December I was able to buy a magazine with my truck in it...

It was my first real build and I did a lot in that truck. I put thousands of miles on it... have a stack of timeslips from the track... blew up a trans... a rear end... another rear end... and engine... another engine... a third engine... and another rear end... and once upon a time I even scored a photo shoot with a beautiful young lady.

 

Bought a Dodge pickup once.

 

I like Fords.

 

After 40 years in the industry where do you start?

I've blown up my share. Wrecked a few. Had a hood blow open on me once. Ran into my giant Snap On tool box with a vintage Porche because it had no brakes and I didn't know.

Lots of fuk ups that weren't that bad and lots that are cringe worthy.

Here's a good one. In the early 90s I'm working at a general repair shop. I have a C2 Corvette hooked up to the Sun machine. About 1 car length in front of it is a Cadillac Seville on the lift. The Vette is a convertible, top is down. It's a stick shift car, 327, yada yada. I lean in the car, hit the key to crank it. It's in gear. In half a revolution the thing starts up and slowly lurches across the shop floor as I'm being dragged trying to turn the damn thing off or get it out of gear, something. Couple seconds later BOOM! It runs into the Caddy. I'm fukin sweatin it! All I see are dollar signs!!!! Luckily it did virtually no damage to either car. The DS bumperette on the Vette got tweaked just a little. There was a scuff on the Caddy we buffed out.

On a dyno in Pittsburgh 15 years ago at least, running an LS swapped 3rd gen Camaro. Pretty nice car. I believe it was an IROC. On the decel after a pull, clutch in and dyno brake applied, about half way down the RPM band a huge BANG!!! As in mechanical bang. Something in the transmission (manual) let go and seized the shafts, broke the case and bellhousing and flipped the trans nearly 90 degrees in the car.

I got more LOL

 

Actually I have several. The '67 Tri-power 'Vette I should've kept. The C/G Pinto I'm looking for, the '88 Caprice I built for my Dept. The new owner told me he'd let me know when he was ready to sell, the S/C RJ Race Cars S/C Lumina a city employee stole from the city, my '27 "T" S/C Altered my wife insisted I sell or my first Hemi Dart clone that even some Chrysler Reps saw and thought it was a genuine car. All these cars were great cars but had to go for a variety of reasons----- wish I could get at least one back. Which one? If only one, I'd have to say my '71 Pinto

 

 

I've owned several over the decades that are gone now for one reason or another. My 72 Chevelle big block I sold in the late 90s, more than any of them, I should have kept.

I always seem to miss out on those killer deals. I always hear about them after the fact. Don't know if it's fate, karma, bad luck, wrong place wrong time, whatever.

 

My buddy Pete (screen name C5 Pete on here) has one of the best stories.

On his way to Atlanta I believe, towing his C5 (open trailer), the trailer unhooked from the truck, on the interstate, and passed him LOL. The trailer ended up going off the road, car came off the trailer but did minimal damage to both. Somehow he managed to get the trailer hooked back up, the car on the trailer, actually made it to the track and ended up winning his class!! Doesn't get much more epic than that LOL!

 

This place has gone to shit. 10 years ago this would have been 20 pages of YB hilarity by now.

 

My first car in 1978 a green 1971 Maverick 6 cyl 3 on the tree. It used so much oil I had to carry it with me everywhere. It was a jackpot when I discovered recycled oil. Had an oil burner adapter in every hole.

I was only 16. Gave a chick a ride to school trying to impress her. When she got out I thought I would pop the clutch and squeel the tire. When I looked back in the rear view mirror, I saw her standing in a thick blue cloud. Fail LOL

 

In the early 90s a buddy of mine told me about an early 80s Mustang sitting in the corner of a shop they were trying to get rid of. He told me it was a 351 swap that ran rough and they wanted to sell it cheap.

I went to look at it, and the whole car was a little rough but it had potential. We got it started and my buddy wasn't kidding. The thing would shake your teeth out at idle! I was pretty sure I knew what was wrong with it and I gave them the 200 bucks or whatever it was they wanted for it.

Took it back to my shop and pulled the trans out. Sure enough they had put the 351 in with the 302 clutch and flywheel. The offset weight was the wrong weight and if I remember correctly it was in the wrong position. New 351 flywheel and she ran like buttah!! Ended up putting a small cam, aluminum intake, Holley, headers on it and that little junker ran its ass off!

 

In the early 90s a buddy of mine told me about an early 80s Mustang sitting in the corner of a shop they were trying to get rid of. He told me it was a 351 swap that ran rough and they wanted to sell it cheap.

I went to look at it, and the whole car was a little rough but it had potential. We got it started and my buddy wasn't kidding. The thing would shake your teeth out at idle! I was pretty sure I knew what was wrong with it and I gave them the 200 bucks or whatever it was they wanted for it.

Took it back to my shop and pulled the trans out. Sure enough they had put the 351 in with the 302 clutch and flywheel. The offset weight was the wrong weight and if I remember correctly it was in the wrong position. New 351 flywheel and she ran like buttah!! Ended up putting a small cam, aluminum intake, Holley, headers on it and that little junker ran its ass off!

Where's the "hard luck" part of the story?

 

I just leased another Ford. Didn't even get it out of the dealership and there's a recall. Now I might get it next year sometime. In an abusive relationship, I need help

 

Lease, and Ford? Yeah, it sounds like you have daddy issues alright.

 

My own S10 on the chassis dyno was a rough one. 2003 Ext cab, 5.3 cam, MP112 on E85. Made 505rwhp and at the end of the pull on decell the center section of the stock 7.5 rear broke the plug welds and rolled around the axle tubes. It broke the drive shaft in dramatic fashion and cut the gas tank open from top to bottom letting 15 gallons hit the floor. I was so lucky it didn't light up! The floor in that room still has flaking paint to this day.
I have been at this crap for 24yrs now so that was just one that I remember well.

 

One of many.....

When I was in high school I had a '71 Mach1. 351C with a four speed. I loved that car because it would roast the tires for a half a block. Being young and stupid, I decided that if it ran good with the carb that was on it, it would run great with an 850 double pumper so on it went. I thought it was cool for a while because it idled like it had a roller, even though I was always feathering the gas. Lol!

Drove it that way for a month or so until one day it wouldn't start. I figured out it wasn't getting spark, so I popped the cap off and reached through the drivers window and cranked it over. The rotor wasn't turning so I knew something was fucked up with the distributor. I went to take the distributor out, not realizing I forgot to turn the key all the way off, and as I pulled it out it went BOOM. There was gas in the oil from that 850 being on there so long and something sparked. Blew the distributor up into my forearm and got my eyebrows. Also blew parts of the valve cover gaskets out. Lol! The distributor gear pin was sheared, so I replaced it and the valve cover gaskets and put the old carb back on. Lesson learned.

I blew the motor a little differently. 🤣

 

My "hard luck story" was also a blessing in disguise!

I had a girlfriend [de-facto wife] that used my Mach 1 Mustang to impress her "new" boyfriend.
It worked! so she ran off with him.

In the end all she and her boyfriend wanted was the car as payment for her share of our house.
It was the best car deal I've done in my life.

 

Eh my normal failure mode is buying high selling low.

The only one that really got away was a 93 ranger on one tons and 39" tsl's I sold to finance moving to California.

Hated California and moved back to WI, never built another wheeler (cuz there's nowhere left to wheel here).

 

1970, my first car, a Dune Buggy with a VW 1200, bought it a few weeks before I turned 16 and had to wait to drive it. For those not familiar with the engine design, it's an air cooled, horizontally opposed 4 cylinder and the valve covers are retained with a big clip, a design so simple even a cave man should be able to remove/replace the cover(s).The engine was exposed so I decided to paint the valve covers, a simple enough task even for me with no automotive mechanical experience.

After spray painting them I put them back on. Somehow I managed to not get one cover seated correctly and it leaked. The drain back design was such that if the engine wasn't running there would be no oil in the head to leak, but while running it would leak though to this day I don't know how fast. Bottom line was I drove it around for some time (a week?) and I noticed this dim little red light that seemed to be going on/off on the instrument panel. Not knowing shit about cars I kept driving even when it seemed to be losing power. Eventually it quit and it was obvious to even my dumb ass something was wrong.

Dragged the car home and of course the engine was toast. My father didn't know shit about anything mechanical so I didn't bother him but I found a nice guy around the corner (Mike) that raced dune buggies that told me "I will not do it but will point and tell you what to do". I pulled that engine by myself, got it over to his house and rebuilt it with his "guidance".

Mike and I became good friends and that was my first mechanical lesson.

 

1970, my first car, a Dune Buggy with a VW 1200, bought it a few weeks before I turned 16 and had to wait to drive it. For those not familiar with the engine design, it's an air cooled, horizontally opposed 4 cylinder and the valve covers are retained with a big clip, a design so simple even a cave man should be able to remove/replace the cover(s).The engine was exposed so I decided to paint the valve covers, a simple enough task even for me with no automotive mechanical experience.

After spray painting them I put them back on. Somehow I managed to not get one cover seated correctly and it leaked. The drain back design was such that if the engine wasn't running there would be no oil in the head to leak, but while running it would leak though to this day I don't know how fast. Bottom line was I drove it around for some time (a week?) and I noticed this dim little red light that seemed to be going on/off on the instrument panel. Not knowing shit about cars I kept driving even when it seemed to be losing power. Eventually it quit and it was obvious to even my dumb ass something was wrong.

Dragged the car home and of course the engine was toast. My father didn't know shit about anything mechanical so I didn't bother him but I found a nice guy around the corner (Mike) that raced dune buggies that told me "I will not do it but will point and tell you what to do". I pulled that engine by myself, got it over to his house and rebuilt it with his "guidance".

Mike and I became good friends and that was my first mechanical lesson.

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Right out of high School i worked as a mechanic at the local gas station. One of the other mechanics had a friend who was around 17 years old and he had a 66 VW bug. He worked there part time pumping gas. This kid came across that he knew a lot about cars and he was going to show me how to adjust the valves on his VW. He`s got the car on the lift and one valve cover off. He has a bag over his head with 2 holes in it so he can see and he`s trying to adjust the valves with the engine running. The boss yelled at him to shut the car off. What a fucking mess. He was covered with oil. I was laughing my head off at this kid.

 

An auto repair shop where i use to live back in the 80`s had a guy doing a timing chain job on a early Mustang. He had a starter button laying on the radiator support. He`s leaning over the radiator putting on the new chain and gears. His fat gut pushed the starter button and the tip of his thumb got pulled into the upper gear and chain. He had to bump the engine all of the way around to get his crushed thumb out.

 

This is a hard luck story posted by mad machines coworkers shortly after he stripped out another drain plug.

 

I was working on my Charger and trying to bump the engine to get right at TDC. I grabbed the alternator belt and tried to rotate it slightly when a friend tripped the starter relay at the same time. Stupid motherfucker did it without telling me. My right hand went through the crankshaft pulley with the belt wrapped around it. I was amazed I had no broken fingers.
I had a few cuts and cuss words though.

 

too many if it weren't for bad luck I would have non at all. My vega would be one that I let go of and should have kept. nice tube chassis square of course but light enough and was a great wheel stand car.

 

The tale of the 63 1/2 427 4 speed Galaxie. Growing up a neighbor 3 doors down had a 427 Galaxie. He bought the car in the early 70's and drive it for a bit but eventually handed to his son. Son brought the car to auto shop in high school while I was still in elementary (both schools were next to each other). Tried to fill the moulding holes in the body but failed miserably. So years later, 1983 to be exact I talk to my neighbor (father) about the car. It was sitting in the driveway rotting away. I was 20 then and offered $3K for the car. After a few days says no because I don't want to see the car redone and have regrets! Ended up selling the car for $2500 to some guy a couple counties away. Hated Fords after that!

Side note: the father and son used to do burnout contest in front of the house to see who laid the longest strip and the cops never showed up! I watched them from my upstairs windows. It was cool as shit. Also had a Holman Moody metal plate not a sticker in the engine compartment. Never asked him why it was there.