Thread: A Fight at every turn.............

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You may have seen my build log, and I think at some point I mentioned this but.....
Have you ever had a project that seamed to have a mind of it's own and fight you at every turn as if to say "I do not wish to be born!". Well my soon to be youngest, (Hot Rod) has this attitude. Just like Mr Murphy proclaimed " If it can possibly go wrong, I'll make certain it Does". There were several things, that despite what I thought to be careful planning I managed to over look.......... well that I F*&%$# up, would be more accurate. Several parts that I just had to have in the build, made for a number of problems I didn't count on. Problem solved and move on to new problem. Brake lines too short, despite I used same lines on last build, chassis same width, and axle actually 1" narrower. Brake drums that were wrong, fixed that problem, went to put shoes on drum rubbed. Oops 1 3/4 drums not 2" ones. Oh well have new 1 3/4 shoes and will put up 2" ones as spares for 48. Hurst type mount that advertised being able to use stock fuel pump........ only if you don't use a biscuit or frame mount on that side. Oh well elect fuel pump it is............ And apparently after 53 years I am still not really capable of accurately reading a tape measure. Now it's not too bad, if like yesterday, you cut it 1" too long as opposed to too short. And I measured at least twice. And looked at the tape wrong at least twice............ Oh and if you get a used rear end, even if it's out of an unwrecked car, clean it up and check the tubes for straightness before you weld all the mounts, and spring pockets on. Yeah you guessed it. I cleaned up what I needed to weld then later pulled the diff, cleaned and painted. Now that nice shiny silver paint showed the drivers side tube bent slightly down and forward. I thought that wheel looked crooked, but I have almost no room on that side in the garage so I thought it was an optical illusion. And I am sure it isn't from welding as it is not where it would warp from welding. And although I have built only 2 hot rods I have welded brackets on many rear ends for race cars for about 30 years. That Damed Murphy. But it's not Murphy it's the car, no maybe it's just me. You know that guy you looked at, shook your head, and muttered, he could F....... up a wet dream. I am having days were apparently I AM that GUY........

Now I don't want you to get the idea I am down on myself. I'm not. At least not today. Today I find it amusing. Now last week, 102 in the garage, in the middle of the brakes, as expletives flew freely, as well as a few wrenches and a B.F.H. (Big F........ Hammer), well that wasn't so funny, at least not then. Good side is my neighbors all know now in very explicit terms just what I think of Chinese parts and Ford engineers..........

Now that I've laughed at myself, and hopefully you have laughed as well, whats your fight? I can't be the only one. What went wrong on your project? What happened that you thought "How the F.... did I manage that"?

I am sure I will have more, moments, that is. And I will post them here so we may all have a good laugh. My memory doesn't allow the recall of more specific ones now. There have been just way too many this last year............

Moderator: Feel free to move this maybe the Lounge is more approiate, or not.

Around here, we call incidents such as you mentioned "Another Engineering Opportunity"!!!!!!

I scraped a set of back half frame rails, didn't like the way it turned out
Scraped a set of 4 link brackets didn't like them
Had to chop up & reroute #2 header tube because it hit the frame rail
Scraped several firewall panels, didn't like them.
Cut out a second set of door hinges, didn't like the first set.
Cut up the first main hoop for the cage, didn't have enough helmet clearance.
Went rounds with the salesperson from Wilwood trying several different caliper configurations to fit my combo.["sure we can make our parts work"]. Finally gave up my deposit, went with Aerospace & they fit first time. (probably has something to do with the fact it has an Aerospace rear housing).
Other than that it's been a cake walk, but I still have a ways to go.

yep i been there on my stuff as also on customers engine and cars .fixing someone elses screw up custom parts like pistons i had one company that just could not build pistons .on paint work when i did that for aliven where a car was painted before and the paint you on put lifts off like the space shuttle pull s all the old paint off because some bone head never use hardner or prep the panle right in the first place. try not to think about it just keep agoing froward it get 100 times harder when you need to get it done right and safe and need to pay bills as well

You need one of these Charlie............

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

You need one of these Charlie............

I have 3 of them Uncle Bob!!!!! It's an artist's rendition of an ex-wife!!!!!!!

Ah yes - slips (errors?) in judgement. Many of those with this build. So many that I have been able to pay for most of my car show trips with those screw ups. A major one that comes to mind - and again, Wilwood as mentioned above. When I decided to go with rear discs, I made a call to Wilwood and was assured that the older style spot caliper e-brake on 12" rotors would fit in the 15" Billet Specialty wheels that I measured and provide dimensions for to be sure. I really like those new 17" wheels Lots of clearance.

The cost of that error in sanity - only about $900. The 15's - well I DO need a trailer with matching wheels.

That butt kicker - mine is a direct drive 1750 rpm motor powered version to make sure it inflicts lots of booting

After overhearing one of my obscenity-laced tirades out in the garage a few years ago, my wife said, "I thought building cars was supposed to be fun." Uh-huh . . .

Originally Posted by rumrumm

After overhearing one of my obscenity-laced tirades out in the garage a few years ago, my wife said, "I thought building cars was supposed to be fun." Uh-huh . . .

I hear ya..Back in the mid-late 80s,when I built my Chevy LUV,I had so many conflicting stories on how I should do various jobs,,I just about gave up then and there,,but as the stubborn bum that I was,am(take ya pick)I persevered,and selected a few close friends who knew what they were doing,to help me with the tasks I couldnt do..The Monaco was the same,,and the same goes with the delicate job with the steering in Lyndas Customline..If I cant do the job,,I find someone I can trust to do it,,much less hassle..

Originally Posted by rumrumm

After overhearing one of my obscenity-laced tirades out in the garage a few years ago, my wife said, "I thought building cars was supposed to be fun." Uh-huh . . .

It's always fun, some days are just a lot more fun then others!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Around here, we call incidents such as you mentioned "Another Engineering Opportunity"!!!!!!

Dave apparently I have been "Blessed" with many "Engineering Opportunities".....

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

You need one of these Charlie............

Bob I bought one of those, but couldn't get it to work properly. Now I see Oh that's how it goes together.............. I apparently cannot read directions well either, course they were in Chinese, I had the crank attached to the wheel with the boots. And I can honestly say that facing it and turning the crank was a real kick in the nuts.....................