Care to share your worst rat rod mistakes?

[IAM-LDS-2]

Wait a min…. I'm not looking for theory or good advice here…. I'm looking for real life stories of how YOU screwed up in the construction or operation of a car you built.

I don't care about "saving money" or advice to "measure twice and cut once" or any of that feel good stuff…

I want to hear about how you accidentally put ATF fluid in your brake master and it ate all of the seals & if it wasn't for that cow you hit, you'd have never stopped, or how you couldn't make the shift linkage work without cutting a huge hole in the nice, newly powder coated frame or floor or how you built something that has a 35' turning radius to the left and an 85' turning radius to the right.

Willowbilly has the right idea!

I was gonna give you some advice about saving money and tell you what to do to save time and frustration . I'm not a pro or an expert , but I have built three rods and have been lucky enough to have access to a great rod shop where I some times hang out and get to see how a real pro does something .So instead of telling you how to avoid mistakes , info which you are not interested in , I will leave you to your attitude .

 

[bob w]

Back in the 70's, during the gas shortage, when prices skyrocketed to $2.00/gallon, I was building a 1931 Model A slant window town sedan. In recognition of the gas crunch I put a Pinto 4 cylinder engine in the thing. Late one night I sat up in bed and said, "What are you doing boy??? It's supposed to be a hot rod. Every soccer mom in a mini van is going to beat you away from a stop light." Next morning I jerked the itty bitty Pinto out of the car and found a 350 sbc for it.

Moral of the story is make sure you build what you really want. A hot rod that suits you.

 

[I-R-POPS]

I have never heard anyone say I've got to much power in a hot rod!

 

[blacksheep]

A couple of years ago a friend of mine asked me to airbrush a skull on each door of his newly built 37 Chevy truck. He tried loading it with very little brakes onto his trailer that was also parked at the entrance to his shop. He got half way up onto the trailer, and hit the gas ....... He flew clean through I the trailer ,knocked his shop compressor over, and wound up back inside his shop ,almost on its side. The carb spring broke ,and it stayed wide open,until he could grab the key and shut it off. Lesson learned...... Make sure everything is good to go before trying to drive it or load it. We sometimes get excited to see the motor in our projects, but very soon realize something is wrong when it's too late.

 

[Todd]

Back in the 70's, during the gas shortage, when prices skyrocketed to $2.00/gallon, I was building a 1931 Model A slant window town sedan. In recognition of the gas crunch I put a Pinto 4 cylinder engine in the thing. Late one night I sat up in bed and said, "What are you doing boy??? It's supposed to be a hot rod. Every soccer mom in a mini van is going to beat you away from a stop light." Next morning I jerked the itty bitty Pinto out of the car and found a 350 sbc for it.

Moral of the story is make sure you build what you really want. A hot rod that suits you.

Wow Bob, you are a visionary. Mini vans didn't come in until the 80's. [cl

I put a model t rear spring in against tons of advice and it was as rough a ride as I was told. Then called Speedway and ordered coil shocks. A lot of times when I think I'm doing something to save money, I spend more. [S

 

[bob w]

Well Todd, there wasn't any kid's soccer then either.

 

[Old Iron]

Yeah, they stole my idea. I told my uncle it'd be cool to have a van the same size as the mini pickups they were building then. Someone must have over heard me
Yeah Todd [ddd

 

[NoShopSkills]

Well lets see here, your avatar says junior member... "don't ask the question if you don't want the answer"

... info which you are not interested in , I will leave you to your attitude .

Wow… I am sorry Soltz and IAM.

I've been around an awful lot of forums on a whole bunch of different subjects. In other words, "this ain't my first rodeo." I really don't have any attitude. Just trying to kid a little... Sorry if you think I came off that way, it happens on forums where eye contact and vocal inflections are not present to confirm perceptions...but I really do learn from other's mistakes. When I teach, which is often on complex subjects, I am quick to share my own failures hopeful that the student can avoid them. I was just looking for interesting stories that some have in fact provided.

BTW, the handle name is tongue in cheek, but like I've said before, I'll wait for the members here to decide "that" after I make some fabrication and/or build posts, but I can see that there is "an old establishment" here that I guess I won't fit into for at least a while...

Best to ya.

 

[Old Iron]

I'll post one.
Built a long rod 406 sbc, during one long night. The next day I was really excited to break it in so, initial start, rpm to 2500, checking for oil leaks found none (good there), ran it for 7 min. and figured I'd better check oil pressure NONE, kill the engine and damned if didn't forget to fill it with oil the night before. Word of advice, don't do that!!!!
Had to tear it down and rebuild it again.

 

[rvreddog]

I'll post one.
Built a long rod 406 sbc, during one long night. The next day I was really excited to break it in so, initial start, rpm to 2500, checking for oil leaks found none (good there), ran it for 7 min. and figured I'd better check oil pressure NONE, kill the engine and damned if didn't forget to fill it with oil the night before. Word of advice, don't do that!!!!
Had to tear it down and rebuild it again.

I am so glad to hear somebody else did that!I did the same thing 46 years ago and my Mother still pokes fun at me for it.

 

[maverickmk]

Yeah, they stole my idea. I told my uncle it'd be cool to have a van the same size as the mini pickups they were building then. Someone must have over heard me
Yeah Todd [ddd

So it's all your fault?!

 

[Flipper_1938]

Wow Bob, you are a visionary. Mini vans didn't come in until the 80's. [cl

These are the ones I know about. ....starting in 1935

Stout Scarab

GMC

VW

Tempo Matador

Corvair

Econoline

 

[Flipper_1938]

I'll post one.
Built a long rod 406 sbc, during one long night. The next day I was really excited to break it in so, initial start, rpm to 2500, checking for oil leaks found none (good there), ran it for 7 min. and figured I'd better check oil pressure NONE, kill the engine and damned if didn't forget to fill it with oil the night before. Word of advice, don't do that!!!!
Had to tear it down and rebuild it again.

I put the oil in and then proceeded to pump it all out while priming the oil pump. I forgot to install the oil pressure sender.

Then did it again later by not installing the oil filter (distracted by boobs that time).

 

[YBeNormal]

I put the oil in and then proceeded to pump it all out while priming the oil pump. I forgot to install the oil pressure sender.

Then did it again later by not installing the oil filter (distracted by boobs that time).

Ok curiosity got me on this one. You have random boobs wandering around your shop?!?!

 

[Ricks Garage]

Got my neat 19" Chevy wire wheels off of e-bay, then I got my front axle and rear end......car wheels don't fit on truck drums....had to go to solid wheels.
Resold the wires...
Backfired though my carbs, broke one, cause the timing was too retarded.
^2x, make sure of your rear end ratio before you buy....
don't dry sandblast......use a pressure washer kit, it will keep from warping the panels....
Get a good title with the car...it took me 3 months a 4 visits to DMV. I had a MI title and Florida registration slips....it did not help.

working on my second one...fewer mistakes....less money spent

weld on......[

 

[boosh]

Well, you said it was auto-mattic!

Put a stick floor shifter in and did not install indicator. Daughter came by one nite and wanted to go to a party in it. I was not home....Wife said sure, what could it hurt? Drove it 20 miles in low gear........By, By, 327 !
But on the flip side I got a 454 out of a motor home and I was back.....Badder than before !

 

[Yankee Transplant]

old iron ,, I built a 56 ford 223 engine (my first) I filled mine with oil I cranked her up (solid lifters) so I knew they would make some noise ... so I run it for about 1 min. then checked all out water , oil , ready to go .. so down the road I went lifters got louder , and louder so I shut it down towed it back to the shop .. after a lot of looking come to find out no oil pressure took pan off and guess what ???? no oil rod that turns the oil pump ... it was still over there on the bench under some rags and other junk ..(put new bearings in) and tried it again ,,,

 

[Old Iron]

So it's all your fault?!

[P

 

[MercuryMac]

Noshopskills, I was one of the guys who was a little offended after I posted an embarrassing adventure and then thought you had an attitude. You are right about no eye contact and voice inflection in the written word , so it's harder sometimes to tease, successfully.
I'm relatively new here, but I never felt any good old boys against the newbies, so I'll argue about the old establishment.
Anyhow, this is a very nice forum to be on, and I'm proud to be part of it. I'll learn a bit, teach a bit, and tease the guys a bit. I hope you'll do the same.

 

[sneakysnake]

That's the reason I put LOL after a post that might be taken wrong or personal, whether it helps I haven't had to apologize in a while.lol Ok back to topic,
Its very important to put the freeze plug looking cap in the rear cam hole of your motor before you mate it to tranny and put it in the truck and start it.