Drove my 2003 QC 4x4 Hemi into a parking garage that said minimum clearance 6'9". Just enough for comfort, then on the circular ramp going down the next cement cross member said 6'3" clearance. Going to fast to stop until almost past the cross member. $1,800 dollars to fix the roof scapes.

 

Not expensive, but enough to prompt a "H#ly Sh$t!"

Opened the truck yesterday AM to find light brown foam plastered everywhere and I do mean everywhere. First thought was some rodent locked in truck all night and chewing everything to ribbons.

But the stuff was crusty and only slightly stuck to dash, doors, headliner, windshield, console, steering wheel, guages seats...you get the idea.

And then there's this inside out diet coke can laying on the passenger's floorboard.

Only then did I remember a full, unopened can of coke I didn't drink because it was too warm.

Not for long.... It got down to -15F the previous evening. New Year's Eve.

Must have made a heck of a pop. (no pun intended).

Clean-up was not too bad... Used a vacuum cleaner and a plastic putty knife. Still only +5F or it would have been bad news. Coke soaking into all the electronics would not have been nice.

 

I thought i would be a good friend to a buddy of mine and offered to do a tune up on his girlfriend's 93 jeep Tj, spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor and fuel filter. Simple, right? All the work was started at 6PM on a sunday night, so no help.

Well, The fuel filter went in fine first. Then As I took the spark plug wires wires off, i made a mistake in writing the firing order to replace the wires.
When changed the cap, rotor, plugs and wires, the truck would not run because of the firing order was screwed up. Me convinced that the order was right, proceeded to pull the injector rail off to check if some dirt maybe got into the fuel line as I changed the filter. As I was pulling the fuel rail off, managed to break off the engine temberature sensor off, (28$ from Dodge).

Once reassembled everything the motor still would not start. Called another buddy of mine to check online the firing order, but by this point the truck was so flooded, even with the right firing order would not start. There was propably a cup of raw fuel in the exhaust system and muffler. Left the truck to sit for about twenty minutes, then tried starting again. Well, as soon as the engine turned over once, it backfired. It was so loud, it sounded like someone dropped a granade im my garage. To my amazement as it backfired, I felt a rush of air accross my legs. Well, the brand new mufflew(which I installed the week-end earlier) was blown apart like like a sardine can in a fire.(68$ from Napa). The truck finally started and ran rather smooth to my surprise.

And for one final insult, as I was getting into the cramped Jeep to drive it out of my garage, (I'm 6'6" and 250lbs), I broke the door light switch which sticks out into the door opening against the hinge side($16 from dodge), with my right foot.

So the total to fix my buddy's jeep was 112$ out of my pocket. He's a good friend so he covered all the costs just didn't pay me for the work. That sounded like a good trade for me. He did still pay for the beer.

JR.

 

Ok, Put 2.2 cords of wood on my truck with my big racks, tore out one of the stake pockets.
Put two cans of stop leak in to fix my vacuum pump and rear main, made everything leak!
While pulling the t-case in the garage (to tack 5th gear in place), didn't realize my garage slanted out. Got the cross member mostly out and had the trans jack holding up the t-case (and everything else). Pulled the driveshaft and she wanted to head out of the barn. Jammed my foot bedind the rear tire and asked my son to chock the tire with something. He picked up my welder, I said no, and then the moment passed. I couldn't hold it annymore, so I just rolled all the way under and let her go over me. Broke the adapter for the t-case mount, but didn't seem to hurt anything else. Finished the job in below freezing temps outside in the wet gravel. It's what I deserved....
Shanked my getrag pulling my sisters Ferd van up the caprock back to TX. Didn't know about over filling it at the time....
I'm sure there is more. I'm an idiot!

 

Over the past few months I seem to be into backing into things that I know are there and have fully visualized, acknowledge their presence, yet get stupid in the end. It began with the mailbox at the video rental joint; I pulled into a spot that I normally don't, and when I left I was watching the mailbox and slid slowly right into it; took it in the driver taillight and it slid upward and scratched the metal. Next was a freestanding mailbox out in the county at a dove shoot in September. I was backing out and nailed the snot out of it. It was made from a steel wheel as a base, about 2" pipe coming up, and a big ol metal mailbox on top. It hit the ground and sounded like a gong. Everybody heard that one. Thinking about changing my license plate to STUPID

 

You reminded be of something I did some time back in the Dodge. I saw something on the side of the freeway in town and pulled over to check it it. Naturally I went past it a ways, so I started backing up rather quickly as to not get busted, AND NAILED A GIANT LIGHT POLE!!!! Luckily it took a few seconds to fall so I had time to get out of the way. I stayed there for a while in an ethical quandry, trying to decide to stick around and face the music or flee. I called my wife and a friend and both urged me to run like the wind. I stuck around for a while longer, but the devil on my shoulder won out and I bolted. I still feel bad about it though....
I think that buys be "the biggest idiot" and "worst citizen" plates....

 

Parked on a riverbank one tire barely in the water in spring in AK: That night it rained hard all night.. Woke up with my truck 200 yds downriver, on the other side, cab burried to the door handles. I had mailed the 1st payment (new Nissan) right before we took the trip.

Put off a carb rebuild: Also in AK - carb froze WOT (bad spring and icing combination) in a 15mph 'drive slow - avalanche danger' area. You were also not supposed to stop - same reason. Mtn on the left. Wiley-coyote plummet-to-your-death ravine on the right. Required: 1 can WD40 to unstick the carb when we finally stopped, one clutch job a little talk therapy for my passenger when he realized what was wrong and one big prybar to separate my butt from the driver's seat. Note: I do not recommend gagging on clutch dust for more than 2-3 minutes.

Not moving sooner: 4 break-ins in 7 years for about 6K worth of petty-theft dmg including one failed attempt to steal a brand-x tape deck (in 2004). The would-be thief apparently scratched at the screws with his prybar but couldn't get them out. I had a phillips screwdriver in the pax side footwell looking suspiciously like the one used to install the radio...

 

how many guys here have forgot to unplug the lights from the gooseneck before pulling off.... done that twice now. Talk about feeling stupid.

 

wow that sounds pretty bad but ive made a veiw mistakes myself one was when i put the fast system on my rig and forgot to put a hose clamp the fittings and so it ran great for about a week and while i was in rush hour got on the throttle and the **** hose came off the pump, and the engine died had to reset my truck that takes 30 min. the second was the last oil change i over touqed the drain plug and when i went to take it off last week i had to use a 3 ft cheeter bar to break it loose well i got it loose and also broke the plug so i had to make my way to the dealership to by a 20$ plug and gasket talk about simple mistakes pissin you off.

 

hey i have to add a good one here. a few years back i was working for the government on a conventional explosives project at the nevada test site. i was burning the candle at both ends and some in the middle. we worked four ten hour days and it was 2.5hrs each way to the work site. I would leave for work at 4:30am and get home at 7:30pm. on top of that i was dating a hottie that worked for cirque du soliel here in vegas(one of the best times in my life i might add). I was the union steward for electricians in our area so every thursday i would bring in doughnuts for the crew. i jump in the ctd and head to the winchells. in a flash i was back on the road with 4 dozen of their best.

I get almost out of vegas and the truck dies on it's feet. i coast up the off ramp and notice that i was so tired and loopy that i ran it out of fuel. there isn't a station in sight so i call in to work and call for a tow. about 45 min later a flatbed shows up and takes me back to the house. he drops the truck and i ask him if he is headed back to his office anytime soon. he says yeah so i gave him all of the doughnuts. cheap so and so didn't even give me a discount. lol.

i go to start my klr650 to go and get some fuel. she won't start. finally on the batteries last gasp she fires up and i am off to the gas station. as i am leaving the parking lot i am thinking "man this bike feels spongy". i pull off of the street to discover i have a flat front tire. I run it a few blocks to the auto store and the techs air it up for me. thanks fellas! I go in and buy a 5 gallon fuel can to tote the diesel in and head for the gas station. when i pull in a local cop sees me with a 5 gallon can stapped to my cargo rack and says i can't haul fuel that way. i explain my situation to him and after some massaging he lets me go on my way with 5 gallons of fuel.

I get back home and pour in the fuel, bleed the fitting at the vp and try to start up. no luck. i break out my tool box and start looking for a wrench to bleed the injector lines. my 3/4 wrench is missing. &*(^%!!!! back on the bike and off to the store for a wrench. $20 later i am back and ready to rock, just in time to find my 3/4 wrench laying in the bed of my truck. ok God, obviously you are testing me. Is this all you got? BRING IT ON! i cant take it and smile! I loosen the injector lines and crank until she fires up.

total damage: one day's pay, $160 tow bill, $8 in fuel, and a $20 wrench.

 

Heres one

There had been some dogs chasing some of our cattle for quite some time and I had never actually caught them in the act this went on for about a month. Finally I pull in to feed this particular pasture one day and there they are My suspicions were confirmed. I jerked the gun out from behind the seat and comenced to cutting them down in the act when all of a sudden I was pelted with glass from my mirror I had been sweeping from left to right and firing while looking through the scope. Well the scope was above the mirror not allowing me to see it but the barrel ligned up perfectly shattering my mirror I was scared at first then I just felt stupid.

 

Does meeting your wife at the local bar at 7 pm and pulling in at 6:45 with the new young hottie barmaid on the back of the bike while the wife is just getting out of her car count?


ever spin a wheel bearing with compressed air? Was young seemed like a good way to dry off the solvent before repacking.. 5 sodium vapor lights and a nice ride to the ER .

 

Stupid AND expensive...
1) Honestly, the first time I said "I do." I had come to the realization 5 minutes before that that I was making a huge mistake but chickened out of running.
2) Thrashing a perfect 1969 Corvette roadster to death in 20k miles.
3) Trusting a sociopath to keep his word on a house sale. That cost me 5 years of sweat equity and $175K.
4) Buying Cunningham Connecting Rods. I bought and installed a set in my 7.3 powerstroke 2 years ago and one was defective. It broke 10k miles later and trashed the engine I'd spent $28,000 and 18 months of my spare time building. The most insulting part is that I've been a machined parts inspector for 21 years and I had to tell them afterwards what was wrong with their process, which they have changed, so I hear. But do you think they will even refund the money I spent on the rods? Fat chance. Not only that, I sent them my rod set at their insistence and now they refuse to contact me. I've been hood winked, lied to and swindled again as well as professionally insulted beyond words. That was expensive and stupid and never would have happened if I hadn't gotten greedy for more power.
BTW, that rod broke with the engine putting out maybe 375 hp max. But I couldn't run it WOT because I didn't have a larger turbo for it at the time it broke, so I just tooled around in it. It broke off at 55 mph under no more load than rolling along flat freeway. No racing, no thrashing. That rod simply fatigue cracked because it was defective, poorly designed, incorrectly processed (horribly over shot peened), grossly overpriced junk.

 

This falls more under the catagory of horrendous bad luck than stupidity, well, except for the Corvette...
I paid $5,000 for a '68 Hemi Roadrunner (one of 11 just like it), almost mashed it in the guard rail on the way home, ground down a cam lobe, spent $500 bucks fixing it (especially after finding a few slightly bent rods), sold it for $6,000 with 24K original miles on the clock, the rest is sad history, because we all know how much it's worth now. Then I bought a '74 Cuda 360 with a crappy 273 engine in it, sold the engine for $400, built a super commando 383 that I had very carefully (I hand radiused the pistons and flame slots within nearly identical cc values, (they cc'd to 10.567 to 1 compression ratio) put in Mothers biggest juice cam, cheetah manual shift valve body, yadda yadda, but spent too much time with the car and not my new wife. Car went for $2,500, now worth about $30k. All I have left is my 1941 Dodge Military and was trying to sell it (in order to come up with enough jack to fix all the problems on my '93) until I saw that they are now selling for $25K in running condition. I'm thinking I ought not to make the same mistake again, but my driver is falling apart!
Crap!
Mark

 

buying my 07 truck last year nothing but trouble