Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: SteveBailey on May 24, 2008, 04:51:43 PM

Title: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: SteveBailey on May 24, 2008, 04:51:43 PM
So I was working on running purge light wiring/lines and on the wiring of some switches in the console(Nos, purge, spark retard) and had the car in gear because the angle of the shfiter is better this way from removing the shift knob retainer clip. Over the period of a few nights I worked on it in my garage. A couple of nights ago I was standing in my driveway speaking to an employee as he smoked a cigarette and noticed that the vette appeared to be sitting too close to the garage door to let it close. I asked my employee (Charlie) "does that look like it can close to you?" as I stood in the doorway, looking down the line of the garage door opening. Charlie agreed it didn't look like the door would close either, but it had been opening and closing.................for several days.

Dread swept over me, trepidation that I had damaged the car caused that cold crummy feeling in the pit of my stomach. In the dark, I made my way to the workbench and grabbed the worlds greatest worklight, seen here: http://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/cgi-bin/ryderfp/products/srm/oid/143195/pn/Cordless-LED-Work-Light-7.2v/erm/product_detail.jsp (http://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/cgi-bin/ryderfp/products/srm/oid/143195/pn/Cordless-LED-Work-Light-7.2v/erm/product_detail.jsp)

and trod the short distance back to the rear end of my car with that terrible feeling that I had done something very foolish and there was noone to blame but me.

Before I turned on the light at the site of my potential disaster I said to Charlie: "I think I am about to be very sad." I flipped on the switch on the world's greatest work light and








Sure enough, the garage door had been opening and closing, all the while rubbing paint off the back of my big blue beast.
I said " I'm very sad."
The paint was completely rubbed off in the spot where the vertical support spar of the garage door was hitting it. The car had rolled back over a period of days.... must have been rolling inperceptively, until I happened to look at the back end. I couldn't bear to look more than that quick glance. The next day I called the shop that painted it and told them what happened; begged them to fix it right away so I wouldn't have to look at the car. Robin at Auto Renew took pity on me and agreed to help me out. I didn't even go in the garage, I had Charlie drive it to the shop(he couldn't wipe the smile from his face) and had another employee follow him. I couldn't bear to see the destruction I had wrought on my own car.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: Rollins on May 24, 2008, 05:56:51 PM
Wow.  Between baby fecal matters and your poor Vette, you're havin' a rough month or so, Steve. :frown: Hope it gets better, man.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: BBBB on May 24, 2008, 06:22:25 PM
*points and laughs..then stops* Sorry about your car dude. That sucks. I did something stupid this afternoon though it did not involve a Vett, just a new Toyota Corolla. I backed into a wall at a parking garage today. I have a nice white mark on the back right bumper of my wifes car now.

 I know honesty is the best policy and all, but I am not sure if I should just play dumb and not say anything. Then maybe she will think someone hit her pulling into a parking space or something..I still haven't decided how I am going to play it yet.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: AKIron on May 24, 2008, 06:40:03 PM
You're gonna have a really tough time when one of your kids borrows it without permission and then drops it 30 ft while trying to roll the odometer back?  ;)
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: Maverick on May 24, 2008, 06:48:20 PM
It's just a car and it's just paint. If you had dropped it down a cliff, then I could see being upset.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: SD67 on May 24, 2008, 07:53:27 PM
The automotive tragedy I will lament to my dying day is the loss of my A9X hatchback only 3 months after I bought it.
I had it parked outside work and a B double took the corner wide and ran OVER it :O
It cost me $25000 back in 1989. They average $150000 these days. :cry
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: SteveBailey on May 24, 2008, 08:13:39 PM
You're gonna have a really tough time when one of your kids borrows it without permission and then drops it 30 ft while trying to roll the odometer back?  ;)

Good thing it doesn't have a grill to kick!
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: hubsonfire on May 24, 2008, 08:34:48 PM
At least you didn't neglect to set the parking brake, only to hear a horrible crash as you walked inside, and then wonder, for the briefest of moments, how a truck exactly like yours came to be wrapped around a tree in the back yard, inches from dropping 12 feet straight down into a lake. That was a very short lived thought, as I immediately realized, that wasn't like my truck, it was my truck.

That was my Sonoma SLE, hadn't even made the first payment. I sat in the yard and cried.

Bummer about your scratch.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: Swager on May 24, 2008, 08:41:57 PM
The topic of the thread sounded like something terrible happened, then I read the post.

It's only a Vette. 
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: SteveBailey on May 24, 2008, 10:13:45 PM
The topic of the thread sounded like something terrible happened, then I read the post.

It's only a Vette. 

The type of car is moot  really, although people who put down other's cars, like you, tend to drive real turds. No doubt you drive a real POS, I'd bet money on it.

The point is, it causes one anguish when one damages a project one has lovingly labored over, whether it be a car or a homemade birdhouse.
A turd like you wouldn't understand this, though.

Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: SteveBailey on May 24, 2008, 10:15:27 PM
At least you didn't neglect to set the parking brake, only to hear a horrible crash as you walked inside, and then wonder, for the briefest of moments, how a truck exactly like yours came to be wrapped around a tree in the back yard, inches from dropping 12 feet straight down into a lake. That was a very short lived thought, as I immediately realized, that wasn't like my truck, it was my truck.

That was my Sonoma SLE, hadn't even made the first payment. I sat in the yard and cried.

Bummer about your scratch.


Oh my... you've topped me. Did it have the 4.3 in it?  That is a great motor.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: CAP1 on May 24, 2008, 10:22:56 PM
sheesh!!! i started reading, and thought you coked the electrical system, or when i saw NOS, that maybe you did what 80% of the guys that run that do...and didn;'t enrichen it enough, and melted a piston!!!!!
 a little rubbed paint????? you got off easy and lucky!!!!!!

<<S>>
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: CAP1 on May 24, 2008, 10:25:28 PM
The type of car is moot  really, although people who put down other's cars, like you, tend to drive real turds. No doubt you drive a real POS, I'd bet money on it.

The point is, it causes one anguish when one damages a project one has lovingly labored over, whether it be a car or a homemade birdhouse.
A turd like you wouldn't understand this, though.



<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<drives a 93 geo prism right now as i can't afford gas in my dakota or my fairmont.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: SteveBailey on May 24, 2008, 10:45:11 PM
sheesh!!! i started reading, and thought you coked the electrical system, or when i saw NOS, that maybe you did what 80% of the guys that run that do...and didn;'t enrichen it enough, and melted a piston!!!!!
 a little rubbed paint????? you got off easy and lucky!!!!!!

<<S>>

I really did... you know how  it is though... foolishly damaged something you  have slaved over
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: CAP1 on May 24, 2008, 10:47:27 PM
I really did... you know how  it is though... foolishly damaged something you  have slaved over

ya, unfortunatly, i do know the feeling :D
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: SteveBailey on May 24, 2008, 10:54:20 PM
, or when i saw NOS, that maybe you did what 80% of the guys that run that do...and didn;'t enrichen it enough, and melted a piston!!!!!
 <<S>>

You are right, lots of guys do this.  I hope to never be one.  I run a wet system and have forged pistons. I'm hoping for the best.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: MoeRon on May 25, 2008, 12:29:40 AM
at least you werent this guy.... :eek:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-ZT5mQLy5C4 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=-ZT5mQLy5C4)
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: Curval on May 25, 2008, 06:52:53 AM
That sucks Steve.

I'm not a big car guy but I have done some whoppers to myself on many occasions as I'm sure we all have. 
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: lazs2 on May 25, 2008, 09:33:49 AM
My el camino is being painted as we speak.. it is a good/bad thing..  I will worry till I put the first scratch on it.  Still.. I won't get upset unless someone really dings it bad.

Healey is flat black..  I pile tools and stuff on it all the time.

lazs
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: bergy on May 25, 2008, 10:53:00 AM
Thats not all too funny a video Moeron....oh wait it is...LMAO :rofl :rofl

When I was a kid my mother forgot to put her car in park while getting the mail, she turned around just in time to see the car going down the driveway and center punch a 18"diameter tree, good thing the tree was there, otherwise the next stop was the nieghbors hot tub! Was a 77 mustang II so no great loss as far as the car goes. So Steve a little pain is no terrable loss, even though shes your baby, the car will forgive you.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: texasmom on May 25, 2008, 02:05:19 PM
I did a fair piece of damage to one of my vehicles recently too.  TxDad graciously fixed it, though.  And if he was upset with me about it, he sure didn't let it show.  I would have blown a gasket had I been in his shoes... since it was something stupid & preventable that knocked it out of commission, rendering it undrivable...
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: vorticon on May 25, 2008, 02:08:21 PM
at least you didn't drive it into a large brightly painted stationary object (concrete pillar) at a mere 2mph.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: CAP1 on May 25, 2008, 02:14:32 PM
at least you werent this guy.... :eek:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-ZT5mQLy5C4 (http://youtube.com/watch?v=-ZT5mQLy5C4)

it's a shame too..that car was absolutley beautiful i think the new mustangs are the best looking cars to come from ford ain a loooooooong time.

<<S>
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: Lumpy on May 25, 2008, 07:11:50 PM
Sorry about your car Steve. Damage to a product of labour of love always hurts. I think you've posted pictures of your Vette earlier, and if it's the one I'm thinking of it is a beauty.
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: DYNAMITE on May 25, 2008, 08:55:54 PM
Oh Steve that sucks bud!!!!!!!!!!  :mad:

Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: CAP1 on May 25, 2008, 10:32:25 PM
hey, listen dude, i just was goinf through this thread again, and saw my reply.....and it seemed to me i might have been taken as being an arse towards ya.......i wasn't trying to be.


<<S>>
Title: Re: "How I damaged my own car" or "I'm really stupid and I hate me"
Post by: Slash27 on May 25, 2008, 11:59:40 PM
At least you didn't neglect to set the parking brake, only to hear a horrible crash as you walked inside, and then wonder, for the briefest of moments, how a truck exactly like yours came to be wrapped around a tree in the back yard, inches from dropping 12 feet straight down into a lake. That was a very short lived thought, as I immediately realized, that wasn't like my truck, it was my truck.

That was my Sonoma SLE, hadn't even made the first payment. I sat in the yard and cried.

Bummer about your scratch.


ah  good times