Heres a tip...

[wikd69]

When you install a brand new battery in the back of your freshly painted, newly wired, just revamped back-half Camaro, always, and I mean *always*, check to make sure they gave you a *sealed* battery. Not one that will puke battery acid all over the freshly painted, newly wired, just rebuilt back-half goodies, two days before Sacramento Autorama. Otherwise you'll be like me, pissed off and covered with watery baking soda and semi-neutralized sulphuric acid, scrambling to get the ride cleaned up and restored so the vendor who invited you to set up in his booth doesn't lose the $200 he paid for your slot when ya don't show up. I think I'm gonna get it back together, but it's gonna be close. I gotta be setup on the floor by tomorrow afternoon and I still have to finish detailing the rest of the ride.

I must have done something really bad in a previous life.

Anyone else have any other pearls of wisdom to toss out here ?

[JustinSuhas]

pics man, PICS! We gotta see the damage.

The day after i painted my jeep, i was walking by it in the shop holding the hood to put it in place when WHAM! i slammed the corner on the bumper. Gashed allll the way to the metal etch primer. Dented too.

My solution? Ignore it. Its a jeep. Kinda funny, the only dent on my jeep is on the hood, which i got from the back bumper.

Too bad that solution wont work for you :-[

Now, no time to loose! Pics!

[L98camino]

My painter was laying clear on the hood of my Elcamino while standing on a low bench (common practice since he is only 5'5") and the bench tipped over! He slammed the nozzle of the gun right into the hood!!! Had to redo the whole hood, and buy a new nozzle.

We we were both bummed to say the least. Here's a shot of the "refinished" hood.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/mrsblondie/El%20camino/elcamino010.jpg

[wikd69]

My painter was laying clear on the hood of my Elcamino while standing on a low bench (common practice since he is only 5'5") and the bench tipped over! He slammed the nozzle of the gun right into the hood!!! Had to redo the whole hood, and buy a new nozzle.

We we were both bummed to say the least. Here's a shot of the "refinished" hood.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/mrsblondie/El%20camino/elcamino010.jpg




Wow ! I love that paint scheme.

[PEIMopar]

Ha! My buddy had his freshly doen 69 big block chevelle in the garage for the winter. He was putting the snowblower in after a use and it got away. Right into the tailight panel. Back to bare metal. He got that fixed and 6 months later the 4 speed slipped out of gear and the car rolled down the driveway across the road and into a trench where the city was laying sewer lines! Major repair work. He is still workin on that one. Car will be black with prostars, and a 496-540 cubes and a 4 gear. Should be cool.

[wikd69]

Not sure why, but I'm starting to feel better reading these posts <g>

[Ron Ward]

TIP:

When pulling a 440 out of a 1969 Barracuda, verify the wheels of the cherry picker are supported firmly so as not to sink into the soft surface of the gravel driveway. If these wheels sink into the driveway while supporting the aforementioned 440 at an altitude of six feet in the air, it will cause the hoist to tip towards the windshield, thus depositing the 440 on the dashboard. (Thankfully, it wasn't MY car!)

Ron

[wikd69]

TIP:

When pulling a 440 out of a 1969 Barracuda, verify the wheels of the cherry picker are supported firmly so as not to sink into the soft surface of the gravel driveway. If these wheels sink into the driveway while supporting the aforementioned 440 at an altitude of six feet in the air, it will cause the hoist to tip towards the windshield, thus depositing the 440 on the dashboard. (Thankfully, it wasn't MY car!)

Ron


ouch *cringe* ouch

[L98camino]

TIP:

Don't wrap the air hose around the casters on the engine stand to keep the 460 FE short block from rolling out the shop door and into the hood of a pristine 1987 Z28 customers car...... :'(

[JOES66FURY]

when repairing flat tires on a Lincoln turn off the air ride AND when your done and you put the car in the parkling lot for the customer...ALWAYS put the car in park so it doest roll out of the spot... down the lot... and into the back of your flat bed tow truck.....this avoids costly reapirs like 2 new 1/4 panels and a deck lid....Just something I learned back in the early 90's...hope it helps ;D

[Remy-Z]

I got to witness this one personally...friend had a freshly painted '72 Torino, painted black. Carb decided to quit, so it was decided to tow it to the other end of the shop and park until weekend. He, being impatient, hooked a tow chain to a Chevy and tried to tow the car himself with no driver in the Torino.

One good, crushed Ford and one bent-to-hell Chevy bumper later... ::) Retrospect, I probably should not have laughed...

[VTJUNK]

I went to a little used car place once to look at a Rambler that was for sale amongst a few other older cars. The guy came out with the keys and starts giving me the story on the car, low miles, little old lady, etc. He then pulls the choke and starts the car with the door open, one leg hanging out, and tells me that although it runs good, it needs brakes. I thinking, no big deal. It actually didn't have any brakes at all. He put it in drive to show me that the trans engages and with it running on a fast idle it lurches ahead and rearends the car in front it, and he panics and goes for park, but puts the car in reverse instead. He slams into the car behind him, and this whole thing repeats itself once more. The car had quite a bit of damage on it, so I wasn't interested. Funny story though.

I guess the tip would be don't put cars with no brakes into gear when surrounded by other cars.

[Will]

A guy on my favorite truck forum is also frantically getting ready to be in a vendor's display for the Sac Autorama after a masking tape incident. You guys totally need to get a beer afterward.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=277714

[TheSilverBuick]

Dragging shopping carts at 40mph can occasionally result in damage to the car :-\ Fortunately parents bought the "It was my friend's sister's bike that scratched (minor dent) the side of my car" story :-X We learned to hit the brakes when you let them go as opposed to racing them ;D




A guy on my favorite truck forum is also frantically getting ready to be in a vendor's display for the Sac Autorama after a masking tape incident. You guys totally need to get a beer afterward.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=277714


Ouch :'(

[JustinSuhas]

poor chevy truck, poor camaro. im getting worried. they say these sort-of things happen in 3's...

who will be the next victim?

[wikd69]

I finally got everything stuffed back into the camaro and rolled it into the trailer. Got down to Cal-Expo and unloaded late yesterday afternoon, rolled in and got set up. Turned out pretty good, though I was detailing stuff up until the last minute (and even after we got the car setup).

We got the back of the car up on some high jackstands (which probably left the Camaro really confused - usually it's only on jackstands at home), pulled the back tires off and stuffed some mirrors under it (this is, after all, in a gear and axle vendors booth). I was a little apprehensive about how it would turn out but it came out pretty cool. And just when I'm starting to get mellow about how good everything looks given the time I had to detail stuff, and it's sorta nice that it's a just a little dark in the area I'm in, Jeff (from Jaws Gear and Axle) sez "Hey, you know what would look good under there? A couple of those bright little spot lights they sell down at Home Depot. That would *really* light things up".... ^Up^ goes the old stress-meter again...

Ah well. If folks are sweating paint finish or detail work under the back of my Camaro they're looking at all the wrong stuff, right ?

<laffin> One of the guys setting up near me came over and asked if I wanted to use some tire dressing on the back tires. I looked at him and said "Whats wrong with the tires ? They're supposed to look that way, I like the wrinkle effect...". He just looked at me, looked at the tires, shook his head and walked away. ;D

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii137/arkwoo/tire_shot_d.jpg

[L98camino]

That is a lot of tire!! The wrinkle effect is perfect, I wouldn't change a thing!

[Will]

Tire dressing, huh? ;D

Glad it's working out for you, dude.

[wikd69]

Tire dressing, huh? ;D

Glad it's working out for you, dude.


Hey I don't make this stuff up, I just quote it. <g>

[JOES66FURY]

Must have been a mamber of the lawn chair maffia....some people just dont get it.....

[KeithTurk]

I understand that guy... He's just trying to help you be more like him...

( they have medication for it too.. ) ( personally I'd rub some salt on him )...

[L98camino]

"He just looked at me, looked at the tires, shook his head and walked away"....and took another sip of the cool-aid!!! HAHA

[72_Ventura]

I think the first time I get a tire to do that, I'll take it off the car and put it in a display case somewhere at home. But only until I find myself really needing a tire.