Technical Ever get so pissed off you wanted to, or did, destroy something?

In my younger years, while working on my hot rods I have gone completely OUT OF MY SKULL, and scared the hell out of any witnesses ! I try to stay calm now.

 

I have a friend that deals in Tri-Five Chevrolet cars AND parts. One car he bought fairly cheap was a 56, 210, 2 door sedan, who's owner had trouble one night with it "breaking down" on the freeway. He took to the car with the tire iron from the trunk, busted up all the glass, dented every panel on the car, and all because it was just out of gas. The friend sold most everything usable from the car, and made a good profit, then had a hulk hauler come for what was left, which was just the dented up body/glass. It had been a nice car before the guy went nuts on it. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I break stuff just for fun sometimes and also when I'm angry. I got this old bowling ball for smashing stuff, it's name is Larry, written right on it. I have finally stopped smashing my good stuff or throwing my good tools. But you know what really pisses me off, computers and direct tv remotes and cell phones I don't think I can ever smash enough of those. I got a telephone pole here at the house I nail old phones too. Seems like the right thing to do.

 

My 1956 buick station wagon knows knows the F word all too well. lol.Bruce.

 

In the garage I have an old Glasco Coke machine that holds bottles of beer perfectly. I have had to take a break and drink a beer on several occasions.

 

As an apprentice many years ago, I was told something by an older mechanic that I’ve never forgotten but often ignored – “Never get mad with a hammer in your hand”. Good advice, lousy student, and I’ve got a smushed-up finger to prove it.

 

Went to Home Depot one time, found an orange shirt and asked him if he had drywall repair materials. He said "how big is the damage?" I replied "About fist sized." He said "We have kits just for that." Makes sense to me.

 

Hot august night 1978 coming out of Provincial Park, I run thru the gears with yellow 57 Bel-Air.

Pulled over excessive noise $103.

Half hour later in town pulled over $103 excessive noise.

I get out of car because I can’t sit still.

I rip off my rear mounted aerial, it help some.

As the Cop pulls out I follow.

I pump clutch and watch my headlights beams bounce up and down on the cop car rear view mirror ahead of me.

He turns left, I turn right.

I was wrong, but it was a ruff night$

 

Just read that David Crosby (of Stills, Nash & Young) hit a jogger with his Tesla. Injuries not life threatening. Reminds me: Crosby used to live here, and one night he pulled into the 7/11, came out with a 12 pack only to find the keys locked in his car. Set the beer on the roof, walked over to the bushes, grabbed a large rock, heaved it through a window, unlocked the car, grabbed the beer and drove off. I'm not sure he was even pissed though, except in the British parlance.

 

No. Because I don't have underlying rage issues.

 

Turns out these Ford trac locks have a two piece gear that the axle goes into. Had no idea. Axle chunk was wedged between the two. Now I'm just hoping I didn't wreck anything else when I was beating on it before taking it all the way apart.

 

If I could find the members of the Ford committee that designed the Triton I would punch each and every one in the mouth then shove 8 broken spark plugs in every orifice then smash their knees with the cylinder head that had to be removed to change the last two plugs.

 

I soldered around the wrench it took some creative soldering to keep the radiator from leaking but it reminded me to throw shit at the wall or *somebody after that.

I had a friend that was building an engine in his living room (don't judge you all have wished that you could) and through a tirade over a nicked cam bearing. His wife sent one of the kids over to get me, I guess it shocked the hell out of him when he kicked the tube out of the TV. he was still twitching when I got there. Never ever kick the TV or the Stereo.

*preferably not your woman.

 

Way back in the mid 60's, a lot of problems were encountered when they switched the telephone service over to direct dialing. Local mechanic couldn't get his newly installed dial phone to work.
He ripped it off the wall and threw it on the concrete so many times that just the chassis was left; then took it to the telephone office and said "here, fix this thing"

Which reminds me that he had one of those long hydraulic jacks (don't see many of those around) that didn't perform as expected. He threw that thing all over the place until there was nothing left to salvage.

Now-days they call it "anger issues" Back then it was just lettin off a little steam.

 

I have a friend whose cell phone dropped an important $$$ call while he was at his shop, he calmly walked to the tool cabinet pulled out the cordless drill, fished around the workbench bin for a 3" sheetrock screw and screwed the cell phone to the wall through the keypad. We fell all over ourselves laughing and scrambling for cover when the phone rang 15 minutes later.

 

Years ago a mechanic for Mercury outboards told me a story about Karl Kiekhafer the president of Mercury, he said he was working late one day and Karl came into his shop pissed about something and started race motors he was testing on various stands a couple of v8's and some outboards in tanks, he went from motor to motor running them way past redline until they blew, after he blew everything in there he calmly walked out.

 

In 1962, I was 17 and ready to drive my 30 Model A chopped and channeled coupe for the first time, out in the country (Indiana) with no registration, title, or insurance and sitting on a wooden pop crate. The car had a nasty vibration in the torque tube (Y-Block w/39 tranny). I got mad and floored it, hit a bump and lost it (bump steer), rolled 2-1/2 times, tore off the driver's door. Total of 7 miles.

 

In my younger, more enthusiastic days, my pals got so used to my shop temper they could predict when I'd freak out would just duck as a wrench went flying into the sheet rock like a hatchet and continue working like it was nothing. I always threw at the same back wall so as not to damage the hot rod. Older and wiser, it's quite a bit bit more under control now. But sometimes...

 

^^^^ Now that's a total bummer!^^^^ no pun intended.

 

When I purchased my Roadster, It was a fairly nice old show car, I decided to clean the undercarriage - It was solid chrome. 6 hours of cleaning and polishing. Took it for a spin. Radiator sprung a leak, covered the whole underside with antifreeze. Drove it back into the garage grabbed the first thing I found, a 13/16 open end box wrench and threw it at the wall. Hit the wall and bounced back hitting me right between the eyes. Knocked me out cold!!!!
Now when I think of doing something like that I remember the huge black lump that was between my eyes.

 

LOL not car stuff. But, women? oh yea.

 

^^Yes I know the feeling. As much as I often think cars and parts are conscious and out to get me, there is a definite line of distinction between them and living creatures. I can smash a car part to bits but if I so much as slap my dog the guilt is unbearable. Rodents being the exception.

 

I couldnt agree more! On both slapping my dog (which i dont do but man just yelling at her messes me up!) and rodents being the exception. I HATE those bastards!!

Tony

 

I have a friend that is into British cars that benefited from someone's anger one morning. He was reading the paper and saw an ad for a 69 MGB described as perfect other than a blown engine, $200. He and his business partner took extra money with them and a hammer knowing that it was probably a messed up starter. They got there, the car was in amazing shape. They made the transaction with the owner who went on and on about how he hated the car before tapping the starter. The car fired right up. They told the guy that they felt bad for paying so little and offered him more money, but he just declined and said for them to get that piece of crap out of his sight. I believe they just cleaned it up and flipped it after driving it for a few months.

 

The 5th time I put a V-6 T-Bird blown head gasket motor back together and it STILL leaked water to the pistons despite milling heads (3X) and block (2X) the torque wrench went through the grill (but didn't get to the radiator). Turned out that my shop was milling with a rotating head that had 1 tooth set too high.

 

Yup....it seems absolutely NOTHING ever goes the way I think it should...or is supposed too.....every time I attempt something in the garage, ...I can certainly expect a longer duration, which usually leads to something else...never fails!!!

 

LOL I had a family working with me in Mexico that had a gaggle of kids. They had this old ragged out suburban when they first moved down with me and it busted a U joint out in the middle of nowhere. So I ended up out there laying on my back in the mud. Somehow I managed to drop the driveshaft on my face (which really didn't hurt anything) and let out a string that just turned the air blue. I rolled out and their little girl (about 8) wiped my face with a towel. So I apologized to her and she said, "That's OK Uncle Ben, grandpa is a mechanic and he knows some words that you don't know."

 

In high school my 52 F1's transmission would periodically hang between first and second gear. I had a couple of extra 3 speed transmissions so I would just change them out when it happened. Normally took less than an hour but one day I couldn't get everything lined up properly and it just wouldn't go in. (Insert that's what she said joke) Had a fit, slammed the door and broke out the window. Cooled off for about 15 minutes and it went right in on the first try. Gradually learned to walk away for a bit and whatever was wrong would usually work.

 

Yes, more than once and paid dearly for it!
KK

 

I don't remember ever destroying anything in a rage (not that it never happened), but I have broken my share of things by forcing them in frustration instead of finessing them. I've also injured myself most when tired and frustrated.
I've since learned to walk away when things don't go as planned. Funny how the next day that thing you couldn't get installed or removed it just goes in/comes out like magic.