Folks Of Interest Craziest thing you've seen or heard about regarding cars

I wish I had a dollar for every time some yahoo told me that they have a buddy who can jump their car's front wheel (front end) over a beer bottle (Coke bottle, etc.)......... as in "pop forward a 2-foot wheelie without doing a full burnout".
I'd have 6 or 8 dollars, at least.

 

I have few stories from my racing days, a fellow midget driver flipped out of track into the area next to the pavilion, he was not injured or rattled, it was quite the deal to extract the car, the track announcer went over there to interview the driver, Al, what happened ? are you Ok ?, his reply, I'm fine, I thought I'd get a hot dog and a beer and beat the rush at intermission. APS speedway 70's. Driver Al Fredenburg Jr. My pavilion story, big time flip in front of pavilion, higher than the roof I was told later and I took the ambulance ride to the hospital. Here's my story and I'm sticking to it. I'm in/out of it and remember laying on x-ray table and a real cute nurse comes in and lifts up my gown and checks me out, my question was, see anything you like ?, her reply, not really, I was just checking if it was true what they say about you racers, in your case I guess not. Hmmm, recovered no major injuries, other than another big time concussion.

 

Things I got asked when I had my Morris Minor: "Is it still one of the 2-stroke ones?" "Is it still one of the air-cooled ones?" — and all kinds of ***umptions that it's front wheel drive because the engine is closely related to the Mini's. And subsequently seeing cl***ified ads for a "Morris Minor 850" and the seller ***uring me that such a thing existed stock from the factory — and not once or twice (Series II cars had 803cc BMC A-series engines but were never badged by engine size. Minor 1000s had 948cc and later 1098cc A-series engines. I suppose the confusion comes from the early 1000 really being a 950, and the fact that there was also a Mini 850, with an 848cc A-series.)

One of my late cousin's stories: a neighbour of his installed an under-dash radio in his VW bus, and because he parked it in his apartment block's open parking lot he soldered fish hooks to the underside of the radio case. One morning he had occasion to call the cops:
"I just caught someone trying to steal my car radio."
"Did you get a look at him?"
"You don't understand. I caught him ..."

Everything the management of Citroën did to keep the Nazis from getting their hands on the 2CV prototypes would make for a good movie.

Cars are a good and noble way to have fun but are ironically one of the worst ways to get from A to B.

 

In the Seattle area around 1998 it was a divorced blonde in a red viper who apparently street raced between Olympia and Tacoma every Friday night around 2am.
At the time, my 20 year old self in a pretty hot 73 camaro never saw her no matter how hard I looked.

 

Nothing from back in the day stories of WWII surplus Jeeps and military motorcycles new in crates for stupid cheap prices?

 

For a while a local outfit (no pun intended) ***embled Chinese military Chang Jiang motorcycles and sidecars, both flathead and OHV versions, from surplus parts imported from China. They are basically c.1940 BMW knockoffs. It seems the Chinese factory has since got in on the act, pushing out the local guys.

 

My uncle used to buy and sell the contents of old houses and barns years ago (1970's). One of his finds was a new-in-the-crate 1930's Indian motorcycle.

 

"My car's a Factory Freak!"
*This was usually said about a late model musclecar after it had just beaten a clapped-out, 2-barrel, low compression, first-time, street racer.

 

Stopped by a farm 20 years ago hoping to snag some 12" B body brakes for my Chevelle.
Way off in the pasture sits a what looks like a 50ish 2 door cut down into a convertible.
Asked the owner what it was.
Oh, thats a 48 Hudson convertible. NFS.
Uncle so and so was murdered in it some time in the 60's.
And there it sits, probably still today.

 

Not weird but not normal either
Dan

 

It's 1962. I'm talking to my friend who is the body shop guy at the local Ford dealer. He pulls me over to look at a new Galaxie 406, opens the hood and says "look, 3 4 barrels".

 

In the 70's I owned a 53 Buick Skylark, a family down the street had it in their backyard so I went to talk to them because I wanted the wire wheels . I went in and said I'd be interested in your Buicks wheels what would you take for them. They said $300, Isaid I don't have that much cash but I have a very nice Gibson 225 electric guitar I'd trade . They said " our son is just starting guitar lessons so OK we'll do the trade. When are you going to pick up the car? Iwas shocked I wanted the wheels and was getting the whole car. I said I'd be right back gave them my guitar and towed the car home. It needed to be rewired in the engine compartment the wires were all burned up from a bad short. I rewired it one wire at a time and it was a running Buick. there was a bad convertible top on i so I asked my neighbor to make a top for it. About a week after I had the car home , one of my cats jumped off the houses roof to the car and went right thru the top so I had to have my neighbor put a new center top piece and I parked the Buick in my garage to protect it from my cat.

 

Hello,

We were able to push start my friend's 57 Chevy sedan that had a 4 speed transmission with 2 teenage girls and me. My friend was driving and getting ready to start the car with a dead battery, after listening to music on the radio. The girls were reluctant to push as they did not want to “get dirty.” But, the 57 Chevy owner was a good talker and so, we all got out to start pushing the 57 Chevy down the level street.

We got it moving faster than a good speed walk and as my friend let out the clutch, the car kicked in and started, surprising the girls with a whiff of exhaust fumes. They were glad we got started, since they did not have to walk home. Ha!

Now, we all know stick shift cars can be push started from those old days. But, can automatic transmission cars like old Powerglides and Hydramatics be push started? We were all told NO… But, my friend with his dad’s Pontiac 4 door sedan had A/C a nice radio and speakers and we all wore the battery down. So, he walked to the nearby telephone booth (remember those) and called another friend we knew would be home.

Jnaki

When the friend arrived, he had forgotten the jumper cables and we were now stuck still, unless we all wanted to go home in the friend’s empty car. So, my 57 Chevy friend said to push start the car and we all laughed. Remembering the idea that automatic transmission cars can’t be started by push starting. So, now what?

He broke out some beach towels wrapped up the bumpers and now the other friend’s bumper was in line with the big Pontiac’s bumper and would not scratch either car. The idea was similar to the standard teenagers push starting a stick shift car, but this time, the moving car had to be going a lot faster and being pushed by another car was the only option. Can it work?

We all sat back and watched the big Pontiac being pushed down the road a half a block and all of a sudden. The lights of the big Pontiac sedan lit up and the motor fired up with a puff of smoke. YEA!

Note:

We were all puzzled, but my 57 Chevy friend was told it could happen if one was going fast enough, faster than teenagers could push an automatic transmission car. He was happy the resulting running motor allowed us to get back in the sedan and be allowed to drive our friends home, safely. No taxi call and cost was necessary.

Wait, push starting an automatic transmission car with another? It could be done with early automatic transmissions, but today’s new designs cannot be done safely. So, there it that… YRMV and break out the battery cables plus, call AAA...



Keep the jumper cables handy in the trunk… or get AAA for help.

 

A older friend told me about how him and a buddy would go to the surplus auctions this was just before the Korea war. His buddy started bidding a lot on a creat . He asked him why ? It’s probably full if rain gear or boots . His buddy said I’ve got a good feeling about this one . The guy won the bid . They opened the crest there was an Indian army scout . They hauled it back to their dorm . They were taking aviation mechanics at Stillwater. They put it together the guy started it and proceeded to do an unplanned doughnut in the street . He was used of riding Harleys . Throttle and spark are opposite on an Indian . So they switched the cables and they rode it until they were shipped off to a military base in AK

 

When I was a teenager (‘60s), my dad my brothers and I went to look at a Jaguar XK120 that in a guy’s front yard with the top down for at least a year. But we bought the old fibergl*** body kit car equipped with a custom tube ch***is, and a Ford flathead for $75. Towed it home with its built in tow bar, behind my dad’s ‘41 Chevy pickup. My brother still has both vehicles in running condition…

 

^^^^^^ That's Corney,but just rite.

 

The auto trans has to have a rear pump, hydromatics did.

 

I heard of a guy whose kitchen cabinets are full of sparkpark wires!

 

I was told this "story" several times while growing up.

This 1950s yellow panel truck he built in the 70s was "too fast and too much to handle". As a result he sold it. A week or two later the new owner was hauling down the road and took out 5 telephone poles and subsequently died.

Even retelling this for the first time in my life pisses me off... haha. I remember thinking this was absurd at 8 years old and every time after.

I once even road my bike counting 5 poles and looking back that was all the evidence I needed to realize the story was exaggerated at the very least.

 

Seen a yard sale drove past. Thought I would turn around and look there was some old Schwinn bikes there. I was driving my 32 5 window. guy looks kind of rough says thats a nice 32 ford my dad and uncle were the first to ever chop one & tells me some big story. then starts telling me about an Allison V12 land speed car they were building . then says do you want to see it. Opens the ba*****t door there it was. Turns out it was for sale and I hooked him up with a buyer. Biggest true crazy story I have been involved in

 

Wow! myth becomes reality!

 

Was tearing down my engine for the first time. There was an inspection plate where the lifters were and when I took the plate off there was a socket stuck in the oil sludge next to one of the lifters. The socket was the size of the rocker nuts. My guess is someone either from the factory or before I bought the car dropped the socket in the engine while adjusting the lash.

 

Pulled the oil pan of a pals 360 that had expired in his Ford truck, upon removing the pan we found at least a dozen Rock Auto fridge magnets piled up in the bottom.

Seems the previous owner thought they might collect any swarf in the oil, all they did was wad up and block the oil pickup

 

A while ago I bought a flathead that was supposedly stuck. Got it unstuck and pulled the truck pan cover to make sure the pick up screen wasn't blocked. Out came a full grown obviously dead mouse. Cleaned the screen, filled it with new oil and it fired right up.

 

There is a yard in south Daytona with three Superbirds rotting away. wonder if thats the same yard?

 

This reminds me of the old TV show “Can You Top This?”. Everyone else can be quiet now, I think you win.

 

Probably not, these were in a residential backyard in Pace Florida.

 

I know of a guy that has a chromed pinstriped LAWNMOWER!!

 

I remember a kid in high school who somehow nailed a telephone pole several feet off the ground with a brand new Dodge Rampage 2.2. Didn't take out the pole, but you could see where he hit it. Later on he wrecked a new Dodge Colt Turbo, and finally the new Delorean he received as a graduation gift.

 

Dodge Rampage eh? Well... a HS buddy was the ender of numerous cars and somehow, crazily, against all odds, not himself. Yet. In one of his cars he p***ed out in the wee hours of the morning on a highway overp***, the car ran up the retaining wall enough to flip. Being a '70s import car it was lightly built and the a-pillars collapsed. Somehow he was able to squeeze his fat **** out of that car before it burned. I saw photos of it in the tow yard and it did not look survivable. Another time he coaxed a Dodge mini pickup into a "race" (two slow cars) and neither slowed as they approached a red light. The Dodge (Mitsu?) driver t-boned a green light car and spun into the signal pole. Horrific. More stories like that than one might believe. All true, all alcohol involved.