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first drive

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by guido`s 40, May 4, 2012.

  1. guido`s 40
    Joined: Jan 23, 2011
    Posts: 150

    guido`s 40
    Member
    from nebraska

    is it just me or has anyone else been so freaking scared to drive there first build? every little thing I hear or see that doesnt seem right gets me on edge and think you have it all jacked up
     
  2. Make sure every thing is tight and your brakes work and go for it!
     
  3. guido`s 40
    Joined: Jan 23, 2011
    Posts: 150

    guido`s 40
    Member
    from nebraska

    has there been a few little things that make you worry about the whole thing going to s#!:
     
  4. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,281

    F&J
    Member

    geez, you live in Nebraska... I hear they have some rural roads there:eek:

    Imagine a new build in Metropolis USA. If you tried to go slow, they'd run you over...and no place to pull over if you want to check something.

    Find a place where nobody else is, and drive it. Bring a jack, just in case you drive the wheels off of it.
     
  5. Once you get used to the song its playing they that all goes away.You get to know what is normal and what isn't.
     
  6. Yes! :D
     
  7. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,281

    F&J
    Member


    I can deal with anything going on, except for one thing... true low speed death wobble. Your live flashes before your eyes.. :D..as well as things not bolted or welded good enough.;):rolleyes:

    I can deal with no brakes and I even lost steering once as a teen. Just run it with common sense...stuff that is going wrong will give warning signs.
     
  8. SaltCoupe
    Joined: Jun 10, 2010
    Posts: 2,376

    SaltCoupe
    Member
    from Indiana

    Me too...I'm going down the road running all my welds through my mind.
     
  9. 61falcon
    Joined: Jan 1, 2009
    Posts: 772

    61falcon
    Member

    make sure all the fluids are full, the lug nuts are tight and your cell phone is charged up then hit the road.
     
  10. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,788

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    Man, I drove mine on the road and was waiting for the worst. After about 2 miles and nothing fell off and it stopped when I hit the brakes...... I punched it and then the smiles came.

    Double check your stuff and go for it.
     
  11. chaddilac
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,053

    chaddilac
    Member

    Install a neutral safety switch before you start it up!!!!! :D
     
  12. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,788

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    Touche!:D
     
  13. butcher666
    Joined: Feb 28, 2004
    Posts: 21

    butcher666
    Member

    I was so stressed, I hardly remember the start!! No BS first drive in my 53 Chev was from Victoria BC Canada, to Las Vegas!!! Didnt have a single problem except for a fanbelt. You'll be just fine.
     
  14. cm30
    Joined: Jan 5, 2007
    Posts: 156

    cm30
    Member

    "Death wobble" is some scary stuff man! It happened to me on my 3rd or 4th time out. I hit a pothole and a manhole at the same time and shit hit the fan!! i thought my entire front end was going to come apart. I was on a busy street and had to pull over into a driveway. After doing some research I adjusted my tire pressure and re-reamed my spindle bushings. It has been good ever since.. but it still haunts me bigtime!!!
     
  15. guido`s 40
    Joined: Jan 23, 2011
    Posts: 150

    guido`s 40
    Member
    from nebraska

    well I drove it about 5 miles and everything seemed pretty good just a few little things like the turn signals and gauges but drove pretty strait with no shakes or shimmy`s shifted good and runs verry strong :D I cant wait to get the motor broke in and see what she really has, I did also have to go with a 20# heavier spring in the back
     
  16. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 59,169

    squirrel
    Member

    Looking back to the first drive of my first complete build 23 years ago....I should have checked ALL the fluids. And I didn't need one of those new fangled cell phones, it died within walking distance of a friend's house.
     
  17. outlaw256
    Joined: Jun 26, 2008
    Posts: 2,022

    outlaw256
    Member

    ive been building cars and bikes for around 40yrs now. and every first run scares the shit out of me.and the second and the third. do you think i might have a problem? do i worry to much? hell yeah i do . lol
     
  18. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

  19. guido`s 40
    Joined: Jan 23, 2011
    Posts: 150

    guido`s 40
    Member
    from nebraska

    second trip didnt go so well, drove to the next town about 15 miles away and was pretty good untill the way home I started noticing some wet spots hitting the windshield and I started to slow down to pull over then it started getting alot worse when I got stopped it was spewing oil out of the front seal pretty fast lucky my wife was behind me to go get the trailer. now I guess its time to have a few beers to get over whining about it and tear it apart tomorrow to see where it went wrong
     
  20. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    It's a shake down cruise. The more you drive it the more your confidence in your ride and your workmanship will grow until you won't be afraid to drive it anywhere. It's a learning process. You are learning to trust your car. It's not automatic and it can take some time sometimes. We all go through it enjoy the process and learn to laugh at the problems.
     
  21. Phil 41 Chevy
    Joined: Jun 5, 2010
    Posts: 290

    Phil 41 Chevy
    Member

    Took mine out today and lost a u/joint ,2'nd time out of town.:eek:
     
  22. edweird
    Joined: Jan 4, 2009
    Posts: 3,186

    edweird
    Member

    my first outing with my old 37 chevy coupe was from walterboro,sc to maxton, nc. my son was riding with me. the whole trip there i hardly said a word, and i think my son knew better than speak. we made it with no problems. on the way back , you couldnt shut me up.
     
  23. Alex D.
    Joined: Jun 9, 2009
    Posts: 325

    Alex D.
    Member
    from Hydes, MD.

    Going through the same thing now myself after a three year build. Each trip takes you a little further from home. Today I called a friend to bring a tow strap. My new Mallory coil from Hot Heads took a crap. Bought a cheap Chinse replacement and I'm now on the road again. Sometimes it just takes a while to sort things out.
     
  24. guido`s 40
    Joined: Jan 23, 2011
    Posts: 150

    guido`s 40
    Member
    from nebraska

    got it pulled apart today can see a possible problem with the seal in the timing cover it is a cheaper alum cover, but Ialso took the pan off also and noticed some metal in there not alot but some should I be worried? most is real fine but one or two are noticeably bigger
     
  25. trollst
    Joined: Jan 27, 2012
    Posts: 2,104

    trollst
    Member

    The first ride is the best ride, the one you remember most. For me.. its always foot to the floor till 70 or 80, the lift off, the overwhelming feeling that you're still alive. Last time was with the customer in his fresh 36 chev pickup, he was terrified, then beamed all over the place telling everyone who'd listen how it was...yep, the first ride is the best.
     
  26. I always get excited and nervous when driving a fresh build.Normal emotions.
     
  27. metalman
    Joined: Dec 30, 2006
    Posts: 3,299

    metalman
    Member

    Even after a life time of first rides it gets me sometimes. Not necessarily the first one, that's usually around the block or so, no big deal. Last week I drove my 40 to a cruise night across town, first time farther then a few miles and first time in rush hour traffic and hot weather. Fresh flathead with a .125 overbore so yeah, my eyes were about glued to the temp gauge! Nervous the whole way but got there, motor a tad warm but it didn't overheat or puke. After that, the ride home was what it's all about, absolutely worry free and pure enjoyment of driving your new hot rod you been building for what seemed forever.
     
  28. I remember the first in the t-bucket, nursed it out to a giant cruise at a fairground, about 40 minute ride. I lapped that fairground like nobody's business, on the way home about 2 miles from the fairgrounds it broke a rocker arm.
    Two nights later I was taking it on an hour drive to another town for their cruise, made it there and most of the way back. We stopped to have dinner and we came out I had a flat tire and of course no spare..lol

    The first ride is always interesting and I'm about to do it again in the Henry J !
     
  29. In my early twenties I finished my first full custom reconstruction.I then drove the car with my dog and friends on a 15 hour + round trip from georgia to nebraska and back.First drive over 5 miles and with known battery issues.No money,no credit cards,no phone,no seat belts,no wipers,no heat.Sometimes we have to ignore the sting of fear.Still cant believe i did that.
     
  30. vintagetinman
    Joined: Oct 22, 2007
    Posts: 157

    vintagetinman
    Member

    I love the shakedown cruise!!!

    When in doubt turn up the juice and see what shakes loose!!!
     

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