"Mechanical Genius" comments you've heard?

Hello,

It was 1956 and my brother just got his first car, a 1951 two door Oldsmobile sedan, he was just 15 years old. He got laughed at from others and just ignored those comments. His close friends were already 16 and had their own hot rods. That was the impetus. So, he had saved his afterschool money and bought the pale yellow 51 Oldsmobile sedan.

I don’t know when, but he knew stuff about hot rods and making cars go faster soon afterwards. Where did he get that knowledge? His friend with the 1934 Ford 5 window and big Oldsmobile motor was probably the key. They all went to the drags and cruising around together. Just standing around and listening to what was done to a motor or transmission would be key factors, too.

He was already enrolled in a metal shop class and automotive class in high school. So, those older guys just started to do stuff to their cars. Custom work, cams, carbs, any mechanical stuff that took an afternoon and into the late night. I was just a stand by kid that watched and wondered.

By the time he had driven the 1951 Oldsmobile almost 2 years, he decided that he wanted to build a Model A coupe, with an SBC motor and dual quads. We went out and found an old Model A coupe and started the project. He even allowed me to steer the rolling Model A (via a thick tow rope) about a mile back to our Westside of Long Beach house.

He decided that I was now old enough that I was no longer a “little kid” (actually I was almost as tall as he was, by an inch) and that I could start doing some mechanical stuff with his guidance. I had already become the older teenagers’ “gofer” car wash kid, detailing guy, and wheel polisher. Of course, they paid me minimal money, but it was something.

Within a year, my brother had sold the Model A, the 1951 Oldsmobile sedan and bought a new 1958 Impala. his goal was to go fast and win some trophies at Lion’s Dragstrip. He did this easily and within a year, was looking for some other form of drag racing. For the Model A, the 1951 Oldsmobile Sedan and the 1958 Impala, I was the mechanical upkeep person/maintenance guy. My brother found a way to own a cool car and have someone else help keep them repaired/detailed at the same time. A little brother is always handy to have around.

Jnaki

When we got our 1940 Willys Coupe, he somehow knew what he wanted to do, had the steps down on paper and had most of the stuff needed to do the work. As we started the 283 engine build, he somehow knew what to tell me to do with the million small parts, that had to go where they should, how to adjust everything by specs with a torque wrench for a secure and proper build.

Years after our dragstrip explosion and resulting fire, my brother kept up on his reading and for the next several years, he knew how to tear down a 2 cycle desert racing motorcycle engine. Then, it was a a VW motor/transmission sitting on our workbench with a rebuild coming. The knowledge and experience was passed on to me. Then, after we both left our house and got married, he was tearing down/modifying a 1000 cc street motorcycle racer and a variety of foreign car motors for their family’s uses.

Now, all of these years later and watching the latest hot rod motor builds, I am always in awe of my brother’s skill and knowledge. “He was a mechanical genius.” He taught me the correct way to do things, how to plan a tear down or build, how to organize and complete any particular job. So, when I started my own work with him and with my friends, I had some skills and knowledge as taught to me by my brother. Thanks, James...

 

Sure, it will “work”.

It may also set your car on fire.

 

Heard a the Hamb drags. I found a rare 1967 small journal 350 Chevy crankshaft.

 

Worked with a young mechanical engineer ( his claim) from Brazil that I was suss on due to some of his actions and statements when he proved my doubts correct.
I was leaving work and when getting in my car I saw him just sitting in his car. I asked what he was up to? He had a battery on the ground beside his car with two lighting gauge wires twisted around the terminals with one clipped onto his car battery positive and the other resting on his negative terminal. I asked what he was up to and he was (charging) his battery.
None of this shit would of been a problem if only he hadn’t pretended to be something he definitely wasn’t.

 

Funny one , I had an apprentice years ago who was from the former Yugoslavia .
Working on a car I ask him to go grab me a 5/8th nut or what ever imperial size I was after.

he walks over to the nut and bolt area and looks and looks and looks …… I walk over and grab what I need and go “ This one “
Well Serg lost it ….. 5/8ths of what !!! The kings dick !!!! Stupid imperial bull sh!t measures completely archaic and out of date ………!!!!!!!


On and on and on , complete funny and priceless. I’m still friends with Serg , he’s stuck with import cars and still hates imperial nuts and bolts

 

My daughter had a blow out changed the tire and put the tire in my pickup. She said go to Walmart and get a new tire and have it balanced Got the tire back It had a large amounts of weights because in mounting the tire mud was knocked off of the inside of the rim but only about 1/2 of it.

 

Heard plenty all I'm going to say is don't put the gear oil into the rear end in zip lock bags, If my car is in the AutoZone parking lot, it does exist, despite what your computer says, and the bacon goes under the bearing shell, not against the crankshaft.

 

Had a customer come in with a 4 year old Buick Regal. About the cutest old couple I ever seen. Still sweet on each other. Well their glove box door kept falling open. I asked the lady to get out of the car and I’d take care of it. I adjusted the striker and premed it so it would not happen again. I told them both to have a nice day. The old guy said how much, I said no charge. He was surprised and they were both so very happy they got in the car and drove straight out the door without looking. BAM! A big delivery truck took the nose of the car damned near off. I would not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. I ran over to see how badly they were hurt and pry open the doors. The first thing the old man said to me when I got to the car. “Can you take me to the showroom I don’t think this one can be fixed.” As calm as can be. After the police, fire truck and ambulance left I walked him and his wife into the showroom. Introduced them to the most decent salesman I knew and left. They bought a new Buick Century.

 

E = mc3

 

I have read all these post……wow! But here’s mine or at least some of mine! I went to a small school, in about the 8th grade a kid moves in about a mile and a quarter from me, my closest neighbor. Well-he is about 3 years older than me but in the same grade! …..We become friends and I hire him to haul hay for me. He had just aqiuered a 1950 or so model Dodge. It had a very loose rod! He was late getting to the hay field , but we were already on top of the hay load and could see/ hear John coming down the dirt road at about 70 mph! My Dad asked John about pushing that old Dodge, John said , and I shit you not,” I had to drive that fast, I am about out of gas”!
I have a few more about my good friend, John, not the brightest guy on the planet, but he s still my friend!








Bones

 

John also after coming back from several years in the military told me about the new “short block” he had put in his Ford! He told me the old one used to come up about two inches further that this one!…….




Bones

 

While working in a shop , many moons ago, I had a real good friend that had a MoPar car there. He had it pulled in and the new “expert “ guy was going to balance his tires. After hearing the impact wrench hammer too many times, Charles ran as fast as he could, but not fast enough for the expert to snap a couple of lug nuts of& the driver# side of that Road Runner!








Bones

 

I notice that often, the "expert" starts off with...

Why don't you "just"...

 

5/8ths of "the king's dick"! You should have handed him a King Dick spanner!!

 

im a bit of a odd sense of humor guy ,(thank you dad)
One of my favorite things to do is to find a couple of know it all fellas , and state that some older cars were positive ground , and ask " what happens when one gets into to a accident with a negative ground car" and just sit back and watch .... outcomes have included "weld each other together " thats why they outlawed positive ground cars" "one will catch fire" etc ..
fabricator john
miss you dad