What's worst thing you've destroyed in your hot rodding history?

I had a nice 1956 Ford Convertible in 1964, I blew the bottom-end out of the 312c.i. hot rodding it down hills in Vt. to hear the glass-packs roar with my buddies. I put a "57" Mercury Intercepter engine in it and then had problems ripping out u-joints doing burn-outs. After getting tired of replacing driveline stuff I decided to part -it- out and use the engine in my "40" coupe, it never happened, I traded the "40" for a "37" Chevy p.u. w/ rocket Olds. engine, it never ran. I went in the Army in 1965, while I was in the service my Dad pushed the whole lot into the woods w/ a dozer and crushed them all .. My sister's kid scrapped the stuff last summer.. Don't ask me about the 1940 Ford 4dr. I bought for $150.00 from the single owner, or the 1969 AMX I bought new, or the 1964 Bonnivile convertible I traded for a 1946 Jeep w/ no engine, talk about STUPID!!!!! Live and learn, die and ask forgivness!

 

A nice 49 Ford Cp. that I imbeded in the front of a 59 Chev. stationwagon

 

Had a set of 15x3.5 5 spoke magnesium wheels on the front of my 55 chevy. Sold them cheap cause I couldn't get them to polish up. 35 years later and I still feel bad!

 

I sunk my '65 Chevy Impala,launching my lobster boat one season. The gas tank was almost empty and I had to pull lobster traps,to get paid to feed my family.
There was strong surge in the Harbor that day, and even tho I set the brakes and put it in park, the surge picked up the car(because of the empty gas tank,I suppose) with the boat trailer and pulled them both into the sea.
The Coast Gaurd sent a diver to put a towtruck cable onto my frontend. He said he saw his life pass his eyes because of the surge and the car moving around down there.
My Dad had some pull with a local garage because he poured the concrete slab with the hydraulic lifts in it,so they cleared thier work schedule and all piled on my car. Within 2 hours they had it running! Speedometer,radio,fan, and anything electrical was screwed. Drove the car for 3 years after that, and then sold it for a profit. Had a 327 and a powerglide in it. Car was painted metallic dark blue and smelled like the ocean forever(even after rinsing it 200 times) after that... Mikey

 

Had a vintage set of magnesium Halibrand wheels. We tried & tried to polish them & gave up. Took them to the dump (yea, threw them away) & bought a new set of Ansen Sprints.
Which is worth more today?

 

My thumb

 

used to roll over a model a coupe just for fun.

 

1988 got me a rust free 60 t-bird polished up the stock black paint to a mirror like finish, re-did the interior freshened up the motor, wide wites polished hub caps. Sweet car, ran and looked sweet! Paid $3000........fixed her up and sold her. Was asking $5000-.........sold it for $2800.....IDIOT!

 

What else you got for sale?

 

I am not proud of this so I will run and hide when I "confess". I cut the floor out of a No rust anywhere very complete 1947 Ford 2 Door and put it in a 47 Ford convertible. My buddy still has the 2 doors hanging in his storage building...mint! I bought the sedan out of a junk yard for 250 including the tow bill to get it to my house. That should give ya an idea how long ago that was.

48 Poncho

 

I've blown up many Model B Fords running at El Mirage and Bonneville. There's a Model B grave yard on the side of my Dad's house now.

 

Threw out the tail-light stands, front axle, seat, wheels, continental kit, & engine and tranny from my 36 Ford coupe--------AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!

 

In '76 I gave a 32 Ford Five Window Body and a 32 Ford Two Door Sedan body to a guy who was going to haul them to the scrap dealer.

 

I got t-boned in my 64 camino a month ago

 

Cut up a 59 Corvette to make a race car.

Scrapped a 54 Stude when I was 15.........

 

Nearly all the hundreds of cars I have parted out over the years.
It's a tough call.While it takes the vehicle of the list of survivors there is the school of thought that the parts get another one on the road and in many,many instances the amount of cash needed to redo the car could never be justified.I've been doing this since the early '70's and what wasnt wanted then is now desirable.My guess is that 30 years from now somewhere a similar thread will start and someone will say...I cant believe I cut up the stock (fill in the blank type vehicle) and built it like I did.

 

Spray paint camoflage and red wheels on a sixty four Impala back in the late eighties. I eventually stuck it between two trees and sold it for fifty bucks.

 

a 2 barrell carb

 

Sent a perfectly good 56 Chevy 2 dr post car to the junk yard after a I took all the parts I needed for my 55. Also junked a 65 Thunderbird after pulling out the 390.........who knew?

 

...in 1970 I cut up a perfect 1934 OLDS coupe to build my first Modified Sportsman roundy-pounder. The chassis , motor, fenders and interior stuff went to a collector for free if he hauled it off. It would have made the perfect rod, but I felt the need for speed....it did make a great race car, won 2 track championships in 1972...man, back in the day....

 

started with a 29 chev coupe at age 14,then a 68 mustang it was a salesman car only 6months old with alot of miles but that was my first car as a sixteen year old... then I destroyed a brand new 1970 chevelle 396,375hp super sport.. traded it for a 1971 Honda 750.. ah yes to be that young and smart ..

 

1960 Boston Mass.bought a cherry Olds Coupe 1950 ,303 v8,stick,Blue,cherry interior,paid cash $500.00 of hard earned money for it,i had no drivers license yet so the plan was to put it in a rented garage to work on it,anyway the car was delivered to me,and the battery was low ,so a friend of mine gave me a push with his Merc. to get it started,well i could,nt drive to great,had it in second gear let the clutch out and it started allright,i went for the brake pedal and hit the accelerator pedal and that Olds accelerated like an I.C.B.M.that thing paralyzed me,i was hanging on for dear life,i know ,i know why did,nt Dumbass lift his right foot? well to tell you the truth i really dont know,inexperience i guess,well anyway i ran that beautiful car into the biggest damn tree on that street,folded the steering wheel up with my chest,busted the radio knobs with my teeth,ended up on the passenger side lower windshield with a pound of glass and a Mass. inspection sticker imbedded in my head,the steering column was broken loose and imbedded in the headliner,the horn was blowing,what a mess!well off to the hospital i went,got sewed up,car totaled,Mom and Dad very pissed,no license,no registration,towing bills ,hospital bills,and believe it or not a bill for tree repairs,well it only took the next 2 years to pay all of those bills(things were cheaper then)but pay them i did,worked my fat ass off.so thats the story, 49 years ago ,whenever i want to remember it i just run my tongue across the caps on those front teeth,but im here to tell you those Olds coupes (especially v8 sticks) could sure get on down the road.Gerry (Skip86)

 

My worst 4:

54 Corvette serial # 240 (boned it)
63-1/2 Galaxie 427 R code (bought for engine to put in my drag boat)
64 Chevelle SS L79 327 4sp, (built a drag car)
65 Impala Wagon 409 (boned it)

 

Blew out a new injected Donovan SBC in an Anglia running a little "pop" at Mo-Kan back in the late '70's letting out of it too quick at too much rpm. The "owners" were not amused and may have been measuring me for concrete shoes. It was a midnight madness match race, balls out. Almost lost the car, killed the very expensive engine instead. I got back in the car though for a little while with a new motor. That car was a little freakin' beast.

 

My Checkbook !! >>>>.

 

When I was 19 and foolish (now I am just foolish) I had a 57 Bel Air sedan with a triple carbed six. I was going to race a buddy with his dad's 75 Pontiac (400) in front of the high school. We lined up and I did a 35-3700 rpm drop of the clutch asnd split the old 3 speed right in half. Pieces and oil fell on the ground, but at least I got a standing ovation from all the kids watching.

 

Back in the 60s I watched the circle track guys who ran the corner gas station go thru numerous 2 dr 55-57 chevy bodies.Sometimes 5-6 per year Then the graduated to camaros in the 70s.A few years ago I ran into one of the the guys and i asked him if he felt bad about all the vintage tin they destroyed over at the dirt hole.He said yes he did,especially the 3 or 4 57 convertables they trashed out just to get the frames !!!!!!!!

 

My dad and I finished painting my 65 Falcon about two weeks before my 16th birthday. I rolled it about two weeks before my 17th birthday. My dad hardly spoke to me for over a year. So I'd say the worst thing I destroyed was his trust and our relationship. 25 years later, it's still a touchy subject.

 

I've depleted the worlds supply of 354 hemi blocks by a few.

 

I bought a 56 2 door post for 1500 running in 1991. It supposedly had a 350, a 4 speed and 12 bolt posi. Absolutely no torque, and would bury my 8000rpm suntune tach. Had a solid lifter cam in it and a really lumpy idle. Also a weird dual carb intake. It was a little tired from sitting, so I just ran it until it blew. The tranny went a little before that, and I swapped it to a buddy and gave him a little cash for a rebuilt M21. I got the rearend narrowed when I put in the new engine. I traded the usable parts from the engine for a set of slot rims.

But later I got a little curious, and took apart that 350 to see what it was...

I tossed a rod through the side of a completely original 68 Z/28 302 and traded the matching M-22 for a rebuilt M21 and 125.00. The original matching rearend was cut up and narrowed and is still in my brother's 55. It turns out a guy had bought a 68 Z28, wrapped it around a tree shortly thereafter, and swapped the drivetrain into a 56, which he sold to a guy who parked it forever and sold it to me. It still hurts a little to remember.