When you Jinx yourself.....

[WConley]

Jay - Are you making fun of Heo's weight?

[jayb]

No Bill, that would be hypocrisy on my part 

[cammerfe]

My contribution---

About 4 PM on New Year's Eve in '64---it was just getting dark---I started out toward Indiana from Metro Detroit. I was driving my '54 Customline, into which I'd swapped a 312 with the factory 'Race' dual quads and home-built headers. The cam was a B7A-6250-C (the 'blower' cam) but I hadn't put the blower (VS-59 Paxton) on yet. The trip, in those days, was mostly 2-lane road, and I had to drive through the middle of Ann Arbor. I was going to see my girl and go to a New Year's Party.

I got close to the U of M Campus and lost a cylinder and heard ugly noises. I pulled into a convenient parking lot close by, and ran across to the door of Varsity Ford---at that time still in the middle of the University District. The door was locked but there were still a few lights on inside. I banged on the door and a guy came to tell me they were closed. I told him I was traveling and need a part---a rocker shaft---and he told there was no-one from parts there and he was the book-keeper. I told him that if he'd let me into the parts department, I'd be able to find the part. HE LET ME IN!!! After a bit of wandering, I found the shaft in its cardboard tube. He wanted to go home, refused my attempts to pay and told me to come back after the holiday to take care of it. We walked out together and he locked the door.

I went back across the parking lot and talked myself into a stall in an open gas station/garage close by. They agreed to let me use their hand tools. (It was snowing heavily and blowing, to boot.) I pulled the driver's side rocker cover---Cast Aluminum Thunderbird---and, as I thought, the end was broken off the rocker shaft.

I pulled it all apart, keeping track of the pushrods and rockers, and re-assembled it all on the new shaft. Put the cover back on and started it up. I didn't even have to lash any of the valves. All was serene. (I'd never had the experience of breaking a rocker shaft before but that was what the noise sounded like to me---I had built the engine from a bare block, so I knew what was where.)

I pulled out to a pump and got a fill-up. They wouldn't even accept money for the tools and a warm place to work. I continued on to Indiana and when I got there... But that's another story!

KS

[WConley]

... I continued on to Indiana and when I got there... But that's another story!

KS

Ken - I hope the rest of the story involved some "misunderstanding".  I can think of very few other reasons to be wrenching on a cold New Years Eve in Ann Arbor!

[cjshaker]

Both Doug and Barry have met Ollie. Wounder what disasters that hapened to them
after that

Perfect, now I have someone to blame for all the crap that's happened in the last couple of years! He seemed like a nice guy at the time.

You ain't a car guy unless you got some good MacGyver moments..lol

[shady]

I was commuting 100 miles a day to work driving a '65 Falcon with a 200 when the fuel pump gave out on the inter-state, Miles from an exit, I opened the trunk to see what I had as the trunk was storage for just about everything. I had a couple of anti-freeze jugs of water just in case a hose ever broke. Dumped the water out and pulled the tank hose off of fuel pump. Luckily I had a full tank of gas so it would self siphon into the jug. Next problem was how to fill the carb. I found a rubber bushing for a shock that fit perfectly into the jug hole. I then cut the steel line off at the carb and cut another 2 inches off for a nipple to stick into the center hole of the shock bushing. Bungied the jug to the top of the battery making it higher than the carb. There was 3' of hose I had for another project in the trunk to make the connection to the carb. I had to stop about every 10 miles to refill the jug, but made it home. No doubt my finest MacGyver moment ever. Now days I just call AAA.

[Heo]

Both Doug and Barry have met Ollie. Wounder what disasters that hapened to them
after that

Perfect, now I have someone to blame for all the crap that's happened in the last couple of years! He seemed like a nice guy at the time.

You ain't a car guy unless you got some good MacGyver moments..lol

You see there guys i dont make this stories up. He is a nice guy to his dfence he dont do it on purpose it just happens

[BattlestarGalactic]

About 8 yrs ago I was going to Thompson for a stick race, it rained the whole way there(80 miles).   It cleared up and we got the race in......but after arriving I realized there was an issue with the Mack.  It was leaning to the right in the back?  Hmm, after looking I realized the spring pack was broke!!  Oops.   Hmm, what to do?  I assessed the situation, got a 4x4 out of the trailer, jacked the RR side of truck and inserted the block between the center of the spring and the fifth wheel plate mounting arms on the outside of the frame.  A couple bungees to hold it in place(in case we hit a big bump).  I back roaded it home that night(@12 Midnight).  Not really that much more harsh then before inserting the 4x4.  Lol!

I installed air ride a couple years later when I stretched the frame.

[cammerfe]

... I continued on to Indiana and when I got there... But that's another story!

KS

Ken - I hope the rest of the story involved some "misunderstanding".  I can think of very few other reasons to be wrenching on a cold New Years Eve in Ann Arbor!

For about 10 or 15 seconds I was tempted to finish, but it's best to just let it go. It involved, among a whole host of other things, two drunks who asked for a ride when I stopped for coffee, and the wisdom of being armed when said drunks seemed to be thinking about getting frisky...

Nah, I'll just let it go.

KS