[klenzd]

Alright, I fully realize that I may be the only one dumb enough to post my most recent most embarrassing moment (involving my car) on this site but here goes to a little catharsis.

Over the past few months I had been doing some work on the car, new headers, some new seals, new plugs, etc. I took the battery out because it was dead and the only other electrical related part I touched was the starter, had to disconnect it to pull it out. Anyways, I worked on the car for a few months and then started putting her back together. After getting everything back in, as well as a new battery, I went to hook up the battery and started getting some severe sparks (from the battery) and smoke (from the alternator quick connect). I posted here to ask if anyone had any ideas on how to narrow down where I might find a short. Most said to check the alternator. Turned out one of the alternator wires was not being held on by the nut as the post was stripped. So I took care of this and was going to hook up the battery and had a feeling that something wasn't right. After double checking all the wiring for the tenth time I finally figured it out. I HAD INSTALLED MY NEW BATTERY BACKWARDS! Am I the only numbnut to perform such a feat? Please tell me no.

Needless to say, everything works fine now...now that the battery is in correctly.

 

[lbesq]

Alright, I fully realize that I may be the only one dumb enough to post my most recent most embarrassing moment (involving my car) on this site but here goes to a little catharsis.

Over the past few months I had been doing some work on the car, new headers, some new seals, new plugs, etc. I took the battery out because it was dead and the only other electrical related part I touched was the starter, had to disconnect it to pull it out. Anyways, I worked on the car for a few months and then started putting her back together. After getting everything back in, as well as a new battery, I went to hook up the battery and started getting some severe sparks (from the battery) and smoke (from the alternator quick connect). I posted here to ask if anyone had any ideas on how to narrow down where I might find a short. Most said to check the alternator. Turned out one of the alternator wires was not being held on by the nut as the post was stripped. So I took care of this and was going to hook up the battery and had a feeling that something wasn't right. After double checking all the wiring for the tenth time I finally figured it out. I HAD INSTALLED MY NEW BATTERY BACKWARDS! Am I the only numbnut to perform such a feat? Please tell me no.

Needless to say, everything works fine now...now that the battery is in correctly.

No you are probably not the only one to do this, the posts used to all be the same size IIRC. But look on the Bright Side, you found another potential problem with the alt.

 

[JasonXR7]

There was a point when my alternator was dying (but not yet dead so i was too cheap to fix it haha)so i occasionally had to ask for a jump from friends or strangers because my car would not start otherwise.

Once i was with some friends and another guy was driving his dad's 01 svt cobra stang. I needed a jump at some point and he offered so i wired everything up and tried to start my car. No luck, I walked back to the batteries and noticed i had the leads BACKWARDS on the pony. Quickly switched before anyone else noticed and then my car started right up. Later learned that the mustang had developed some electrical problems very shortly afterward that needed fixing. I don't know if that was from my wire miss-matching or not, but i never fessed up and was pretty embarrassed to have made such a dumb mistake in the first place.

 

[FFR428]

I have done some real bone head things in the past. Being in a hurry it taught me to slow down double check and tag everything. Yes even sometimes the battery terminals! LOL. When I got the 68 a few years ago first things were basic fluid changes and overall inspection. When it came time for the oil change yours truly didn't notice the old oil filter gasket still stuck to the adapter. And it blew 4+ quarts of VR1 onto the driveway shortly after I started it up. LOL my son was out there with me learning the basics and scattered after he heard the pffffffffftttttt and the oil bath ensued. Doh! I felt like quite the dumbass. A few laughs and some 40 lbs of kitty litter later it was cleaned up. And the oil spot on the driveway is almost faded now.

 

[68XR-7Cat]

When I had Cheshire Cat at the 2004 Nationals East, the car placed second in the Street Stock class. After the show, I went through the judging sheets in detail and figured out everything I needed to make the car look as original as possible. Most of the changes were needed in the engine compartment. The next spring, I replaced all the heater hoses, all the battery cables, the radiator hoses and the spark plug wires with the correctly marked and striped versions. I even popped for a repro Autolite battery. Finally, the day came for the first outing with the new look; at the Mustangs Unlimited All-Ford show hosted by the Connecticut Cougar Club. As president of the Cougar Club of New England, I had encouraged our members to make a strong showing in support of our sister club show. That morning, I hopped into Cheshire Cat and headed for CT via the Mass Turnpike. I stopped at a rest area to grab some coffee and when I returned to the car, it wouldn't turn over. Nothing. Needless to say, I was one of the few active club members to miss the show I'd been encouraging everyone to attend!

After a ride on a flatbed to get off the turnpike, a half-hour wait for another flatbed to get me home from Sturbridge, and an hour of troubleshooting, I finally found the problem. When I installed all the new stuff, I also installed my freshly powder-coated breather tube and exhaust manifold heat shield. In the process, I managed to get the battery ground cable caught under one corner of it as I tightened it down against the manifold. A few short trips and some high-speed turnpike cruising later, the ground cable insulation melted and the wire obligingly carried the heat of the exhaust manifold straight to that pretty (and expensive) Autolite battery. The resulting battery failure also took out the concours-correct starter solenoid.

The good news is that I had time before the 2005 Nationals to replace the damaged pieces and claim first place in my Street Stock class that year!

 

[mopardon]

In my youth (Yes I was young once), There was a parking lot accross from Beaks Pizza in Crystal Minn. where people liked to hang out. I was in my 1st Nordic Blue GTE and was cruzing the lot (You know Trying to look cool) and someone yells out "Light em up !
Not something I normally did but in this case Good judgement went out my open window. So with just enough brake to get the tires spinning with the 3.89TL axle and then releasing them. I watch in amasment as my speed quickly hit 100mph amd the C6 was in high gear. The car itself was barely creeping. So much so the the COP walked right up to my window to flash his badge and tell me to "shut it down". Luckly I got out of it with just a warning. But Everyone was standing around laughing....Altho there were a few "Awsome Burnout" coments heard !

 

[Cougrrcj]

How about the time when I picked up a girl I was dating after she got out of work with my AlphaCat, and we were cruising through the Cleveland Metroparks -- and -- I ran out of gas. I walked two miles to the nearest gas station, bummed a ride back. She was not amused that I left her there to guard my car...

 

[Jan Ove]

Nice one Milo but i´m pretty sure she would have been a bit more upset if you had guarded the cat yourself, and sent her to get the gas

 

[mickp]

good stories..

in 1973 i thought i needed a differant dist.
the car would shut off randomly then come on and blow the mufflers at the seams.

so i went to the salvage yard and bought a dist. for the 351c.
put it in right there at the yard and then dove off.
got about 5 miles and the car quit for good and off the side of the road i was.

i found that the bug in the dist was not turning so i pulled the dist. and noticed that all the teeth on the dist. had been chewed off.

note:i was 17 or 18 and new to cars..............had to toss that in there.....

so if the dist. gear was trashed what about the camshaft gear was that all messed up?
so i get myself streached across the radiator on my belly with my legs up as high as the hood for balance to look down that hole......

it was dark in there so i did the stupidest thing in the world next to tapping a 500lb bomb with a hammer..............( YA ... I LIT A FRIGIN MATCH........)....!!!!!!!!!

the fire that came out of that hole (and i saw all of it) hit me right in the face but mostly got my fore head and tore a patch of skin off..not to mention 1 1/2 inch off my hair line and i had no eye lashes nor eyebrows.....oh and also all the metal frags from that gear.

my friend that was with me thought it was a bit funny. and he had to tell every one.

i have not used a match as a flashlite ever since........

i learned my lesson the hard way and it was also the beginning of a more safty consious life..
think before doing...

i still have that same car. i hope you enjoyed this story.
****.

P.S.:i did find the problem tho. turned out to be the ign. coil..

 

[Elroy]

Well, I always like to trash talk to the Chevy guys...One day I decided to take a couple of secretaries (to clarify in this day of diversity....they were middle aged women) for a lunch ride in the vert - top down. While pulling from parking lot to get into street (there was a slight downward slope), the car died. Could't get it started at all. Having to require their assistance to push the car back up into the parking lot, I got a standing ovation (more jeering I guess) from a group of people that were having an outside meeting on a veranda overlooking the parking lot. Needless to say, the group having the meeting contained the Chevy guys....

Turned out to be a hung float that was just spewing all kinds of gas.

 

[johnboy]

yup, at 18 years old, nothing can go wrong...

In winter, you learn to properly clear and defrost your windows, all of them, before taking off. Well, that was for old farts who had lots of time to waste. I started the car, plugged a hand held heat blower in the lighter socket, and as soon as I could see through a 3 inch peep hole in the windshield, I took off. Not so bad, since as you go, the peep hole gets better... At the first stop, I turned right. I did lower my window a bit to see if anyone was coming. Couldn't reach the right window, but what the heck, It's a cat... if the head passes, the rest will follow.

I therefore proceeded to peel my right fender half off on the parked car I hadn't seen. Of course, the front, bumper and passenger light got realigned a bit. Wound up having to removed said fender for a month, pending available cash for a replacement. Three days later, I finally got to drive home a girl I had a serious crush on. It was raining, and you can just imagine what kind of water spinoff was occuring on her side, and it sure was akward to have the passenger side lights illuminating the tree tops along the highway.

Hard lesson learned, and the worst, when The police came, the parked vehicle had no damage!

Luckily, no one got hurt, save my pride, and never did that again

Jean

 

[quattrothedog]

When I turned up to the first cruise of the year last year, it had been raining a little, and the roads were a little greasy.

I decided to make an entrance in style, and arrive in the car park travelling sideways, on opposite lock.

Most of you know where I'm going here now, right ? :klo:

Yup, I overcooked it, and around she went.
"never mind", thinks I, I thought I'd try to keep it spinning up, and perform a nice little 360, and drive into the car park in a cloud of smoke instead.

So, I tromped the gas pedal, and sure enough, around she went, until I hit about 270 degrees, when I can only imagine that all the fuel had moved away from the pickup in the tank, because the motor just died.

So, as I sat there, in a cloud of clearing smoke, desperately trying to restart a hot motor, with an empty float bowl, I can assure you, i had plenty time to contemplate the wisdom of my choice as I manouvered it into the car park, accompanied by a round of sarcastic applause from my friends !! :bloated:

 

[Local Hero]

After 33 years with this thing, I can't remember ALL the embarrassing stories.... so I'll only share the first.

I was all of 16, and the car was "finished" (first time around) only the night before. I took my brother and my best friend to our church carnival in it. We pulled into the main lot and a HUGE crowd immediately formed around it. I proceeded to show off by revving the stock 302 past redline so everyone could hear my most awesome (at the time) glasspacks. Only the motor flooded up and died instead and wouldn't restart until I let it sit a while.

So much for MY grand entrance.........

 

[dmac]

This happened many years ago when little things mattered more than they do now. A buddy of mine was selling his car with a part on it that belonged to me. The deal was made with a buyer with the agreement I got my parts back when the buyer has got the car home. Well the buyer adventually realized he was taken bad when he bought the car and felt he was not going to returned my parts. I met the the fellow in town one night. I cut him off in a parking lot, shut the ole car down and bailed out and confornted the chap. After a heated discussion over the parts and I made it clear my thoughts on the situation I turned 180 got back in my car to tear away----she would not start. The thing just wound over-and over- and over!! It was definitely a sitcom moment. Still blush a bit now when I think about it. Man I felt like a dumba$$

 

[cougarrand]

Many years ago (25 or so)I was working at a house. My 69 Cougar Sport Special was parked in the driveway parked on a slite hill. I worked for a couple of hours, I needed a tool so I walked out to the drive way. My car was not there. I looked down the hill part of a wrought iron fence was knocked down, there was my car sitting in the yard next door. It had rolled down the hill crashed through the fence went over a three foot embankment and landed in the yard. I did not do much damage other than a scratch in the paint. I did have to spend my Saturday fixing his fence.

 

[Paul68XR7]

Back in 1980, I went on a first date with a girl and went to pick her up in my first Cougar. Earlier in the day the interior door handle and window crank broke on the passenger side, so I took them off. I got to her house and we went to the car. Her Dad pulled up and since I hadn't met him yet, we waited for him to come over. I introduced myself and he looked over the car and seemed to be happy until I opened the door for his "baby" to get in. They both noticed no door handles and seemed really hesitant to get in the car. I spent 15 minutes convincing her Dad that I was not a rapist and I promised him his daughter would be safe and I would return her home safely. He was waiting at the door at midnight when we showed up. I dated her for 7 years and he would mention it every now and then, telling me how close he was to forbidding me to date her.

Paul

 

[ragtop69xr7]

When I was 16 and on one of my first real dates. I took a lovely young girl out to dinner and a movie in my "awesome" 1969 Red on Red Standard Cougar Coupe. Afterward when I was dropping her off I was hoping to help her out, walk her to her door, and hopefully get a goodnight kiss. As she was getting out of the car her foot went right through the floor! So basically she was standing there with both feet on the ground one in the car on out! Needless to say she was mortified because she "broke" my car. I was mortified because I didn't realize how rusty the thing was!! Oh well..... never got the kiss....... Now I'm 37 and I ran into her a while back. She retold the story and we both had a good laugh!

 

[ZMAN]

When I was 16 and on one of my first real dates. I took a lovely young girl out to dinner and a movie in my "awesome" 1969 Red on Red Standard Cougar Coupe. Afterward when I was dropping her off I was hoping to help her out, walk her to her door, and hopefully get a goodnight kiss. As she was getting out of the car her foot went right through the floor! So basically she was standing there with both feet on the ground one in the car on out! Needless to say she was mortified because she "broke" my car. I was mortified because I didn't realize how rusty the thing was!! Oh well..... never got the kiss....... Now I'm 37 and I ran into her a while back. She retold the story and we both had a good laugh!

lol That's a good one.

 

[C Gauch]

In my early 20's...in the R code...Fri evening in the summer...got gas @ the station where my buddy worked. My other buddy pulls in with his '68 GT350. We were meeting there & heading out for the night. I went to pay for the gas & realized my wallet was home (like 1/2 mi away). OK then, I'll shoot home, grab my wallet & come right back. No problem. So I take off outta there sideways, leave rubber in 2nd & off I go. I never saw the cop car sitting in the bank parking lot across the street. I saw him though, when he pulled into my driveway behind me.

He let me off with a warning, after I went inside to get my license, which was in my wallet. The officer said pulling me over in my own driveway in front of my parents & neighbors was probably punishment enough...and he was RIGHT.

 

[GYRHEAD]

Embarrassing moments With the Cougar, or IN the Cougar.....

Or with the Cougar in the Cougar....

Please clarify.