What Was The Dumbest Thing You Ever Did To Your Car?

"Steven Lang" (StevenLang) 03/09/2018 at 15:01 • Filed to: None

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Last night I spent a half-hour looking for the plug-in on my new EV. It turned out that the gas flap is just a proverbial prop, and that Mitsubishi is that one freaking car company in the USA that would put access to the charger on the right hand side.

I felt kinda dumb, but then again, not nearly as dumb when I screwed up this flamingo pink minivan. Actually, maybe buying an i-MiEV was pretty damn dumb too.

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Spanfeller is a twat > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:08

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Dumbest thing I’ve done to a car?

“I bought a Dodge Jurney”

-A voice in the class room, behind me

HammerheadFistpunch > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:08

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regearing. Its not been a net positive with all the trouble. Its [mostly] sorted now but still.

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:11

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Buying it.

Wacko > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:14

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went up a jeep trail in a 1985 sentra wagon.(first car back in 1995)

Felt it scraping everywhere on the bottom. then turned around and did the same thing on the way down.

Nothing broke. didn’t get stuck, but that could of ended badly.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:17

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I attempted to change 16 spark plugs on a Benz CLK430. Large engine, small engine bay, socket drive got stuck and I didn’t have power tools.

I also disconnected a fluid line that didn’t look too mean. It was in the way. It turned out to be pressurised Freon.

Dumb.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:22

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Installing an LKQ engine and not changing the rear main oil seal. What was I thinking?

crowmolly > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:25

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Obnoxious exhaust.

Not because of loudness, but because of tone.

My bird IS the word > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:31

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aftermarket exhaust

vicali > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:38

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Swiss-cheesed the airbox in my winter jetta...

It sounded great but froze the throttle butterfly open going down the freeway at -40c.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:38

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clamps holding me seat to its rail snapped.... so rather than replacing the clamps... i ziptied the broken clamps in place

headbutted the window first time i braked as the seat shot forward

(no way anyone coulda seen that coming)

(course... it was a $50 car and i didnt have a license at the time.... so its not like it was the worst decision i ever made)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:39

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Does accidentally popping a spring off a gas pump nozzle, which then fell down into my tank, count?

Klaus Schmoll > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 15:42

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Years ago my dad rented a 7.5 ton truck for moving day. We loaded it with their belongings and hit the road. At some point we had to refuel of course. So where does the diesel go in these things? the rental guy showed us all the tricks the ramp in the back can do but never mentioned where you have to “put it in” so to speak. There was a filler neck between the cab and the cargo box which was locked. Turns out that was what the little key on the key ring was for. We filled it to the brim and were a little bemused that it would take only about 20 liters. Well, just get on the road again and fill up again later, we thought. When we started the engine there was a loud bang and the truck was standing in a huge black puddle within half a second. Turns out that filler neck behind the cab is the engine oil filler neck. Oooops.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 03/09/2018 at 16:02

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Bruh...

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 03/09/2018 at 16:04

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Odds are that thing has been more reliable than my Passat.

Mercedes Streeter > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 16:12

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Taking it storm chasing...a flash-flooded road made short work of my right side skirt.

See also: Running into a log and running into a garage.

kanadanmajava1 > Klaus Schmoll 03/09/2018 at 16:14

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It’s hard to say if there was a time when you could have rented a 4CV but I’m pretty sure that fuel filling accidents would have happened daily. That filler cap looks so tempting...

Long-Voyager > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 16:14

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https://oppositelock.kinja.com/thought-id-post-up-my-old-acclaim-build-for-everyone-1823032640

This count?

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 03/09/2018 at 16:21

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Surprisingly no major issues. A top hydraulic piston, camshaft position sensor, fuel injector- that’s about it really.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 16:27

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Forgot to remove a metal chock from in front of the front wheel before setting off. Tire went up and over and the rocker panel came down hard on it.

punkgoose17 > kanadanmajava1 03/09/2018 at 16:28

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If that is not the fill location for the 4CV where is it?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 16:33

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I jumped my old GMC Safari over train tracks multiple times. Which probably wouldn’t have been a big deal except the M-van was famous for folding like a tin can.

Bounced my ‘10 Silverado off the rev limiter doing donuts in the snow for quite a long time while it had quite low oil pressure. I was getting rid of it in a couple days what did I care?

Buying my $3300 E36 M3 and dumping money into a lost cause.

Die-Trying > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 16:45

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SO THERE I WAS..... one of the cars that i was at the time dailying, a pristine at the time 1986 chevy caprice, ate its nylon timing chain gears, and jumped time. a week earlier i had bought a pile of engine parts from a friend that had used to be a 305. same thing that was in the caprice, just older, and completely disassembled. so i decide to put it in........ while putting it together, i figure as long as i am ALREADY there, i might as well throw in one of the “big” camshafts that i have laying around. “big”, as described by one of my car building friends. no other specs to go by. so i put it all together, and fire it up. thing has a monster idle. lopes like no other....... wont idle in gear. have to idle it up to around 1300 to keep it running in gear. so i ran it around the neighborhood, for about two weeks still without a hood, with a monster cam, idled waay down, and everytime i needed to slow down i would put the car in neutral first, and no vacuum for brakes. with that sound i was the envy of everyone on the block.......... thing was a slug. everything else in the engine was stock. so i rounded up a stock cam out of one of the 350 blocks in the engine pile, and made a day of putting the 305 right. all i would of needed to of done would have been to swap out the converter in the trans while i was putting it together the FIRST time..... stock cam “fixed” everything. car was a great driver for another 2 or 3 years.....

kanadanmajava1 > punkgoose17 03/09/2018 at 16:55

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In the engine compartment of course. This one has a red cap.

In 4CVs case the cap outside is the coolant cap so you can get scalded by the hot coolant before you manage to actually mix up the liquids.

gettingoldercarguy > Steven Lang 03/09/2018 at 17:04

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Let somebody borrow my car, once.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 03/09/2018 at 19:26

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Don’t feel bad. I used to think the mid-early 90s Seabring was a cool looking car.