other Biggest Oh Sh!t moment

[xferboy]

So, what is your biggest oh sh!t moment?  That second when you knew you did something wrong and realized it.  Broke something, twisted too hard, etc.  That sinking feeling in your stomach.

 

Maybe this can prevent someone from having that feeling.

 

I'll start:  Shortening the drive shaft.

 

Measured rear flange to rear of giubo (multiple ways, same result), measured the drive shaft, looked right to tell the shop to remove 90mm. 

Spent $400 shortening/balancing, got it home, measured it, was 10 mm shorter that what I thought it should be. 

 

Gut dropped. 

 

What the hell, try it.  Fit perfectly.  Still not sure where I went wrong.

 

Happy I didn't have to get the drive shaft 'extended' or use the stock one (I bought a second one to leave stock parts unaltered)

 

Go!

[TobyB]

Exit of t8, PR, car steps out a bit wide towards the paddock.

I'm on it, it's a good lap, no sweat, I'm fully ready for it to drift left coming out of t9- 

but then the rear steps out in the dips, and it's sliding right instead.

 

Shortened it about 10"

 

t

 

Edited April 23, 2016 by TobyB

[tashakes]

90% into my M42 swap.  

 

Me:  C'mon honey, lets go for a ride!

Wife: Sure, but is it safe? Is it complete?

Me: What, you think I would offer otherwise?

Wife: Yeah, Ok, let's go.

 

Running great in the freeway, then cough cough, run run, cough cough, again.  Hmm what could be wrong?  I checked everything on the maiden voyage, hmmm.  Fuel gauge on full, charge is good, no idiot lights on.   Exit freeway, stop at gas station, back of my mind thinking when I started the swap, there was very little gas in the tank.  Oh shit, I connected the gas sender wire to the low fuel light wire on the 318 sender/pump, making the gauge go to full.

 

Wife: You know that if we would have been stranded on the side of the road with no gas, it would have been the last time I ride in this thing, right?

Me:  Yup.

[Tommy]

It must be when I had just brought the full bare metal restored body from paint shop into my garage. I had mounted it on rotisserie and turned it around when I heard huge banging. Within tenth of a second I knew what it was. I had forgotten the new rear subframe mounting bolts that were just dropped through their holes to mount the body on a trolley so it could be moved in the paint shop. When turned around the heavy M16 bolts fell out dinging the roof from inside out on both sides. I was lucky that I had sprayed some sound proofing stuff on the inside of roof that dampened the hit a little but the dings are there and can be easily seen. I live the moment again every time my eye catches them.   

 

  Tommy

[ingramlee]

For me it was when I sent a $4K dollar cashier's check to buy my car to a guy and his wife in New Jersey that I had only talked to on the phone. 7 days go by with no response and I have a shipping company that's suppose to pick the car up in 2 days... Oh sh!t. Finally the guy calls the next day and says he was waiting on the check to clear his bank.. (thanks for letting me know, WTF!) I had never seen the car in person, only photos.( I did have a professional PPI done though). Also while I was waiting to hear back from the guy, I did a little research (with the help of a friend that has that ability) and found the company where he worked and was president. I knew his wife owned and ran a small business. I also found out that his daughter was in college about 4 miles from my house. His name and face was all over the car site where I found the car for sale in the first place. In the end it all worked out and the car showed up at my door on time just as advertised. He also sent a ton of 02 parts that were never mentioned in the deal.  As it turned out the guy and his wife were really cool.

[NYNick]

Dropped a ladder on my brand new Porsche.

It was more than 'oh shit'.

[Guest_anonymous]

[2002#3]

Will not go into details; however, will give anti-Oh-Shit advice:  Do not store empty beer kegs in the garage rafters above the hood of your 2002.  I can still hear the sound...

[zinz]

I think we all remember our esteemed colleague, Mr Danco's, oh sh*t moment...  Very thankfully, he is still with us today; but stay frosty out there, friends

 

 

 

Ed Z

[lilmo]

Ever see burned shreds of paper towels come out the tailpipe? I have.

[dang]

Not a 2002 so I guess it doesn't count...

 

Driving a '71 Dodge Colt and the "Oh Shit" came right before I got hit head-on by a drunk driver.  I didn't remember the "Oh shit" part until a month later when I regained my memory of the accident.

[LikeStig]

The biggest "oh sh!t" so far was when my email to Speedracer_2002 bounced 4 days after I sent him $1850 for parts..... I was very lucky Danco_ was 3 steps ahead and already zero'ed this punk in and could provide me his parents contact information. 

 

Edited April 22, 2016 by LikeStig

[2002]

Had trouble with my drive shaft.  Taking it out of my 2002 I found the 12-point nut had fallen off.  The front part of the drive shaft came out of the spline (that was the sinking feeling) and I had no way to know how they we oriented, so it was going to be out of balance even if I could find a new nut.  Went to a local junk yard looking for the nut, and they had a complete drive shaft.  Bought the replacement and put it in that afternoon.  Eventually, had to buy a refurbished drive shaft with new U-joints, etc. and used the unbalanced one as the core.

[VillaBMW]

This... and too many others to mention that have occurred thru-out my restoration thus far.  I expect many others as I begin the assembly process, with so many new and used and modified and upgraded parts waiting to show me just how stupid I am.  At least that's what my wife thinks.

 

 

 

[fwardell]

Oh boy! Driving my '76 Inka 2002 along the freeway with my 15 year old (new driver, car guy) grandson as passenger at 60-ish and tried to make an exit ramp too late. And it was a very short radius ramp. Began the turn and there was no going back. Braked a bit and entered a power slide as I turned. Lots of tire noise. Realized there was a concrete divider curb I didn't want to hit (read: flip over!), so turned in a bit more. Screamed around the ramp and came to a stop at the top at the traffic light. Looked at grandson - white as a sheet. "Trey," I said, "that's a lesson in how to NOT drive. But as you saw it was a controlled maneuver you will need to learn." "Well, G-Dad, when can I start?" LOL! Thankfully I was driving my '02 . . .