Your biggest Model-A mistake of the year?

[JD 1931]

the new repro gas cap I bought fit better than the one I lost...

[w.michael]

I tried to replace the cast iron fuel sediment bowl with a new glass bulb type of sediment bowl, but I cross-threaded it inside the car where the fuel line connects to the sediment bowl. I had a huge leak, as N.K. mentioned in post #15 above. And I ruined a $30.00 part, plus shipping. Yes, I can salvage the strainer and the gasket and the glass bowl, but the metal part is now junque.
And I still have the cast iron bowl, which doesn't allow me to see when it needs cleaning.

W. Michael

[John Dayhuff]

I always set the gas cap upside down on the drivers seat, so even if I did forget to put it back on at least I still have it at the next stop and it's not damaged in any way. I've never forgotten to put it back on at the station though with it in my seat. So far that is....LOL.

[dean from bozeman]

I had purchased a beautiful, e28 original radiator during the restoration of A495, my very early Phaeton. It was as close to NOS as you could get. It was beautiful, pristine. Note: I said was.

It was Friday and I needed to get a couple packages to the UPS store. I drove to town and parked in front of the store. It was at that time that I noticed the tailgate on my pickup was down. That was weird, I thought. It then dawned on me, while at home I had placed the radiator on the tailgate to look at it in the sunshine. I got a tightness in my gut. After paying for the packages I drove back home reversing the route that I used, looking for it every inch of the way. Less than a mile from my house I saw it along side the road. I pulled over, got out and picked it up. It was totally destroyed. Having a radiator jump out the back of a pickup truck at 55 mph will do that.

Now this mishap actually happened some years back but I thought that I would share it with you. It even hurts me today to tell that story.

[Dean Lemoine]

That radiator incident must have hurt.

[ronn]

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I feel your pain Dean.........


know someone in the hobby, who yrs ago bought an all original model T.. car was stunning and HOPF candidate. He unloaded it onto the Hershey field, hit an incline and rolled the car..............


so there is always a worse story! He was alright though.

[burner31]

I'm embarrassed to say

[Dennis Pereira]

My biggest mistake last week was climbing into the trunk area to drill a hole. One was way off on where the curved panel attaches, so I removed the panel. to get a good angle and I climbed in. The rumble seat riser / trunk rear floor was disfigured by my weight slightly.

[w.michael]

I think Dean wins the hard luck trophy!

When someone as careful and precise as Dean has an accident like that happen, what hope is there for a ten-thumbs restorer like me?

W. Michael

[goodcar]

Couple of things, not this year but others. Forgetting to remove the crank after setting the timing. As I drive up the street, what was that clank? Oh, the crank hitting the pavement.

Engine not starting because I forgot to turn the ignition switch on, then choking the heck out of it. Then when I remembered to turn the switch on--KABOOM!!

[dean from bozeman]

w.michael,

I shouldn't win a hard luck trophy. Perhaps a stupidity trophy would be more appropriate.

[kawagumby]

I've noticed I'm starting to get into the habit of calling myself stupid. Just something as dumb as walking by my '31 while holding a jackstand and taking out a big chunk of front fender paint as I go by. It seems stupidity trophies are becoming easier to collect lately.

[Model A Ron]

Not putting on a High Compression head on sooner.........it's a big difference

[Bruce of MN]

I was using the special box wrench to rotate the crank while setting the timing and forgot to remove it. When I started the car, the wrench spun around and unscrewed the nut, but very luckily, didn't damage anything. I was thinking of painting it pink after that to make it more of a challenge to forget, but haven't yet.

[Chris in WNC]

Originally Posted by goodcar

Couple of things, not this year but others. Forgetting to remove the crank after setting the timing. As I drive up the street, what was that clank? Oh, the crank hitting the pavement.

Several years ago, I left the timing pin out. Drove from Jacksonville FL to my first rest stop up in S. Georgia before discovering.
Blew out about a pint of oil, very messy.....

[Bill G]

Leaving a magnetic light stuck to the underside of the car and driving off and losing it.

To the original post, I cannot tell you how many things, including tools have gone a flyin' off my running boards after working on the car. Usually the passenger side! It raises Hell with the paint on the rear fenders when stuff hits them.

[Big hammer]

Originally Posted by Bruce of MN

I was using the special box wrench to rotate the crank while setting the timing and forgot to remove it. When I started the car, the wrench spun around and unscrewed the nut, but very luckily, didn't damage anything. I was thinking of painting it pink after that to make it more of a challenge to forget, but haven't yet.

Drill a hole in the handle install a long colorful rope presto!

[aermotor]

Reached in to bump the starter by hand and by gosh it was in gear and started. Most destruction was to the saw horse table in front and a skinned fender. Lesson learned - don't bump the starter unless in the car with clutch in.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by Big hammer

The years not over YET, oh forgot to grease the muffler bearing when I greased the chassis!

To keep from losing my gas cap I put it in my pocket, when you set down you’ll know where it is instantly!

What the heck is the "muffler bearing"?

[Ruth]

Originally Posted by Big hammer

The years not over YET, oh forgot to grease the muffler bearing when I greased the chassis!

To keep from losing my gas cap I put it in my pocket, when you set down you’ll know where it is instantly!

Originally Posted by alexiskai

What the heck is the "muffler bearing"?

Big Hammer is a good fisherman. Ya hook um up and reel them in.