I did something pretty supid yesterday...

[NJ C10 Guy]

I finally got my truck more or less ready to drive. All I needed to do was get the motor started, get the timing set, and bleed the brakes. I swapped out my motor with a spun rod bearing and replaced the 4-speed with a 350/700r4. It's been about a year in the making.

Well yesterday I finally was ready to get the truck started. Apparently I had the shift rod linkage hooked up incorrectly. The trans was in 1, not in park. I looked at the stupid diagram 100 times and it still looks like I had it set right but I had it hooked up opposite. My fault for not checking the truck and making sure the wheels wouldn't move to verify it was in park. The truck has either been on jack stands, or the e-brake was on. There were always wheel chocks behind it too. I never checked it before because I didn't have a driveshaft until last week. Despite having the neutral safety switch connected, the truck started. The reason why? The truck was in park on the column so it didn't know any better. Well, I got it fired up and it took off on me. I crashed into my fence, but narrowly missed crashing into my house and crashing into my AC condenser next to it. Since I had no brakes I turned the truck off and hit the e-brake.

I banged up the radiator support and the driver's side fender. Both need to be replaced, and the worst part is they were both in great shape. Fortunately I found someone who has a matching fender and a like-new rad support in my area for $125. I was so upset because I was FINALLY ready to get the truck driveable again. Now I need to mess with the body. Fortunately there was no damage to anything else (radiator, fan, frame, etc.).

I just needed to vent a little. I wasn't even angry because I thought I had done everything correct. It's just time and money, right?

So, apparently the gear selector needs to be in an upright position, not parallel to the ground for it to be in park. I read it as the upper part of the selector determined the gear, not the lower in the diagram. I think it's the arrow that throws me off. I guess I was wrong.

[Zach079xxx]

WOW glad you're not hurt though!

[NJ C10 Guy]

Originally Posted by Zach079xxx

WOW glad you're not hurt though!

Oh yeah, that's the other thing I'm lucky about

[tucsonjwt]

At least you got away cheap. It seems that in every project I undertake it is the simple things that get overlooked.

I just changed the radiator in my old 2002 Cavalier beater and took it out on the highway, after checking for leaks in my driveway. When I got back home coolant was spewing from the lower passenger side of the radiator where the lower radiator hose attaches. I used the factory spring clamp to fasten the hose and thought I had it on tight, but part of the clamp was on the ridge of the radiator neck. The higher pressure of the cooling system at speed was too much for it. Now I get to buy another gallon of overpriced DexCool.

I hate those impossible to get to areas and nearly impossible to compress spring clamps. My hands are too big to work on little cars, at least that is my excuse.

[Zach079xxx]

That could've gone 20 times worse though honestly! Shew you scored some new replacement parts so it's not a bad day in the end.

[old Rusty C10]

I have a rad support if you need

[RandyP]

As long as you can walk away and laugh a little about it, it's all good. Panels can be replaced or fixed, learn and go on. At least no one had it on video!

My story is back in the 80's when I was a young teen working in a shop. They asked me to move this VW bug from where it had been primed to a prep area. It had been dead so I wanted to make sure it would start before getting in the little thing. Knowing it was a standard I reached in with my right foot and pushed the clutch in, it just cranked. Wanting to give it a little gas I sat and crossed my left foot over to hit the gas pedal. It fired up right away then. I went to lift my foot off the gas (naturally your right foot) and the clutch started coming out... So I went in to panic mode, tried pushing the clutch in fast (naturally your left foot) and the gas pedal went to the floor and the car was still moving, inching towards the shop wall. Again I tried to lift off the gas pedal, the clutch came out more... Thank goodness I had the thought to turn the key off finally.

Never again have I ever sat in a car and tried to start it without being fully in the vehicle, no matter what. All the guys in the shop were yelling and running at me. I was like 2" from the wall though, not like I was really close.

Almost 30 years later and I still remember it like it was yesterday, and laugh.

[71swb4x4]

Great story OP, and great story Randy. I can share a dumb story OP, to try to make you feel a little better. We were in shop class my senior year of high school. We had a car that wasn't running that needed to go on the hoist. My friend stood in front of the hoist directing traffic while me and a couple others pushed that car onto the hoist. Once it was on the hoist the driver promptly pushed the brake pedal in, except he pushed the clutch in. The car went off the end of the ramp pinning my friend between the car and the classroom. It was hilarious because everything happened slow enough that no one got hurt, but my friend still screamed like a little girl. I think it was the fact that he saw it coming, he expected it to hurt, so he screamed accordingly. We lifted the front of the car back onto the hoist and never let my friend live that one down. Of course after that no one stood in front of the hoist to direct traffic.

[slotard]

Glad to hear it didn't go worse. I hope everything goes well with finishing it up.

[NJ C10 Guy]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

I have a rad support if you need

Thanks Bob. I have a lead on a rad support and matching fender from a guy in Lacey. I think the rad support is new and the fender matches. He wants $125 for it which seems like a good deal to me. If I run into an issue with him I'll let you know.

[NJ C10 Guy]

Originally Posted by RandyP

As long as you can walk away and laugh a little about it, it's all good. Panels can be replaced or fixed, learn and go on. At least no one had it on video!

My story is back in the 80's when I was a young teen working in a shop. They asked me to move this VW bug from where it had been primed to a prep area. It had been dead so I wanted to make sure it would start before getting in the little thing. Knowing it was a standard I reached in with my right foot and pushed the clutch in, it just cranked. Wanting to give it a little gas I sat and crossed my left foot over to hit the gas pedal. It fired up right away then. I went to lift my foot off the gas (naturally your right foot) and the clutch started coming out... So I went in to panic mode, tried pushing the clutch in fast (naturally your left foot) and the gas pedal went to the floor and the car was still moving, inching towards the shop wall. Again I tried to lift off the gas pedal, the clutch came out more... Thank goodness I had the thought to turn the key off finally.

Never again have I ever sat in a car and tried to start it without being fully in the vehicle, no matter what. All the guys in the shop were yelling and running at me. I was like 2" from the wall though, not like I was really close.

Almost 30 years later and I still remember it like it was yesterday, and laugh.

Lol oh man, that's a great story. The good thing for me is that I was trying to start the truck standing outside of it and just turning the key. That could have been interesting! I remember my wheels spinning, and It's because I had the gas pushed in. There are tire marks in my driveway. At least it has a little power to it lol.

[NJ C10 Guy]

Originally Posted by 71swb4x4

Great story OP, and great story Randy. I can share a dumb story OP, to try to make you feel a little better. We were in shop class my senior year of high school. We had a car that wasn't running that needed to go on the hoist. My friend stood in front of the hoist directing traffic while me and a couple others pushed that car onto the hoist. Once it was on the hoist the driver promptly pushed the brake pedal in, except he pushed the clutch in. The car went off the end of the ramp pinning my friend between the car and the classroom. It was hilarious because everything happened slow enough that no one got hurt, but my friend still screamed like a little girl. I think it was the fact that he saw it coming, he expected it to hurt, so he screamed accordingly. We lifted the front of the car back onto the hoist and never let my friend live that one down. Of course after that no one stood in front of the hoist to direct traffic.

That's hilarious. Always good when one of your buddies completely loses it for nothing. I was trick-or-treating with a buddy about 20 years ago and a truck came by, either a Blazer or a Bronco (let's call it a Blazer because Chevy rocks ). Anyway as it drove by it backfired. I leaned away a little bit but my buddy jumped up in the air, dropped his pillow case and covered his ears, and shrieked like a woman. Never let him live that down.

[Front Range]

Had an old yellow Chevy Monza in my 20's. It was parked on a steep driveway in a residential neighborhood. One morning the neighbor knocked on the door and asked if I was missing something. The car had come out of gear and rolled down the driveway, across the busy street, and up into his front yard with the rear bumper resting against his brick house.

No one passing was injured, it didn't run over any kids or cause a traffic incident, or death. But I'm glad that neighbor had a great sense of humor and a forgiving heart.

[bmchevy1979]

My story is similar to Front Range's above I had had my 79 for a couple of weeks and I had finally found a good spot to park it were it was out of the way next shop and the next morning as I was headed to school I noticed my k5 wasn't by the shop anymore looked around and it had rolled from the shop all the way into the plum orchard in front of my house and had stopped about 50ft shy of the road the parking prawl in the trans had failed and it didn't hold ever again after that day so I became well acquainted with the parking brake. That and the ghost wipers were the two funny things that truck had whenever there was lightning and thunder the wipers would decide to kick themselves on

[NJ C10 Guy]

Hey Bob, turns out the radiator support the guy has is for a dual headlight and I have a single. Is your radiator support for a single headlight?

[NJ C10 Guy]

I got to take a better look at the truck over the last couple of days. It looks like I might be able to get away with just replacing the fender. The rad support was a little bent on the front but I was able to straighten it out. It's not perfect, but I'm pretty sure I dodged a bullet. I think the hood wont close because the fender kinked out some and since the hood hinge is attached to it, it just slid it some. I think I got pretty lucky. I bought a color matching fender today, so now I just need to replace it.

[Mike Bradbury]

I have a similar story and my pretty straight C10 still bears the scar of me not stopping to listen to the small voice in my head that said "don't do it".

[Foot Stomper]

My stupid story is pretty short. I jumped on my Harley Road King to back it out of the garage and when I got it where I wanted it, I simply got off...without putting the kick stand out. Dumb ass!

[NJ C10 Guy]

Originally Posted by Foot Stomper

My stupid story is pretty short. I jumped on my Harley Road King to back it out of the garage and when I got it where I wanted it, I simply got off...without putting the kick stand out. Dumb ass!

Been there, done that. I had a very slow lay down. Only thing damaged was my pride.

[old Rusty C10]

Originally Posted by NJ C10 Guy

Hey Bob, turns out the radiator support the guy has is for a dual headlight and I have a single. Is your radiator support for a single headlight?

single I just sold the dual one

[NJ C10 Guy]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

single I just sold the dual one

I will let you know. A couple posts up I said I might have gotten away without needing one. I am going to mount my new fender first and see if that cures the problem. I think my hood isn't closing because the hinge moved some when the fender was kinked.

[MalibuSSwagon]

Something more annoying, but possibly not my fault. When I moved into my house the previous owner had strung up fluorescent lighting fixtures in the garage. They worked great and all so left them as is. last week after a year of living here I go out into the garage and flip on the lights. Then notice it's kinda dim. Look around and one of the lights is hanging from the ceiling by the cord right in front of the truck. Turns out he used really light chain to hang just this one, and it failed in several places. Put a good size dent in my other perfect hood. My gf was like " I'm surprised you aren't mad" Well I can fix a dent but I can't fix a shattered rear window. As my Custom Cruiser was parked in front of the truck, the light was right over the back of the wagon.

I'm going to keep using these lights but I'm screwing them right to the joists LOL.