Holy previous PO crudapolous!!!?!?!?!?!

[ubtripn]

So I am going to install my new mirrors, I searched the theads, learned about the plate and tack welded nuts and thought, hummm, a few screws through the door panel, few minutes work and I will be done. As usual, what should be easy goes bad. The PO had removed the original mirrors and bondo'd over the holes, fine. I will just tap them. But when I get the door panel off and look up in there with a flashlight I find the tack welded nuts - yeah! along with bolts already running through them? I have owned the truck for a while but I had to look at the outside of the door once again just to be sure - nothing there but a little bondo. How is this possible?? Then it hits me, they stripped the screwheads and bondo'd over them??? I can only guess they didn't want to wast .0000001 percent more bondo. So now what? I thought I could drill them out very precisely which I have done before to a bolt - once in my life successfully. But I knew that was out, because I didn't want to tear up the new paint so I ended up moving the three hole pattern 3/4 of an inch towards the rear of the truck and drilling new holes. Now I drilled these holes using four bits working up to the right size. On hole number one I am just starting to turn the bit (target has tape on it) my phone vibrates in my pocket, I jump and the bit walks up the door panel all the way to the glass then stops. I went thermonuclear for just a second and my drill hit an altitude outside that all of the birds on my farm just had to have envied as it passed by on it's way up to into the stratosphere. (Side Note: Rigid makes a good drill.) To make a long story longer, the call was of course unessessary. I went back to work, got my 3 holes drilled, yoga'd my arm up inside the door and used lock washers and nuts. Not ideal but still on the metal plate. I button up everything still feeling a little proud of my work until I see a point of light coming out of my door. What could possibly still be inside? You guessed it, my flashlight. Ahhh the joys of tinkering. =)

[SWEET7T]

You sound like me... Nearly every project I work on, I manage to goof something up that turns in to a new project. A good example is while I'm running an additional coax cable for tv through the attic, I stick my foot through the ceiling. Or how about busting the screen door on the house while trying to remove it from the guides, only so I can get a couch through the back door...

[68gmsee]

The p.o. seems to have gone through extra trouble. I'm trying to visualize what he did. Did he grind down enough of the bolt head to just hold the back plate on? Did he dimple the hole or just bondo over the bolt heads?


The buzzing phone reminds me of my buddy cutting up a fallen tree with his chainsaw. He was on standby that day and knew he wasn't going to hear the phone so he but it on vibrate and put it in his back pocket. While sawing, a rattle snake come out from under the debris and totally freaked him out. After he gained his composure, he went back to cutting and a few minutes later his phone went off in his back pocket. He said he jumped backwards throwing his chainsaw in the air and fell on his @ss breaking his flip phone!

[stich626]

haha sorry dude.

[ubtripn]

Wow!

The po did grind them flat then bondo'd over but the plate felt like it was tacked on too.

[gonnuts]

He probably ground them off, maybe the same guy owned both our trucks cause the PO of my truck took all the trim off by doing the same thing. If you look inside the boxsides you can see all the bolts sticking out.

[cdowns]

i was taught long ago to remove any and all possible distractions when working with dangerous tools to protect my own well being

you're lucky you only screwed up some paint// with another tool in your hand you could have easily lost fingers or limbs. who do you need to talk to that badly to risk that? is what you need to ask yourself.

[ubtripn]

I wasn't risking any serious bodily injury, it is a lithium 12 volt mini drill. The call was from an employee. (Not that those can't hurt ya)

I get your point though, when I am using strong power tools I always take precations. I am not a cell phone addict, just a father with a job that requires I be available. The job allows me to support my family. What made me jump was the level of focus I was putting on what I was doing precision wise. A feather across my neck would probably have caused the same thing. =)

[Longhorn Man]

I've been in your shoes before (except the fresh paint part)
However, I must admit, and I hope you don't get p!ssed, I was just laughing my ass off on that!
I think more becouse it sounds exactly like something I would type up, but you have to admit... put yourself in my shoes... kinda funny.

[LandonL]

Hey, the story made me laugh and I REALLY needed that today. Sorry about that though, seems to happen with everything I try to do.

[ubtripn]

That doesn't make me mad at all, after it was done I had to laugh myself. =)

[N2TRUX]

We have all been there in some form. The light left in the door is a good one.

[ubtripn]

Yeah, I outdid myself. Well not really, I almost left a screwdriver I dropped down the distributor hole but a magnet saved me.

[70cst]

Grear story ubtripn ... I am sure it wan't funny initially but now we can look back and smile. As others have said... Been there and done that. It won't be the first and won't be the last but it pays to have a sense of humor.

[ubtripn]

That it does. =)

[dave2953]

Got any pics of the mirrors installed?

[Longhorn Man]

or the light in the door?

[doctrouble]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

or the light in the door?

Any life still in the batteries? I think this qualifies as one of the simple things in life that make it worth living

[VA72C10]

thanks for posting that....we all do silly things sometimes

[dhaymaker]

Loved the story! Had to laugh about the light in the door. Good thing you saw the light...if it had been me, I would have hunted all over the place for the light! Probably wouldn't have found it until the first time I drove the truck. Then I would have been trying to figure out what the heck that thumping/banging/clanging sound was! lol

[68Stepbed]

I can laugh because I've had similar experiences. Now, every time you look at that scratch, it'll remind you of what happened. The best part, though is explaining to a curious looker how the scratch got there.

[ubtripn]

Lol - yeah, it was definitly one for the obooks, I will try to get some pics up soon.

[RenoKeene]

PO did the same exact thing to my GMC, ground the heads off and laid on the bondo.

As far as dum-ass goes...I went to look at a truck for sale, took off the air cleaner...and dropped the nut down the carb.

[Pop's C-10]

lol..that is a new one..