Post-restoration surprises - a Shelby update

We've got an update about the Shelby's first post-op drive. He had a few quibbles and issues to correct, but overall is really happy with it.

http://classicmotorsports.net/project-cars/1967-Shelby-gt-350/first-drive-our-shelby-mustang-project/

There's almost always some unexpected problem that pops up after a long project. Anyone have interesting surprises on a first drive, a story you're willing to share? I'm curious what you've had go wrong—or right—after having something nearly done. Hopefully it wasn't too catastrophic!

I bought my Fiat as a rolling restoration in 1999. It was purchased about 100 miles from my home and I drove to my driveway. The next day I transported my daughter to school to begin to assess the needs. To my surprise, the brake pedal went to the floor as I entered the school parking area. I dropped off my daughter and gingerly drove home with very little braking and no e-brake either and then walked safely to work with the first of many things on my list noted as a new master cylinder. After that, I kept the car mostly in town for the next the 4 months and found the flex joint hanging by a thread, smoky dash wiring, bad starter and a door handle in pieces in my hand. It always got me home. Eventually the problems became less frequent and I could sort out the interior and exterior.

Cheers Ron

cheers Ron

Had a massive prop shaft failure which looked out the trans. The aluminum bell housing and rear housing both cracked. Left an impressive skid down the road. Was in 4th gear well approaching 5000 RPM. What a sound it made. Scared the hell out of me and the farmer I went shooting by. I was very lucky to get out of gear as the slave pin popped out when the housing shifted.

Car had been back on the road oh 2 months :)

Ours wasn't nearly as exciting.

During the first drive to the ice cream shop after finishing the transmission swap in the nice 1800ES, we experienced a odd stumbling and stalling... and then discovered it only happened when turning left... ????... we carefully made it home and I started investigating.

One of the ignition wires to the distributor was getting caught on the steering column and breaking the connection when it got pulled too much during left turns. A bit of rerouting and it's been fine since.

Many decades ago, I install a Racing Beat aluminum intake manifold and 4 barrel Holley carb on a Mazda RX-3 wagon. When I returned from the test drive, I noticed a bit of stumbling, so I left the engine running and opened the hood. To my surprise, I found that fuel was pouring out of the top of the carb and leaking down onto the headers! It turned out to be a needle valve jammed wide open by a piece of rubber fuel line. I installed a fuel filter pronto.

I was picking up my 70 Donahue Javelin from the paint shop. New fenders, rust repaired, car was painted blue and looking sweet. I made it one block, traffic light turned red. I pressed the brake pedal, worked for a bit then suddenly went to the floor. No time for the emergency brake, pumping did no good, only a few car lengths to the next car. I was downtown, not going all that fast but just ran out of time/ space. Bounced off the passenger side rear fender of the car ahead and into the drivers side of the car at the curb, stopped wedged between the two.

Towed it home, never did fix it up, totally disgusted with all the wasted effort. Moved on to reliable British cars after that.

mike

BwaHAHaha! He said:

OFracing wrote: ... reliable British cars ...