I was hoping to have the GTX on the road this weekend. Alas, it didn't happen, but I learned many valuable lessons...
1) You must provide enough beer to get the guys wrenching well, but not so much that they get stupid.
2) The guy "supervising" and not actively working on the car knows the least. Any beer given to him goes straight to stupid.
3) You must absolutely remember #2 when you tell the guy "supervising" that you don't think this nut goes on the top of that strut, because when he says yes it does and hands you the impact wrench, you should beat him soundly with it.
And yes, I have now learned first hand that the dangers of the impact wrench. Fortunately, a friend had a 14 die who was able to chase the threads and save the day. :D
Now, if I can get the hole a friend drilled in the radiator braised, fix the driveshaft the ex busted, and figure out why the brakes refuse to bleed, I can get those tires on the pavement! Ideally in time to take break & repair things before I drive it to the Challenge...
So. What words of wisdom did you not heed and have to learn the hard way?
Finish job, then pass out the beer.
Raze
Dork
9/7/10 3:30 p.m.
triumph5 wrote:
Finish job, then pass out the beer.
no silly, place beer in hot sun, tell boys the sooner they finish, the colder it'll be 
Just b/c it stuck on the last lap, doesn't mean it will on this one. (Times 2 in the rain).
Oh, and, no beer was involved . . . just all-natural, uninduced stupid.
yes.... Always remember that impact guns are for REMOVING nuts not putting them on.
Unless it is more convenient to ignore that.
(but seriously, only use it when there are LOTS of threads and stop before bottom also always hand start first.)
Cotton
HalfDork
9/7/10 3:56 p.m.
don't forget to chock the wheels when pulling a driveshaft on an incline.
when painting make sure the gun lid is on tight!
make sure your pilot bearing is installed before you bolt up clutch/transmission and install entire assembly into car.
I could go on and on...
oldtin
HalfDork
9/7/10 4:04 p.m.
It's quite possible if not likely that friends who claim car knowledge actually know much less than you
mndsm
Dork
9/7/10 4:22 p.m.
Dumping bearings from a strut tower mount because you told someone to be careful and they didn't is a great way to waste an afternoon, searching for those little bastards all over the driveway, and then resetting the thing and repacking it with grease. Once you've cleaned off all the old grease and the sand that it acquired on its journey across the driveway.
After you've installed your fancy new ceramic brake pads, don't forget to pump the brakes back up before putting it in gear, and backing out of the shop 
dollraves wrote:
So. What words of wisdom did you not heed and have to learn the hard way?
I actually have my own words of wisdom to heed:
Only use an impact on something you can
A) Afford to replace
Or
B) Easily replace
If time or money is of the essence, don't be a Bob Costas and use your hands!
Struts? GTX?
I thought they used torsion bars?
They did. Mine was a pretty red 1968 with black stripes and black interior and the engine scared the E36 M3 out of me just about everytime I hit the loud pedal. It gave me a great appreciation for small blocks.
Find a separate, physically distant task for each headstrong alpha-male.
LABEL WIRES AS YOU REMOVE THEM FROM THINGS!!!!
if you want an example of why thats an important lesson, pull the leads off a 90s GM cabin blower motor, reinstall them in an order other than correct, and then turn the fan on. Have fun chasing the electrical gremlins that result 
When doing a motor swap, if you have replaced every seal/gasket/water pump/etc, go ahead and do the headgasket as well.
That was THE single biggest disappointment when doing the S52 swap in my E30.
Installed, dyno'd within 200 miles the corroded stock gasket let go. 
dollraves wrote:
Trans_Maro wrote:
Struts? GTX?
I thought they used torsion bars?
Mazda 323 GTX. :D
That would also explain the use of the word STRUT.
bravenrace wrote:
In reply to dollraves:
Wife and kids.
Yeah, in my case, it was a husband. :D
Funny thing, though... the mangled drive shaft, the shattered ignition cylinder & wiring harness, and the hole in the radiator on my $2010 Challenge GTX were all done by guys. The stripped threads on the strut was my fault for listening to the guys instead of following my instincts.
Now that I have a idea of what I'm doing, I don't think men will be allowed to touch my cars anymore. :D
Take off the rose colored glasses when buying a car.
Learned this the hard way not once, but twice
triumph5 wrote:
Raze wrote:
triumph5 wrote:
Finish job, then pass out the beer.
no silly, place beer in hot sun, tell boys the sooner they finish, the colder it'll be
Excellent motivation!
But what if it is a british car?
Mig welding and water
Watching friends lean on spark plug wires that are hanging over the fender as you crank the motor (personal bits were zapped something good)
Torch goes out as you are cutting something off a SBC Chevy water pump. Re light the torch go back to cutting and pump explodes. (it had filled with oxy acc) I was def for a week.
I have many more but these are the most notable.
