# Dumbest Automotive Mistake You've Made? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [May 5, 2015, 11:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250 "2015-05-05T11:21:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TrueBlue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/trueblue/32/7245_2.png) [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 10:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/61 "2015-05-06T10:46:52Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > If you actually enjoy the hobby racing/cruising/whatever you would probably get over that pretty fast. :word: Cars are where a _lot_ of my discretionary income goes (read: pretty much all of), and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Buying a car with a dying rod bearing thinking it was a failing cam tensioner. Met some hep kats because of that POS though ---
**Author:** ![Jam](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jam/32/7235_2.png) [@Jam](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 11:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/62 "2015-05-06T11:17:42Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > Surprised there wasn’t a bunch of “tried to make my Honda fast” posts I find nothing regrettable about building an 11 second, reliable, daily driven car for around $6000 edit- also close to 40 mpg when not hammering on it ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 11:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/63 "2015-05-06T11:27:35Z")
> [@Jam](#): > > I find nothing regrettable about building an 11 second, reliable, daily driven car for around $6000 > > edit- also close to 40 mpg when not hammering on it Time slips from the track? Also that comment wasn’t towards you more to the people who went 400rwhp 500rwhp and then decided they kept nuking parts and moved onto something else. ---
**Author:** ![\_x1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/_x1/32/5108_2.png) [@\_x1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/_x1)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 11:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/64 "2015-05-06T11:37:00Z")
> [@Norb O](#): > > installing solid motor and trans mounts on my Spec V and driving it that way for 4 days until it rattled my brains out, then reinstalling old stuff Heh, I remember this. Would rattle the glove box open ---
**Author:** ![focusinprogress](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/focusinprogress/32/7227_2.png) [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 12:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/65 "2015-05-06T12:19:12Z")
I made many a mistake a little over a decade ago. First, I bought some questionable quality parts on ebay for a turbo build, and they failed quickly. I had to short shift to stay out of boost for 6 months before I could afford to replace the parts. I also sometime thereafter discovered on geico’s website you could add coverage for aftermarket upgrades…then they sent someone to evaluate my car for the coverage and black listed the VIN from geico coverage due to having a turbocharger. a mistake that seems opposite of most listed here… sold a 1998 dodge neon that I paid $300 for and drove 4yrs, enjoying 45mpg and never getting stuck in snow. I should’ve kept that car… ---
**Author:** ![Jam](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jam/32/7235_2.png) [@Jam](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 12:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/66 "2015-05-06T12:21:57Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > Time slips from the track? > > Also that comment wasn’t towards you more to the people who went 400rwhp 500rwhp and then decided they kept nuking parts and moved onto something else. I based this off of gennaro’s times with similar power. its only the beginning of may. ---
**Author:** ![BOBBYGRV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BOBBYGRV](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BOBBYGRV)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 12:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/67 "2015-05-06T12:48:24Z")
When I owned my streetfighter bike that @Jam used to leave me love notes on @ ECC, I didn’t check the oil one day before my ride home and I got 95% home before it started knocking and ultimately blew the motor. I was so mad at myself and never forgot to do that again, once I swapped in a stock, slow and even leakier motor than the first one. ---
**Author:** ![Minglor](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/minglor/32/7373_2.png) [@Minglor](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Minglor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/68 "2015-05-06T12:53:37Z")
> [@Jam](#): > > I based this off of gennaro’s times with similar power. its only the beginning of may. Need LSD and slicks. ---
**Author:** ![King](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/king/32/7329_2.png) [@King](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/King)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/69 "2015-05-06T13:14:20Z")
Yo thats really funny you say that, because now that you mention it with my first car I wired in several switches without fuses and they kept melting / smoking / nearly catching on fire. It took me a few times to understand exactly what I was doing wrong, lol. bonehead. ---
**Author:** ![93dx\_hatch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/90ced4/32.png) [@93dx\_hatch](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/93dx_hatch)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/70 "2015-05-06T13:30:03Z")
> [@Norb O](#): > > used wire nuts to splice wires when installing radio in my first car, it would short out on big bumps and eventually started smoking > > racing that same first car against a buddy out in the country and not braking for a big curve until i was ahead, went right into a ditch and missed a telephone pole by inches > > installing solid motor and trans mounts on my Spec V and driving it that way for 4 days until it rattled my brains out, then reinstalling old stuff > > **left the drain plug out of my old Outback after changing headgaskets, 5qts of fresh synthetic went right through the motor and onto the floor** I did this 3 weeks ago, first time ever, remembered after I heard the oil on the 2nd quart… ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/71 "2015-05-06T13:35:40Z")
> [@LZ](#): > > So why do you keep posting on a automotive forum? > > So sell it? > > Make more money? > > It seems most of the regrets people have around car stuff is the money factor…If you actually enjoy the hobby racing/cruising/whatever you would probably get over that pretty fast. I am not sure I understand your question. Do I want to make more money? Sure, why not? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![theblue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/theblue/32/5074_2.png) [@theblue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/theblue)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/72 "2015-05-06T19:27:15Z")
if I really think about it probably doing an oil change under a car supported only by the scissor jack that came with it. I’m cringing just thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![manhagen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/manhagen/32/7336_2.png) [@manhagen](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/manhagen)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/73 "2015-05-06T21:40:42Z")
Buying my e46 sight unseen. Next to that, scissor jack to support adjusting my coils in my EG when I was 18. It didn’t really end so hot. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bing/32/7211_2.png) [@bing](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/74 "2015-05-06T22:48:51Z")
making friends in dark parking lots taking over car forums lowered a jack on a car and it dropped on to a buddy’s head holding headlights on with packing tape ---
**Author:** ![Joe](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joe/32/7219_2.png) [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 12:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/75 "2015-05-07T00:06:03Z")
> [@bing](#): > > [QUOTE=Onyx Z32;4642254] getting rid of fight club [/QUOTE] Fixed ---
**Author:** ![Jam](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jam/32/7235_2.png) [@Jam](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Jam)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/76 "2015-05-07T00:14:27Z")
Even worse than a scissor jack- the awful crank “widow makers” that mk3 vws came with. Had one of those bad boys fail on me while changing a flat in a parking lot. Thankfully I dodged the vehicle getting back to that whole vw thing again… Haha [http://www.passatworld.com/forums/volkswagen-passat-b5-discussion/303469-they-dont-call-widowmaker-nothing.html#/forumsite/21090/topics/303469](http://www.passatworld.com/forums/volkswagen-passat-b5-discussion/303469-they-dont-call-widowmaker-nothing.html#/forumsite/21090/topics/303469) ---
**Author:** ![GV1390](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/gv1390/32/5432_2.png) [@GV1390](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GV1390)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 5:14am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/77 "2015-05-07T05:14:08Z")
> [@Minglor](#): > > Need LSD and slicks. Bingo! And lots of seat time. 11.40’s was on 350whp and still spinning on slicks. Buy a good LSD Jam! Also a dumb auto mistake, I leased a car once, it was awful. ---
**Author:** ![TrueBlue](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/trueblue/32/7245_2.png) [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 8:49am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/78 "2015-05-07T08:49:01Z")
Now that I think about it, I had my 95 SHO on jackstands towards the rear of the car as I couldn’t get my jacks under it at the same time in the front for some reason. Had an old UBRF member out and he and I were pulling apart the bottom part of the engine when the car teeter-tottered on the stand’s fulcrum point over. It creaked over slowly but still that coulda been a mess. ---
**Author:** ![Birdman64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@Birdman64](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Birdman64)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 10:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/79 "2015-05-07T10:41:36Z")
Buying a V6 96’ Ford Thunderbird as a first vehicle ---
**Author:** ![Norb\_O](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/norb_o/32/5189_2.png) [@Norb\_O](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Norb_O)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2015, 10:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250/80 "2015-05-07T10:42:41Z")
^that makes 2 of us [Previous page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/dumbest-automotive-mistake-youve-made/272250.md?page=3)