Barry Wolk
07-23-2010, 04:13 PM
What's is the worst thing you've ever done to a car?
I was 15 and knew everything, didn't you? My parents went away for the weekend. While they were gone I decided to service mom's '63 Tempest. The technology was odd to me because it had half a Pontiac 389 under the hood, a "rope" driveshaft that led to a transaxle driving the rear wheels.
When my folks got back my mother packed the three of us up to go to the swim club 15 miles away. The car started making noise about 3/4 of the way there and mom kept driving it. As she parked it you could hear that gawdawful sound of metal that has gotten way too hot. It sure smelled, but we didn't think much of it. I knew I had done something wrong, but didn't know what.
We swam for a few hours, had lunch and headed home. Packed the car up and it starts just fine, but it won't move an inch. My uncle owned a service station. I had worked for him doing oil changes, but never encountered a Tempest. My uncle comes out with his tow truck, lifts the car up and determines that the differential is locked up solid. By this time my father had arrived to take us home. I asked if I could ride back with Uncle Milt. It was then that I confessed what I had done. He told me he had figured it out already and that he was covering my ass.
As he checked the fluids he found that I had drained the differential and overfilled the transmission, or so he told me. He had connections at salvage yards and was able to get a transaxle that he was able to swap into the car for $300, but only charged them $200. He kept my secret, but made me work off the other $100.00. It was worth it.
I was 15 and knew everything, didn't you? My parents went away for the weekend. While they were gone I decided to service mom's '63 Tempest. The technology was odd to me because it had half a Pontiac 389 under the hood, a "rope" driveshaft that led to a transaxle driving the rear wheels.
When my folks got back my mother packed the three of us up to go to the swim club 15 miles away. The car started making noise about 3/4 of the way there and mom kept driving it. As she parked it you could hear that gawdawful sound of metal that has gotten way too hot. It sure smelled, but we didn't think much of it. I knew I had done something wrong, but didn't know what.
We swam for a few hours, had lunch and headed home. Packed the car up and it starts just fine, but it won't move an inch. My uncle owned a service station. I had worked for him doing oil changes, but never encountered a Tempest. My uncle comes out with his tow truck, lifts the car up and determines that the differential is locked up solid. By this time my father had arrived to take us home. I asked if I could ride back with Uncle Milt. It was then that I confessed what I had done. He told me he had figured it out already and that he was covering my ass.
As he checked the fluids he found that I had drained the differential and overfilled the transmission, or so he told me. He had connections at salvage yards and was able to get a transaxle that he was able to swap into the car for $300, but only charged them $200. He kept my secret, but made me work off the other $100.00. It was worth it.