silliest mistake when fixing your car

When I had a 3 door mk2, being 6' 6" and the best part of 18 stone, getting in the rear to clean it was a bit of a challenge. One day in a foul mood I was getting in the back when I pushed on the reclined front seat, to get in, when there was a nice crack as the head rest smashed the windscreen.

Also does opening the car door of the works unmarked car, where it was taken of by another car count.

 

I think I'm on my 4th ot 5th Gunson Gastester. Get the mixture just right, reverse out of the drive - oops, forgot to take the gastester out of the way...

 

Lol, I was pulled over once on the hard shoulder and did the done thing, stand on the verge while getting busted. I had the flu, he wouldn't let me keep me keep my engine running for the heat (in case I drove off in a micra pursued by a V6 Vectra). A truck came past and wiped his open door out. How I laughed, as he radioed in...

 

just tightening that nut/bolt that little bit extra. (until it shears )

 

left a socket on the airfilter of my mk3 escort...job done bonnet down ARRRGG

 

most expensive! it was a panda - what was the repair cost? 55 all in

 

When replacing the power steering belt about a month after changing the thermostat I noticed the pump bracket was only attached with one of the three bolts. That could have been bad.

 

Wait, I made an even sillier mistake today:

Not realising WD40 was flammable (I mean, who would?), after torching my freshly moistened tie rod with my new Fisher Price blowtorch, I managed to set fire to:

- my hand (I was wearing mechanic's gloves)
- my Bacofoil-wrapped-round-empty-Halfords-Wet-and-Dry-packet heatshield (to protect my CV boot)
- the floor
- the tie rod

Then, after throwing the flaming heatshield onto the floor, I realised I had an even bigger problem in that the blowtorch wasn't extinguishing. Stamp out the fire or try and prevent the can of propane from blowing up in my hand? Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

Anyway, to cut a long story short - there was no real damage and I didn't manage to free that jamb nut.

 

Errrmmm...it says so on the tin...

 

When replacing the tappets on my old mk2, I torqued the cam caps down to 120nM.

Well, I tried to. The bolts snapped and I spent a day using some wa*k piece of **** stud extractor getting them out of the head.

 

Not on a VW but when I fitted the CAI on the neon I decided that tying up the loose wires/hoses was a good idea (2.0 engine in small engine bay = no place to work).

Then I start the car up and discovers the shifter doen't budge.
Had nicely tied up the shifter cable with a random hose. Oups !

UTA

 

Got pranged this morning which pushed the spotlight back onto my freshly rewired horn, this was shorting a bit, setting the horn off. Like the tool I am I though easy, just move the broken spotlight out the way and carry on!
Pull up at a junction out in the countryside and a large cloud of smoke starts coming out of the grill, I s**t myself, grab the fire extinguisher out the glove box, pop the bonnet and run round the front, cue fire extinguisher... or not..
Damn thing had lost all its pressure, and I could see flames, so I try to pull the bonnet up to get at it, but it wont budge cos the prang had bent the slam panel.. so in my adrenaline fueled panic i grab the grill and tear it off the car.. then blow the fire out the old fashioned way. Job done, I sit on the bonnet in a daze looking at the view.