Out in the garage today putting the new front suspension under my F-3. I've got the truck on jackstands, but with probably 2/3 of weight on the springs.. Sit back to look at how everything is going together (actually am impressing myself).. But then look at how tall my truck is. I do a couple quick measurements and realize I'll still have to pick the truck up 4 more inches to be at ride height.. Then I look at the garage door.

I'm thinking I may have to air down tires to get this beast out of the garage when I'm done. My best guess is ill be sitting about 6inches over stock ride height. I love the look (similar to how a modern stock 4x4 sits higher than its comparable 2wd model).

At least I discovered this now, rather than by trying to roll/drive it out and figuring it out the "hard way"

 

Yeah, that sounds like someting I'd do. I'm thinking my f350 sits about 3" higher than stock......As for the oh s#^*!, Last spring I had just tightened the last bolt and hooked up the last wiring and linkages on my cummins swap in my '59 f350 and was extremely excited to fire it up to see (and hear) how I had done. Jumped in the cab and hit the starter ... no go. Tried some more and it finally fired off but sounded funny and smoked like crazy. I had taped a PB Blaster cap over the turbo intake, and forgot to remove it. Sucked the center out of the cap and into the turbo. I guess it got digested, but I had heard horror stories about even tiny particles ruining a turbo. Oh *#!&

 

Jon, at least you discovered it now, not as you were backing out on your maiden voyage!

 

Jon, your not alone for sure. Thats how I roll on a reglar basis. Now days, I just laugh at my stupid mistakes. This way I can enjoy working on my truck, no matter what happens.

 

For sure your not alone in this. I've had a couple recently. I went to install the toyota power box and discover that my motor mounts I so handily crafted some time ago wont allow it. So I build some new ones and then I decide I need headers. Yup/no they don't fit any which way, and I know I tried everything, they just won't fit with the box. So then I fabricated up new mounts again for the third time. Finally, Got a real good fit with everything in place. If I would have known what I was going to do in the beginning I would have made the mounts last. What made it especially hard is I refused to drill any new holes so it took an huge amount of measuring and figuring. Oh yeah, I had to make a new transmission cover too because originally I had the motor sitting in nice and low and sweet looking with lots of suspension travel. Some times things have to be done a few times to get it right.

 

Hey Jon,
I hear you - We get to pull the gas tank again this month as
we figured there had to be a way with resistors, etc. to get the 1970 Mustang sending unit to talk to the modern gauges we have. Nope -
it ranges from very full to full - nice. We have to drop the tank & drill a new hole in the tank to install the modern sending unit. I'm not super thrilled about drilling on a tank that has already had gas in it - grrr... would have been a lot easier the first time.. Don't get me started on not using case hardened push rods in our first pass at the engine..

You have lot's of company in the "Oh xxxt" boat.

Ben in Austin
1950 F1

 

an "Oh @%#$!!!!" moment--hundreds is more like it !!

 

The latest one for me is to install the vent window glass and realize I still had the lock lever catch on the bench. It goes under the glass. I had whaled on the glass to get it in and had to spend an hour prying it back out without breaking. DOH!

 

I've always wondered how those guys that build boats in their basement get them out.

 

I did the same thing,The panel just scraped the new roof paint,the first time out.

 

Mine I did to myself willingly. I decided it would be fun to section 7 inched of height out of my second gen S-10. Not so much.

 

When Henry Ford built his first car, the quadracycle, he had to knock out a brick wall in his shop to get it out.

 

Ditto!!! I seem to move from one Oh *&**^%$^& moment to the next. Sometimes it seems like I'm always in recovery mode

Bobby

 

That's about the point I'm at with getting everything put together with the driveline for my truck. I've made the push to get the axle fitted in first (have least amount of flexibility there).. my next goal is get at least the radiator support on, and swap off the headers and go back to stock manifolds (and trial fit the steering box in place.. all so I can get the motor mounts where I need them (engine is bolted to an aftermarket cross member, just sitting in frame now).. I also know I need to knock the rivets out, and move and modify the tranny cross member to work.. plus build the T-case mount.

I know I need the engine sitting lower, right now I have the cab on 3 inch blocks, and the T-case is about touching the cab floor.. (I do NOT want a body lift on this thing).. Oh yeah, I'm putting a whole lot of thought into this.. haha wanna minimize the touch up work later =P

 

You may have to put air bags on the corner of your garage as an option,lol