The list members have been very patient with my long stories and
gracious in providing their expertise while I've been rebuilding my 1959
MGA. Getting my brakes to work after 15 years was the most frustrating
experience of the whole process and I was up until 1 AM Friday night and
a good part of Saturday replacing shoes & wheel cylinders, and bleeding
and bleeding and bleeding... It has been up on blocks all that time.
Finally, yesterday afternoon I got the brakes to work. I popped the
wheels back on, grabbed the wife (y'all remember the lady who ran her
Roadmonster into the back end of my baby a month or so ago - same
person) and said "lets go for a ride !!"
We got 30 yards down the road when the front started wobbling like crazy
only to give a sudden lurch and drop. Yep - I forgot to tighten the
lugs on the drivers side front. The wheel had come off and dropped it
in the road. Fortunately the only damage (to the car) was a dent in the
front fender and my pride. A quick jog back home for a jack and it was
on the road again. The dent should pound out okay.
I pass this on as an example of what can happen when in a hurry. A
mechanic friend was kind enough to tell me that he and three pals (all
in auto mech school at the time) made the same mistake.
Moral # 1: Make it a practice never to leave a piece without tightening
the nuts (my buddies suggestion).
Moral #2: Never lose your cool over someone else's dumb mistake - you
never know when you'll do something even dumber.
ralph cordell
'59 MGA
'84 Turbo Regal
'87 Grand National
'96 Roadmonster
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