Not taking anything away from our most notorious "cursed" club member, BUT... once again that dark cloud that follows me around showed up on the long haul back from BG.
Got a late start back on Sunday waiting for Matt M. to get together with me before we went our seperate ways. Also spent time with Scott S and other club members before leaving. Anyway, its after 5:00 pm when I finally point the 65ft truck and trailer (loaded with both cars) north out of town.
As I bypassed downtown Louiville on one of the outer highways, I feel a tugging on the truck and the noticeable "whop whop whop" of a tire losing air. "What's new..more bad luck"
Of course it happens JUST pass an off ramp, so I'm stuck between exits. Its OK though, I have a brand new spare. ...BUT its in the front of the enclosed trailer and the only way to get to it, is to move both cars back!!
SO, after 5 minutes of staring at the problem, believing somehow I might use "the force" to Luke Skywalker" the spare and jack over the 30th SS and out of the trailer, I unlock the rear door and drop the hatch. Cars/Trucks wizzing 5 feet from the rig at 65/70 mph.
At least the flat was on the passenger side. Jack in place, starting to lift...Wait a minute, better break the lugs loose first...."klunk" that side don't fit.."klunk" not that one either, "klunk" getting nervous, last side to try.."klunk" you gotta be f#@**&(g kidding me!! packed the wrong 4way lug wrench!!
Stare at the flate for 5 more minutes... Still no luck with my Jedi powers. Try to wave down a couple of trucks..almost get ran over. Break down and lower the 35th LE off the trailer and put a plate on the back. Secure the rig and down the road I fly. A bit of good luck, next exit only a mile away and a Wallymart open for business. Grab what I need and head back to the rig. Dark by now, but with no further obstacles, I have the new tire on in 20 minutes. Put both cars back in the trailer, strap em down, close her all up, fire up the engine and down the road I go.
Not done yet..filthy dirty, sweaty, tired, and alone, I start thinking...I have no truck spare for another 600 miles of highway. So, down the next ramp to Wallymart I go to replace the blown tire with a new spare. Getting the flat off the rim, we notice there is a TUBE in the tire!! "What the f@(%" Why a tube?
Putting on the new tire we discove a leak in the RIM and will not seal a new tire. Too late for any further repairs, I decide to leave the old rim, flat tube, and tire there at Wallymart and head down the road whispering about a million "Hail Mary's" and "Our Father's" for the next 5 hours.
Still reading this..cool..well I made it. Pulled into Philly the next day late in the afternoon. Sure wanted to kiss the ground when I parked the rig in front of the house. Don't think I will attempt that long of a haul by myself again.
Posted by cytruffle (Member # 1733) on :
quote:Originally posted by Hookerf14: ..well I made it.
....maybe the "force" WAS with you! Glad you & your "kids" made it safely!
It was fun meeting you! Hope to see you again at another event! Posted by poSSum (Member # 119) on :
Glad you made it Appears Gino may be loosing some of his power
If this keeps up he may HAVE to show up at Bowling Green next year. Posted by DanPazich (Member # 1352) on :
Wow Glenn! Really sorry to hear about that big incident. Glad you made it home safely, as well as the cars. Hope we have another get together sometime soon and meet up!
Posted by Fbodfather (Member # 1119) on :
Wow, Glen...sorry to hear about that...but I sure can relate to the "looking at something willing it to move/repair itself/fall off/move into vision/etc!
WTGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by 35th 02 ss (Member # 1667) on :
wow Glen, I can see you right now on the side of the road wondering wtf do I do now. Glad you made it home alright, and I'll see you next month at SLP Day.
[ 25. September 2003, 07:47 AM: Message edited by: 35th 02 ss ]
Posted by Joey Red (Member # 550) on :
Wow man! Talk about bad luck. Glad you and the cars made it back ok. Look on the bright side. You left after me. If I discovered the truck and trailer on the side of the highway, you could've ended up riding the "Pink Pony".
[ 25. September 2003, 08:46 AM: Message edited by: Joey Red ]
Posted by JohnS (Member # 1073) on :
Glad you finally made it home okay.
Posted by 2002Z4CSS (Member # 1393) on :
Sounds like the luck my son and I had going to the NEOCC Fall Classic Show a couple of weeks ago.My son's Camaro was going to be trailered to the event.He backs it out of the driveway and we proceed to clean it up.The enclosed trailer shows up.The car won't start! No spark from the MSD. Diagnose the concern to a bad disturbutor pick up coil.I drive a few miles to the only speed shop and get a pick up coil.The guy who sold it to me insured me that the distrubutor did not have to come out to replace the pickup coil.He lied!I had to remove the distrubutor and totally disassemble it down to the bare housing.I reassembled it and threw it back in the car in 15 minutes or less! The car fired and we put it in the trailer. We got on the road later than we wanted to. We get to the destination and all is well. Too bad I could not say that for the tow vehicle,trailer,and my son's Camaro! After the event we could not trailer the car back to Michigan.It was never driven a long distance on a hi way and is not built for a long trip with a lot of RPM (gear and a high stall convertor).20 minutes on the hiway proved to be too much for that LS6 454.The carb started to draw fuel from the float bowl.We pulled off the side of the hi way and minutes later another show participant stopped by to give us a hand.We ended up limping the car to a friend of his house and had to leave it there for a whole week.To make matters worse,my Brickyard was so packed with stuff that was in my son's car that there was barely any room for my wife to sit.We also got caught in the rain on the ride home!
Posted by Bello SS (Member # 1304) on :
Now thats pretty bad.
Gino
Posted by Hookerf14 (Member # 1602) on :
Greg, Something about car shows and rain. Oh well, on we go. Hope nothing too wrong with your son's project.
Thanks everyone else, for your concern. It's funny NOW. If you could have seen me with that small 4 way lug wrench. I tried all 16 sides of that thing. LMAO (now)
[ 26. September 2003, 07:39 AM: Message edited by: Hookerf14 ]
Posted by RagSS (Member # 1127) on :
...and we thought you were just kidding about 'bad luck' during dinner the first night. Definitely glad the remainder of your trip was uneventful and that you made it home safe. ...like Joey said though, ...
quote: you could've ended up riding the "Pink Pony
Kevin
Posted by 2002Z4CSS (Member # 1393) on :
quote:Originally posted by Hookerf14: Greg, Something about car shows and rain. Oh well, on we go. Hope nothing too wrong with your son's project.
Thanks everyone else, for your concern. It's funny NOW. If you could of seen me with that small 4 way lug wrench. I tried all 16 sides of that thing. LMAO (now)
Glenn,we barely got that 1979 Camaro to Camaro Superfest and had a couple of issues and now I have to fix the drivers door,rocker panel and 1/4 panel. Not to mention the carb is acting up. Even at the Berger Chevrolet All Chevy Show,my son had a problem after the distrubutor cap and rotor broke at the dragstrip. That is 3 car shows and problems at each.Remind you that we just got the car back together the morning of Camaro Superfest and have not worked out all of the bugs yet.
Glad to hear that you made it home on one piece! Posted by MM (Member # 1247) on :
quote:Got a late start back on Sunday waiting for Matt M.
Oh great please help us.... there is another Matt M. out there....
At least you made it home....
[ 26. September 2003, 07:39 AM: Message edited by: MM ]
Posted by DGOETZ (Member # 1846) on :
I'm glad you made it back.
I hate it when this stuff happens.
If anyone one knows they will pass within 60 miles of Cincinnati going any where let me know and I'll get you my cell phone number.
I guess we know why the tube was in that damn tire.