SO I got the '71 running again since I got the new fuel tank in there. Running pretty good.

For the last couple days I have been running around our small town in it(I live out in the country). Today, me and my wife were getting ready to leave and I had to pull the '71 back in the garage. So I think to myself, "I will just go down the road and back before I put it away for the day".

I pull out of the driveway and take off down the road. There are a bunch of people doing some landscaping at this house down the road form mine. I pass them buy and you can tell they were looking at the vette cruising by. And man did it sound good too!

Well on the way back past the SAME guys, the car just died. ANd it died right in front of their driveway. A couple of the guys walked up thinking that I had stopped to talk to them. Well, I had to tell them that I had no idea why it stopped and I tried to get it running again with no avail.

As embarrassing as it was, I was so grateful to those guys because they helped me push it all the way back to my house which was about 100 yards or more!!!

Once I got it back into my garage it dawned on me what happened, because it happened before. The fuse to the fuel pump blew. So now I have to track down why it is doing this. I think it is because my '71 is the son of bubba. Everything that can be "rigged" is. But that is another post.

 

I wouldnt feel too embarrased about that. these are old cars and it happens. I am sure most of us have a similar story about our cars.

Many Years ago I was trying to show off my Camaro's horsepower by doing this great smoke show at a cruise night. WELL, I broke two screw in studs in the process and I was the only one getting towed home in front of all the cruise night attendees

 

The gods declaired "This sh!te will always happen when someone is watching"

 

Mine had never gave me a problem on any road trip that it has been on since its major rebuild, that is until last summer. It has been to Bowling Green 3 times, all over east Tennessee mountains etc. Last fall we decided to go to the Grand Rod Run in Pigeon Forge Tn. We pulled out in traffic and I lasted about 10 minutes before I was broke down. THOUSANDS of cars all over the place. Not one car stopped to help. I had to call my buddies who walked back to where I was to help me.

Oh well, shiz happenz.

 

One day when I had my first Grand Sport. I did a burnout in front of my buddys gas station. I power shifted 2nd and twisted a half shaft. It sheared right off the the inner flange. I had to leave it on the side of the road and get a ride to my shop to get my car carrier. Now as you can guess the cops where waiting for me when I got back with the truck. That sucked

 

There was a moron at my high school with a Trans Am WS6 that was always jealous of my Vette (even though his is obviously faster) and decided to do a burnout after I did donuts in the parking lot the last day of school. Well, the idiot revs it to the sky and dumps the clutch, and smoke starts poring out of the car, but the wheels weren't moving. Needless to say, he fried his clutch and had to get towed home. The administration was happy to not let him walk at graduation, too

 

A man has to know his limitations,, or at least his cars.....

 

Except for the embarrassment factor, it's better it happened near home.

 

if they were car guys, they have all been humbled by an experience like that themselves, i have both been extremely humbled, and been able to help a ton a people.. 1 guy ran out of gas after driving right past a gas station... maybe 150 yards.. truck was deader than a door nail in the center of a 4 laner with an extra middle lane.. makin 5 total. why the guy didnt pull off the road????????????
i was goin to go muddin in my truck once, only to find the rear brakes COMPLETELY blown.. the retainer pin had shatered..
sorry for the long post :P

 

I own two...and both have been on roll ups a few times...you get use to it...

 

i blew 4 heater hoses.... sprayed antifreeze everywhere

my rear strut rods didnt tighten down and when i got to the vette hangout my camber was waaayyyyyyy off and bad

then i stalled at a stop light and came out to be an electrical issue..... long story...but all came back to a bad main ground wire

vette might be sold soon so maybe the worries will be gone

 

Don't worry, it happens to all of us. I was at a light last month on a 4 lane one way, cars 4 deep, T-tops out, about to go into an underground tunnel. People looking at me in the 'Vette. It just dies. no warning, nothing, just dies. knew what it was 1 second after it died. HEI control module. Had to get out a push 3400lbs of car across the street and rode it into a lucky parking spot. :o Got out and footed it to local Autozone, was back in business in about 2 hours. It's not just the old parts, gotta really watch the suppliers these days. Glad it went out BEFORE I got into the tunnel Stay away from the Accel anything, esp their modules. Someone has sold the Co. to the bean counters, everything out of China now, but they still want to trade on the good name built up over the years and charge you a premium for the junk parts. MSD is still very good though.

 

Ah that aint to bad at least you where close to home. It could have been something worse like the motor or tranny blowing. I bet the old lady was pist for making her wait?