School Of MasterCard (I'm Dumb)

[shotsy]

Sorry this is kinda long but I've been a bit frustrated thought I'd tell my story, I've been thinking about setting the project car on fire and watching it burn, maybe roast some mashmellows cause I'm sure as hell not roasting any tires!!!

Hey everyone it's been an expensive couple of weeks!! I got everything together to get the car started about 2 weeks ago, but all didn’t go as planned. For starters I thought I had a 1970 C4 transmission, but when I opened it up to put the shift kit in, I figured out that it was a 69. ****. Ok well screw the shift kit, I’ve got the torque converter and headers I may as well put it together and drop it in the car. OK it, it went in just fine. Modded the alternator and got the duraspark module installed with no problems, plumbed the trans cooler and added some gas. I started the car, fired on the first bump!! Good, put the car through the gears and topped up the trans, Good!! Back in the car and dropped it in drive, and crept forward slower than I thought was right? How much stall is this converter supposed to have? 2400, why am I not moving? Give it some gas, grind, grind, grind, that’s not right. Sh#t now the car is headed down the driveway and I’ve got no gears. Hit the brakes kill the engine and cuss for about an hour. Can’t push the car up the hill back into the garage so I proceeded to crack the front bumper on the Rodeo pushing the car back into the garage. Fsck what a bad day, trans is hosed Fsck it till tomorrow.

Ok all motivated I dropped the trans by myself in about 45 minutes, the pump shaft is broken off of the transmission. Sh#t this is gonna be expensive!! Guess what the torque converter is screwed too, full of shavings from the broken pump shaft. Bye Bye 200 dollar converter hello another 200 dollar converter. It’s my fault really because I put a converter for a 70 trans on a 69, well in short the 69 has a 24 spline input shaft and the 70 has 26 splines. The trans and converter are trash and I did it!!! Sh#t an education is never cheap. Off to O’reillys, Ordered a 1970 trans with the correct 26 spline input shaft. ($500.00 but I get to use my shift kit!!) Ordered a new converter from Summit racing ($200.00), ok it will all be together in a few days. Got the transmission the next day and it comes setup for the dipstick to go into the pan, this is fine, but I have a dipstick that’s supposed to go in the case, wont fit!!! SH#T… Ok order a new dipstick from COAN RACING on the net ($45.00), get it a few days later and I’m ready to try again.

I get the converter stabbed and balance the damn trans on a floor jack and get it in place and start the bell housing bolts. GOOD, but the studs on the converter are to fat to fit through the fly wheel, **** drop the trans drill the flywheel and finally get the whole thing back into the car…FSCK the damn linkage is different for the 70 vs. 69 trans that I had!!!! I’m about to give up and set this POS money pit on fire!!! Order a B&M Megashifter from Summit ($168.00) and get it TODAY!!! Hook everything up and try again…… Well I’ve got three forward and 1 reverse, all seems to be working fine. I have a few PS leaks to work out and a brake line to replace, but she moved under her own steam today!!!

In retrospect I’ve probably got about 8 grand into this fscking sweet deal of a car that still has no paint and is no where close to being road worthy. I surrendered the credit card to Tashia my wife for fear that it was going to melt to my ass cheek. I think I’ll stick to body work for the next few months. Did I mention earlier that an education isn’t cheap, I’m enrolled at MasterCard University!!!!!

 

[10secgoal]

Welcome to the club dude. It won't be the last time sorry to say.

 

[dennis112]

Welcome to the club.

For what it's worth, I also did the mismatched converter thing many years ago. It made some really bad sounds, but my cursing was even louder :damnit:

You've learned a valuable (and expensive) lesson. The bright side is that you won't do it again!

 

[84convertablegt]

that is my exact story except the part about the mismatched tranny and converter. my pump shaft was broken off. i replaced tranny and converter from a 70 up in my 65, ordered a vmatic hurst shifter, etc. but i new better about the 24 vs. 26 spline shaft thing. i ordered a 26 converter and 26 tranny. i can see where your problem was thinking u had a 70 tranny though. ive been there. and about the money, it just gets worse. ive spent about 17000 dollars so far including the 5000 price of the car to restore a coupe c code car. of course mine has paint and all the goodies, but its still not done. we've all been there

 

[65Mustang2+2]

Hey, This **** happens all the time to me! Worst luck in the world, I have!
I too spend crazy money and then something else goes wrong, but on the bright side one day you have everything replaced. Its just the way of old cars.

 

[2nd Mustang]

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. I've got two clutches and a tranny rebuild in three years and am contemplating a third clutch change before it runs right. I have two spare carbs which were tried before the third (brand new one) worked correctly. I have a spare 4 row radiator sitting on the garage wall because it only lasted a couple of months. I get a lot of support from my GF because as she claims, it's still cheaper than a therapist.

 

[fastdave]

You are not alone!! After 12K I stopped counting. Now I am only allowed to put money in the high maintenance bitch when I work Overtime. Good thing I can work all of the overtime I want,so far this year I,m at 365 hrs of OT. We keep telling ourselfs that"someday it will be finished". I tell my wife I want to sell it and she talks me ot of it. Hang in there! Right now it is the cooling system who knows what it will be next week.

 

[Max Power]

A common tale.

Of course, at this point there are some things I will do on my back, and some things I will just pay somebody to do. Automatic trannies fall into the latter category.

 

[rbohm]

been there

done that

screwed up the T-shirt years ago with grease

even managed to get myself knocked down by my own vehicle once(yes it is embarassing!!!)

 

[DarkBuddha]

I think we've all probably suffered some variation of your education. I've augmented my credit card education with the "Schooled by Ebay" degree in which I seemingly score decent deals, but after paying shipping and getting the actual part, I realize I've overpayed and gotten screwed on the part and it would've been better to just buy it new from a reputable supplier.

Anyway, some simple lessons I've learned from my credit card and "schooled by Ebay" educations:

1. It costs about the same to restore a lowly 6 cylinder coupe as it does to restore a Boss 302, so if end value is a concern, choose wisely to begin with.
2. It isn't always about the money... sometimes it's just about getting what you want.
3. It's always cheaper to do it right once than to do it a bunch of times halfass.
4. We all think our time and labor is "free", right up until it costs us our family, our job, or our health.
5. Sometimes getting it done "good enough" is much much better than never getting it done "perfectly".
6. There is always more credit to be had, and federally subsidized school loans (if you're in school) are cheaper than credit cards, which is kinda justified since you're gonna get an education out of it anyway.

Keep the faith...

 

[geostang351]

Well said Budda!

 

[bnickel]

There is always more credit to be had, and federally subsidized school loans (if you're in school) are cheaper than credit cards, which is kinda justified since you're gonna get an education out of it anyway.

unless of course you use said loan to buy an 800 dollar 78 mustang II and end up spending another 3 grand on that car over the next year, when you could have had an 84 gt for 300 dollars more and probably not have had so many problems. on the other hand the little 78 was one of the most fun cars i've had and i really miss it even now 12 years later.