I gave all the measurements on Rudy's Ford 9" ladder bar/coil over rear end to Art Morrison (they're all buddies and local)... approved the drawings - waited 3 weeks... picked it up - welded in the new crossmember and landed the ladder bars (tacked) got everything all set up -- final check before welding it all tight was to drop the pumpkin in. WTF! Drawings are noted -- PINION CENTERLINE... they built it HOUSING CENTERED....
Back to AME - no biggie -- I'm right they're wrong -- wait 3 weeks - finally call and say WHAT'S UP.... OH CRAP.... so sorry... THEY forgot... and will jump right on it... Okay - stuff happens - no biggie.
Pick up the housing... oops -- axles are now wrong because they were ordered for the housing that was wrong the first time. Okay -- they order ONE new axle -- I can cut the other one...
Using a pumpkin with 3:70's that I had laying around (brand new - for my 37 Ford)... I try to slip the axles in -- they won't go in on one side... so take this to my "guy"... something is wrong with the set up on the pumpkin.. Okay - I'm leaving for europe so ya got 2 weeks to fix it and I'll pick it up when I get home. Press the bearings - and the wedding band on while you're at it... and don't forget the seals...
Get home - go to pick it up... He hasn't touched it.... Crap - okay he says - I'll have it by Friday. Fine - what else you going to do? Go on Friday to pick it up and notice that now the axles will slip into the pumpkin -- I grab the yoke to give it a spin and there's ZERO backlash - and she will barely turn...CRAP... Well -- he didn't notice that... but will work on it tonight and I'll have it in the morning.. Okay
Now I have all that - final weld it all up -- grab a slip yoke (1350) slam it in the tranny - pull a measurement WITH the slip yoke pulled out 1".... take the measurement to my "guy"... to build driveline - we discuss the fact that I pulled tape with yoke OUT 1" - it's noted on the work order... 2 days later I pick up the driveline == it's ONE INCH TOO LONG... WTF... pull tape - go back to guy... he's yelling AT ME! I said "HEY!" we had that whole discussion - much mumbling - finds his paperwork - sure enough it's noted right there - his handwriting. Okay - he'll fix it... next day sure enough she's done...
Go to slip it in.... and the pumpkin yoke is "close" but no way....
Call my guy -- no biggie -- pull the pinion out and bring it up... okay.... take it up and much head scratching -- turns out the yoke is a "big cap" 1330... not a 1350 as we both "thought". Mind you - he's built the pumpkin and did the set up... so has had this in his hands etc... but a big cap 1330 looks just like a 1350...
Okay - no biggie - just get a 1350 yoke and I'll pick it up tomorrow... tomorrow the phone rings.... "in 30 years I've never had this happen!? What happen? I ask. I stripped the pinion putting the nut back on... And oh by the way -- those 3:70 gears are noisy I hate them. You should run a 3:89... so do you want to change it while we're at it?? (WTF -- I wasn't "at it" to begin with).... YEAH OKAY... Order 'em up... and I'll get the pumpking out.
That means drop the rear end off the coil overs -- pull the giant 18X29 Hoosiers off... pull the new wilwoods off -- use the rotor like a slide hammer to pull the axles - OF COURSE -- I've used gasket sealant to seal the pumpkin to the housing -- so much work to now break that seal... pull the plug and drain the brand new gear grease (I hate that smell)... pull the pumpkin and take it up to my guy... whom I'm now ready to strangle...
But it's just hot rodding.... in the meantime I made the brake lines and did some other stuff...
Damn Greg... Sorry for your luck but you just made me feel a little better i thought that kind of crazyness only happens to me. As i've been told sometimes you gotta just step away for a little while. Here's to continuing success though
BB
That was the point of the whole rambling post --- is that this is just the way things go sometimes when building these cars....
The part that you absolutely have to have -- gets lost in shipping -- or is on back order for 3 months... or arrives damaged...
I just laugh about things like this now -- because this is -- in the end - just a hobby... none of it is real important in the scheme of things.
I tried to build a car with a buddy once - but his reactions to things not fitting or a company that didn't have a part in stock - was to go nuts.... and I just couldn't work with him. I kept telling him -- if it was a part that HE was working on that didn't fit -- "well... just hot rod it". That's the way I look at it - if it isn't perfect - you just do whatever it takes to make it that way... that IS why we build this stuff... it IS why we have all these special tools and machines... if IS what separates us from the other guys.
And I thought it was just me. Seems everything I have touched lately either did not fit or required more parts to buy to go together properly. I have accomplished about 1 day's worth of work on my car in about a months time due to Murphy's Law, here lately
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
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