Stupid Pit Tricks

[Jeff Lee]

I know a guy that sewed the gash in the tread of his slicks with carpet thread. Worked just fine!

[mike natoli]

I'm not a believer in taking a chance of ruining or possibly delaying everyone elses day at the races by doing something and it goes very wrong... I have put the car in the lights knowing it was hurt and just patched it up to put it in the lights and waited to see if the other car red lit than shut it down. It was in 1975 Westhampton NY second time shot exploded the front yoke took out the back of the tailshaft when I side stepped the clutch the car never even flicked the stage beams. They pushed me back and swept up the pieces and put it in a pile. I pushed the car back to the pits and a guy next to me with a corvette happened to have a spare yoke which I gave him $20 for. I put it back together and went over to the starting line and picked up all of the pieces from the tailshaft and with a lot of brake clean and rtv silicone black MOPAR glued it back together like your Mothers ceramic vase that you and your brother broke while wrestling in the living room and said do you think she'll notice. I went up for first round and just drove real easy wathced the other car go through the finish line with no win light I just started to laugh and could not beleive it. The word got out that I was hurt and lost second round but I will never forget that day. And by the way I never got away with anything with my mother she knew everything well not quite everything.

[SCOTT SST2871]

About 7 or 8 years ago i wiped a lobe off a roller cam in a 69 camaro i drove for someone on my last time run at orlando div race.we drove home got a much larger cam from a diff motor went back and changed it in the grass (didnt know if we had enough piston/valve clearance) and won the race the next day,boy i slept good that night
scott fifield

[Bobby Zlatkin]

This one is funny, but also embarrassing. First time I've told it publicly, but it's been so long ago all involved parties are probably no longer around.

1971, first Div. 2 points meet of the year. Phenix City, AL. A friend & I had a new, first time out, 1969 Covrette F/SA we had just finished the night before. Accell had a pretty neat booth set up in the pits, They had a distributor machine there and were offering free testing. I don't remember why, but I drove the car right up to the booth and pulled the distributor there. Didn't notice when I pulled the dist. that I also accidently pulled the oil pressure gauge line off the fitting. After finishing on the machine, I put the dist. back in and fired up the car to set the timing. Remember, a Corvette hood hinges are in the front and it was a wide open shot. It was windy out and the wind caught the oil and absolutely wiped out the Accell booth/display including and whole rack of yellow Accell jackets and the big banner.

As soon as I realized what was happening, I shut the car off. The Accell rep was talking to a couple of guys and none of them saw what had happened. We quickly and quietly pushed the Corvette back and then to our pit spot which was quite a ways away. The Phenix City pits were unpaved, with lots of trees and, almost, above ground roots, but we were running on adrenaline.

I didn't walk by the Accell booth the rest of the weekend.

Remember, this was 39 years ago and I'm sure the statute of limitations will protect me.
.

[Robert Swartz]

Oh alright, I'll play. Like the above, most everyone that was around probably doesn't remember anymore.

Likely April 1974, Indianapolis Raceway Park. My buddies had just finished their W/S Pinto. We had only had it out maybe one other time and were preparing for the division 3 points meet the next weekend.

We'd made one or two passes and the car wasn't running well. We changed both the points and plugs (how many remember doing this, LOL) and needed to reset the timing. Guess what, we forgot to bring a timing light! We borrowed one from some guys a couple spaces over.

So, we proceed to get everything hooked up. My buddy tells me, "hit the key". Now, I had one of those real bad brainfarts, I forgot to take the car out of gear. It fired, anyone want to wager a guess as to what happened next? I was dumbfouned, this thing just took off. Here we were chasing our racecar across the pits. Thankfully, there was nothing in front of us, it made it a fair distance before we caught it and got it stopped. Also glad we didn't damage the other guys light. Felt pretty sheepish taking it back to them.

As well, learned, DON'T check the spark of an MSD-7 with the coil wire held by your fingers. That hurt! Nuff said.

Guess I can end this with an old saying:

"What's the point of doing something stupid, if you can't share it with your friends".

[Tod Lane]

[QUOTE=Robert Swartz;167176]As well, learned, DON'T check the spark of an MSD-7 with the coil wire held by your fingers. That hurt! Nuff said.
QUOTE]

Hey, you said "Bump it"...lol
Seems I recall you sizzling on the end of a plug wire attached to a 67 Mustng once....

[Dion Hildebrandt]

[QUOTE=Tod Lane;167998]

Originally Posted by Robert Swartz

As well, learned, DON'T check the spark of an MSD-7 with the coil wire held by your fingers. That hurt! Nuff said.
QUOTE]

Hey, you said "Bump it"...lol
Seems I recall you sizzling on the end of a plug wire attached to a 67 Mustng once....

Reminds me of a guy I saw pull into the pits one day in edmonton at a bracket race, 1967 cuda with this huge promod wing off the back. Real hippie lookin guy, he opens the hood and has an instant crowd. I wander over to see what the fuss is about and this guy is talking about the advantages of having 6 coils hooked up to the distributor on his 340 ci. One guy pipes up and asks 'how fat is the spark off those wires?' so the hippie lookin dude pops off a lead and cranks the engine and be damned if he wasnt thrown back 20 feet and had to change his drawers, shoulda ground the wire hahaha still see the smoke out of his ears.

[Robert Swartz]

[QUOTE=Tod Lane;167998]

Originally Posted by Robert Swartz

As well, learned, DON'T check the spark of an MSD-7 with the coil wire held by your fingers. That hurt! Nuff said.
QUOTE]

Hey, you said "Bump it"...lol
Seems I recall you sizzling on the end of a plug wire attached to a 67 Mustng once....

Da&$, now you got everyone else picking on me, LOL! Ah well, it's a sorry man that can't laugh at himself now and then. Not to mention you're picking on my old Mustang again, too. I guess, come to think of it, there weren't any "GOOD" stories associated with that car!

That was with that trick Accel electronic ignition system I had on that car. Really a pretty neat set up, actually a forerunner to the MSD systems. Real nice distributor, it had a spark box and those big Super Coils. That was a tach drive system as well. Looked really cool with the Moroso tach sitting up on the dash. You have to admit, that old 67 Mustang had some really nice parts, just didn't have enough of them. Funny that we just sold all those old Liberty transmission parts a few weeks back. Still can't believe that guy from Ohio wanted that stuff!

[dart4forte]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lee

I know a guy that sewed the gash in the tread of his slicks with carpet thread. Worked just fine!

I personnally know the guy.