What's your biggest automtive related mistake?
 

Bought a car sight unseen and it was a lemon? Installed a part wrong and went for a drive? Reoccurring sex stains on the passenger seat?


I'm still young, so i have plenty of automotive mistakes to look forward too. Mine would have to be driving from NY to OH right after getting my license. An 8 hour drive for a noob was a stupid mistake...

I came home with a duct taped on underbody from hitting a dead deer on the I-80.

Going from PA to Florida with family. On my learner's permit. That sucked.

That and buying a 2005 Subaru Outback XT. All it did was break.

I once rebuilt the engine in my 71 Karman Ghia, re-installed it, bolted everything up, electrical-check, gas-check, fired up on the very first try - YES!

Looked down to see the still full case of oil sitting on the ground.

Put oil in it and drove it for many-many miles after that.
I considered it a "quick break in".

Probably the only thing that saved me was judicious use of assembly lube when reassembling it

1. bought a car from my dads friend without seeing it, was an absolute lemon.
2. bought a renualt sandero as a work car, after a year it has depreciated to the extent where its not worth the paper its title is printed on.

Yesterday I was holding my key in my hand while opening the door. I fumbled and keyed my own door.

I regret not buying a brz.

Dropped off date while in college in my beater Honda, reveresed out of parking lot while she was watching, clipped front bumper on tire of next car and ripped it completely off of my car. Looked at other said car, no damage, threw my bumper in the back seat and said "See ya".

It didn't work out...

That week drove 600 miles to spring break without the bumper, rain tripped a fuse and drove another 200 miles on highway without turn signals or low beams and got $200 ticket for not having lows in GA.

*Edit: Did same thing reversing out of work parking lot on light pole a few years later. Threw bumper in back seat and took off.

While replacing my power steering pump in my past STi, I over torqued (cause im heman) a bolt that attached to the intake manifold. It ripped a piece of my manifold off, leaving a nice 1.5" hole. Luckily I was able to find a wrecked STi and bought the manifold for $100. It took me about 2 weeks to rip the old one out and put the new one in.

Forgot to reinstall powersteering bracket to engine block bolt after working on my car, went for 100km drive, bracket started knocking on engine slightly with only 2/3 bolts and caused knock sensor to go off, car was undriveable and I had to flat tow it home on the highway...

When I was younger I had a 1988 Mazda RX7 and I had wheels that had a smaller center bore than needed. So I threw some spacers on it to make them fit. I drove to school and noticed a slight vibration and figured I would check it out when I got home. On my way home the vibration went from a little one to shaking the car to loud screeching and my rear tire passing me on the highway in less than 5 seconds.

Buying German engineered cars. They have caused me more headaches, stranded me more often and cost me more in repairs than any other of the near 80 vehicles I have owned in my lifetime. Even my $50 beaters that I drove while in high school during the early 70s inspired more confidence than those overpriced POSs!

(Yeah, I hate German cars!)

Agreed to follow my gf's parents on my whole goddamn way to Florida and back (1200 miles). Staring at her dad's rear license plate for almost 24 hours and trying not to pass the mofo that was going 5-10 under the limit AND trying not to yell at my gf.

Keyed the inside of my door pretty bad while opening it with the key in my hand! Now I put the key in my pocket as soon as I pull it out. Gonna order a switchblade one some day.

Biggest mistake I ever made was letting a girl try to put down the top on my 64 SS while driving at 70mph. Should have known better and stopped her, but hey, I was 16 and she was hot. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that the results were not pretty at all.

Where do I even start?

Probably the biggest mechanical mistake I made was the first time I changed shocks on a car (1964 Dodge Polara). I left the washers off the shock absorber bushings. That's how I personally invented the low rider.

The mistake I regret the most was selling my 1985 MK1 MR2 that I purchased new (first week it was on sale) and proceeded to put 160K miles on it. I should have put the money into restomodding it rather than trading it in where I'm sure it went to the junk yard. So sad....

Hmmm lets see...

One was, after snapping my input shaft I bought a brand new cryo treated input shaft. Ended up snapping again in a matter of weeks.

Accidentally touching a worm clamp to my pos bat terminal and turbo coolant line at the same time. I've never seen a worm clamp turn bright orange hot in a matter of a second until then.

Installing a fuel pump and my car wouldnt start after. Turns out I missed a tiny O ring that fell off the original pump.

Spending $1300 on a full header back exhaust for my 95 cavalier lol.

Oh and installing my first external WG and just not putting in the valve seat and then wondering why I have so much turbo lag lol

I could go on and on