Naughy Teenage Past

[SW530]

I thought it would be fun to share our earlier naughty exploits related to cars. This is mine.


I was on the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) in my 1965 2+2 Fastback GT K code Mustang, my best friend in the passenger seat next to me and our girlfriends in the back. We’d just passed the Cloverfield exit, the traffic cleared, so I punched it hard. The sound was glorious as we were pushed back in our seats and when I hit fourth gear we were going about 90mph and it kept climbing from there. The girls were screaming which was irritating but my best friend warned them to be quiet and not affect my concentration.



Suddenly there was a terrible banging like a giant was pounding on the bottom of the car and immediately I lost power. The girls started screaming again louder than ever as I started navigating from the fast lane over to the shoulder. My best friend and I exited the car and told the girls to stay inside for safety but of course they wouldn’t listen and were soon outside complaining and asking how they were going to get home. Looking under the car I saw the drive shaft hanging there with remnants of the u-joint hanging on. I jacked the car up, crawled under, and pulled the driveshaft out . Using a ½ inch Craftsman combination wrench (always keep a small tool kit in the car) I removed the four bolts which were originally holding in the drive shaft. I could see where the floor boards were banged up into the cockpit but everything else seemed okay.


I didn’t have a pocket full of money in those days, in fact it was between paydays and looking at the yoke I could see it was mangled beyond repair and the junkyards down in Carson (across from Carroll Shelby Enterprises) were a good 25-30 miles south. I thought maybe I could get a u-joint on the mangled one that would last long enough to get home so I collected the drive shaft, the ½ inch Craftsman Combination wrench, borrowed what cash my best friend had, and asked everyone to wait, I’d jog to the nearest exit and find an auto parts store. Well, just then a California Highway Patrol (CHP) car pulls in behind us and gets out asking if there’s a problem. We explained everything to him and he said “get in, I’ll give you a safe ride to the top of the nearest off ramp. Cool, for once they were helping me and not writing me a ticket.


He dropped me off and I looked around finding myself in the middle of a residential area, not a commercial establishment in sight. The pressure was on. This was 1975 I think, in 1975 you couldn’t throw a rock and not hit an early Mustang. I didn’t like it but I made my decision and spotting an apartment with an underground garage for the residents of the building to park I quickly walked down still holding the managed driveshaft. I immediately sighted three early Mustangs, all of them 289’s V8’s and perfect for my soon to be crime. I picked the nicest one and soon found myself under the car, thankful the owner hadn’t lowered it. At that age I could fit under a stock Mustang.



It took all of five minutes with my ½ Craftsman Combination wrench to remove my new-used driveshaft. I had a moment there because they didn’t have the parking brake on and the car was held in place using the gears. I quickly caught the car, looked around and found a chunk of concrete to block a nearby wheel with.



I started to put the mangled drive shaft in the transmission and the old bolts in the pinion shaft when I heard two people talking, a man and a woman. They kept getting closer and closer and soon I could see a ladies anklet area, she was wearing heels and hose and the guy was wearing wingtips and slacks. A second later she was putting a key in the door and soon both of them where in the car. Shi& Shi* Shi&! Then the car started! Fuc& Fuc* Fuc&!!!! She put the car in gear and the engine revved and my heart rate increased. She tried reverse, 1^st, reverse.. and the car finally turned off and I could hear them talking as they exited the car. I was sweating it hoping they wouldn’t look under the car. They left as the lady said she’s call AAA. Once they were out of sight I quickly got out from under the car and exited the underground garage, my prize in hand.



Soon I was walking down the on-ramp with the new-used driveshaft when I heard a BREEEP and there was a friendly CHIP behind me. And wouldn’t you know it was the same cheerful helpful guy.. “Boy, you took care of that fast. Need a ride back to your car?” Heart beating I get in, drive shaft gripped tightly in hand as he got on the freeway, off at the next exit, back on the opposite on-ramp and back to my car where he offered to help while telling me about his hot rods.. Politely declining I told him I didn’t need help, it would only take a few minutes and I’d be done. He left and sure enough we were back on the road with the girls complaining and my best friend having noticed the different drive shaft asked how I got one so cheap..

[adm750]

man, the x we did as "kids". You had to be resourceful....and sometimes, "being resourceful", was quite often coupled with support from an unsuspecting volunteer...LOL

[philly98540]

That same cop giving you the ride back LOL!

I had a driveshaft fail on one of my 70 Cutlass'. I was probably 18 or 19 at the time. That one was pretty hopped up with a hot cam, headers, big Holley, etc. I was "Testing" it out on the interstate and way into triple digits when things went boom in a very bad way. The car bucked up from the floorboards and then the power went dead. I looked in the rear view and all I saw was a giant cloud of smoke. I thought I blew the motor, but then revved it and saw the tach still showing things were still alive up front. I was lucky there was a rest stop about a mile up and coasted right into a parking spot. Climbed underneath and saw no driveshaft at all and tranny fluid dripping. I looked closer and saw the whole tranny case was split in half. That huge cloud of smoke was tranny fluid atomizing at 140+mph. I guess I'm calling for help now. My dad came to the rescue and took me home. A day later I got the car with a buds tow truck. A closer inspection showed that the front of the shaft was very close to puncturing through the tunnel and possibly killing me. I now understood why the race tracks wanted those driveshaft safety loops. I got a replacement tranny and nice used shaft from a local yard and got the can running the next day. I think the original shaft had the U joint replaced with one of those DIY kits. Not doing that again. Driveshafts are not to be taken lightly.

[ross1]

I wish to assert my constitutional right to remain silent.

[JimLev]

Back when I was 17 I left my GF’s (parents) house around 11 PM. Wound it out in 1st, power shifted to 2nd and the driveshaft flew out from under the car. I blew the rear driveshaft U-joint. Walked back to her house to get a ride home.
For the other “events” I’m remaining silent.

I did install a driveshaft loop on the hotrod.

[ross1]

Okay, I'll join the driveshaft discussion.
A much abused car from my youth had the rear end's pinion angle slightly wrong so consumed U-joints with some regularity. The bullet proof Dana 60 rear retains the U-joints caps with two smallish straps that would usually break too. It got to the point where I carried a spare U-joint(or the salvaged caps from the shaft end of the last one destroyed) for a roadside repair. If the straps broke, usually, I could use a hose clamp to hold the cap for the most delicate drive back home.

Well past teenage years and driving a Jeep XJ there was once a kid making a spectacle of himself revving the engine(Mustang) at a stop light. I looked over and he accepted that as a challenge so when the light changed I redlined that old AMC 6 dumped the clutch and handily beat him off the line. The second gear powershift broke the U-joint just as I had done SO MANY times before. The other driver motored on by, grinning.
I was able to get to the shoulder in a flash, jumped out, yanked the dangling driveshaft out, tossed it in the back, jumped back in, engaged 4wd and motored on. Caught up with the kid at a later stop light which sure surprised him.

[adm750]

ok, so ya'll wanna talk driveshafts 'eh..?

'72 Spitfire....out on the town doinkin around, drop the throttle (as much as you can...haha) and halfway though my climb through first --- ka-bang.!!! Big 'something 'spensive breaking' sound. No more first gear...which means it took out reverse too. Drove it as a 4 speed (2-5 no reverse) for months till I sourced up a new trans.
Cool British car junkyard in Kansas (I was living in Lawrence...) and I find ONE car with a compatible trans...a 60's era Triumph.

I swap it in but the length is wrong and the driveshaft won't fit. I call around and find this shop out in the country (bout and hour drive) and ask them about shortening a driveshaft... "sure...no problem...takes about an hour..."

I hook up the drivehshaft, put thin strips of wood under the tailshaft mount, and drive the car out to this shop with this crazy angle in the driveline. Trans tunnel cover still out of the car. I show up. "called you guys about shortening a driveshaft" dude says "oh yeah...bring it in..."

he watches as I go back to the car, jack it up, pull the driveshaft out and walk back over. "here ya go..I need it cut to X....I'm gonna wait if that's cool..."

"uh...okay...."

I hang out, they shorten and balance it. I pay my $20 and they all watch as I stuff it back in...topped the gearbox off and drive away....top down happy as a clam.

[SW530]

Back when I was 17 I left my GF’s (parents) house around 11 PM. Wound it out in 1st, power shifted to 2nd and the driveshaft flew out from under the car. I blew the rear driveshaft U-joint. Walked back to her house to get a ride home.
For the other “events” I’m remaining silent.

I did install a driveshaft loop on the hotrod.

I did something similar but my GF's parents didn't care for me too much. They thought she was going to uni and I was going to Juvi.. quite the opposite.. It was humiliating going back to knock on their door..

- - - Updated - - -

I wasn't thinking of driveshafts exclusively, that was just my example. What I was thinking of was any nefarious activity we employed to keep our cars running..

[adm750]

Same Triumph....back down in Georgia I take this girl on a nice date. We hit the country to catch some stars and do some necking on a nice summer night with the top down. We park on the side of this deserted road and run a couple of bases. Her in her short little sundress and low heels. num num....

Time to go so I do a 3pt u-turn to go back where we came from...As I back up I unexpectedly drop the rear tires off the edge of the road (musta been focused on that little dress in the moonlight...). Hit the gas but it's super soft and I'm about to be stuck. I think, shoot I'll back up a touch more and hit it again.

Nope...shxx...it's worse and it's a steep-ish grade off the road. Car heads backwards down this hill. I look back (as if I know what the eff I'm doing) and see where heading for a 3-row fence. WHAM...! backwards through the fence we go. bumper breaks the bottom board, the next board up breaks across the back of my head as I force hers down out of the way and we go under the top one.

We get out...laugh a bit then I devise a plan to get out "I need to push, can you drive a stick?? "

"no....but I can try to push" (she gets better and better by the minute...lol)

so she does...I'm spinning tires meandering this car back to the road but we eventually get out and back up on the roadway.

I drop this girl off after our date. We'd been laughing and having a time of it. Very much late as late getting her home, her father is waiting out front. I, being a good southern gentleman, get out and open the door for this cutie and delivered her home with shoes in hand and absolutely covered in red Georgia clay.

man, that was a good night....but wow was he pissed off....

[adm750]

Just got done installing the posi rear end with 4:10 gears into my RX-7. go to pick my girlfriend (who's now my wife..) up from her neighborhood in Florida. Nice exclusive place. We're gonna hit the town. I pick her up, typical late afternoon light rain going on.

her: "you got the car all finished up !?"
me: "Yeah...this is awesome...traction all the time. It's such a blast...!"
turning left exiting the neighborhood...big intersection.... "see...check this out..." hit the gas to do a nice power slide in the wet and instead go almost a full loop right in the middle of the intersection like the dumbass that I am.

cop sitting there just watches as I shuck and jive around, all directions of traffic at a standstill, trying to go where I had intended....(they knew me and the car so this event was not a surprise, I'm sure...)

GF just rolls her eyes....

"my bad yo...."

[sleuth255]

I can't decide if its gonna be the time a police officer destroyed the engine on his 401 ambassador chasing my '67 Mustang GT (note: police radio travels at 186,000MPS however), or the time I destroyed it after getting big air off a set of railroad tracks....

[adm750]

^^^ both sound epic.

I haven't had a lot of catastrophic stuff, but tons of great stories of youth and stupidity.

Did have a rag joint break in the Olds Omega that was gifted to me. Kept going straight...into the grass....locked up...drove right through a big wooden neighborhood sign and into the fence of the first house I came to.

backed up but left it there. Walked home to get tools and flashlight. made very large scotch and water.

'bout the time I'm heading out to go back to the car there's a knock at door....it's the cops.

"you own a tan Oldsmobile Om.....?"
"yes sir...it's mine..."
"you do know that fleeing the scene is a ticket and probably jail...?"
"office...I was fleeing for tools and a flashlight..."
"what's in the cup...?"
"scotch...and a lot of it..."
"how long you been drinking..?"
"about 10 mins now. my car broke and I was on Mr. Toad's wild ride through wet grass, a sub-division sign, and somebody's fence. I had to walk home and am about to walk back to see what happened...I needed this"
"need a ride back...?"
"absolutely...that would be fantastic..can I bring this (raising my big old cup)..."
"sure, what the hell...."

[ross1]

Pretty sure that the statute of limitations is up on this so:
Coming back from the dragstrip feeling all racey in my '67 Chrysler New Yorker (375hp 440) I decide to wind it out on the highway. Riding shotgun is my dear, now departed, friend Tom, who could spot a cop a mile away.

Anyway, the speedo is buried and the 440 is still pulling. My field of vision is a bit narrower and as Commander Cody said "the lines on the road just look like dots".
About this time Tom screams "COP!"

Now, this big old Chrysler was really good at several things, comfort and straight line speed among them, stopping was not one of them. That boat had to weigh nearer three ton than two and even though pretty big those drum brakes weren't intended to dissipate this kind of inertia. I about stood on the brake pedal and at first it was slowing pretty good but the brakes faded quick and I was RAPIDLY approaching the trooper driving in the lane to my right. I barely managed not to pass the cop but did pull just alongside, the suspension still in dive attitude. Tom and I both looked right and made eye contact with the cop and his partner. The cops pulled behind and followed me (shi#ingbricks) for the twenty miles or so until I exited.

Those cops must have had a great laugh at my expense.
I miss you, Tom.

[JimLev]

OK, if Ross is coughing up more stories here goes. The statute of limitations must be up on this one too.
Back when I was 18 or 19 four of us guys went up to Thousand Islands NY in my Chevelle. I had just got a ticket on the Mass Pike and figured when I got into NY it would be free sailing. Nope, got stopped again, not once but twice. The second trooper noticed that my registration had expired and added that to the fine. He let me go. So NY notifies MA and MA revokes my license for 3 tics in one day and expired registration.
A few days after we get back to MA my GF and I were planning to leave on a cross country trip, I drove out to the west coast and back with no license.
After we got back my college roommate who was also a bartender hooked me up with a lawyer that got him out of a few jams. I got in touch with the lawyer. He said bring $750 and meet me at the registry. 30 minutes later I walk out with my license and nothing on my record.

[seagreen323i]

Well my teenage driveshaft experience happened 2 years ago you geezers

1985 m1009, basically a blazer with camo paint, better axles, and a craptastic diesel.

Was a buddy's of mine, naturally it was on 37's and lifted. Beating it off road when the rear driveshaft deleted itself.

Cross section of the u-joint exploded at the diff and was just gone, leaving us with two sets of holes for each yoke.

Welp we didn't have tools to pull the rear driveshaft, but we did have 2 4 inch long pieces of rebar and a ratchet strap.

Long story short that was the longest 20 mph drive home of my life.


But for a naughty story, I was in the 540 when I first got it, about 18 years old.
Had my friend Joey in the passenger seat and we just hit a flat, straight, and dead empty stretch of 3 lane highway at 2am, and I wanted to see what my newfound car could do.

Well the trooper on the median saw a large speed when he hit me with radar, the car was on the speed limiter, young and dumb.

Blue lights flipped on. I knew that was a BAD ticket or jail already so I figured whats the worst that can happen this guy is going 0 I'm going much much faster then that" so I kept my foot in it and never saw that cop again.


Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

[ross1]

Well my teenage driveshaft experience happened 2 years ago you geezers

1985 m1009, basically a blazer with camo paint, better axles, and a craptastic diesel.

Was a buddy's of mine, naturally it was on 37's and lifted. Beating it off road when the rear driveshaft deleted itself.

Cross section of the u-joint exploded at the diff and was just gone, leaving us with two sets of holes for each yoke.

Welp we didn't have tools to pull the rear driveshaft, but we did have 2 4 inch long pieces of rebar and a ratchet strap.

Long story short that was the longest 20 mph drive home of my life.


But for a naughty story, I was in the 540 when I first got it, about 18 years old.
Had my friend Joey in the passenger seat and we just hit a flat, straight, and dead empty stretch of 3 lane highway at 2am, and I wanted to see what my newfound car could do.

Well the trooper on the median saw a large speed when he hit me with radar, the car was on the speed limiter, young and dumb.

Blue lights flipped on. I knew that was a BAD ticket or jail already so I figured whats the worst that can happen this guy is going 0 I'm going much much faster then that" so I kept my foot in it and never saw that cop again.


Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Brilliant!
Lucky!

[SW530]

My very first new car was purchased when I was 18 through Ford Motor Credit’s “young persons program” or something like that. I bought a Ford Courier (or should I say Mazda). Being young and dumb, and young guys keep in mind there was no internet or youtube to learn from, I decided I wanted my 2wd truck to look like a bigger truck. Looking underneath I noticed how the frame connected to the cab and bed so I went to a friends shop and welded up 3 inch spacers made of 2 ½ pipe and 2 ½ washers on each end.. I bought the appropriate grade 8 bolts and nuts which was a huge expenditure at that time… and then discovered I needed longer brake lines.. arrgggghhh! A payday later and my truck was running. Clunky but in my head it was an off-road wonder. I was somewhere between reality and total hallucination..

So one afternoon we’re in an area where we shouldn’t be. We’d already been warned that if we were caught again we’d be arrested and towed and possibly shot with a shotgun. I wasn’t on that field five minutes before I dumped the front end into a giant ditch and got the truck stuck and good. My friend Paul and I dug, hauled branches, we did everything we could to get out of there before the cranky land owner and his shotgun showed up. As a veteran of rock salt in my azz from “recycling” golf balls at the local country club the shotgun worried me. Getting a friend to dig rock salt out of your azz really stretches the boundaries of friendship.

I ended up calling my brother who brought the families businesses F250 4x4 out and yanked us out of the ditch. The only issue with that is when he was done yanking he got the hell out of Dodge and wouldn’t you know we had to test the newly lifted truck some and we promptly got stuck in a giant mud pit. I’ll tell you, you quickly find out who your true friends are by who sticks with you all night digging until you finally get free.

We were pretty proud of ourselves for getting free. We were also soaked and cold.




truckstuckpaul.jpg Steve and Paul.jpg

[sleuth255]

Yeah... guilty as charged; I'm an old geezer and don't do this stuff any more... Wait.. Forgot about the time an E36 M3 and I went at it on the streets of Greenfield last November. M54 vs S52 and a few less pounds. I was surprised that I could keep up until he started pulling at higher revs. Almost lost it into the curb when he banged a hard left at a T-intersection with me in hot pursuit because I had forgot to turn the damn DSC off...

[ross1]

More geezer reminisces:
My mother made the big mistake of letting a 17 year old Ross drive her then new AMC Hornet when my various hot rods and beaters were broken, most of the time. The Hornet was light as a fart and had the "big" 258 AMC six so was much faster than many would have thought. I made believers of more than few V-8 cars other kids considered fast.

There was a not too far away hilly road(tough to find in Illinois) with little to no traffic that was a frequent playground for me, my wingman Tom and poor mom's Hornet. The short steepish rises were perfect for unloading the suspension at speed. Of course the natural progression was to try for some air time. It was clear that around 80 the wheels would briefly leave the ground. More speed equates to more hang time so............... triple digit speeds provided the desired results. The poor Hornet slamming to the ground over and over(ala Bullit) all the while Tom and I are giggling like a couple of school girls.

On one occasion we crested the hill just as an oncoming car was approaching, a very startled driver in some little British convertible looking over his windshield at what he no doubt thought would be his last sight.
That was enough to cool my jets for a while. I made sure to avoid that area for a long time.

[SW530]

I had a "Tom" in my life too, or did. Childhood friend since age 4. We lived on the same block and walked, then rode, then drove to school together every day of our childhood. We street raced, BMX raced, skate boarded, just about anything that didn't involve water. I had another friend that did water stuff. We lost him about 5-6 years ago. One of those guys people instantly liked. I miss him every day.

[ross1]

I had a "Tom" in my life too, or did. Childhood friend since age 4. We lived on the same block and walked, then rode, then drove to school together every day of our childhood. We street raced, BMX raced, skate boarded, just about anything that didn't involve water. I had another friend that did water stuff. We lost him about 5-6 years ago. One of those guys people instantly liked. I miss him every day.

My friend passed only a bit more than year ago. Too young but an unhealthy lifestyle(not including riding with me)will do that. Its tough watching the old friends who can truly share these reminisces go away.

[E0339]

You guys have great stories. I feel like you could make one of those picture calendars, with old photos of your car and underneath the story. And a calendar.

[sleuth255]

My only exploding driveshaft story involved me, an idiot in a gremlin, and the rear u-joint of my '71 Pinto. Fortunately none of the parts hit the gas tank so I lived to tell the tale lol...

[SW530]

My friend passed only a bit more than year ago. Too young but an unhealthy lifestyle(not including riding with me)will do that. Its tough watching the old friends who can truly share these reminisces go away.

Same with my friend. He was a spooner, had everything handed ti him while I worked full time from age 11. I built my cars, his were bought for him. Growing up in SoCal in the 60's/70's/80's it was rare not to drink or do drugs but we never did. Then I joined the military and some guy introduced him to drugs and then alcohol. He ended up going through a large inheritance before living on the streets for years.. died of liver cancer/failure..

[Monark John]

It was the early 70s, with my new Vega and my friend's somewhat clapped out 65 Mustang. We found this interesting railroad bridge, which ramped up, leveled, then ramped down. No transition, just flat approach, flat top, flat down. We decided it was perfect for jumping, and we did. No problem for the Vega: big problem for the Mustang. I think the second jump broke an A-arm and ended that particular adventure.

Then another friend's father built a road course, which I'll not name here, since who knows what vendetta could arise. Anyway, we were the grounds crew, with keys to everything. This included the garage where the Jaguar E-Type pace car was housed. You guessed correctly. We hot-lapped that thing like we owned it! Sweet car. Who knew you could feel the wire wheels flexing?