I just won ...

The dumb *** of the year award.

Been working on my first CJ5 since August. I have been living and breathing this thing. Every weekend into the wee hours, every evening 'til midnight after work. It's come a long way from the one foot in the junk yard jeep I bought. Frame off and of course too many things to list here. Building it to look good, (at least initially) as well as be a respectable trail rig. I've read everything on this forum about the 74 as well as a few other forums. This is to be my sons first vehicle when he turns 16 and we have been working on it together, me more than him but he is a teenager. So I have cut no corners. At every turn there is this voice that says, "If this breaks while he is driving it ........". So spending stupid money and stupid time and when I am not working on it I am reading about it. You all know what I'm talking about. So not finished yet but got wheels on it yesterday. Drove it up the road and back and the front breaks are dragging. (one of the upgrades was discs all around). A couple of other small issues. Gas gauge had been reading only 1/4 with two five gallon cans in it. Filled it and its still reading 1/4. Won't shift into 4 wheel high so I need to make some adjustments. Speedometer not working even though all gauges are new. Still need bumpers and spare tire rack, etc. Obviously, brakes get fixed 1st. Found lots of good input here and started working on those today. First I checked the residual pressure valve in the master cylinder. Turns out there aren't any. Next check would be to see if the brake was allowing the master cylinder to back off enough to release pressure. Seams like there is free play in the plunger with the brake released. But first I need to re-bleed the front brakes. Now that I have tires on it will be easier to reach the bleeder valve if I turn the tire out. Also, since I have power steering now, it will be easier to turn the tires out with the engine running. I was sure it was in neutral.

Started on first click and headed out of the garage. Since the hood was up it got folded back over the windshield. Bent the cowling too and tweaked the hinges. Way beyond my skill level in body work. Any body know a good body fender shop in Tacoma?

 

Welcome to the club. I started working on the MB when I was 13. My father would get off of work and wander out with his can of Coors to see what I had gotten done. I only had the hood come up once (I learned) sort of hard to drive with the hood up at 45 MPH. Good luck, ask questions.

 

Yep.. Been there..

 

I had pretty good luck with finding a retired body guy on Craigslist. Cheaper than a shop and I know where he lives lol.

 

I did that a couple months back. I didn't bend anything but could have ran myself over. I had to jump in my jeep while it was driving away to turn it off. I am sorry you have damage,in my case it was funny.

 

That hurts. Lots of things happen when working around mechanical stuff. Glad no one was hurt. We do learn from mistakes. Once I melted my metal watch band around my wrist while working on a starter and the battery connected. Never again...

 

At least hoods are plentiful and cheap.

 

I had my Jeep loaded on the trailer in Moab. Drove off with the hood up and all the way through town before the wife of all people noticed it and shut me down..

At least yours wasn't the garage door.. I had my dirt bike in the back of the truck ready to go. At 5:30 A.M. I quietly opened the door and drove away only to hear a baaad noise. I had a piece of rope on the garage door to grab and pull it shut.. Said rope snagged the handlebars and pulled the door down on my bike and bent the crap outa the door.. Now the bike and truck are stuck under the door.. To make matters worse all the door springs popped off and the full weight of the door is on the bike. Wife comes out to see what all the ruckus is about.. Told her to just go back to bed,,

 

Actually the story is a bit worse. Last August when I brought the Jeep I had it in the garage checking things out. Reached in and started it. It drove out through the garage door. No damage to the Jeep but immediately added a thousand dollars to the cost of the build. I guess I'm a slow learner. Time to make the neutral safety switch work. Told ya I won this year.

 

I managed to bend a part of my parents garage door track as well. My mother managed to do a fair amount of damage on the same door a few years later. Years ago a nieghbors daughter managed to take out the 18"s of brick between the 2 garage doors with their Jeep pickup. We all gots storys about the stupid things we did. I don't even want to talk about when the friend drove across both of my feet in his Toyota pickup.

 

chases 68 pontiac down hill into tree.....mine was in neutral only shoulda been park...

 

Thanks everyone for the great support. A few chuckles sure feels better than kicking myself.

 

I have good fun kicking myself. At least I know I still have a sense of humor. Well, unless I have lacerations on my body or broken parts. Never been a guy to throw tools. I go over for a cocktail with my neighbor, I will say something knowing he will give me grief about it. I leave the opening there for him and we both know it.

 

Chit happens at least no one got hurt. Well except pride. We've all had those moments.

 

I always make sure the Jeep is in neutral before I start the Jeep. With the EFI motor. It will start and drive away with Just a turn of the key. And if this helps. I ran over my small tool box driving the Jeep out the garage one day.

 

Sorry for your mishap, but in a year it will only be a funny story
I checked your build pics. on photo bucket....>>>>>>OUTSTANDING<<<<< You an your son will have a truly great an outstanding ride for years & years!!!Good luck.

 

Yeah, that happened in 1973. Easy to laugh about it now. Actually, easy to laugh about it a year later but I learned to keep the hood clamped down.