No really,, this could only happen to me.........
 

Beautiful weather (Sat), radio playing, entire family out running around town (not me).....Where am I? In the garage massaging my '68 Nova, car is stripped to the metal, no door handles, chrome etc. Read carefully now men, you may be the next victim of the terrible event.

I wanted to get in the car to lay out a drop cloth on the carpet and back seat, I stuck my finger into the hole where the exterior door handle mounts to push the latch in to open the door..........MY DAMN FINGER, slipped off of the latch and got trapped INSIDE the mechanism. This latch tightens as you pull your finger back, the ONLY way to get it out is to slide a slender flathead along your finger and hold the latch open!! What really sucked is, I have a habit of COMPLETELY emptying my pockets, inc. my phone when I work in my shop. There was not one damn thing within my reach to help myself out, I stood there for almost two hours waiting for someone to help my big, stupid self out, while my family was having a great time less than two miles away. It is very, very funny now, but that was a LONG two hours!
Anyway sorry such a long story.

Finger stuck
 

Felt kind of like the little Dutch boy with his finger in a dike huh? Maybe you could sue GM for making an obviously dangerous man trap. Just kidding with you Rudy!! At least it wasn't freezing out, that would have been a lot worse. Glad you finally got freed. Guess you will have to start keeping the phone handy. Post some pics of the car as it progresses. Have a better day today.

Thats why they say men should not be allowed to work on cars by themselves. Good thing God made blondes, so that men wouldn't be on the bottom of the totem pole. lol.

thats funny..i was out in the garage late,late,one night,and fell a sleep under the car.with the garage door up,cool night,nice warm cement floor.snoozing away.and felt someone tapping my foot,it was the police stopping buy to check on me..he said he had drove by a couple hours before and noticed that i hadnt moved,,and was just checking on me.. :oops: :oops:

I used to work for a company that installed equipment in police cars. I was working with another guy putting the cage in behind the driver's seat. We were both sitting in the back seat adjusting bracket on each side. I closed my door to check the fit and I heard him close his. I looked at him and asked, "How are we going to get out?". Rear cop car doors don't open from the inside.

Luckily he was a little skinny guy and could fit (barely) through the little sliding window. We would've been there a couple of hours if he didn't fit.

Now i understand why my wife say's i can't work on car's in the garage, or race unless someone is with me, and i thought it was health related :?: :?: :lol: :lol:




''JUST MY TWO CENT'S WORTH''

I once was laying all twisted up under the dash and kicked an air grider over onto it's trigger and ground a big hole in the side of my tennis shoe and foot. I was in such an awkward position I couldn't move and had to endure the grinding for what seemed like a year...lol


So your luck sounds as good as mine

So Rudy who freed you, the fam? :shock:

Rudy,
That was terrible. Glad your OK. Looks like you're not alone. Great posts! I had an employee that was adjusting the hood gap on a early 70;s Grand Prix with one of those giant hoods and his cousin slammed the hood and it latched. It pinched his forearm to about 1/4" but never broke anything. He did kick the side of the car while waiting for him to let him go, and of course the hood wasn't easy to open because it was shoved over from his arm.

hey rudy i got alot of stories like that that happened to me but i cant tell them to you right now, laughing to hard!!!!!!ken

stupid things in garages
 

Yeah, I can relate to this. Back in the 70's, when I had REALLY long hair. I was working on an old car out in Dad's garage. A combination of grease, transmission fluid and dirt in matted long hair, then add it gets rolled up in a creeper wheel.

I was in the same boat, couldn't move forward, couldn't move backward, without basically pulling my hair and wrenching my head. Eventually, my older brother wandered over to see what I was up to, he had to lift the creeper and push me out from under the car. He didn't let me live that one down for a long time. Still didn't cut hair for a good while.

Re: stupid things in garages
 

Happened to my wife. Now she takes an old hat and tucks her hair into. I was laughing so hard I couldn't help her. Told her I wouldn't say a word to anybody, so I'm typing them.

Rudy- Thats hilarious, id still be standing there I lthink. (btw I'll pm that info we discussed, tonite-have an answer for you).

Couple years ago was working on an old Corvette and had had to reweld a trailing arm perch. Had it in a bench vise and was grinding the welds wearing an old T-shirt covered in grease, oil and probably even some gas. I was throwing sparks all over the place, and back at my shirt when I heard a little poof and looked down and saw that the front of my shirt was gone- the sparks had ignited it and it just vaporized!

My wife walked out into the garage at exactly that moment, took one look at my shirt said nothing and walked back inside.

Sounds like we need a garage mishap thread.....

That is the funniest part of the story, I would think she had seen a lot of stuff happen to just ignore it and go about her business. :lol: :lol:

Curtis

That is too funnuy Rudy... a long 2 hours!! I will not laugh too hard though... sounds like something that would happen to me!! LOL!!

When that stuff happens to me...whoever rescues me,it somehow becomes their fault for not being there sooner. :oops:

You guys crack me up too!! fla1976, I included a pic of the finger eating machine. beast, after some laughing and asking how much money I had on me, I was freed by a buddy of mine that happened to come by!!
I will ad another pic of the powerplant later, gotta go lightning is getting bad!!
Later!
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...IMG_1818_1.jpg

[img]http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/a..._nav/ricky.jpg[/img]

LMAO Brian!! Here is the motor going in it. I was going to put my bbc in it, going to put that in Jays truck instead. This car was stripped last year, after being lied to and stolen from by the "body man", I brought it home to finish in my garage with my two boys. bjuice, thanks again for making me have second thoughts on the altered!! :wink: I think this car will be sweeeeeeeet once we are done.

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...IMG_1819_1.jpg

Block:
1972 LT1 4-bolt. Cast # 3970010

11.5 Speed Pro pistons. Runs awesome on pump gas!

Crankshaft:
Z28 Cast # 3941178 Z28 302 Forged, large journal (2.45 main).

Heads:
3991492 ’69-’72 350 2.02 1.6 , angled plugs, ss valves, ported/polished. Crane rollers, Jomar girdle.

Camshaft:
Isky roller. .540 lift and 290 duration. Isky 9000 rev kit, West springs.

MSD 6ALN

750 double pumper.

400 reverse valve body with a BTE 3800 stall to launch it.

Undecided on the rear end.

Pics
 

Nice project Rudy. That car doesn't look too scary from a computer screen, but I don't doubt it's dangerous nature. Seriously, looks like another fine project. Great looking engine.

Rudy, if you pulled my nose off I would bite you too!

Curtis

You would be surprised the guys that would fight over that crankshaft. My dad had an 1178 crank that had never been in an engine...was sitting in his shop behind the work bench for years..He gave it to me and I put it on ebay..got $1000 out of it I think. I still get an email every now and then from someone wanting to buy it who saw a post I made about it on a z28 forum asking the value.

glad i could help out with discouraging you with the altered idea...lol.

that combo looks like it will be a Hoot !...

Hey Rudy,

We got the 72 SS Nova back from the paint shop on Wensday, Hugger orange, not a spot of rust ever except floors, doors came from a 30 yr. old drag car. Floors we replaced, absouletely no bondo anywhere, new crome everywhere, 383 hydraulic roller motor, turbo 400, big 10 positrac, Foose wheels, 2" cowl hood, gonna put Yenko stripes on it. Got about $14,000.00 it now, probably $16,000.00 when finished. It's actually a better car than the 55 Belair that we sold in late 2007 for $37,000.00 on ebay, but of course it's not a 55, might go for $25,000.00 to $28.000.00. This car is Lazer Straight, might save it Barret Jackson in Florida. I'll take some pics. if anyone is intrested, O'h by the way the little 51 Ford pickup, i posted when near finished took first place in a car show last weekend, for trucks.

Zip.

Now that was funny Curtis! I never really thought of it as revenge of the Nova!

Tod, I have actually been offered $1200 for it. Might sell it one day, who knows.

It's just gonna be a street car that I can take to Mooresville and have a little fun with the family.

Zipper, Hugger Orange! I am not big on bright colors, but I gotta say, that is one of my favorites. The Nova below is the same car we are currently putting together, am repainting it orange.

I know I probably missed a comment or two I should reply to, will re-read it later. Lots of funnnnnnnny stories ya'll have left.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/g...IMG_2625_1.jpg

Bad event but at least you are able to laugh about it now.
We'll say a prayer for your finger.