[TailGater]

What a weekend, Friday night after work I took the three hour drive home to give my father a hand finishing up his truck and helping him get it stored for the winter. The truck, a 83 GMC had just got out of the body shop where it had undergone a complete frame off restoration and last week my father swapped a new set of heads and intake onto the 327 under the hood. So he had got it running except for a problem with the choke, every now and then the choke would close for seemingly no reason and the truck would flood out and die.
Now my father isn't the most patient man when it comes to anything automotive, so after fiddling with it for a bit and not making any real headway we decide to just drive it to my uncles barn (where its staying for the winter) and worry about the choke in the spring when its a little warmer outside. So he hops in the truck and I get in my vehicle to follow him. About half way to my uncles the choke comes on, floods the motor out and the truck rolls to a stop on the side of the highway. Now we're on the side of the road freezing our butts off trying to figure out what to do about the choke. We finally were able to tie it open with a piece of shoe string and got the truck running again.
By this time, my father (who for some reason just didn't see the humor in the situation) is not in the best of moods so he jumps in the truck and I jump in mine and now I just know what's coming, the little 327 bellows through the dual exhaust and both 275 60 series tires out back go up in a cloud of smoke, the truck kicks sideways and my old man's just not gonna take his foot off the floorboards, then as I'm watching this spectacle the back right wheel says "to heck with this, I'm outta here, and I'm taking the axle with me!" The truck slides to a halt not 30 feet from where we just were, and the wheel and axle bounce merrily down the road a little ways and into the ditch.
So here we are once again sitting on the side of the road with a 1983 GMC Tricycle and no amount of shoe string or duct tape is going to get this mess mobile again, We get a tow truck and drag the truck back home where we started. All in all, a pretty unproductive day.

Anyways, sorry for the long post, I just figured I'd share my misadventure with you guys, and remember, sometimes a little patience now can save a lot of grief down the road.

tow home $35
new axle $40

a lesson in patience.......priceless

 

[Bryan59EC]

I am sure we have all had days like this.
Not so amusing whil it is happening
Funny as hell a few days later

Bryan

 

[schnitz]

I'll second the "been there" humor. I fogged 3 lanes of highway when my '97 Silverado puked the water pump. In the cold.Funny now, but I had some very choice words for my truck that night. I'm just glad my wife wasn't there.


In a while, Chet.


BTW, any damage to the paint?

 

[poncho62]

My dad was the patient one, and I was the other guy...................Now, I'm more patient.

 

[tfeverfred]

At least the tow was cheap. Hell, I think they charge $65 here and that's if they don't have to do anything special. Like look for parts in ditches.

 

[DV8]

Im still Laughing!!

Tricycle...good one. :thumbup: Glad your home safe!!

 

[kenseth17]

Boy fresh frame off and paint with axle and tire flying around while said car is moving with no axle or tire. I think he should consider himself very lucky.
My dad has no patience either, which is why I stopped asking him for help hanging hoods or doors. I would rather be creative and put them on myself. He's too old though, I don't see him ever spinning the tires in anything anymore. Wasn't always that way though, and I think he probably used up a lot of his luck years ago. Heard the story many times of him racing my uncle and losing Dad-galaxie, uncle-nova. Uncle made it through railroad crossing, dad derailed the train (hit train between wheels) after taking a ride down the ditch for awhile. Bet there were a lot of things flying around that day.

 

[TailGater]

BTW, any damage to the paint?

luckily no body damage to the truck at all which I thought was amazing considering the way that axle was dancing when it came out. actually the only damage to the truck other then the axle was the backing plate got a little scratched up where it drug on the pavement, even the brake shoes stayed in place :thumbup:

tfeverfred, yeah the guy who did the tow job is a real good guy, he doesn't mind helping you out of a bind, he's got me out of a tight spot a time or two. He'd always say "the first couple are cheap, after that I'll start screwin ya"