new guy mistakes

[grumpyvette]

heres a few first timer mistakes I see ALL the time, IVE even made a few like them 35-40 years ago!

 

(1)

not supporting a car your working on correctly

 

(2)

relieing on guys you don,t really know well to assist you or give advice

 

(3)

buying stuff that looks "cool" but that won,t realistically work on your application

 

(4)

sellecting a cam for your car based on what worked in your buddies car by sellecting the next larger one from the catalog and expecting to kick his butt because of that cam choice with no knowledge of what REALLY matches your combo

 

(5)

buying an intake and carb combo bases almost 100% on a magazine test on a car with an engine that was not even close to your combo

 

(6)

renting tools when the rental cost quickly adds up to more than 1/2-7/8ths of what the tool COSTS NEW

 

(7)

not owning a decent welder and paying exorbidant prices for minor work you could do for next to zip with a welder

 

(8)

TRUSTING verbal instructions will be followed at machine shops

 

(9)

trusting ANYTHING a machine shop does without checking carefully

 

(10)

not getting detailed reciepts and pictures of all parts signed for and dated for parts left at machine shops.

 

(11)

not buying the correct part and trying to make do with something cheaper that you know is not fully adequate

 

(12)

believing most of whats in magazine engine build sheets is ACCTUALLY what went into the engine or resulted in the dyno results

 

(13)

getting in over your experiance level and not knowing enought to ask for help

 

(14)

not buying or renting the correct tool for the job "

 

(15)

failing to read and follow dirrections ,make the phone call,and ask the manufacturer questions and take the time to research the answers when youve obviously screwed up or reached a point where your not sure what your doing

 

(16)

not researching a realistic total budget before buying expensive parts on a project

 

(17)

not joining or forming a local hot rod club so resources and knowledge and parts and experiance and tools can be readily available to the group, and not jumping in to help the other guys every single chance you get

 

(18)

wasteing time and money on what you currently have VS working toward owning and building what you REALLY WANT, to own and drive

[SteelToad]

You forgot, buying a bunch of parts (in advance) for your project that are still lying around months/years after you decided to take it in a different direction.

[grumpyvette]

(3),(16),(18) all come close,

yeah failure to do the research,FIRST,decide on a goal, set a goal , thats realistic with a budget and a time table you can expect to work with and staying on the plan is a comon problem

[johnc]

19) Believing a "sight unseen" estimate to build or repar a car is accurate to within +/- 250%.