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Are most of us optimistic wrench jockeys?

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It just depends on the job, luckily most bigger jobs, rebuilding front suspension, rebuilt motors, works right the first time, though there is ineveitibly some part that is put on wrong or out of sequence, but final bolt up is usually luckily been for good, or at least a good long while.

I tend to have lees luck with electrical, which often gets redone a couple times before right. The nasty control head for turn signals on a the big healey stearing wheel comes to mind.

On a Sprite I had in my youth I had a window that came out of its track, or actually where it was seated in the mechanism, do't know how many times I redid that, hate working on windows to this day.
 
#6 (Blow a blood vessel in your brain and die of a stroke)

I did almost get to #6 on my last project car (a Datsun 280z). The car had been sitting idle for 15 years, but it had been running OK before it was "retired". No big deal, I thought, Should be easy to get it running again. Ha Ha, it took weeks to go through the car to get it to the point of even trying to start the engine. My work was perfect, of course (according to the shop manual and IMHO), but try as I might, it would not start. Checked everthing again, but still no start. Went in house to cool off. Came back out to try again, but no luck. Screamed at the car with every good curseword that came to mind and even threatened to take it to the crusher. Next try, car started and has run great ever since. Never did figure out what the problem was.

Not sure of the moral of this story, but as I start work on my latest project (59BE in storage 16 years), enough has gone wrong to make me wonder if #6 will happen again. I've not started or driven the BE yet, but am getting close to the point where it is time to try. A LOT of time and money has been spent on this BE. Way more that just buying a finished car off of EBay. So, hopefully the car will start on the first try, the combo 948 and ribcase gearbox will work properly together and the brakes will actually stop the car when applied.

I'll have my wife ready to dial 911 if she hears me suddenly go silent while in the middle of screaming at the car. Wish me luck....
 
Yes, this reminds me of when I rebuilt my MGC motor back in 86-87. When I finally had it all together and had checked through everything several times I tried to start it and it wouldn't.

After several days of going through everything it came down to the condenser. I had put in a brand new one, so in desperation I dug out the old one and replaced the good NEW condenser with the old faithful.

Of course it started right up! I didn't even think about all the stuff I went through looking for that, it was so sweet to hear it come back to life.
 
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