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tinman58

tinman58

Jedi Knight
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After doing a little front end work on the TR3 (new vertical link, bearings etc.) I thought it would be nice to start the car up and let it warm up a bit.
Oh yes the front end was up on jack stands with no wheels on. The rear wheels on the ground, brake on and in gear for safety. Don't want it to roll back you know.
Pull the choke, turn the key, step on the gas hit the starter button. To my suprise I forgot that the car was in gear as it came forward and then down with a crunch. "Thats not good" I surveyed the damage and could find none yet. But the car was sitting on the smashed jack stands with the brake rotors 1/2" from the concrete. Well a little lever and fulcrum and 2x4s I was able to get it back up on a second set of stands. The ones that were under the car were flattened by the frame when the car fell. To my surprise the only damage was two dings in the bottom of the frame from the jack stands. I think the TR Gods were watching over me last night.
Dan

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One more!
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I've always worried about doing the very same thing. The worsted I've done was leaving the bonnet undone after working on the carbs, drive down the street and have the bonnet fly up and hit the wind screen snap the hinges off and fly up in the air.
 
Thank You, for the reminder for all of us. So glad it didn't involve serious damage or personal injury.
 
Yeah, that's why I'm pretty jumpy whenever I'm under my TR - don't want to end up like those jack stands!

Randy
 
Wow, too close for comfort! What it did to the jack stands was not pretty.

Glad that was no permanent damage.

Thanks for sharing! Tinkerman
 
Dan,

Not quite so bad, but I did the same thing as you last week. I went to check on my TR6 in storage. It is in a 16X20 storage space at the local UHAUL. I decided to start he up as usual and bring her up to temperature. I jumped in the car, forgot it was in gear....and I don't stow the car with the handbrake on. I drive an automatic throughout the winter and didn't think to put my foot on the clutch.....she jumped when I tried to start her and ended up inches from the end wall of the storage unit.

A close call, but no harm done.

Glad to hear the same for you.

Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd
 
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