Lessons learned: "subtitled I should know better"

[Power Surge]

Took the Cobra out this past Sunday evening, to a weekly hot rod get together that's about an hour away from where I live.

First mistake - didn't check the air pressure in my billboards. I know they leak, but still didn't check them. They looked okay.

Headed down the backroads, really nice driving, weather was perfect. The rest of the day sucked, so this was going to be a nice end. Or so I thought.

We get about a mile from the drive-in diner where the meet is, and all of a sudden a hear a helicopter sound from the back of the car. Crap, flat tire.

Pull into the shopping center parking lot. I do have a spare in my car. It's a 5th Trigo wheel that's been narrowed to fit in a Cobra trunk, with a new BFG tire on it.

Second mistake - never checked the air pressure in it. It was very low. Not too big a deal, figured I'd be able to get to the gas station down the road and fill it up.

Third mistake - Didn't have a jack, lead hammer, or wire cutters in the car (okay, maybe that's really a few mistakes). I HAVE them, and for whatever reason didn't have them in the car.

Hrm. Okay. I have roadside assistance with my collectors insurance. Take the card out of my wallet.

Forth mistake - the card was for the previous company. Didn't have the new one with me. Was sitting on my desk at home next to my computer.

Had my wife call her brother to see if he could find a number online, but no avail.

So now, it's after 5pm on Sunday, nothing is open, I have no jack, no lead hammer, no wire cutters, no roadside assistance. Great.

Only thing I could think of, was to call the diner and see if they could ask someone to come down with a low jack and hammer. They did.

The show head guy comes over with a hammer, low alloy jack, and a piece of 2x4 that he thought would be good to use on the knock off so I didn't damage it with a steel hammer. He takes off and says he'll be back in 10 minutes. The wood breaks on the first hit, which of course I expected. So I carefully knock the spinner loose. Then I go to put the jack under the car. Uh oh. With the wheel flat, the car is so low, even this jack can't get under it. I try to jack it from the front, hoping the stiff chassis would lift the rear also, but it was just too far forward. So then I come up with the idea of using the split 2x4 as a jack stand to hold the chassis up enough to get the jack under the back of the car. It worked!

So I get the wheel changed. Now, remember that narrowed spare that fits in the trunk? Well, the huge rear wheel sure doesn't. Gotta tie the trunk down now.

Head to the gas station to air the tire up. Put air in it, take the chuck off, and the valve core is loose and leaking! Ugh. Well, it was a metal valve stem with a metal cap with a seal. I put it on tight in hopes it would hold the pressure enough to get home. Check the other rear tire... 10 psi. Great. Tread is gone on that one too.

So I hobble home, and now have two new rear tires here to go on.

I can't believe how unprepared I was for this. Don't let it happen to you.