What’s your most expensive mistake?

[Marty73]

Today I realized I spent 130$ on a door latch assembly all because I didn't realize the my door handle rod just needed to be straightened a little..

About three years ago I replaced all my forward harnesses (400$ ish) before realizing that the nut on my amp meter was just loose....

So what's yours?

[Bullitt-]

    Probably set me back a couple of million 

   

[Dakota]

Didn't put my 3rd member back together correctly and grenaded the gears in the first 50 miles or so. 

[1 Wild R/T]

Not me, but I was in a machine shop this past week that had a project from another shop brought to them hoping for a "fix" the guy running the CNC missed a step in setup & the guy running the job apparently didn't see it.... Ran over 200 parts... They now have 40K worth of scrap aluminum.... (they are big chunks of aluminum)

[worthywads]

I cut the carpet under the console and cut too much twice, third try got it right.

[headejm]

Three vinyl tops...one by someone else, two by me. 

[Cuda_mark]

The day I decided to start the restoration of my 70 Vert! I could buy one much cheaper...but I guess I know that everything is being done 100% correct on mine.

[Cuda416]

The day I "paid" for my 70 b'cuda vert....  But, as Cuda_mark said, I'll know everything about that car when it's done, good and bad. It will be MY car though and don't ever "plan" on selling it since I know i'll never get what I'm putting into it.

[7E-Bodies]

@Dakota please elaborate. I'm taking a stab at restoring mine now. New Dr. Diff unit on the way.

[Cuda70-74]

Owning 2 mopar 

[Dakota]

@Dakota please elaborate. I'm taking a stab at restoring mine now. New Dr. Diff unit on the way.

I had about 25 miles on the car on the day I was taking it to a shop for the initial state inspection.  While driving to the shop, I started hearing a loud banging noise from the rear end every time I applied power. 

The guy that ended up fixing the diff believes that one of the big bearings on the side of the ring gear didn't go on square, so I got a false indication when I set the backlash.  Once I put some load on it by driving it, the bearing apparently shifted which made for way too much backlash.   

When I was shown the pumpkin after it was pulled, chunks were missing out of some of the ring gear teeth (it was new when I installed it).  I ended up switching from an open 3.91 to a 3.55 (3.54?) Sure Grip as part of the repair.   It runs great now.... Just took some shiny pennies to get there. 

[Brads70]

For the Challenger I would say buying parts twice sometimes 3x before I was happy with how it works.
I went thru 3  sets of shocks in the first month till I settled with QA1 double adjustable. But the most costly mistake was the wrong(spring rate)  composite leaf springs. 
I've learned with the new Javelin project to just buy the best parts ...once.... I never bothered with stock shocks just went with QA1 DA right off the bat.

[Racer57]

Bought 1970 and it had a 1972 dash/gauges. Hadn't joined this forum yet and had no one to ask questions. Found a 1970 on ebay and paid $2,300 for it. Oil pressure and tach didn't work. Labels were the type that you use a squeeze gun for. That was almost 10 years ago and I'm still pissed !!

[Cuda416]

Here's one I had thought I'd successfully blocked out of my memory...  no such luck...

I was bidding on a rally switch pod for a e-body vert....  bidding got to around 280, and with a few seconds left, I upped the bid... pressed the wrong fricking number.....  almost $600 later and I was the proud (pissed) owner of that switch pod....  grrrrr...

[dodj]

Buying a 2004  F250 6.0 litre Ford diesel. Worst vehicle ever made