Always show the failures. The only people not making mistakes are the people who aren't doing anything.

Really appreciate the candour from this episode. Sure it's a bummer to damage the truck, but the fact you're safe and in one piece is the most important thing, then there's the somewhat "silver lining" that it means more Model A content in the new year, which I'm sure everyone will love to see. Happy holidays, Mike.

Love the disclosure and honesty - this is evolution and how things improve - thumbs up!

Dojo Wisdom: A man who makes a mistake and does not correct it, has made two mistakes. Disclosure might not always feel great at the time, but in the long run, it is always for the best! Kudos to you, Mike.

Thanks for the honesty. It's hard for us to admit we messed up. I agree it's a great learning opportunity like you said. While I'm sad you wrecked it and happy nobody was hurt. I'm also happy, not in a sadistic way, but in a way that it happened how it did. It created an opportunity for upgrades, for the next evolution, be it a small one. This is the best of the worst case scenario that could have happened. I too have had steering shaft issues with a couple vehicles. I'm happy that none led to any sort of accident. As for the steering linkage, I ended up drilling and tapping the double d shaft for the set screws. So the set screw threaded into the joint and the shaft with the same set screw. They were tapped while assembled so no mismatch could happen. Then the set screw, and lock nut were installed with red threadlocker. Works fantastic and can be disassembled if absolutely necessary. I look forward to the rebuild and upgrades. As for the headers. While they are beautiful, it is a hot rod. A nicely shaped repair patch or something of that sort would look awesome and add another level of character. As always, keep up the fantastic content. Watching your videos is a huge motivation for me.

Pro tip from experience. Remove the grub screw and center punch the shaft. Then remove the shaft and drill a small indent. If the nut was loosen it would have a higher amount of purchase for protection until the nut and bolt check. Generally splines >d shape

Nut and bolt checks (correct torquing) should always be a step… use a paint marker to ‘sign off’ each bolt and fixing as done, with a build this big it is all to easy to miss something, thinking ‘I will do that later’ then never go back. Even main stream car manufacturers do this to avoid untightened bolts.

Mike, I really appreciate this video. It definitely isn’t a smirk or laugh here sir this is a eye opener for us all. You are a great example and much respect is given your way. I’m glad your ok and I had the same opinion about the belts/bike license and I admire your honestly and inspiration. Hats off god bless you

you could try an old motorcross trick with the smashed pipe, cap the ends and put some pressure in it and then heat the pipe to glowing temp, maybe you get lucky and it will pop out

I love this episode. It shows what so many other tv and KZfaq car shows fail to show; the hiccups, the faults, the human side of this hobby. Other shows love to make it look like you and a buddy can completely rebuild any car in a few hours without so much as a broken bolt. Showing things like this is what needs to happen more. It reminds us we’re all human and we all deal with the same setbacks. Glad you’re alright, brother. Love the work. Keep it up, man 🤘🏻

Definitely appreciate the honesty and not trying to sweep it under the rug like it never happened, and to turn it into a teaching lesson to boot. It takes a big person to not only own up to their mistakes to themselves, but also the whole world like this. Good on you man. I hope the Model A gets built back better than ever, and I'm glad you're safe!

I just went out of an accident myself yesterday. I was on the freeway, almost reached my destination, with my father's car helping moving stuff from his last place. I was passing a huge truck when the floor carpet got loosed and stucked in the pedals (manual transmission). I took a quick glance at my feet to understand what was happening. It is all it took to slightly move the steering wheel towards the truck i was passing and made contact with its huge wheels. The passenger side front tire exploded. Thankfully, i came out unharmed, so has the truck driver. All it took was a stupid floor carpet getting loose... Safety is all about details we can easily overlook.

Admitting that you made a mistake is such a big balls move, i love this KZfaq channel.

You and other people being okay is all that matters, stay safe and have a great Christmas.

I've said it before in the comments to your episodes, and I'll say it again. Your humility and character shine brightly in your content. Thank you for sharing.

This video is why this channel is better than many of the other car build channels. The lack of ego is refreshing. I never feel like I'm being lied to or upsold on anything and honestly I appreciate it so much.

Hey man, shit happens. The truck is fixable, and you are alive and well. Hopefully this is a learning experience not only for you but for everyone else that watches this channel. Really glad ur ok.

Unlucky dude, Streten at M539 restorations had a little problem too... It shows that we’re all human, all able to make mistakes, all capable of getting back up and moving onwards and upwards 👊

So thankful you're safe Mike! I appreciate your honesty, and appreciate that you have been teaching safety! I now will be marking my bolts!

That's not damage, it's patina. Glad you're ok.

Props for telling the story and taking ownership!!!! 👏 can't wait to see this thing back up and ripping!!!!

Tripple thumbs up for being straightforward and honest....you're doing the right thing , learning and evolving as you go along. Keep it up!

Keep your head up! Good to hear you’re smart enough to know you can do better and it will be fixed. I’m sure this lesson will help on future builds.

You're learning and teaching.... Thanks man. Your message about a full nut & bolt check is so true... in fact, I'll be doing it in the spring before taking my Model A out. Can't wait to see your solutions to the seatbelts... stay safe sir, your videos are worth it!

Your humility and willingness to learn the lessons is what makes you a great builder. I’ve followed your Model A from day 1. As a gearhead myself, I send my full respect!

Wow .. something we can all learn from and so happy that no one was hurt, thanks so much for sharing as I know that must not have been an easy decision. Also great to hear that your engine is now as you expected it to be !! Take care ..

Happy you're ok, and the truck wasn't totaled, and no one else got hurt. Mistakes were made, and lessons were learned. Glad you made this video.

ur not stupid, its admirable that nobody will ever knew what happened and u still decided to make it public, and showed what u learned in my eyes ur a legend sir!!

Happy you came out unharmed and that no one was hurt. Keep up the awesome work man, Merry Christmas to you and yours

Just another reason I have mad respect for you and your builds, the fact that you DIDN'T sweep this under the rug is what makes this channel so special. I absolutely love your videos, as well as your builds. Never change your style because of the negative comments you'll get. Stay safe.

Im happy for your sharing and that you are ok. Happy x-mas Mike, spend the time with family and friends.

I just found your channel, even after following StanceWorks' site from back around 2014, and it is hands down my new favorite place on KZfaq. I really enjoy the care of polish you put into these vids; they make it so fun to watch. No surprise the experienced finish translates over from your sweet, sweet builds. After watching quite a few different vids today (plenty of catching up) I felt motivated to drop a comment and say keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing this, and can't wait to see where everything goes!!

Again, this is why you have the best builds. The respect is high calling out your own faults.. mad respect

Thanks for the honesty mate. Number one quality in a person.

Good on you for doing this video. Glad you didn't get hurt and will be tuning in for more of your content. Take care.

I think being upfront like this is the best response, it's kind of like doing the job properly the first time. You will always have to come clean about it, whether now or later. Great work on presenting the crash in an educational manner, hopefully you help someone else from making a similar mistake. Just glad like you say that nothing major happened!

Everyone has their not so good days. I am just so glad you are okay and no one was injured. I appreciate your openness and honesty.

I think everyone here can appreciate your honesty in sharing this! Glad your ok, and can’t wait to see this ripping again

Hey Mike. Glad you and the A are all going to be ok and love your approach to this.

I appreciate your comments about "leading by example" and "I could shirk responsibility and say this was just an accident because accidents happen." That's an excellent example of Extreme Ownership (a la Leif Babin and Jocko Willink). Happy you're safe and are now able to use this experience to reach and teach SAFETY FIRST. Really dig your talent and charisma as well as your channel and its content, but most of all, I appreciate the cut of your jib. Well played, sir.

We use those steering u-joints in our circle track late models. Almost always we will will weld the shaft side of the joint and only use set screws on the rack side or servo side where there is a grove for the set screw to secure in. Usually you don't need to be able to remove the whole joint, just one side. When everything is rigid mounted and there may be oils, I don't trust even loctite for those set screws, its just a must check. I had to learn this the hard way too, don't beat yourself up too much. Love your builds.

I'm glad your okay! Your always so honest and you come off as a very humble person. God bless

Honestly man. I think it's very big of you to show everyone what's goin on. We all sacrifice something to get our cars going. And sadly alot of us test drive cars without insurance so I say you're super smart!

Glad you are ok, and glad nobody got hurt. Great to see that the Model A didn't take too much damage and look forward to more of the You and the Model A.

Mike, I appreciate your honesty and transparency on the accident. I think all of us that do our own wrenching and modification/builds know in the back of our minds that these kinds of things can happen, and you gave us a great reminder that we should take the time to do everything we can to ensure they don’t happen. Glad the damage to car and self wasn’t worse, and I’ll look forward to the episode when you check the steering linkage on the Ferrari!

Dude It’s a good thing you are ok. Thank you for sharing - my Impala on the channel has everything rebuilt and I fear when I finally start it some bolt will come loose and I’ll wreck it. Your experience is a word of caution for all of us!

Thank you for the deep dive on the cam phaser issue! Soo glad you didn't sweep that under the rug.

Happy to hear only metal was bent and no one was hurt in the accident. Thanks, as ever, for your moral courage. I’m doubly happy to learn that you decided to add safety belts to the Model A, and this is coming from a motorcycle rider like you. Happy holidays, Mike.

One of the things I really appreciate about you is your honesty whether it's a good or bad thing. When I was younger I had a 98 Firebird. A rock tumbled down a hill and I decided to straddle it, not knowing how low the car was. It broke the steering rack in half. I went to take a turn and the car didn't turn. It was a terrifying feeling. Thankfully nobody was around me. Your ego might be bruised but that's okay. I'm glad you were ok and the other person is ok. Have a Merry Christmas 🎄

Mike - as I sit here healing from a broken sternum from an unfortunate AutoX (yup) incident that was not my fault & destroyed my car and could have been easily swept under the rug. I realize that the story must be told to ensure these things don’t repeat. Thanks for sharing - Really dig your honesty with everything you share. Impressive & influential for all the good reasons. Don’t change a thing & please keep on sharing. THANKS!!!!

Keep up the good work, you are already on the top. Progression is the result of trials and errors👍🏻

Sucks man. Glad you're ok. After the adrenaline wears off and the cortisol dump hits and you just feel like shit, it's easy to slide into depression. Take care of your mental health as you get past this event. I highly recommend talking to a therapist about all this even if you think you're ok (if you're not already talking with one). It can help you heal mentally so much faster. My heart hurts for you seeing this video, because I remember the self-recriminations I had to get over after causing an accident over 10 years ago. You are an amazing dude. Much love and much respect for you Mike.

Glad that you mentioned taking off the slicks. I was thinking that was bad when I saw them. If someone had gotten hurt in the accident and a lawer found out about the slicks then they could make your life very miserable.

Luv your honesty man, always learning from ya.

As always your videos never cease to amaze me. Thank you for your honesty and safety revelations. But… I was a little sad that you glossed over the damage to the accord and the owners thoughts/feelings. I was just in an accident last week with a hit and run. I was driving the family minivan, with a mere 15,000 miles on the odometer, this is a newer vehicle but it’s definitely earned it’s place in out family’s hearts. The body shop guy made a comment about it just being a minivan. It hurt. It’s not just a minivan, it’s MY minivan. It’s a good minivan. It’s been good to me and my family. I like it. So, even tho it’s just an accord , it was someone’s accord. New or old or dented or pristine, it was someone’s car. Maybe they don’t care about cars like I do, but maybe they do. I’m glad you weren’t hurt. Keep making great videos! Thank you

Thank you for your attitude on this. I really respect the integrity and humility you've displayed. Glad you're okay! And thanks for setting a good example for this community; lord knows we need it sometimes.

Such good news you are OK, and lessons can be learned (there always are).

Firstly - I’m glad you’re safe & well Mike, the car can be fixed, you can’t. Also that no one else was hurt. Secondly - As you say it was an accident (could’ve been prevented but most accidents can) but you now know what needs doing to rectify the issues so it can’t happen again. Thirdly - Thank you for taking the time to put this out, even though you have to admit fault it’s really good that you documented what happened & why. Most importantly thank you for actually deciding to put seatbelts in the truck, seeing the interior of this with no belts & knowing you would have at least 700bhp at the wheels did worry me as I know you like to rip on your cars. Take care, rest up & have a happy (& safe) holidays.

Much respect to you sir! Accountability is a big deal and it’s not something these days that a lot of people do. As always, I appreciate your honesty and ability to be humbled by what others would not learn from. Keep up the great content 🙏🏾

Love that honesty. Safety is so critical. Thx for the great vid.

Ohh boy. Happy on the engine and proud of the honesty. Least we got photos a few days before ❤️

A lesson for us all !! Glad you are OK Mike. Sometimes we all need a reminder to be careful ..stay safe Mike we love the content.

Love the show and all you do! Glad you were not hurt!

Mike, thanks for publishing this video. honest, humble, important. your content on this channel is more than about cars and that makes a positive difference in the world. well done!

Transparency (with discretion) is always cool and makes people look human. I can imagine all the work you put into that rig running like a fast forward through your mind in the split second it took for the steering to let loose and the Accord impact.

I appreciate your “leading by example(s).” This is a fresh approach to the standard YT builders. I’ve done stupid things before and who knows - I may not have if I had watched someone else ‘lead by example.’

The only reason I was able to watch this 13 years after being hit head on in my 1969 Camaro in a 150mph collision was due to installing subframe connectors and three point seatbelts months prior to that accident. Glad you learned this with no injury.

Glad you're OK Mike. Merry Christmas!

Honesty, gratitude, humility add in incredibly cool cars, I love this Channel!!!

Good content, and agree and echo everyone else's comments regarding your openness and honesty admitting your mistakes. Also happy to hear about the re-focus on safety as a priority.

So sorry this happened to you! Happy you are ok. Shit happens, we the interwebs know you can build this better. Amazing scratch builds like this are an evolution, can’t wait to see the next generation! Thanks for sharing!

Glad you're OK Mike. We all make mistakes but how we deal with them is the important thing. Sometimes a mistake is a good thing and we learn a lot from them. Happy Christmas and New Year.

As u say, sh!t happens and the best news is that no one was harmed. Glad the damage was minimal and most importantly, you're ok. BRILLIANT that you're taking an open approach to this and bringing safety and triple checking to the forefront (where it ought to be).

Sucks that happened man but well done on the episode and running through the details. Honestly is not generally too prevalent on this platform and your is refreshing, shows great integrity! Keep up the great work !

You have the right attitude regarding the crash. Glad your safe!

I'm glad no one was hurt and admire your honesty. Having said that, I would have loved to see the Accord owner's face. "What the living hell just hit my car?!!"

Good guy! great learning moment for all of us

Two things I never considered before this video. One, how incredibly complex a coyote is, two, what kind of hoops do you have to jump through to insure your builds. Glad everything will turnout ok. 👍

I applaud your transparency on this and glad you lived to tell the tale. The problem with life is that it often gives you the test and then you learn the lesson. My only suggestion is AN hardware where you can (I assume you already do this) designed to stay together at 30,000 feet.

I'm just glad your OK and that you finally found out what was really wrong with the engine. Congrats!

Glad that you're OK and damage was minimal. This is an important message that all can learn from.

Mike is the most honest and transparent car builder in youtube. Senna's accident was like that.

When you get it all back together make sure lengths are correct and everything is perfectly lined up, if not vibrations can easily break that bolt and it can fail again. Good to hear everything is ok with you! Be safe!

Glad your safe brother. I really enjoy the content. With that being said, looking forward to a Ferrari update.

Been binging your truck videos, thank you for all your time. Also thank you for showing a failure and taking credit for a failure. It will be back better then ever.

Glad you're ok man. No negative comments from me! Glad you see the brighter side of things and that is the most important aspect.

honesty pay in the long run! great builds! keep up the great work 👍

Respect mike! Not only builders but also youtubers can learn from you! Lead by example! Well spoken

Mike, good on you for showcasing the failure, and thank goodness you're alright! As a Mechanical Engineer failure is such a paramount part of my profession, we make assumptions, we make mistakes, and we fail all the time. It's important that we have an extreme preoccupation with failure so that we can have reliable systems. Safety is a good way to look at things and how to keep yourself safe, but always think about failure. How can the system fail? How can the component fail? It's sometimes a good thing to design in a failure point, think of it as a mechanical fuse.

This is why I love this channel! We all do stuff and make mistakes so this is very refreshing. Some will leave negative comments but pay no mind to them. There are so many people like me that appreciate your candor. It speaks volumes about your character. Keep up the great work!!

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

Glad no one was hurt! On those U-joints/steering shafts always drill a small dimple in the steering shaft where the set screws contact it. That keeps the shaft from sliding out. And use red Loctite on set screws and lock nuts.

We all make mistakes when we do these kind of things. Well done for sharing yours for all to see on KZfaq!

Just so grateful that you're okay man. Car's can be replaced, people can't.

FINALLY, a chance to start lock-wiring things! This truck not only proved that it needs it, but it's also a bit of an art that would really look awesome with the style of this truck.

Love your work and your attitude.

Im glad to say I learned this the easy way when building a 65 mustang driven by a complete 85 mustang driveline and sn95 front suspension with my boss. After driving the car around the block a few times i did one last check over on the car before the boss was to drive the car 45 minutes home. Just to find that the linkage used to attach the 85 steering column to the 95 steering rack was held in by nothing but a cotter pin… glad we had better luck then you did when driving it before that problem was fixed.

This video shows how genuine your channel is.

I can relate. I had a steering linkage failure on a 69 Mustang years ago. Luckily it was just a rural four strand barbed wire fence and some minor sheet metal damage. But the absolute horror of having no steering for a couple of seconds will stay with me forever. The scariest thing I have ever experienced in my lifetime.

Great video and great insights!! We all need to learn from mistakes. Be humble as you are. Glad things turned out the way they did!! Tol.