This story might explain how I developed the need to have more horsepower!
I had leggo as a kid. Leggo had an electic motor and battery power pack that you could use in cars etc. The battery pack used 4 C sized batteries which made about 6 volts. The cable from the battery pack to the motor used connectors (2 pins) which coincidentially would also fit a universal power cord, the type used for small stereos and the like. They look like a figure 8 with 2 holes.
In my wisdom, I was about 6 or 7 y.o., I thought to myself, "Just imagine how much faster this engine would be if we (my older brother was there) hooked it up to the house mains. At 240v it should be 240/6 or 40 times faster!!!
So I did this and flicked the switch!
Well, in an instant, the motor and it's cable blew up!
Smoke from burning plastic filled the room.
Luckily no damage was done to the house mains or us, didn't even blow a fuse.
My brother I and collected the evidence and burried it in the backyard. Years later, when we were both in our late teens (and big enough to defend ourselves) we fessed up to M & D and exhumed the evidence! I think it was the same time when we fessed up to underage drinking etc etc.....
