Fiero Overhaulin' at Whodeanie's

[Donster]

Here is my post on Pennock's:

Unless it is cancelled, I plan on being at Dean's next weekend. I'd like to see it get finishes, as many have already made plans to attend and have thrown resources at this. Anne and I are playing Motel for some of the folks coming in from outer-state.
Might be too late in the game for some to reschedule.
My $ 0.02 would be: Fix the car, then try and fix the problem with the kid. If he can't/won't take it, we can certainly use some of the other suggestions mentioned above in this thread to do something good/humanitarian with the completed project.

So, if nothing else develops, I plan on being in Woodstock next weekend

\D

[Duchess]

Here are my 2 cents:
I would have asked Joel directly and not "somebody" else. I also would have tried to make him aware of all the Fiero owners/lovers who are willing to donate parts and their time to give him a "decent" car.
Sure he could sell the car afterwards but even if he would get (that's just a random number) $3000 for it, will he find another "decent" car for that money AND he sure doesn't know whats wrong with that car. At least with the Fiero he knows that everybody did his/her best, put a lot of effort and pride in it to help him out.
Otherwise plan B sounds good.

[redraif]

My long winded non-sense... LOL!

Originally posted by redraif:

I would say you need to have a heart to heart with Joel directly... young kids sometimes vent and say things they really don't mean.  Alot of it boils down to if they can't have it NOW they don't want it... or say they don't... this generation anyway.  He is going through ALOT though.  I have a teen ager (16 years old) and I never know what is REALLY going through her head.  So you need to dig deep with him.  But let him know its OK if he really does not want it.  Don't make him feel obligated or guilty.  Maybe then you can get the truth through the frustration. 

That being said, if you really love and appreciate a car or anything for that matter, you fight for it and don't give up even when you are frustrated!  Ask me how I know... I'm that type of person to a fault...

What is Joel's motivation behind this car...

Here is a bit about my passion... and why I ask about Joel's motivation...
Seems cars for me is what keeps me planted and pyschological sound.  My self worth seems to hinge alot on my abilities to DO.  So if I am able to have that creative outlet I can handle what comes.  Also I'm a dreamer and I can't stand to see cars killed when they can be saved.  To that end I have projects that other gave up on and I keep on, because I have a true passion for it (and I'm a bit off my rocker...LOL).

To over illustrate my passion and stupidity:  (its gonna be long winded-sorry)
So my first car...I had a 87 Firebird I made into a showcar.  It was my daily driver since I was 16.  I fought and fought to keep it running through a blow top end and 2 blown bottom ends.  After all that I started to learn to do my own work to save $.  Note I say LEARN.  I'm not a mechanic and have NO training but I will try and learn by being hands on and reading.  My x-best friend and I tackled everything.  He grew up building cars with his dad.  He agreed to teach me the mechanical. I was the patient detail junkie so it was perfect partnership.   The bird got a 3.4 and all the goodies.  I got the looks where they needed to be.  Then relationships got in the way and the car has been down since 2006.  We tore it all the way down mechnically for a total makeover, things got sorted, and he bailed.  Its beyond my limited abilities to fix it.  But I have not given up! 
While the bird was down, my then back up car, a 90 chevy dually was stolen and had the motor taken.  I got the truck back.  That was another one of OUR projects...  got a new motor, but its not plug and play...  and it sits and waits.
The quick and easy fix after the dually was stolen.  An 87 pulsar abandoned at a friends shop.  Well it needed a rebuild that got complicated by tearing it down too far to paint everything.  He put it on the back burner and its sits still...

Are you seeing the common theme... building motors... he never taught me that.  But again, I have the dedication to wait and it will get sorted out.  I will learn to build them. 

Now on to the fiero... I was talked into a supposedly easier fix up to be a driver in 2005 (good motor)... we got it running, sort of... Its never been trouble free or an easy fix... even after tons of time and $ it was never quite right and still had tons of starting & battery drain issues.   The car has been down more then it has ever been running.   But I NEVER gave up. 

So in all that sorted mess above... until recently, I have not had my OWN car that ran since I was laid off in August of 2008...and not had a reliable car of my OWN since 2006 (bird) to drive.  Thankfully we had my spouses car & we carpooled together when I worked temp jobs.  However, I was not investing the money in MY projects while my family needed the $ more.  So finally about a year ago I was hired full time and I waited till my 1 year Anniversary (this September) and started to bring the dead Fiero back on my own. Well the little car is back and it gives me faith that I can get my other cars back from the dead too.  I feel like maybe I have excorcised the previous owner demons to make it reliable.  Honestly there is even a part of me that REALLY wants to try an fix mine and my buddies issues (there is the insane part creeping out with over board optimism)

Ok back to the point of me bringing all that up.  The common theme... I have the dedication & motivation when it comes to my cars and I don't give up and look for the easy route!  Even when its beyond me and I need help from others.  Can you find that in Joel... is he that person?  Does he maybe just need some positive to offset all the negative & make him feel passion for something again?!    He might be hating life in general, hating himself for being helpless.  And in that hating even this car because it seems as impossible as everything else.  Think about the type of person Joel is when it comes to cars... He drove your Fiero and liked it, but was he ever interested in helping work on his while you were helping him out with it?  Might give you some insight into how he sees cars in general.  Transporation Point A to point B (like my daughter) or something to care for and take pride in (like me). 

Ok I will shut up now.  Just want to give the kid a fair shake and figure out what HE REALLY wants...
   

To that end I will go if its happening, which I think it should!

[Fierofool]

I just spoke with Whodeanie and they like the idea of raffling the car and using the proceeds to help someone. 

John just posted on Pennocks that the Overhaulin' is still on.  Too many people have become involved and made plans for it to be cancelled or delayed. 

So, Come on over, come on down, come on up.  See You'ins There. 

[GrannyLinda]

I agree that we need to ask the kid that owns the car his plans for it after it is fixed.

[Fierofool]

His Father said he was going to sell it and his Sister confirmed that he didn't want it. 

[85GT]

I would say he is DEFINATLY not interested......

[Duchess]

In regards of "plan B" (donate the car to somebody else): well, who owns the car? If that "kids" owns it than "we" can not just donate it to somebody else.
And how old is that (ungrateful) kid anyways?
Wish somebody would have given me a car when I needed one .... grrrrrowl

[redraif]

In regards of "plan B" (donate the car to somebody else): well, who owns the car? If that "kids" owns it than "we" can not just donate it to somebody else.
And how old is that (ungrateful) kid anyways?
Wish somebody would have given me a car when I needed one .... grrrrrowl

As you saw in my long winded post.... there was quite a while I was careless and would have cherished a chance at a car like this

 I think I saw that it was johnnyrottin's car that he was working on to give the kid, but I could be wrong.

[Donster]

Correct, Johnnyrottin' on Pennocks was going to donate it to the kid

\D

[Donster]

As you saw in my long winded post.... there was quite a while I was careless and would have cherished a chance at a car like this

Careless? or Carless?
Either one works, but "Careless" would tarnish that entire long-winded post of yours and give me a totally different impression of you! 

\D

[Fierofool]

In regards of "plan B" (donate the car to somebody else): well, who owns the car? If that "kids" owns it than "we" can not just donate it to somebody else.
And how old is that (ungrateful) kid anyways?
Wish somebody would have given me a car when I needed one .... grrrrrowl

The car belongs to John, who is a next door neighbor to Joel.  Whodeanie said that the idea they're considering is to sell 500 tickets at $25 each.  When all the tickets are sold, the drawing will be held.  He didn't say where the money would go, other than to a good cause. 

[Fiero GTB]

I suppose I should have posed this question in the beginning, and maybe it already has been answered, but I've always wondered, Does "the kid" have a role in this sweat-equity project?

Or was the idea to build it for him, then just hand it over without his participating in the work?

I will support the GFC's decision, whatever that is.  That said, SWMBO has informed me that We already had plans for Saturday morning, so I can't make it to WhoDeanie's until at least lunchtime or thereabouts.

FIEROFOOL... pls take this into consideration re our expedition to Staples to get the calendar printed...

FGTB

[Fierofool]

Tim, I'm just a tagalong, so whenever you're available. 

Regarding the car, it isn't GFC's decision.  John and the kid are from Pensacola, Fl.  John is only using Whodeanie's shop for this project because Whodeanie offered it. There was a mention on Pennocks that they hoped some of the locals would become involved, so I brought the subject to our forum.  I'm sure John (Johnyrottin) is sure of the desires of the young man who was to receive the car.  It's his decision and not ours. 

And no, the kid is not involved in any way.  No sweat equity has been mentioned on PFF.  He was only intended to be the recipient.

[redraif]

As you saw in my long winded post.... there was quite a while I was careless and would have cherished a chance at a car like this

Careless? or Carless?
Either one works, but "Careless" would tarnish that entire long-winded post of yours and give me a totally different impression of you! 

\D

WOW I so missed that... see when I post from my touchpad or phone it likes to auto correct my spelling.  90% of the time that is awesome, but sometimes it really messes up what I was saying... LOL!  it has a sence of humor though.  The Fiero is always changed to firey... One day I will post some of the funny things it comes out with like:
Okie dokie = plow donkey...

and with that I own #3