Their Late Father's Dying Wish Was for Them to Finish His Dodge Dart. Now They Need Help

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Not canceled. From their site:
Q: You guys only seem to do projects in Chicago. What’s up with that?
A: Our production crew is based here in the Midwest, but we’re working out the logistics to take Garage Squad from coast-to-coast. So please submit your project!
 
Well, it doesn't seem that far from done. Drivetrain, suspension, paint all look done. If his four adult children cannot complete it, then they don't really give a crap.
We are all probably going to die with unfinished car projects. My dad did, and I probably will too. But I would never ask the community to pony up the money to finish one of my projects, weather I'm alive of after I die.
 
I know a few grown men that have or had their wives create gofundme accounts "to help them start a small business". Both of these individuals have full time jobs and their "small businesses" are hobbies at best.

My wife jokingly asked me if I wanted her to start one for my race cars lol. This society we live in is a puzzling one at times.

The way things are going the middle class will need a hand out sooner than later so I guess it is kind of like poverty indoctrination a few generations ahead of the reality we all face lol.
 
We had a couple that bought a local lawnmower, tractor repair business. They expanded right away, bought a new truck and car, and kept on spending. Next thing you know she was boo whoing to the local newspaper that they need financial help from the community to stay open. Waa waaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaa. Go fund this.
 
I hope I can tie up loose ends before I croak. If not my kids can do what they want or just fire sale all the junk what ever they wanna do. My son and daughter are big car freaks/car nuts they know parts/cars how to work on them what is what and what goes where ect ect ect. But I won't make any requests on death bed if I didn't get it done I didn't get it done that is that.
 
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm, NO!!!!!!!!

May he rest in peace thought, he sounded like a car guy for sure....

JW
 
My Fastback is already promised to my Niece, everybody knows this.
With my cars are notes on who to contact to either help sell or buy themselves.
This includes my current project along with identifying the parts for it.
Also where to find the titles.

The key is to have a plan.


Alan
 
CRUZE 418 said:
I knew John, he was from Geneseo, IL. We kinda met over a girl. He was a mechanic at the local Dodge dealership. He had a '29 Dodge coupe, with a 426 Hemi in it. It would be a rat rod by today's standards. He ended up meeting a girl from California, that was in town living with her grandparents. They got married and the next thing I knew, they were on their way to Escondido, CA. in a '70 Dart 340 Swinger. I never saw him again. Flash forward to a year or so ago, on fabo, he was asking about tires and rims, he actually used his name, so I pm'd him and asked if he was from Geneseo, IL. He remembered me, I talked with him every week or two. He was in pain with his back, his body frame just wasn't in good shape and he was always helping someone. If I remember, he was helping his son move and damaged his back again. They fused another vertebrae, but the pain wasn't allowing him to do much. Then they found the spine infection, probably from the fused vertebrae. I started to realize that the Dart wasn't gonna get done. I wanted to finish it for him, but couldn't just leave Illinois right now, was looking at maybe this spring. That didn't happen, he called me last Sunday, I was in Chicago picking up a part. I said hello John, and his wife answered, I knew something was really wrong. She put John on the phone, he said that he only had a few hours to live, I didn't know what to say. He passed later that day. I don't know much about his kids, or whether they are capable of the rest of the restoration. It's a frame up restoration, it has a 340 in it, auto, 8 3/4" rear end. I have been in touch with his son, but will talk with him after things settle down. I know nothing of the money situation, or their capabilities, maybe they are going to steer it towards a shop to finish, I don't know. Sounds like they would like to have it drivable by spring.
I was planning a trip out Route 66 and meet him after 53 years and maybe help with finishing the car. I am still planning the trip. I'm really going to miss talking with him.
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If the kids are not able to finish the car, why not let a local High School Mechanic Class finish it for them, as long as the kids buy the parts for it. Could be a WIN - WIN!!!! A project car to work on - a finished car for the family.
 
Recalls a guy who posted here that he planned a road trip in the old Mopar he just bought and asked people here to help him get it ready for that drive. Our payoff would be seeing him drive off smiling. But no guarantee he wasn't just a grifter planning the flip the car after all that helpful free-labor. Don't know these 50-something "kids" but wonder why they are on the news begging for free help instead of joining forums like here and watching youtubes, then working together to finish the car like dad requested.

In a related note, people walking on the sidewalk by my house sometimes stop and ask for advice on abandoned family cars, seeing me sometimes have the hood open on mine doing small checks (unusual in this upscale neighborhood with posers). One lady asked me the worth of a M-B parked in their garage since her husband died. Didn't know the year (1990's?), model, engine, condition, or when it last ran. Thought I would know since she saw my 1980's diesel M-B. Similarly, our church was donated a 1997 M-B for sale, but the donor wanted it bought then removed from their garage without allowing the buyer to even open the hood. I finally found the model number, googled and found it was an optional high-end engine model with several listed for ~$20K. Told them few would risk much dinero without being able to inspect it. They sold it for $2K. I would have offered that but my fleet is packed.
 
pittsburghracer said:
We had a couple that bought a local lawnmower, tractor repair business. They expanded right away, bought a new truck and car, and kept on spending. Next thing you know she was boo whoing to the local newspaper that they need financial help from the community to stay open. Waa waaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaa. Go fund this.
Click to expand...
I have a better one than that. Here in Mexico in a small town this husband and wife had one daughter.

The wife wanted another child. They had a hard time conceiving so they went to a doctor out of state and got the treatment.

They ended up having 5 babies.

There were stories in the newspaper how the man was just a bus driver and they couldn't afford the diapers or formula for the babies.

My first thought was to make the doctors that gave the treatment for her to have the babies pay for all of that. They had to know they couldn't afford to take care of multiple babies.

I felt sorry for the existing daughter who would never have anything she needed for the rest of her childhood.
 
Doubt her name was "Connie Chung" (TV reporter), but recall many guys volunteering to aid with conception when that couple reported they were trying hard to have a child and no luck. Even without that, I read somewhere that 30% of children aren't the offspring of the married man who is the stated father. "Her little eye a be a winkin" and perhaps one way some wives scheme to fill an empty nest. As long as the kid isn't ugly, most "fathers" don't complain.
 
Cuda Al said:
My Fastback is already promised to my Niece, everybody knows this.
With my cars are notes on who to contact to either help sell or buy themselves.
This includes my current project along with identifying the parts for it.
Also where to find the titles.

The key is to have a plan.


Alan
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, my wife (aka "Karen") and children (aka "grown gamers") have no appreciation for my old Mopars, with no concept of the value or how to find a buyer. Wifey would unload my "old junk cars" for $1. She never drove a car before we married, and considers even routine maintenance unacceptable, saying "why are our cars always needing repair", say every 10 years or so I swap in an alternator. She doesn't seem to notice all the repair shops and auto parts stores in her travels. Her approach is "just buy a new car", which I guess means every 2 months, the limit of "new". Like many, she imagines a battery-car will be the no-maintenance holy grail, despite still having 18 of the 20 chapters in a shop manual, plus most issues we have in our newer gas cars are electrical.
 
Sucks bit another case of someone working to long and not getting things done before you're too old. If he would've worked on it earlier in his life his children might have shown interest and learned the skills to work on the car. I know I'm cold hearted sometimes but I know of at least 5 retirees who died months after retirement and not live a full life.
 
I heard a statistic reported that 50% of people who retire die within 6 months or such. Might be apocryphal, perhaps spread by HR departments who want geezers to leave without a payout, or the correlation is because people decide to retire when they decline. Not my problem since laid-off when my company relocated 2 years ago and nobody will hire me - "overqualified" and/or age discrimination (illegal but rampant), so plenty of time to fix my house and classic cars and a backlog of other projects. Plus new stuff like a large tree fell on our house 2 weeks ago when out of town, so current priority before rain comes. How'd I do it when I had a job w/ much travel? Didn't, things kept stacking up.
 
CAll me crazy, call me stupid, call me what ever, I can care less.
BUT i have submitted said car to Garage Squad, I hope they do the car for them.
I lost my father when i was 12, i wished i could have had him teach me all the things their dad must have got to teach them having him for so long. besides this is Christmas, lets spread some Christmas cheer
 
I lost my brother . He was only 58 . I inherited money from him . I bought a project car I have always wanted so it reminds me of him when I drive it . I definitely would love to have it restored free
 
I don't hold anything against them. They're doing what they think they need to. That said, though, In my mind, gofundme is for things like family emergencies, like the loss of a main bread winner, a house fire, a financial burden that cannot be met due to health issues, or a death. Emergency type things. The restoration of a car, does not fall under that category, IMO and 5K also IMO is just to line their pockets, because it will not put a dent in that car's restoration.
 
Personally, I think we have heard enough of everyone's opinions. Let's stop with it.
 
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