Ode to the Mighty Brad!!, He comes through once again... Options

[Britain Smith]

Well...to put this in perspective, the world of 914's would be very different if it weren't for Brad.

Case in point: I was up at HPH all day on Sat. working on projects with Brad, helping him cut the floorpans out of a soon to be race car, rebuilding transmissions, etc. About 10:00 p.m. after watching him completly rebuild a 930 transmission twice (don't ask) and completly installing it back in the car in the matter of about an hour or so, I began to explain that my car had a spongy brake pedal. Therefore, we starting bleeding my brakes and BOOM!...we blew one of the rear brake lines in half. At this time, it was about 11:00 and we rolled the car on the lift and began the impossible task of replacing the rear brake lines (if you have not done this, I don't advise you try...it is a pain in the ass). About 12:30 or so, we had completly replaced all the brake lines with stainless steel lines and bled them...rock solid now.

Normally, an individual (friend, mechanic, etc.) helping you work on your car would send you packing, but not Brad. He points out that the tranny mounts a completly shot and replacing them with sport mounts would significantly help the shifting on my tailshifter tranny. So with the autocross just a couple of hours away, we replaced the tranny mounts and dispite the difficulties getting around the shifter components we are completed about 1:30 at night (or in the morning, which ever way you look at it). We then proceed to get all the cars back into the shop and leave about 1:45 or 2:00 in the morning.

I then see Brad again at about 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning pulling into the autocross right in front on me. Let me remind you, it is merely a couple of hours since he got home the previous morning not including the hour and a half drive down. He is at the autocross in full force, not as a driver but just to help. Let me repeat that...HE IS NOT EVEN DRIVING IN THE AUTOCROSS...and he is still there with only a couple of hours sleep. I see him wrenching away on Jason's car, giving advice to just about every 914 driver out there, suggesting mods and improvements to my car to keep it from leaning like a 19th century sailboat, etc. etc.

Now, that is commitment!!

For those of you that know Brad in person or just as a screen name...share one of your more interesting stories in which Brad was there helping you out, either in person or on the phone, when everyone else would send you packing.

I am sure we can get a nice list together, I can remember a few off hand in which he was making housecalls late into the evening, supporting cars at the tracks, on the phone with someone broken down in other states, and going to remote place to trailer cars here and there. Share so that everyone can understand the man that we can consider a 914 god... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

-Britain

[Curvie Roadlover]

When I bought my car, Brad was the "go between" for myself and the owner. The owner was not a 914 regular and had never used Brad's shop, but had driven by and seen all the 914s outside so asked for Brads' help in selling the car. I don't believe there was any kind of commission or any other arrangement. Brad just offerred to help find a buyer. I bought the car for the agreed price despite a higher offer coming in after my offer was accepted (but before any deposit or anything was sent). Brad said he couldn't accept the offer for the car for more money because he had already sold it to me. I was 3000 miles away and could have easily been fed some story that the owner changed his mind or whatever, and I'd have been none the wiser. Brad then picked me up at the airport when I came out to get the car. He put me up in his house for the night and arranged a little lunch get-together at the Tied House with other 914 folks for the next day.
If he's an asshole, we need more assholes in the world!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)