Thought this should be a separate post. here is what we have so far:

I got this email from John today. LMK what everyone thinks.

Hi Dave,

I was thinking of seeing if we could organize a flare making session at your place starting in the fall. Do you have enough space, and are your neighbors tolerant of some pounding? We would need shop space, jack stands etc. We would need volunteers to strip paint/filler from the outside and inside of the fenders. More volunteers for hammering, and smoothing. I would be happy to supervise the project, and supply labor as well. My time is limited, and I'm sure everyone is busy, but I think if we had 2-6 or 8 people every saturday, and maybe sunday, for 4-6 hours we could get it done in short order. Having fresh hammer-wielders to step in when necessary would be great. Finish body work and paint would be for another crew. I'll post this if you think it's workable.

What do you think?

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

Korijo wrote:

I have the room, privacy, etc. Who wants to come? We'll have a BBQ, party, keg
______________________________________

Dave can get the fenders stripped, all we need is folks to give a few hours on weekends in the fall. We'll have a good time, and maybe learn something while we are at it. As we get closer to september we will put together a list of folks who think they can help. Not hard to do at all! Or just come and watch..you'll probably want to get in there and pound a bit once you see how basic this is. Bring hearing protection! Easy on the keg until you are done pounding for the day (insert smily emoticon)

John www.ghiaspecialties.com


--------------------

I really wish I were closer, this would be a blast!

Admins,

Could you nail this topic?

Thanks

Hey John,

Great initiative!
As far as the 'several saturdays' go... WTF, make it a marathon and be done with it

Korijo, per request I just nailed this thread

cheers,

Jeroen

Thanks Jaroen. BTW, you'll be there, right?

If I'd be any closer, I would
But since I'm not, I'll miss all the fun and will just have to read about it afterwards here on the bbs...

cheers,

Jeroen

I probably can make it depending on when. How about pizza party? That pizza place is right there off the parking garage.
Geoff

Is this what JRust was trying to put together ??

He emailed about a Northwest "event".


B

Hi Brad,

No, this is different. I think Jrust's is in Oregon, and it's a show get together event...this is a get together and work event. I've been thinking of it for a while now. Hope we can get a good turn out.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

Jamies event is in Monmouth Oregon at his pizza place, way cool now that he can serve beer. There is a visit to Gary Emery's planned too. I went last year and had a blast. Monique and I sat next to JP eating pizza and listening to his one liners. Great fun

Geoff

I got a million of em'......and, given a choice, I'll always sit near the good lookin' lady.

Depending on the scheduling, I would be happy to donate some time on this......can we wait fill the AX season is over?....say..November? Thanksgiving weekend or sumthin'.?

I hab
Maybe John can teach me to use them.

I plan to have a gittogether at my place after Christmas....again.

Count me in for both events. Production will be done and we now have TWO incomes. I'll try and drag with me as many SF people as I can.

Thanks John for spearheading this. You do amazing work.


B

I would love to attend, but distance will make that impossible.

However, I would recommend that anyone working bring ear plugs!!




-Rusty

Geoff,

This may cover several (or more) weekends, so you'll be able to pick one or more, or if we get enough guys at once maybe just one weekend for the rough shape, and another for smoothing, although this might be a bit optimistic.

Hi JP,

We may still be working on them then, or we may just see when is good for the most people and adjust accordingly.

Hi Brad,

Thanks, you making it will be a great inspiration for other long distance travelers to do so as well. Maybe we can figure out a prize for the long distance award? This should be interesting to see how much we can do in a day.

Lawrence,

You are right, earplugs mandatory!

Thanks everyone, John www.ghiaspecialties.com

Perhaps some of those who can't come would like to help sponsor others who have to drive a long distance by chipping in for gas? Door prizes? Any other ideas?

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

Oh come on Rusty, don't you have Air miles? That's how I fly down to SF free, I buy all my 914 parts on a air miles card.

Geoff

What kind of prize for longest distance? (a set of your flares? )

John, my son and I would like to join in. Let me know the dates that you are planning to do. I'd love to learn, great work!!!! Mike

Hi Seanery,

I was thinking more along the lines of something that does not take 10 years to make (insert smily emoticon). Tell you what, whoever comes from the longest distance to help will get a copy of my how to video whenever it comes out. Anyone with some 914 knick-knacks for door prizes? Any other thoughts?

Hi Mike,

We will know more about the dates in mid to late August. It depends on people's schedules. My weekends are pretty much free after the first weekend in August as far as I know right now. It would be great to have you and your son as part of the team!

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

John,

Do you have a "English Wheel" ?? I would like to watch one in use and try one myself.


B

Hi Brad,

I do have an English Wheel. I won't be able to bring it to Dave's place as it is built into my shop, but you are welcome to come to my place and try it out. It's a thumb-grabber!

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

So.. why are we traveling to Daves ?? It would be a whole lot more fun visiting your place than hanging out in Daves "parking garage".


B

We are bumping out my fenders, umm.. duh? Gotta be where MY car is. And, the car isn't in the parking garage. Its in a private garage INSIDE the parking garage. Plus, winebar, brew pub, pizza, burgers, etc. are all in my building..

I don't have room anyway, and my neighbors get enough pounding as it is. Brad, you'll just have to come for a visit if you want to check out the English Wheel! When you see what a crowded mess my shop is you'll agree 8-10 people would have a hard time fitting.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

Hey Brad, if you really are gonna make the trek up there I will definitely come along as well. Now that I have weekends off going to 914 events is gonna be a whole lot more fun. As long as we could be back Sunday night I am in. Are you thinking everyone pile into one car and split gas, or a caravan type event.

Keep us posted, and c'mon guys, join in. Look at it this way, if you have been contemplating doing your own flares using John's video, but are a little nervous (like I am) . . . what if I screw it up, or sumthin like that. What a great way to practice. Using someone ELSE'S car.

-Chris

Yea, exactly my thoughts. Working in construction, a popular statement was "looks good from my house"

Hey, wait a darn minute! Thats my car we're practicing on.

hehehehehehehe thats the whole point!

and one more for good measure

-Chris

I have always said "Can't see it from my house"!

John Kelly's shop is small plus there isn't a built in pizza place or Dad Watsons Bar either. Plus Hooters is waay closer to Dave's than John's.

If I was riding with Brad I would want to know if he is driving the truck or something else!

Geoff

In addition to earplugs, how 'bout some cameras so the people on the other side of the country can partake vicariously of all the fun and smashed thumbs and stuff.

Has the flooding gone down up there?

I left the windows down in my 951 last night-oops!

OT: recent flooding in Noblesville, IN

Yeah, the waters have receded pretty well. From what I saw this morning on my way to work, most of the waterways are down to only a few feet above where they usually are. My actual neighborhood is pretty safe, but the area around me was hit pretty hard.

For those of you out West that may not have heard, one third of Indiana (34 counties) has been pegged as a disaster areas. Last week, the waters were higher than they've been since 1913.

I always wanted to live closer to the coast....never thought I'd have to worry about riptides getting to the mailbox though.

So, about your new 951 based aquarium...

I wonder if I can drive there in 24hrs.... I'll have to calculate the miles. I still have some vacation time I carried over from last year. I have a friend that owns 10 acres on Vashon Island. Is that close?

OK I just came back and edited this post. It's roughly 1800 miles one way. I maybe could take a friday/monday vacation day. Leave after work on Thursday and drive straight through if I could get a co-pilot. Leave sunday afternoon for the turnaround. I have a little metal crafting experience. 20+ year collision shop owner.

Doubt if I'll be able to make it, but.... Cool idea!



Or,

Can't see it from my GARAGE!

Hi Rich,

It would be great if you could make it from that far! You might just win the long distance award. Your experience will be appreciated as well.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

rich, vashon is a 30 to 40 minute ferry boat ride from seattle. nice island. that's a 58mph ave to make it here in 24 hrs. a bit of a push.

kevin

Hi Dave,

Do you have an air compressor? I stole an idea from a fellow metalshaper....a way to really speed things up...using a palm nailer with a stainless carriage bolt for a hammer head...super noisy but we'll be making some shape fast! This in conjunction with a shotbag moves metal. I talked my wife into springing for a palm nailer so we're set, just need the air compressor. We may be able to have your flares roughed in in two days. I promise we won't leave your car all lumpy though!

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

I have a small finish compressor that I can bring and lots of hose.

Geoff

Yea, I got a 5.5 HP 20 GAL. A baby one, for all the air tools. Prolly need to hard wire it in. Keeps trippin the circut.

OK, How about some dates!!!
Aug 2nd is out as that is Jamie's 914 Oregon Roundup.

August 8/9th is good

August 16/17th is good

August 23/24 is good

August 30 is the NWPCA AX so that's bad
August 31/Sept1 should be labor day and Bumbershoot weekend.

Geoff

August 7th & 8th is the Grand-Am race at Watkins Glen.
Brad (& hopefully I) won't be able to attend that weekend.

I might be ready by mid-August...Dave, can you have the paint stripped by then? I have some suggestions on that part of it if you want some.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

No problem. So, shoot for Aug 16/17th, right?

Head count?

All in favor, say "I".

I thought you guys were talking like October. I'll be at the Monterey Historics that weekend. Then the Ramble is coming up. I'm trying to talk the wife into driving to that event. I'm booked for a long distance trip until later in the year.

October! We will freeze our asses off then in Dave's garage!

August is much better beer drinking weather in Seattle than October when its grey and rainey every damn day.

Geoff

Hi Rich,

Depending on everyone's schedules, we may still have work to do into September/October.

John www.ghiaspecialties.com

I'm up for that. I'm kinda booked until fall. I just received an email from the senior property supervisor looking for volenteers to go help out with property damage claims in Tennessee. The claims load is still mounting. There coming in at the rate of 20 to 30 a day. If I travel there late next month I'll be closer to the Ramble. Just need to figure how to get my wife down there....

I had a discussion with a good friend about this thread today. He ended up being a volenteer co-pilot and panel beater. He's very talented and a novice metal crafter. He comes from a upholstry background. He has lots of plastic and wood mallets, shot bags, and wood slappers. He also has a bench top English wheel! He recently made me some wood slappers, and a palm size hand held butterfly dolly from leather filled with lead shot. We won't be able to come to the party until this fall though. Keep us posted on the progress.

So I think you guys need to pick a date...

Is there one yet?

I vote we get started on Aug 16/17th! Otherwise this will never get started let alone done! I am sure we won't finish in one weekend, or what do you think John?
Dave's car has been sitting for awhile now so I am sure he is itching to get it moving again.
Geoff

Karl,

Are you thinking about going?

I've got some miles and was considering going.