HiTech Posted November 21, 2022 Report Share Posted November 21, 2022 THERE COMES a time when you are speechless . where u cant find the words .. i am having a hard time finding the words ... A STORY that started Well over a year ago a quest an adventure into the unknown ..HOW WHEN AND WHERE ... was the theme i spent many a nights thinking about worrying about afraid of .. sleepless nights for weeks and wondered am i doing the right thing am i doing it the right way even though i have never done something like this . i have always helped anyone where i could even at my own cost thats just me .. . but did i take on something i am not prepared for .. many times i thought man its to much it took alot of time away from my family days nights weeks ........ but a thought always stood in the way to help me on my way .. no way could u not .someone needs your help u have it made .the others suffers and is lost . and needs a helping hand . the future could be brighter if only i can do something nomatter my cost my familay and friends cost .. oe erson i met was in worst shape . something i could not live with with out helping as small as it may seem but can send someones future leaps and bounds in the right dirrection ..that partstill holds a furture not proven yet ... .. I SOON REALIZED it was much bigger than i .. i needed the help of many starting right here at home with my rock my wife and then onto sam and his family then brandon and his shop and many others i cant think of right now .. i ventured into a raffle i never in my life tried before did i do it the right way ... it paid off so i guess it worked .. speedzone members joined in most of all we have never met but many helped in many ways .. silent faces with a strong voice loud and clear ad faces i may never see .but know they have a big heart a caring heart a love of country a love of their fellow americans .. many were veterans i can only say thanks the true and real feelings can not be shown ........... THE SHOWING OF THE CAR that sam along with his dad and brother put so much energy into making that a happen .. i was there to witness an amazing family .i learned so much yes old dogs can learn i never in my life of 66 years sanded a car over and over just to find it needed more sanding and that i am not all that great at it ,,..................................................... when davd the veteran saw his car . his voice said its blue the sound had excitement i never heard from him the walk around was amazing to watch all the folks outside to witness this in the cold and rain .. which brought the numbers way down who could attend .. and glad they didnt with what mother nature had to give .. i think the rain was sent to help wash some of the pain the veteran carried for so long .. ... he was joyfull . just what we all hoped ..i saw clear eyes his true color not those dark eyes i have gotten used to that low voice as if to say i am afraid to speak .. IN THE END LEAVING FOR HOME david and i had a minute face to face .. i saw life i saw color i saw happeness i saw relief .i saw a person who realized he isnt the only one i left him saying . its time to get out go back find that person u loved .u have a wonderfull family inside the building to live for and u all deserve to be happy ,u have many brothers and sisters u will never meet they all pulled for u and helped us along the way .. .......... .. THANK U IS ALL I CAN SAY .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rails Posted November 22, 2022 Report Share Posted November 22, 2022 Glad to heat it went well. Send some photos to Nick of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted November 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2022 3 hours ago, rails said: Glad to heat it went well. Send some photos to Nick of the car. Yes sir i will . i have the car at the shop with finale touch ups and fine tuning . ill get some phottos to crazy saturday for any ........... after talking to david last night i really realized even more what this car means to him ........... IT helps him find a tiny bit of his life before the service ... he loves the new look and over taken about it ...so many helped .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flagman Posted November 22, 2022 Report Share Posted November 22, 2022 HiTech, I know you are not looking for a pat on the back. You have done an amazing thing for many people taking on this project. You have made new friends helped many people that you don't know with this. Thank You for allowing others to participate and share in giving back to others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted November 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2022 3 hours ago, Flagman said: HiTech, I know you are not looking for a pat on the back. You have done an amazing thing for many people taking on this project. You have made new friends helped many people that you don't know with this. Thank You for allowing others to participate and share in giving back to others. NO SIR U ARE CORRECT no pat on the back i am just the servent EVERYONE WOULD need a pat on the back is not what we all wanted .. . I mJUST GLAD SO MANY saw what i was trying to do with little information .. all who joined in get the same thanks and joy that we played all a part in . so many need our help and it is impossible to do that .. but like racing we work hard to pass the next car and the next the next week and so on .. this was a no loss finish, first place everytime .. . david our vet is not comfortable right now around big crowds just yet .. .only time will tell and i am sure that someday soon that can all change but still have a big hill to climb i may need a tow rope to get up there .. i told him i can only help him so far and he will be meeting some who shared his life i asked him to meet some brothers i cant be .. and will little by little this will take some time.. but time is in his favor .. i have plenty left i hope ... ... glad you took the ride with us . tell the wife and son thanks .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron.brown11 Posted November 23, 2022 Report Share Posted November 23, 2022 God Bless you for what you have done Mike. You are a good man. I promise you that you have had an affect on David's life & his family's life. You may never get to see it, but I'm betting that David will pay it forward, to another service member in need like he was (and I'm not talking about the car). Like I said to you before, you will never know how many ripples in the pond that you created. Blessings have a way of multiplying, usually in ways you never dreamed of. There may be many that look down their noses at racers, but I know better. Yes, we get nasty and dirty. Yes, we've been known to say some really bad things to/about others, after something bad just happened. But they are without a doubt some of the most kind & generous people that I have ever known. There is a guy in Tucson named Carlos Serrano, and he is one of the most intense/serious racers I've ever known. Second only to the late ARCA & USAC stocks great Jack Bowsher. Carlos was a very accomplished racer. He was a local terror in AZ on dirt bikes & quads, winning a lot. He was twice a European 250cc motocross champ, riding his own equipment that he maintained. He turned down factory rides there because he missed AZ. After he got back home, he took up racing off road buggies & trucks, and won numerous class trophies. Then NASCAR's Brian France, yeah that guy, decided to pave a track in Tucson. Carlos built a super late model, and taught himself how to race it. He won over half of the features in his first season. I can't tell you how many times I saw him stop working on his car at the track, to work on a competitor's car. I've seen him loan, or out right give a part/parts to them as well. He would tell you how he set up his car, and not lie to you about it. He helped me learn how to race, and to properly maintain a race car. He didn't know me at all. I really admired how he raced, and told him so 1 night at the track. I didn't even own a race car yet, so he couldn't sell me anything. That's why I love the racing community so much. Most racers tend to be giving people. I said all that to say this. Some will go way past just helping out their fellow racer. Mike, you absolutely fall into that category! I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate what you have done for David. Thank You!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron.brown11 Posted November 23, 2022 Report Share Posted November 23, 2022 Sorry, I forgot to tell you that the Camaro looks great Too!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted November 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2022 19 minutes ago, ron.brown11 said: Sorry, I forgot to tell you that the Camaro looks great Too!! SORRY I HAVE NOT SENT ANY NEW PICS .. i had the vet at the shop today we are having issue with the shifting ..found the shifter was worn to much .. . i ordered him one tonight .. wont be in till the 27th ..i tried to get it sooner using our prime account but that is the prime time being a holiday week .. ... he got his best look of the car today slid his hands over it just twitching to drive it .. but he knows we had an issue with the shifter worn to much to use something i did not get to see from the start someone else took it out before i got to the shop .. and they didnt notice the issue at that time .. fact till i put it in at 2 am i didnt notice it .. ... .. after market cheese cake junk that came with the car .. ,he could have driven it but taking a chance of missing something up was not what we wanted ... it has been a long time like two years sense he was able to go some where with it besides around the block ... good thing today he met another vet who served around the same time i made sure of that . the vet was the one who fixed the trans ..they hit it off .. . i promiss tomorrow ill get some new picks .of the car .. like i said i was just the servant u all became my helper this could not have been done with out u ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted November 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2022 I want to thank nick for all he has done ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickHolt Posted December 12, 2022 Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 The car looks good! I know Mike put a lot of time, money and effort into this project. If anyone can help reimburse Mike for some of the money he put in, that would be most appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted December 12, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 JUST SOME OF THE PROCESS . . from start to finish .i have way to many through out job i dont need pics i have everything between my ears and some i want to forget lol .. ..i figure this is enough making nick work here ... ... ... AGAIN everyone who helped no matter how big or small everyone may think it was, made a vets life get a alot better .. he can now drive with the david he knew before he joined our nations honor ..... dropping the car off friday night was not planned, david knew it would be saturday .. but he called and sam just had finished the hood enough to go out and road test it . still had some tiny parts to put on trim type ... i called sam up as he was leaving to test drive it , i told him to test drive right over to davids house .. if it makes he can have it for that night ....HERE is the kicker something he hasnt done before .. HE WANTED THE CAR TO DRIVE THE TOYS FOR TOTS DRIVE ... I asked david why and has he never done that before ,,,, HE SAID SO MANY FOLKS helped fix my car up .and this is one way i can pay them back .. i said u owe us nothing pay it forward for someone else to follow suit .. he gave a homeless man 20 bucks to get something to eat that night .. ....as i took it ............................. I KNOW many of u will never meet david but many know him just the same many of you have been there .. And many of u know just what something so little means . i my wife and others can never say thanks enough.......... ... on a side note .as sam and i asked david to move his truck to get more light n the car we noticed something and sam turn to say . man he is lite up excited and smilling like no other time .. ........... THAT MY FRIENDS IS JUST THE PAYOFF WE HOPED FOR .. . HE WON WE WON ............ GOD BLESS EVERYONE OF U AND DID SO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron.brown11 Posted December 12, 2022 Report Share Posted December 12, 2022 Mike, the car looks great!! So glad that Divid likes it. I'm even happier that it sounds like he may be opening up a bit. As I said before, you never know how many ripples in the pond, that YOU created. I have no doubt that David will continue with that. Anyone that has served in a forward operating theatre, has seen/done things that you just can't unsee or undo. Some find ways to get through, but that usually is due to a really good support system at home. Others have a more difficult time of it. It sounds like David was struggling, and you volunteered to be his support system. You didn't have to, but you saw a need and helped. Thank You!! To all that helped, in any way, whether that be with helping work on the car, bought raffle tickets, offered parts, or sent some money, Thank You Too!! I know that if I'd been able to be there when you showed the car to David, I would have appreciated the rain too. It makes my heart happy to know that there are still people in the world like you Mike. Nick, thanks for posting all the pictures!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted December 13, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2022 HE GOT today to visit the vet who fixed the trans and stopped by the body shop .then came over to my house while i was working on my other project that is somewhat like this car a tahoe we bought for my brother an not work ..he still does not know about this either .. im batting a thousand this year ,thats in hours of work for free on two projects .. .. . and this one needs to be finished before christmas and just like the camero it is fighting me all of a sudden under the hood .but i will fix it this week i hope .. one of those bugs that is hard to find but the symple one that always gives u hell.. ..david showed up just in time .i needed someone to handle the ignition key .like turning to start ..... then before christmas i have to finish my sons bosses hunting truck as well ... ...HOW THE HECK DID I GET INTO THIS MUCH TROUBLE ,,.. AFTER all of that i have ot get back on a friends 65 mustang .. then the house work i need to finish ..amybe ill take off christmas day .i have nt even given that day much thought . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiTech Posted December 13, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2022 sam designed to yenko stripe . u can see in the pick ..we just didnt want a regular boring stripe . yet had no ideal how it would look or if the owner would like it .. he wanted one so ... spent a couple of hours or so trying different looks and this one looked the best route ..trying to get it to come out just under the handle was trick .. we sent all the measures in to our graphic man ... and let his system do the rest .. where the air brushed yenko on the fenders are the stripe was suppose to come right even with them but it wasnt going to work out after cutting ..so missed alittle on that .. . sam also hand made what is on the hood .... over all it looks good and the vet is very happy ..he has had alot of poeple comment o that car . .. positive all of it .he now has a list of folks who want to ride around in the car .. again it all paid off . i was standing ext to it the other day and someone drove up and said wow we didnt know the person .. till then .. .. its just a camero . but no one else has this one . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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