O/T ? helping a buddy with a car..then he sales it .

just a little rant.

i've had this happen to me before.helping a buddy with parts or labor .and he's telling you the whole time he'll never sale this car.and wham bam ..soon as it's a runner and a hit at the local spot .its for sale .

i just saw that very thing happen to a good friend. he hooked a guy up with paint and body work.with the hopes of getting more work.well,he got screwed .screwed by the first job and the other deals that were contribed during the process.and now the car is for sale for some crazy amount.
(and the guy was never going to sale the car ..boo hoo.)

and we wonder why all the older hot rodders never want to help out the younger guys.cause they have been dooped by guys like that ..

lame.
that's not hot rodding .

 

Happened to me too. Usually it's someone who really wants something I have (a car or parts) and I'll cut them a really good deal on it because they want it so much. But then it's up for sale as soon as they need some money.

I try not to do that anymore. I love to give advice on things when I'm asked and such but I'm not spending a ton of time or giving away anything free so they can turn a quick buck on me.

If I sell a car or a part to someone I know, it's theirs to do whatever they want with it at any time. But at the same time, they're gonna have to pay whatever I'd charge anyone else. Too many favors makes enemies.

 

my real friends, i help them with what they need. if they sell the car i dont care. cars come and go. real friends stay around. help your friends. you will figure out who is using you in time. those arent your friends.

 

Here Here!! Couldn't have said it better myself

Mike

 

"sells"

You could reexamine your choice in freinds.

I guy I bought a car from told me this once "once you sell a car, forget about it, don't ever try to find out what happened to it. You have to consider it gone" Good advice that should apply to this. You gave him something to do whatever he wanted to with.

If you cut a buddy a good deal on something, it's because he's your freind. Consider it a favor even if he makes some money off of it. Otherwise, don't help anybody.

 

i'll give it an amen as well

 

I've had a lot of friends help me with my stuff. Quite a few of my closest friends have bled for my cars, and they're still my friends...how cool is that? Every time I look at my cars I think of all of the hard work that went into them, all of the stuck rusty bolts, rounded off screws, stupid parts in tight places, and how I couldn't have done it without the help of my buddies. I could never sell any of those cars, because at this point, they're personal reflections of my friends and I. I can't even put myself in that mindset. I'm sorry to hear that all of you gys have gotten screwed. I will say that I get attached to my cars though. I don't buy something unless I'm totally in love with it.

 

I thought I was the only one. I hear the same on parts that I have and trying to be the Hot Rod brother....... "If it helps you build your hot Rod you can have it".........then turn your head and SOLD!

 

every situation is different..

usually when I "give stuff away" I do so with the caveat that if the receiver ever wants to dispose of it I want it back.. ( I just "gave" my old compressor to a fellow hamber with these stipulations)

I have also lived through the promises of "more work coming your way" Until someone said (and I quote) "You cant EAT promises"

this has given me a totally new out look on who I'll help, and what I will and will not "give" away (including my time)

 

I bought a 47 Ford convert years ago (it was cheap-$200) and knew it would be a couple years before I got around to it. A good friend really wanted the car-he had kept the rear fenders off his 47 coupe (w/49 Buick taillights) and really wanted another one to build as a lifetime custom. I finally relented, selling him the car for what I was in it with the stipulation that it came back to me if he decided not to keep it. Two weeks later it was gone, sold to someone for an undisclosed sum. The guy felt guilty, and did buy a nice one years later, but I never forgot that. He stayed my friend, but we never dealt cars again. I sell/trade parts and vehicles to my friends at my cost and they return the deal, but one has to be really careful now with the price this stuff brings or the money will really get in the way.

 

I get a little fried when I give a friend a good deal (usually what I paid) for a part that he has to have to use on his car.

Then a few weeks later its up for sale on ebay or somewhere for way more than I sold to him for. This has happened alot with MANY people.

Its not the money he made or the money I lost, but the fact that I feel like he took advantage of our friendship to make money.

 

I do think this is sometimes the reason some guys are reluctant to part with stuff.
theyve been down this path, were happy to stoke others out and got burned by some user or talker
in my best JEFF ****OLI voice
"those dudes are ***s"

 

Hell, I can't get my brother to help with my build. I have given parts away, with the intention of getting them BACK.

I gave a kid I worked with an electric valve for an air ride setup as his locked up and wouldn't let him raise the truck. I loaned it to him as it is what he needed, said he would get it back to me as soon as the ones he ordered gets in. Been atleast a year now, no valve. Everytime I see that kid it makes me sick. I hate liars, and when it comes down to it, that's what these people are.

 

I learned many years ago that the best way to provide parts for a friend or car club member was to sell them to them at market value. That way everybody is happy and nobody got "screwed".
I gave (on the if you don't use it return it promise) a clubmember 1 32 Radiator and Commercial shell for use on his 29 roadster project. 6 months later the car arrives at a club meeting with a Model a Rad and Shell mounted up front. I ask him about my radiator and shell. He ahd sold them at a swap meet a couple of months before. I thnaked him for selling my stuff for me and asked for my money. He laughed, pointed at the car, and said "That's where it went.".
I told him he was dead to me and never spoke a word to the lowlife sack of **** again.

 

I completely restored a car for someone once,and they went and traded it in for a new car. The dealer gave her $1000 for it,and i went by and it was in the show room for $15K!!! Never did that ever again. I'll help a buddy work on his car,or gat their car running,but won't do any more freebies like that again! I still beleive that when you help people that it comes around when you're in need.

 

Kinda sounds like a similar situation I heard of where some guy wanted a bunch of other guys to donate a bunch of parts and a bunch of labor to his personal car so he could get it finished for some tv show. Weird.

 

I look at it this way...usually when I "give away" a part its with the statement..."you can have it if you promise to never bring it back"......but like many have said...a few of those HAVE TO HAVE IT parts wind up being sold for about twice what you cut a deal for your so called friends for.............it only takes once for that to register and thier "deal, deal" is done...the next time a part is needed to make a deadline...it costs em dearly if I have "the only one in existance" or it will take Jegs or Summit 2 days and a third more..........in that case and the "gentleman in question" is one of THOSE...pay thru the frickin nose or get outta my way.


On the other hand, we are at this time doing a car for a magazine...and many of my real friends are lending a hand in much of the construction.......We will be doing 4 or 5 articles for this mag...and they will dam sure get the credit for thier work.


M.

 

weird .because..it's not the same thing at all ...and it wasn't for a tv show .
but,that was funny ..



the guys that help me on the hot rod do and will get full credit .and have been compansated .and they knew what they were getting to when they started the work .

can we get back to the subject matter..

 

I put over 300 hours into a paint job and clear coat for a friend, doing half the car twice 'cause he left an acetone soaked rag on the fender apron (we're talkin 10 coats of clear with two different colors of flake, wet sanding, buffing, flames) . The thing came out great and he's won a couple of trophies with it, real pleased with himself. Think I can get any help sanding my car for paint? HA!
Careful whom you help, it's rarely worth the investment.

Flatman

 

Sadly, i'm jaded to. ****s bigtime.

 

When you're dealing with the m***es (aka have your own business) you're going to run into a lot of people who may put up a friendly, 'fellow hotrodder' front just to get something they want. Just try not to let it burn you, there are plenty of nice folks out there trying to build their ride on a budget that deserve the buddy discount. And they'll return the favor when the time comes.

You just have to know how to pick them out of the crowd. If you just go with your gut it's always easier to know who those people are.

 

It's like loaning money. Only give what you can afford to lose.

I generally give parts to friends with the understanding that if they don't use it, I want it back. This includes a brand new pair of cheater slicks ($500), finned valve covers with breathers ($350) and tomorrow, a low pressure brake switch. The guy I gave the cheaters to always pays for my meals. Hes a chrome plater by trade but I don't have anything I want chromed.

 

I have seen both side of the fence. I have built my last four cars with the intention of keeping them forever. Well that never happened, I have not found exactly what I want or am happy with. I have gotten to the point I dont ask friends for anything, labor, parts, etc. caise I dont want to be blaimed for selling anything. Every car is different, thet require different parts and if it is a true friend then what he does with the parts should not matter. If you dont want to part with the pieces then dont give or get rid of them. Everything I have is for sale. Until i get that one prized possesion then I still probably wont be happy with it, I guess I just like building and the thrill of driving them the first time.

 

"compensated" one "a"

 

man, i thought i was the only one that gets screwed like this. let me tell you my sad story. i have an older brother that can't change spark plugs, but is always buying pieces' of **** to work on. i feel sorry for him and build it for him. then the first person that comes along, he sells it. do i get any money? yea right!! i must have built him 15 cars in our life time. my problem is, i have every type of tool known to man and everybody wants some kind of work from me. i am not a business, so everybody i know can't do a thing for me. i always have to pay for anything i need. i finally gave up and now i don't have any friends and i say no to anybody wanting anything from me. my favorite line is "how much will it cost, not a thing, cause i won't do it"

 

I have a " few friends " I will help with parts ... ( very few ... )

Most folks ... never happen.

Some around here think I am a real behind because I will not let them get into my 32 parts stash ... or if I will sell it ... I want eBay price. Been had ... too many times ... the sad story ... I need it for my car, I will never sell the car ... Baah ... baah ... baah. Then you sell them something cheap ... and the car or the part is on eBay within a few weeks ..

Screw that ...

A variation of that old Los Vegas saying ...

What is at my house ... stays at my house ...

 

wow,,i had to re-read this to make sure i didnt type it, cuz i have the same exact story except for subs***ute 'older ' brother for younger brother,,,

 

I don't know that I've ever heard good things from "those that knew what they were getting into" after they got out

Interesting.... but where I live, once you feel the need to explain or make excuses.... your character and the time for doing the right thing in the first place is in the past

 

I make it a point in my life to not hang out with losers, ***holes and ****heads. It cuts down on alot of dumb stuff.

 

****! If there is an obligation with the help? ****, I'll do it myself!