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

I have friends that have done me right and have complete access to any extra parts I have at no charge (right Sawzall ) and I have friends that I have sold parts to at full value. Any of them can do whatever with those parts that they feel comfortable with because they are not my parts any longer.

I had a long heart to heart talk with Earl Shieb who did the body work and paint on Big Olds, at the best pals rate, about the "what if's". What if a briefcse full of cash was placed in front of me, more then I could refuse. Him and I came to an agreement/understanding BEFORE the situation occurs. We are both on the same page and no one gets their feeling hurt nor is the friendship in danger. No car or amount of money is worth losing a best pal over.

 

Very cool and without realizing it till now, I guess I feel the same way and have taken action the last couple of years to surround myself with friends who DON'T fit the catagory above. Certainly far less drama in my life now

 

I like messing with cars with people I dig. It's fun hanging in the garage. Sometimes I learn things. Sometimes the things I learn aren't car related. If my friend makes money on the sale of a car, I'm happy for him. I had my fun hanging out. Those of you with strings attached to your friendship, please don't help on my car. I'd rather skin my knuckles alone and even have to send stuff out than lose a pal. Sometimes you get more than you give. Sometimes you give more than you get. I don't like to keep score. I just like clinking wrenches with people I like.

Your mileage may vary…

 

******....And I was looking forward to hanging with my new pals Kev and Denise.....Oh well....

 

I am actually sometimes that guy.

Case in point, had a shoebox a year or so ago...decided to chop it, learning the whole way. Local kid Ryan (best friend of mine) who has a few rides (63 Chev daily, 39 Chev p/u project) helped me selflessly the whole way. Well, time came and I decided to sell it. He said **** dont worry man, I had fun, go ahead.

Well I knew he wouldnt take $, so...

One day at my house I was unloading my truck and onboard "happened" to have exactly what he needed for his 39 project. 4 Merc rims w/ near new Coker Cl***ic bias wide whites, a Merc rear w/ (by me) rebuilt brakes, cut drums, Mustang radiator...etc etc....his eyes bugged out.

So, he said man Id kill for this ****. I said, well, you neednt. Its all yours. He was sooo happy. I know that he could have spent his time doing what I did at his age, get drunk and laid...what have you... Instead, he spent it in my ****ty garage till late o'clock workin on my ****box.

Needless to say he accepted and I delivered the stuff to his garage.

 

+1 My sentiments exactly!

 

A couple of years ago, I decided to give my new brother in law a complete front clip for his 1966 Buick Skylark hardtop. He had the car since high school and I figured he was never going to get rid of it so if he ever got in a wreck he would have lots of parts! Before I gave it to him, he calls up to tell me he sold the front end to someone else for $500.00. I WAS PISSED!!! So I went to Radio Shack and bought a mini tape recorder,went home started the fork lift and smashed the side of a cherry front clip.When he came over to unbolt the clip,I figured he would ***** like a baby,And ,I wanted to record it and tell everybody what a **** this guy was....He never said a word. But he did give me a $8.95 set of 3 Sears tubing wrenches for christmas!

 

Its funny I had a kid that started working at my shop, after the second week he told me " Dude you have alot of friends". I explained to him that I have alot of friends because I have a shop!! Needless to say I have some good friends (They know who they are) that I help out selflessly and they return it. Its funny its always the same group of friends that show up Saturday at my shop to help out. I think that is cool.
Jimmy White
P.s. I agree wholeheartedly with Kiwi Kevs post!!

 

What Phil said

Never keep score

Life's too short

Friend too few

But if I ever get my hands on that guy that ran over my tricycle.......

 

Boy, reading this thread makes me appreciate my pals! When I needed money at the swap meet to buy my phaeton body, I made an on-the-spot deal with my friend, selling him a model t coupe for the exact amount i needed to get the phaeton body. Fast forward a couple years later, my friend sells the T coupe at a profit, and he actually gave me a taste, an envelope full of cash, like I was Tony Soprano!

 

I just don't give anyone a break on anything, unless we're good enough friends that I know they'd only sell it if either someone waved stupid money at them, which you can't blame a guy for, or they'd only sell it if they got in a situation where they needed the cash.

And I put a price on everything. Sometimes a real world price, sometimes an "I don't give a damn if I ever sell this" price. But the number's there, so that if someone wants it bad enough, they'll know the deal.

Always good to remember that once you sell something to another person, it's theirs to do with what they please. If they turn around and make an ***load of money off it, you should have sold it to them for more money, is all. If they do something stupid with it.. well there's no cure for stupidity.

 

In my 6th decade on this Earth I learned that there are two types of people... the givers and the takers... sometimes it's still hard to figure out which is which

 

KiwiKev and Chili Phil have it right. vic

 

I got some free stuff on a car I might sell. If I sell it, the first thing I will do is let the guy that gave me the stuff know, and offer to compensate him for the free parts. It is the right thing to do.

 

I had 2 close friends that I always helped out , anytime. Went everywhere togather, swap meets, shows, everywhere. I always was giving them stuff , cool stuff , always fixing there starters, alts. motors or what ever. One of them gives me a deck lid for a project only a month later he sends a guy over to pick it up saying he had bought it. The # 2 friend gives me some headers only to send the # 1 friend over to get them saying he needs them for his project.
It bothered me for a while to the point of avoiding them. But it really only hurt me. Friends are friends even if you feel you are being used. I do have true friends that are that "True Friends" . If you give someone a part, or your time, remember the feeling when you gave it to them. Not the feeling when they sell it.
Did that make sense ?

 

Had a Q-Jet years ago I had spent weeks getting dialed in and had it tuned to perfection. A friend had a truck he was going to sell but he thought it had a carb problem and wanted to try mine on it to see if that was it so I loaned it to him. I saw him a week or so later and asked if that was his problem. He said "Yeah, that carb I got from you really worked great, the guy that bought the truck was really impressed." I think the look on my face told it all.................. and the look on his face told me he knew I was PO'd. He has since made it up to me many times over but that was the last time I ever "loaned" out a part.

I have another friend who knew I was looking for a particular item, he found one really cheap and then calls me up and tells me he has a "deal" for me. I jumped on it then found out later he made a killing off it. Nothing wrong with turning some bucks but I don't do it to my friends. I find something they need they get it for just what I put into it, if that. Sometimes I've lost a few bucks just to help a buddy. It never hurts to build up some good Karma......... you never know when you'll need to make a withdrawal.

 

yeah i put some labor into my buds nova, he couldnt do the stuff i did and as soon as it was running and driving, he put it on ebay. i was pretty insulted. gave me the line of **** that he would never sell it when i was working on it, called him to come pick it up when i was done and he goes boom forsale. i have to say i laughed when every one low balled him and he couldnt sell it for what he has into it. now i give hime a good line of **** why i cant work on it.

 

I once helped a good buddy with a 1957 corvette that was a drag car.He bought the car for 2200 bucks and it came with 90 % of nos chrome still in the packages. The guy who owned it was in Vietnam and was killed and his mother had the stuff for decades.A great find.I helped him rebuild the frame back to stock and get it running because I had a shop with a hoist.He was going to put the rest of it together at his place. We made a deal that if he ever sells it I get first chance.Well a few months go by and I ask him how the vette is coming along. He tells me he lost interest and sold it for $4800. He could tell I was pissed but said man he had doubled his money.Needless to say i have'nt seen the guy in ten years.

 

My sentiments exactly, been there done that too many times. And another thing what type of "Friend" asks for a mates rates deal, then makes a profit at his friends expense? Choose your friends wisely.
Then keep it proffesional with parts, labour and money. That way they will still be your friends, and if they get miffed that you won't do or sell something at their price,.... well you then know what kind of friend they are. Remember only you can let yourself be exploited, and to avoid the embarrasment of seeing the "idiot grin" on your mates face as he gives you the news, don't let him use you.

On the other hand, there are favours. My wife can't understand why I do favours for guys. I choose the guys I do favours for very carefully. The guy getting a favour must have a skill or machine or something that I may need sometime, just donkey type labour isn't good enough. I get favours, I give favours, these favours are a form of currency and are not forgotten. Now and again a guy has to be reminded, worse, sent away empty handed. Sometimes it's a lot easier to just pay the right price, and keep a friend.

 

I helped a buddy out by doind bodywork on his car with the promise that he would buy me the tubing bender I wanted. The car was in my garage being worked on for about 6 months! Hell, I even called in a favor to get the car painted for maybe about $100 above the price of materials.

Car turned out great (it was a POS when it came here) and now two years later.....


You got it, no tubing bender!

 

Voting for President!

 

People should just be happy they've got like minded people around to hang out and work on their **** with. Not all of us have that luxury....

 

After "playing around" with cars for almost 60 years; I have finally come up with a method that saves friendships.

If I ask for some help - say welding - I ALWAYS say after the job is done,
"How much do I owe you??"
"And don't say nothing; we/you used rod, gas, electricity AND YOUR TIME; so Please let me pay you SOMETHING!"

If they say, "Nothing."
Then I make a note of what they did for me; and the next time I can help them, I can act accordingly.
(I actually keep a little note book where I record the "Favors" - my memory ain't what it used to be!!)

Because he (or she) might come to me for some electrical parts(s) later; I don't feel the least uncomfortable asking a fair price, if they charged me a fair price. (sometimes I'll give it to them if they did a "freebie")

What they do with the part(s) afterward; is none of my business.

 

People that take advantage of others generosity are fools... it's bad business.

To possibly give up a good friendship ( and I mean good when somebody will labor for you ) Is just plain foolish.

If I so much as pick a friends brain for info... I buy lunch and pay the tip too. The better the info the better the food

If you do happen to make money on the efforts of others...give them some cash or give them a part or something. If you loose money...give them something anyway....at least offer, and if they won't take anything... Feed them or fill their tank... and do it.

It's pretty simple stuff... a give and take kinda deal.

 

True story.
I helped ( he helped me ) a school friend clean out a garage in the 70's of a house he was going to rent. I used my 52 international 3/4 ton w/high sides and filled it to the brim and hauled it to the dump.

He didn't even offer me gas money or anything .. just thanks.
But I did find a Coca Cola door push from the 50's that was in the garage with all the other junk and hung onto it. It was porcelain and never used. Not worth that much at the time.

Anyway, I labeled him a cheap *** for the rest of his life and went on my way.

I sold the door push on ebay a couple of years back for like 350.00 so I finally got some gas money, or was it Karma.

 

denise..

your right..

I have a completely perfect rechromed rear bumper for my olds.. and I have your old bumper.. (which is currently on sticks)

I am seriously struggling with which to run..

either way.. your old bumper is NEVER for sale.. just because it was steves, and then yours..

Jeff

 

BUT you know in your head...and in your heart, that WHATEVER you decide to do with that bumper is FINE with me. If someone else does ever end up with it I only hope that they are told who made it and for what car.

If in fact you EVER think that you could part with it I do have someone in mind that might be interested in it for his '47 Olds 4 door. He's been following all of Steve's articles in the buildup of his Olds.

 

Its happened to me time and time again. Now i only work on my own projects or my close friends cars.

 

Too many times,I help someone out with a vehicle most times to get them down the road because there short on coin or dont trust anybody else. Never a problem been there and know what thats like.I got burned bad by a good buddy over of all things a shovelhead,I fix his cars ,wifes car and bolth daughters cars so he finds a basket for 3k, blown motor no biggie this is what i do.After a month he complains about how long its taking to rebuild his motor,meanwhile i have PAYING customers waiting for there stuff.So i dig through my own stash new valves oil pump cam lifters ect all on the house.My layout was 215.00 thats all he paid.Went through his trans,laced 2 wheels and he was ready.Rode it up the block once and sold it on craigslist for 7500.00.To say i was pissed was a understatement.We didnt speak for almost a year,one day he showed up at my job with 1k in an envalope and i told him to keep it all i wanted was the offer weather or not i took it was a chance he would have to take.Friendship i hold verry strong and not many i can call this but when you know its there do what you can to keep it.We now go fishing alot and cars are a carefully spoken subject,but if he was in need ill be there.

 

I have only one friend that I can do **** for and get help in return and he never sells anything even if i tell him he ought to take the money and run? Everyone else pretty much knows that my free time is my free time but ill gladly trade some of it for cash.. If they dont wanna pay then i have more free time...
Dave