What direction would your life take(n)?

The only thing that would come even close to holding me back is family.

 

Being a fly by the seat of my pants kinda guy, I would get a 3 year deal put together and see how it looks in 36 months.

 

Life should always be an adventure. Go for this. It will give you a wealth of experience, regardless of how it turns out, and you will force yourself to operate outside your comfort zone. Home run hitters don't look for the changeup, they sit on the fastball.

 

Whatever you do don't live in regret man! Do what makes you happy!

 

Like some of the others said ,I think if you don't try you will always wonder what if and regret it.25 years ago my wife was offered a fantastic job but we would have had to move across the u.s. with two small girls. We said no and have regretted it to this day.You can always come back if it don't work ,but the opportunity to go may never come again. Best of luck.

 

I'd go in a second. Take your 32 with you, and have them give you a Ferrari company car.

 

And then give 'em a chair shot.

 

I've had 18 jobs in my life, a couple of turkeys. Even those I learned from. The rest I wouldn't trade the experience for anything short of a paid up retirement fund. I've quit jobs on less than 15 minutes thought and never missed a days work. It sure helps having some marketable skills and a network of possible employment choices ready at hand but that was not always true (the possible employment choices that is).
Having confidence goes a long ways but the confidence better be backed up with performance or the bravado of quiting a good job cold turket soon fades with the reality that you made too hasty a decision.
One thing I did early on after realizing that I wasn't cut out to be a "company man" was to start and faithfully fund my own retirement program. For that I'm thankful for a knowlegeable insurance man who set me up with a plan that through the ups and downs of basically being a professional asshole I now have a secure retirement. Retirement (in one form or other) IS the ultimate goal and you must never loose site of that.
Kinda got carried away but if I were you I'd go for it.

Frank

 

+1 - how do you expect a company to take you on if you cannot even spell their name correctly???

Once you have learned to spell and pronounce the name correctly take then opportunity if it is solid. You can always return to hot rodding later, but the life experience will be invaluable.

 

Nicely put Edsel.

 

Sounds like you are a very qualified guy if you've got an offer like that. If you enjoy living in another country and can speek the language I guess the move would be a good one. Good luck either way.

 

I almost took a job in Africa for Cheveron,basicly doing what i do here. It would have been one month in There then one month home. See if thats an option. With all that said just as I was ready to sign on the dotted line the final negotiaton was not what we had agrreed on and i was about to take it up the poop shoot. So i told them to hire an African and good luck.

 

I've lived and worked in many countries over the last three decades and it's the best thing of many adventures in my live that I've experienced. Even in my late 50s, I'd take an opportunity like that at the drop of a hat.

Remember, Helen Keller said, "Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing..."

 

If you don't want the job, I have a spare left nut I'd give for it. Of course, I'm near retirement. Otherwise I'm sure there's a lot of risk working with a start-up. Even still, could be an adventure of a lifetime.

Don't know if this is the group you're dealing with, but it's an intersting story from AutoWeek:

Italian businessman Gian Mario Rossignolo plans to revive the De Tomaso sports car brand.

The former Fiat S.p.A marketing executive aims to build 8,000 De Tomaso cars a year in a former Pininfarina S.p.A. factory near Turin.

Rossignolo, 79, who bought the De Tomaso brand from a Modena, Italy, bankruptcy court earlier this month, plans a three-model range of aluminum premium vehicles.

The De Tomaso sports car company was founded in 1959 in Modena by former Argentinean racing driver Alejandro De Tomaso. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2004, a year after De Tomaso's death.

De Tomaso became an iconic brand for sports car fans in the 1960s and 1970s with three coupes--the 1963 Vallelunga, the 1966 Mangusta and the 1970 Pantera.

Geneva launch

During his 22-year career with Fiat group, Rossignolo was a top marketing executive and CEO of the Italian automaker's Lancia brand from 1977 to 1979.

Two years ago, the flamboyant businessman failed in a bid to buy Bertone's contract manufacturing business for his De Tomaso car project. Bertone's coachbuilding operations have since been bought by Fiat.

In October, Rossignolo signed a preliminary deal to rent Pininfarina's factory in Grugliasco, in the western outskirts of Turin, one of three Pininfarina plants.

Rossignolo plans to build 3,000 units a year of a De Tomaso crossover as well as 3,000 luxury sedans and 2,000 coupes.

The first model is scheduled to debut at the Geneva auto show in March 2011.

Rossignolo said his new De Tomaso company will invest 116 million euros ($172 million) in the project in the next four years.

The Grugliasco plant employs 900 people and includes a body shop, paint shop and final assembly facility.

Innovative aluminum construction

Rossignolo has been promoting for the past four years his business plan for a three-model range of aluminum vehicles based on an innovative construction technology called Univis.

According to Rossignolo, Univis is a space-frame technology that requires just about 30 dies to build a vehicle.

The De Tomaso project is Rossignolo's second attempt at reviving a defunct Italian brand.

About 15 years ago, he attempted to restart Isotta Fraschini and an Audi-based Isotta Fraschini T8 was unveiled at the 1996 Geneva show, but it never entered production.

 

I would yes take an offer that would expose me to anything high end auto related such as you mention.
Then enjoy hot rodding as my own again even if only for a short time, regaining the passion that doing werk for others can sometimes distract from.

Your gut knows what to do, don't hesitate, or let fear rob you of what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity, that if not taken could easily haunt you.

Of course burn no bridges, and make sure all the "T's" are crossed, and "I's" dotted.

Good luck

 

I turned down a short term deal in Europe. Maybe if I was younger i wouldnt have but then when I was younger i wouldnt have been offered it either.
I thought about going from what i am doing now for fun to working with someone on a short term engine development program . What if we didnt get along? Am I ready for going back to being given orders. (it is more blessed to give than to receive) Aside from some gold and an all expense paid time away what would i get? What about my projects. How will they get done if I am not here? I find I think a lot different about things at 60 than i would have at 40 even. Time is running out and i have lots yet to do i think. I am even surprised I think this way now. Follow your heart I guess.
Don

 

Yes I think age would be a factor for sure. I like the U.S.A., but like to travel also. Do what you feel is right in your heart.

 

Speaking from experience: Moved from coastal Virginia to the middle of nowhere Illinois to manage a specialty salvage yard / race car shop / engine shop. My wife and I agonized over the decision for a few months but someone said exactly what another HAMBer did... "You'll regret the decisions and the actions that you DIDN'T take much more than the actions that you DID take." We said "goodbye" to friends in Virginia and thought that we'd never see them again. I worked there for about 4 years, had a BLAST test driving customer's cars, froze my a$$ off in winter, got paid to work at car shows, and had to pull parts off of cars in 24" of snow and sub zero temperatures. And when we had our fun, my wife and I moved right back here to the same town in Virginia!
If your kids are in school or you have some other family issues, they should come first, of course, but consider just renting your house out here in the US until you are sure that you're staying in Italy. A few friends of mine are doing that as they try out jobs in different states.
BUT - sounds like a dream opportunity! I hear that Italy is BEAUTIFUL! If they would have offered you a job in, say, Bratislava or Czechoslovakia building Fiats or Moskvitz's...
Oh, and I think that putting a Ferrari engine in a rod would be WAAAY cool!

 

I'd pack my things and say "hello, Modena."

 

it would be a horrible mistake to not take the job - you'll regret it the rest of your life

 

Many thanks guys for all the comments and 2 cents worth of opinions.

Like I said basically, I was just wanting to ask if such a job offer was put to yourselves, would your life have taken a different direction to what you now have.

As for my spelling, yeah my fingers crossed over whilst I was typing in the text on the key board,
I just didn't do a spell check
I must have the same problem as Ian Berky,, tooooooo manyyyy VVV's.

I will attend the visit to see the old masters working on the Ferrari's, to take in the old metal working skills, that these two old Italians have,
but I have already made my decision.

My wife and I with 2 kids will be returning back to Aussie and then I will go to Mexico to continue the work on,....Mexican Merc 50.

Unfortunately, neither Ferrari or the other brand name I cant spell,,
just dont excite me in any way.
Many thanks again.

 

I would take it, great place to learn more, gain access to a world of equipment and expertise. It would also be a great experience to live there for a while.
You can always collect for your next project and build it when you can.
Doc.