So, Mr. Regular's Fund Anything drive just cleared $15k

"The Transporter" (transporter)
02/07/2014 at 22:07 • Filed to: None

Also, earlier he posted a message to all of his contributors, thanking them for their support:

about 5 hours ago

(X-post from Reddit)
On Monday, my only car was ruined and I was looking at the wall
behind my monitor, not really focusing on anything. I was wondering how I
walked away from an accident like that. I'm alive because Toyota makes
even their cheap cars safe in crashes. I go outside, video my car with
my Nikon D5000, and record a voice-over. On Tuesday, I post the video.
All of you take it and carry it above your shoulders. You convince The
Roman and I to start some kind of donation effort. We set up a
FundAnything page. I never did something like this before, so kept all
the settings at default. The Campaign was set to 40-something days so
that's were it stayed. "If that's the average length, there is no sense
messing with it," I thought. The page goes up Wednesday night. In two
hours you shoved us right to a goal that I thought would take a month. I
didn't know how to feel other than explosive love! I was simultaneously
still grieving my car while being pumped full of joy! It was a FLOOD
of FEELINGS! <3 <3 <3 It is an eruption of Thank-You's flying
in all directions!

I went to bed early because I had to wrangle a ride to work this
morning (Thursday). I check the Fund Anything Page and it is over
$10,000. It was unreal looking at that number. This is what it feels
like when the whole car community (and beyond) rescues you:

I got to work this morning and pretended it was a normal day. My boss
told me he's sorry about my car. He likes cars too and has a BMW 200
that he is piecing together. He asked if I am able to replace my Echo. I
paused and said: "I'll be alright." My boss walked back to his table
and calls to me. "If you need anything...just ask!" I leaned back down
the hall. "I'll be good!"

A few hours ago I got back home. I looked at my computer but didn't
turn it on. Guilt crept in. "I don't deserve this," I thought. Turning
around, I gathered gym clothes, shoes and my Sanza Clip (yep). I
borrowed another car, a Honda Accord (Business Accounts), and went to my
gym.

Treadmills are a good way to clear your head. I thought a lot about
how you really haven't given us a gift, you've given us a loan. I am
paraphrasing an old Simpsons episode here: "I'm no marketer. I don't
know who or what the Internet/Reddit is exactly. All I know is they are a
force more powerful than you or I put together...and you owe them BIG."

Regular Car Reviews must double-down and get better. You've
demonstrated, with relentless mirth, that you want us to thrive! Thank
you so much! You really believe we can become ... I don't know
what...pioneers? Whatever it is, wherever we are going, we're going
there because of you!

In all this mirth, there is one little question. Should we close the
campaign? I don't know. While plodding along on the mill, I thought of
the one man who has given ME free entertainment for years and who also
ran a successful crowd-funding campaign using FundAnything. I bought the
products he promoted on his podcast and always clicked-though his
Amazon link when buying motorcycle and car parts: Adam Carolla. He used
FundAnything to raise money for his independent movie Road Hard and he
met his goal and then some. He too boxed with the touchy subject of
leaving a campaign open after the goal was reached. The Ace Man said
something to the tune of "The Internet Gods will decide how much
resources you need, not you."

We have, in my eyes, more than enough money to buy a car and roam
from coast to cost for two weeks (This June, God-Willing). Weather we
need more than 12K is entirely up to you.

Thank you enormously from my brain's heart (obscure reference),

Mr. Regular and The Roman
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

- See more at: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DISCUSSION (15)

Z_Stig > The Transporter
02/07/2014 at 22:11

Wow!

I_AmDeath > The Transporter
02/07/2014 at 22:12

I'm so stoked for them and for ever more awesome regular car videos.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > The Transporter
02/07/2014 at 22:13

Does this mean the Checker Marathon Diesel Wagon is in Contention? Because, face it, it's pretty darn awesome. Roomy too.

Kinja'd!!!

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > The Transporter
02/07/2014 at 22:13

Holy shit, Foxy Shazam?!?!?! Some of my friends went to high school with them. They used to be a good band:

The Transporter > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits
02/07/2014 at 22:32

His old Echo had much better fuel economy, but 27 MPG highway isn't too bad and it would make for a much more photogenic camera car for his two week cross country reviewaganza.

McChiken116 - Patrick H. > The Transporter
02/07/2014 at 22:56

This will also help him fund RCR and pay any back debts on the show. I have no problems with any of this

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > The Transporter
02/07/2014 at 22:56

Just try to tell yourself that a cross country trip in that Checker would not be right up next to the very pinnacle of awesome. I dare you. Tons of space, everyone would want to chat you up about your car, and everyone would think you were an amazing person for doing it. I had 3 months leave coming out of the Army, and I wandered And camped my way around the United States on a Yamaha FZR1000, and it was life changing. Really reaffirmed my faith in humanity.

PS9 > The Transporter
02/07/2014 at 22:58

So where are all the butt-hurt dickheads out there with the 'HE DOESNT DESERVE IT' this and the 'HIS SHOW SUCKS ANYWAY' that?

The Transporter > PS9
02/07/2014 at 23:04

Hopefully crying themselves to sleep.

The Transporter > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits
02/07/2014 at 23:27

I didn't do it all at once like you did. I had to do it between PCSes, but it was still worth it.

The biggest downside to this, other than fuel economy, is that Mr. Regular lives in Pennsylvania and that Checker cab is in Washington State. Yeah, he'd have more than enough money to fly across the country, buy the car, and then reviewaganza to his heart's content. But the last thing that I'd want to do is buy a car that old and then immediately take it on a really long trip, at least not without a shakedown period first. If a car like that hasn't been run regularly, then suddenly putting constant thermal, frictional, and torsional stress on the mechanicals could exacerbate problems that would be hidden in a test drive. The very last thing that I'd want to see happen is for Mr. Regular and The Roman to take a gamble on a car with the money that was given to him by his fans, only to have the engine block crack on him 3/4 of the way through his trip and leave him stranded in Arkansas (*shivers*) with most of his money depleted and no way to fix it or get back home.

But that car just looks so damed good, though.

I hate being practical.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > The Transporter
02/07/2014 at 23:37

You know, I do agree with you, but I think I would trust this guy at his word. I get the feeling that 1) he knows what he is doing and he had a really good game plan when he did the rebuilding. He sounds like overbuilt pretty much everything he touched in the car. and 2) 4500 miles a year sounds like the perfect amount to keep everything fresh. I think if I was looking for a new car, hell, if I could just afford to add a car to the garage I would fly out and drive it back, right through the bread basket of America.

The Transporter > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits
02/07/2014 at 23:41

He did do an excellent job documenting his work.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > The Transporter
02/07/2014 at 23:44

And things like the heavy gauge floors and Dynamat are the things you do when you build a car to keep it. You just don't invest like that if you don't care. I say np all the way and drive it back here to VA, if only I had the flash.

gmctavish needs more space > The Transporter
02/08/2014 at 00:00

Well I didn't see the Foxy Shazam coming

signintokinjalol > The Transporter
02/08/2014 at 00:35

Regular Car Reviews must double-down and get better.

No, i don't want that.

You guys make everything really funny because it has that ghetto atmosphere, don't go fancy. Just do what you guys do know, maybe work on the camera skills a bit.