Pour one out (NorCal fires)

"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw) 10/12/2017 at 15:24 • Filed to: Fire sucks, 914

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There has been much more lost in the Northern California wildfires than cars. Really, machines don’t matter when lives are lost and homes destroyed, so we must keep perspective. Still... machines can mean something to us, so allow me a moment to mourn this one.

This was my dear friend Donny’s ‘71 914, a very special project, a labor of love in which I was fortunate to share a little. Almost nothing in the car remained standard. As a truly gifted machinist, fabricator, and engineer, he left no stone unturned from the moment this project began as a shell on a dolly in a small garage in Morro Bay, California in the early 2000's. Countless nights of our early 20's were spent around this car and our buddy Rob’s Mk2 GTI in that garage. The entire chassis was seam welded, he fabricated a beautiful integrated roll and chassis strengthening structure, did all the bodywork and paint himself at the local community college, designed and built his own aluminum dry sump tank to enable the fitment of the 2.8L MFI RSR clone engine. He designed and manufactured his own billet intermediate plate for the 901 gearbox. The engine and transmission alone took years to procure parts for, not only because some pieces were hard to find but because it was all done on a small budget while he worked at a parts house and tiny machine shop. He made his own 3-piece Fuchs using BBS barrels, and made his own adapters for the Boxster brakes. The entire wiring harness was custom, with a modern fuse and relay panel in an aluminum box he made up front. The dash was from a longnose 911, with all 5 gauges, upholstered in Alcantara with red stitching by him. It was a wonderful machine, and made some of the most glorious noise I’ve ever heard. It was a testament to what one can do with patience and skill, instead of just buying something. Had this car ever made a public debut it would have blown minds, made magazines, but it was a car that you’d never find all the tricks on unless he showed you.

Donny took a job in Sydney, Australia about 10 years ago and the car went into storage here, not yet complete. He wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of importing it to Australia, not just because he’d have to make it RHD, but because they’d make him cut out the front of his roll structure for road use. This is the only picture I have of it, from when I dug it out of that storage for it to move to a barn in Santa Rosa a few years back... the one that went up last night. Donny called me about 9pm from Sydney, said I was the guy he wanted to call about it. I damn near teared up. I felt loss for a special car, but mostly for him. He kept repeating, “ I just wanted to finish it...” I wanted him to finish it, too.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 15:34

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This story legitimately makes me sad :(

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 15:43

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Very nice. Thank you for sharing.

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 15:49

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I’m sorry bud.

It’s funny, I’ve never been able to determine if it’s the project itself, or the associated memories from that time period in life, or the way that an acquaintance can turn into a friend, or a friend can turn into a brother while working on a project like that, but I definitely get it.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 15:58

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It’s “just” a thing, but it’s a real loss, regardless. Condolences.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 15:58

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Wow that heartbreaking. I’ve never put that much work into a car, or even owned one that long. So I can’t even imagine. Is it possible that the chassis is at least salvageable?

RallyWrench > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever 10/12/2017 at 15:59

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Thanks. I’m going to miss it, but man I feel so bad for him. He threw everything into this car.

Yeah, it’s hard to know what makes it mean so much, but we became friends because of our cars and this one was kind of a totem for us.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 16:00

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RallyWrench > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru 10/12/2017 at 16:10

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Me too, man. Sad for him more than anything, this car was a lot of his life.

RallyWrench > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 10/12/2017 at 16:12

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Wish I didn’t have the story to share, but I felt it needed to be told. Thanks.

RallyWrench > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/12/2017 at 16:14

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Thanks. Feels silly to mourn a car, but it helped to write this. I’m just crushed for him, this was an all-consuming project that only a guy like him could have produced.

RallyWrench > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/12/2017 at 16:18

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Yeah, he poured himself into this thing with unreal dedication. There’s more at stake than cars up there, but this has to be like having part of you ripped away. No idea on current status. I suppose it’s even possible it’s fine but there was fire closing quickly when the area was evacuated last night so that’s not likely.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 16:19

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I hope he has it in him to start again.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 16:20

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Maybe you should encourage one of the Jalopnik writers to contact him and write a eulogy, complete with photos and video evidence of how great a build it was.

WilliamsSW > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 16:27

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I know that it’s just a ‘thing’, but it’s not - it’s a labor of love, with years of sweat, blood and time put into it. It’s sad to be left with just the fond memories of it.

Thank you for sharing this - it’s story worth telling. I just wish you didn’t have it to tell.

RallyWrench > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/12/2017 at 16:33

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Me too. I brought that up last night, though kind of halfheartedly, given the circumstances. He said he’s not sure he has that in him, which makes me sad. I mean, the sheer amount of time spent on this car was nuts, and we’re older now, with more responsibility that precludes that. Every little facet of this thing was planned, mapped out, designed, perfected. It was a work of art, he doesn’t do anything less. I still hope he starts on something else though.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 16:36

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The true tragedy would be if he didn’t, but I can’t imagine recovering from something like this. It clearly was his magnum opus.

RallyWrench > WilliamsSW 10/12/2017 at 16:37

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Thanks. I felt its story needed to be told, even just for a little bit of therapy. You’re right though, I sure as hell wish I didn’t have it to tell. I’m just so sad for him, he put himself into this build on another level.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/12/2017 at 16:38

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Depends on how hot it got and for how long I would think. Usually these sort of fires get quite hot so its unlikely to have something like that survive. But one can hope!

RallyWrench > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/12/2017 at 16:41

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Mr. Donny’s Opus, I like that. We’ll see. Maybe if I ever get back to my 2002 project i can enlist his help to make something like this, encourage him.

RallyWrench > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/12/2017 at 16:43

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Not a bad idea, though I’m not sure he’d want it out there in anything less than finished form. I do want to see what kind of pictures and further details he can share (I’m sure I’m forgetting loads), because I’d love to write that for him.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 16:46

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Yeah, that would be good.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 16:47

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I look forward to reading it. It’s clearly worth archiving and remembering.

shop-teacher > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 17:05

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That is incredibly unfortunate. It’s more than just a machine. It’s the embodiment of untold hours of work. Of heart and soul and creativity. Not to mention all the time spent with friends and the memories associated with it.

I will poor out a bit of Chicago’s finest root beer for your friend and his departed machine tonight, when I go do a bit of wrenching on the RallyMetro.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 17:27

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I remember a story a few years back of a guy who left his 58 Ford when he evaluated for a forest fire and came home to find that everything was gone, except his car which was just in one of those pop up car port things. Even that was melted, but the car was untouched

RallyWrench > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 10/12/2017 at 17:38

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Wow, I’d keep that car forever after that! How surreal that must have been. I have fingers crossed, but no real hope. If the structure went, the car would too.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 18:11

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Yeah I’m just south of there, smoky like when I was in India last year, pretty weird. I hope they get it under control and prevent more loss, containment isn’t great right now. The last few days have dropped in temperature, 49 at my house this morning. Hope it rains.

RallyWrench > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 10/12/2017 at 18:41

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Hope you stay safe there, looks like maybe a little rain forecast next week, but too little too late. We’re getting the haze down here, no smoke smell though.

CaptDale - is secretly British > RallyWrench 10/12/2017 at 19:07

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Well fuck

RallyWrench > shop-teacher 10/13/2017 at 12:23

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Thanks bud. Love the RallyMetro!

Jobjoris > RallyWrench 10/16/2017 at 18:19

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Damned. Fire Sucks. Totally. You’ve shown it to me before so I knew somehow it meant something more than just a little to you...

RallyWrench > Jobjoris 10/16/2017 at 19:30

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Yeah. Really a downer. I suppose it’s still possible it’s sitting up there untouched, but fire was well on its way when he called me and we’ve heard nothing since. Fingers crossed, but not optimistic.

Jobjoris > RallyWrench 10/17/2017 at 08:18

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#getoutanddrive

RallyWrench > Jobjoris 10/17/2017 at 12:39

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That’d be a great road trip! Maybe one with a disappointing ending, but it’d be cool to revisit some favorite places up there. Sonoma raceway, so many good breweries, it’d be good to support the folks up there in any case.

philipilihp > RallyWrench 10/25/2017 at 14:11

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My sister lives in Sonoma and they left their house for a few days to get away from the fires. Thankfully they got to return to their place untouched but there are a lot of people who weren’t so lucky. Fire is so indiscriminate, it doesn’t give a shit if you’ve poured 1000 hours into a project and destroys it in minutes. Terrible story, man. I feel for the guy.