Krypsis wrote:
Bill Baka wrote:
Bill Baka wrote:
Krypsis wrote:

Never had any interest in shares. A friend of mine finally convinced
me to play the stock market and was giving me very good advice based
on his very successful experience. Went to his funeral last
Wednesday. Diagnosed with cancer on the Tuesday, gone by 6pm Sunday.
He was a year younger than me, just turned 70 this month.
Now this chap could machine up just about any part you wanted for
your rod or restoration. Went up to see his wife and help her out on
Monday and Tuesday evenings. Had a look through his workshop where
he had been restoring a 22 and a 26 Buick. He'd been casting up some
bits ready to machine up and use on the Buicks. Don't know what will
happen to those cars now. Sad loss for the rod and restoration
community here.

Krypsis

Yeah,
Shares aren't worth much when the whole company goes down.

His shares have a long term history of stability and regular dividends
which was his goal, income, not growth.

Can't be an American company then.

I hate to lose a young guy at only 70.

Yeah, especially when he was "younger" than me. Funny thing was, his
family has a history of longevity. Practically the only one who died
under 90 was his father and his death was due to workplace injury. In
fact, when they were looking for relatives to inform after his death,
they found 2 aunts and an uncle still living. All of them would have to
be well in their nineties by now.

Same here except my dad drank and smoked himself into a stroke at 83.

His wife or kids might just try to auction off the cars.

He didn't have any kids and his wife is at a loss right now just what to
do. Money isn't a problem for her in the short and long term as share
dividends will see to that. More of an issue is her remote location and
inability to drive a car. Her home is in the hills outside the urban
limits with limited public transport options.

She can't drive? What is up with that? Sounds like a 1920's kind of problem.

Anyway, the cars are all in bits. There was only one person who knew how
they all went together and he's gone. It would take weeks to just find
everything. In my brief visit to the workshop, I saw bits scattered all
over. Interestingly, he had been working on converting the engine
bearings to full pressure fed lubrication. He'd drilled the crank and
was in the process of building a larger oil pump to supply the extra
requirements. He even had a new sump and pan cast to provide the extra
room for the pump. He had been talking about doing this but I hadn't
realised he was as far along as he was. I did say his restorations were
"unconventional", didn't I?

In other words, you or I or any car nut would be in heaven just trying
to find parts to match to the cars. Found a manifold, must be for that
one, radiator must go there, etc. Then the cars would get worked on as I
found the parts.
Damn, am I dreaming.

Nobody under 40 seems to give a crap about cars anymore.

Yep. I don't know what will happen to my garage full of rods when I drop
off the perch. None of my kids are mechanically inclined, the grandkids
are more interested in partying and hooning.

Damn. I wasn't even allowed to drive my first car (with a legal permit)
until I could convince my dad I could change a tire, diagnose a no spark
or bad fuel pump, and fill every last one of my fluids. Only then did I
get to go anywhere. My daughter, BTW, could care less about anything
mechanical, so I don't know who to give the car too. Maybe I'll be
buried in it like that rich woman was in her Ferrari. I have one
grandson who might want it, I hope.

Guess the great grandkids
are my only hope. Would hate to see the rods get sold off. Don't want to
risk using them, don't want to risk losing them. What a conundrum!

I have that too. I am still looking for a 1962 to 1964 Ford Falcon to
mileage up.

He will be missed whether I knew him or not.

Bill Baka

Sure will be missed around here. Used to have long phone calls about his
projects. Sometimes an hour, sometimes 2 but always interesting. Miss
them already.

Krypsis

I guess I'm getting to where friends will start going. Lost 3 in three
years.
Sigh
Bill Baka