Hi Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
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smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
twas_brillig
Jedi Knight
Offline
My various projects are slowly moving ahead, but only because I've been fortunate enough to be able to hire some good guys to work in my residential garage. The economy was booming here in Alberta up until about three years, and I'd been casually looking for a seasonally unemployed motorcycle mechanic that I'd be compatible with and that I could afford for a couple of years. I figured a motorcycle mechanic would be technically inclined and careful, and capable of reading a manual as well as I could
Leonard was the first chap, and the key. He's a motorcycle mechanic at a shop I went to, and I'd been chatting with him occasionally for about 8 years but he'd always worked in a steel fabricating shop in the off-season. The economy is in really bad shape here now and the fab shop had closed and he moved into my garage last December. For January, it looked like he'd found a real job about five hours driving northwest of here, but he recommended another motorcycle mechanic that he'd worked with and Rory started in January. Leonard's job didn't work out, so I had both guys working together in Feb. and March until the riding season started and they went back to motorcycles. Rory hooked me up with Jeff, and Jeff has been here two days a week (he's got another 'real' part-time job) since Spring. The projects are/were: get our Yellow BE running; take our Meyers Manx clone dune buggy apart and rebuild it; start with another BE body tub and get it assembled; get a 1972 BMW 2002 converted to a 5 speed transmission, changed over EFI, and various minor upgrades.
The Yellow BE is running; the rest of the projects are proceeding and should all be done by Christmas.
I've pretty much run out of energy for getting things done, and the guys are the only reason that this will happen. I felt that I knew Leonard, and he vouched for Rory, and Rory vouched for Jeff, and they've all been pretty incredible. And they've all had keys to our home in the months that they were working here, whether we were here or not.
Figured I'd share the experience and the approach.
Leonard was the first chap, and the key. He's a motorcycle mechanic at a shop I went to, and I'd been chatting with him occasionally for about 8 years but he'd always worked in a steel fabricating shop in the off-season. The economy is in really bad shape here now and the fab shop had closed and he moved into my garage last December. For January, it looked like he'd found a real job about five hours driving northwest of here, but he recommended another motorcycle mechanic that he'd worked with and Rory started in January. Leonard's job didn't work out, so I had both guys working together in Feb. and March until the riding season started and they went back to motorcycles. Rory hooked me up with Jeff, and Jeff has been here two days a week (he's got another 'real' part-time job) since Spring. The projects are/were: get our Yellow BE running; take our Meyers Manx clone dune buggy apart and rebuild it; start with another BE body tub and get it assembled; get a 1972 BMW 2002 converted to a 5 speed transmission, changed over EFI, and various minor upgrades.
The Yellow BE is running; the rest of the projects are proceeding and should all be done by Christmas.
I've pretty much run out of energy for getting things done, and the guys are the only reason that this will happen. I felt that I knew Leonard, and he vouched for Rory, and Rory vouched for Jeff, and they've all been pretty incredible. And they've all had keys to our home in the months that they were working here, whether we were here or not.
Figured I'd share the experience and the approach.
