Just a little confusion here....... Let me see if I can clear this up.
We're actually building 2 cars right now that will be looking totally different but have names that are almost the same.
The Miura we are building is the one in the thread that Oreif posted in the post above it's a Lambo clone.
The Mera is the car that is similar to the one you're working on. On that car we are putting in a LS2 6 speed. I was supposed to do a build up thread on that car but I just haven't had the time to get it posted up. On this Mera, we were putting the stock Mera wheels back on the car yesterday when we were talking on the phone. The wheels we are going to be getting for it are the Compomotive Model TS wheel. This is what the TS wheel looks like......
I'll be posting a bunch of the pics from the LS2 build on this Mera later today.
My best friend died Monday & I'm still messed up about it.
We go back to 1975. We met when I used to have a Club called the AOOA American Opel Owners of Assoc.
Most people in the club had Opel GT's & Dave was one of the 1st members. While we had the Opels we got into TSD road rallying. After we moved into other cars we started doing Pro-Rally. Dave was a really good driver, he could get into any stick shift car & be driving it faster on dirt roads that the cars' owner in just minutes. Years later after I had been doing Fieros for 8 or 10 years, Dave got into my "White Ghost" 88 ZZ3 powered IMSA car & after riding with him for just 5 minutes, I realized that I had no clue how to drive fast.
In 1983 Dave started a little machine shop in a barn that was part of a farmhouse lot he bought when surrounding farm land was divided up for home lots. I was working in the aircraft industry & doing a lot of traveling so we kinda drifted apart for 5 or 6 years.
In 1991 I was driving from my shop (in Mishawaka, IN) to home & there was an Opel GT for sale at the side of the road. Some one was looking at it but I stopped to look at it too. It was Dave.
His machine shop had grown & moved into a nice building. I went to visit his shop & he had CNC mills, lathes virtually everything a machine shop would want. Needless to say, Dave has been making all of my CNC parts since that day. Everyone who has one of my V-8 kits bought since, has some of Daves work on their car.
In the mid 90's I moved my business to the Chicago area, but I've kept Dave making my parts straight thru. People say that I should have had someone local do my stuff but I never did. Anyone in the business of selling hard goods knows that when you have a good supplier who does what He's supposed to do when he's supposed to do it knows that when you get a good supplier, you keep him.
When I was protyping parts for the LSx swaps & the V-8 Solstice & the 6 speed kit, Dave was instrumental in getting those parts made & keeping the projects moving on.
Some of you may remember Dave, he attended one of the Fierorama shows & WE flew down to the Daytona show in his Grumman Tiger when I showed the Fino for the 1st time.
On this last Christmas Eve the wife & I drove into the South Bend area to visit the grandkids for the holiday. I had to drive right back on Christmas night because of things I had to do at the shop on the 26th. Dave knew this & drove into his shop to meet up with me, so I could pickup a bunch of parts they had made.
The worst thing about someone close to you dying is that many times you don't get to say goodbye.
The funeral is tomorrow.
Dave: gonna miss the heck out of you, you ment more to me than I realized.
Goodbye.
Archie
[This message has been edited by Archie (edited 01-10-2008).]
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02:35 PM
fieroparts.com Member
Posts: 4831 From: Maine 207-934-1969 Registered: Jun 2000
Very sorry to hear that Archie. I lost my best friend and business partner also, a few years ago, and I wish I could tell you that it will get easier, but I can't. good friends are very hard to come by........ it gives us a reminder that we (all) need to cherish the friends we have, wile we have them with us.
Russ544
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03:59 PM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
It's a sad fact of life that the older we get the more often we lose a loved one. While you no longer have Dave in your day-to-day life, you will always have him in your heart and memories. My condolence to his family and sorry for your loss.. If you feel like talking give me a call.
[This message has been edited by DL10 (edited 01-10-2008).]
My condolences, There is not a whole lot of people in this world we can call your best or dear friends and it's never easy when one of them passes. Just want you to know that we are thinking about you and our thoughts and prayers go out to yours and Dave's family.
The thought that you took the time to write a tribute to him says a lot. Now all the guys that bought kit's from you over the years have a little peace of Dave's work in there cars and will remember him from time to time, and that's all thanks to you.
Again sorry for your loss.
Bob
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05:01 AM
Oreif Member
Posts: 16460 From: Schaumburg, IL Registered: Jan 2000
Our condelences and prayers for you and Dave's family. The best part of being in the old car fraternity isn't the cars but the people you get to know along the way. Be thankful you knew Dave. Ray & Mary
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10:52 PM
PFF
System Bot
Robert 2 Member
Posts: 2401 From: St Hubert Quebec Canada Registered: Jan 2006
I just got back a few hours ago, from My trip to Indiana for Dave's Funeral.
I know I don't have the right to feel as bad about Dave's passing as I did all week.
I know that you're supposed to take your mind off of the loss by thinking about other things. Well I tried to do that last week, but I don't have any other interests that aren't car related & every car related subject got me quickly back to thinking about Dave. To be honest, I've spent most of the last 7 days with tears in my eyes.
Several of our old Rallying group were at the Funeral. If you can imagine what a group of a dozen guys who'd attended Woodstock would look like today if they'd come together for a Funeral of one of their group. Well that's what we looked like except that we had better looking suits. A little grayer, a little heavier, a little slower but they looked great.
Someone PM'ed me & suggested that I post a few pics if I could find them. I know I have a pic of Dave with his Fino at Fierorama, but I haven't found it yet.
When I left for the Funeral yesterday afternoon, I was positive I didn't have any pics of Dave At the Daytona show. When I got to the Funeral & saw one of the old rally guys, I remembered that I indeed did have a picture from Daytona because both him and Dave were in it. I couldn't wait to get home to find it.
This was taken on the Holiday Inn balcony 3-24-00. Gary Kowalski (one of the rally guys) on the left & Dave Nicholas on the Right.
Those positive and fun memories is what keeps him in your heart. Surely looks like great times. Until the next life. Thanks for sharing the pictures Archie.
[This message has been edited by FierociousGT (edited 01-12-2008).]
Have you thought about updating your build thread on the Solstice forum. I know I would be interested in hearing how its held up over the last year. Is it your daily driver?? Here is the thread, so you don't have to look for it:
Have you thought about updating your build thread on the Solstice forum. I know I would be interested in hearing how its held up over the last year. Is it your daily driver?? Here is the thread, so you don't have to look for it:
Surely looks like great times. Until the next life. Thanks for sharing the pictures Archie.
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