'71 Alfa restoration

I'm restoring a 1971 Alfa Spider and will be ready for paint in about 6 weeks. Just took the engine down to local shop to begin re-build. I don't know if anyone here has ever done a fundraiser to help with restoration projects or not. We do locally with the car club I'm in.

Anyway I am having a little fundraiser just to see how it goes.....see the link below. I've had the '71 for 8 years, rescued from sitting outside next to a barn. I also have a boat tail 1967 which will be the next project.

Has anyone used just the $70 dash cover, or used the plastic reproductions for approx. $350. Opinions please. I've looked at JustDashes for around $650 to restore the dash to original.

Fundraiser site:
Fundable Online Fundraising — Alfa Romeo restoration

Moved to Classic Alfas

So let me get this straight...

You buy up old cars that need fixing and then ask other people to finance the project which you then turn around and sell for a profit (or use for your own pleasure).

Why on should anybody donate any of their hard-earned cash to you? Just so that you can "save" some old piece of tin that isn't really that rare in the first place?

Boy I wish I had your gumption when I started my restoration project. I would have loved for somebody else to have footed the bill for my car. Actually the car is going to need some work this spring. Do you feel like helping me out?

I can't believe people would honestly give you a single dime, and if they do, they deserve to have their cash parted from their wallets.

The closest, most similar, legitimate approach I've heard of is a club buying a car, restoring it and raffling it off to support the running of the club. I've also had family members involved in school projects where an old car was purchased (with money in the school budget) and students in the tech department (auto mechanics, auto body, woodworking, electronics, etc.) worked on restoring the car (actually rodding it out) and the the vehicle was raffled off and the proceeds were funnelled back into the tech department to buy equipment that the school couldn't afford. Those are legitimate fundraisers in my eyes. What you're doing isn't.

I honestly can't believe you'd have the nerve to come onto a forum like this and ask people to help you fund your project. How do you think we keep our own cars going? What do you think we do if we decide we can't afford to fix or restore our cars?
--Toronto
(Of course any opinions expressed above are mine and strictly mine alone, and I'm willing to take whatever heat they might generate.

Completely agree with Toronto Spider. I recently decided not to buy a very nice '78 Spider 1600 Junior because I did not want to spend the money involved in the necessary renovation.

Hey guys, I really wanna buy a Gallardo. Can you send me some money too ??

Dammit Toronto!!


I'd just finished collecting 1 million milk bottle tops and was parcelling them up as a contribution to your Spider fund but it looks like you won't be wanting them now.

Pah.

Bottle tops are still absolutely and gladly accepted, Rick. They're not cash per se, and as such the fall under the "generous non-cash donations accepted" exemption. Canadian Tire money also qualifies.

A big part of me wants to draw Quinn's attention to this thread. I'd love to hear his opinion of about the solicitation of cash to get a car on the road.
--Toronto

Originally Posted by Toronto Spider

A big part of me wants to draw Quinn's attention to this thread. I'd love to hear his opinion of about the solicitation of cash to get a car on the road.
--Toronto

One can only begin to imagine!

Originally Posted by Toronto Spider

So let me get this straight...etc

Bit of an overly strong response if I may say so.

The guy isn't forcing anyone to part with their money. Just asking.

A bit cheeky maybe, but if you don't ask you don't get. And as the guy says, they've done it before.

So if you don't want to give then don't.

In principle I don't see any difference between this and a fundraiser to restore, say, an old steam locomotive. And I'm sure many would be happy to do that.

As an Alfa fan I'd like to see as many old and classic Alfas restored to their former glory as possible.

If someone has the initiative to get off their backside and the creativity with ways to make that a bit easier/less expensive/more likely top happen then I applaud it.

Mr T has a point but I'm in Toronto's camp.

You also don't even know what he really is doing with the money once he starts drawing down on the $5k-worth of pledges sought.

There's been limited work on my own Coupe through lack of money - I'd never have thought of asking other people to pay for it, nor would I have expected them to be so altruistic for such an unworthy cause as my personal satisfaction and enrichment.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

In principle I don't see any difference between this and a fundraiser to restore, say, an old steam locomotive.

In priniciple my old house needs some work doing on it, and so as to preserve this 140 year old monument to proud Yorkshire masonry work I would like donations for the pointing doing.
Ta.


Milk bottle tops on their way Toronto!

Originally Posted by RicksAlfas

In priniciple my old house needs some work doing on it, and so as to preserve this 140 year old monument to proud Yorkshire masonry work I would like donations for the pointing doing.
Ta.

Rick , i have a old car aerial , which if extended can be useful as a pointer for your pointing . Just thought i'd point that out to you .

As far as our friend is concerned , i can gladly donate some parts but he'll have to come and collect them .

Nah, it's an inexcusably cheeky thing to do and any body who signs up for it needs the bumps feeling!.
I notice he's got 10 bucks so far, presumably that was his own starting donation.

It's nothing like donating to restore a Steam locomotive. When those are restored you get the opportunity to ride behind, photograph it working and generally enjoy it, you can't and don't normally expect to drive it. Classic car restoration has always been a private individual thing, we do it for our own ends, sure it doesn't stop people enjoying it even if you don't own it, but to ask for money for your own individual project is just ridiculous... the phrase only in America comes to mind .

It's also got the possibility of a con written all over it, anybody could find a load of photos, talk a lot of twaddle and then ask for money. Come to think of it, I've just bought an Alfa 33 Stradale, I found in a Barn on Wetwang, I need about 50 grande to restore it... anybody like to donate???

I think its a great idear.
I'm having new leather upholstery in my spider this spring. If you could all send me your milk bottle tops, Tesco vouchers and points, i'll swap them for cash.
It could catch on?????

Originally Posted by VeloceMitch

It's nothing like donating to restore a Steam locomotive. When those are restored you get the opportunity to ride behind, photograph it working and generally enjoy it, you can't and don't normally expect to drive it.

Has the guy said you can't ride in it, photograph it working and generally enjoy it, or even drive it, if you contribute? No.

I wasn’t actually disagreeing with Toronto.

I wouldn’t contribute myself for exactly the reasons that Jim and you Mitch give.

I’m not stupid.

But if I had a friend or acquaintance in the same position and I could help out I certainly would.

I just don’t think he deserves to be shot down in flames that way for simply having the front to ask. A simple 'no thank you, best of luck' would have sufficed.

And if he raises his $5k and gets his Spider fully restored while everybody else’s project is still struggling on who will be laughing then eh?

I have helped many friends with there cars over the years and have always helped Alfa owners including working on there cars. I would help anyone in this forum if I could with knowledge from experience. I will probably ask for help in the future with my spider. But I have NEVER asked for money and NEVER will. That’s the way I am.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

But if I had a friend or acquaintance in the same position and I could help out I certainly would.

As would we all. But there's a difference between a mate givng up a few evenings, or maybe buying a part as a present and asking total strangers to cough up a raft of cash for oneself.

And if I was absolutely rolling in it I'd be happy to splash it about to a wider circle.

You are absolutely right. There is a difference between helping a mate and asking a total stranger for cash for oneself.

It’s nice to know that if you were rolling in it you would send money to total strangers. If this was the case, this forum would be full of people asking for money, and that’s where I think the problem is.

We all have the right to ask for money, we all have the choice to donate or not, but is this forum the place to be asking for money?

The original posting has obviously started an interesting debate judging by the numbers who have been looking. If people think it is ok to ask for money on this sight, start up a new section called ‘Funding’ or something similar, but if people think it’s not appropriate they should say so and the forum should act accordingly.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

Bit of an overly strong response if I may say so.

The guy isn't forcing anyone to part with their money. Just asking.

By asking he has raised his head above the parapet. That means he had better be prepared to take whatever responses people offer. Just as he's "just asking" I was "just replying."

Originally Posted by Mr-T

A bit cheeky maybe, but if you don't ask you don't get. And as the guy says, they've done it before.

Just because they've done it before does that make it right? Actually have they really done it before? All we have is what this guy tells us, and as Jim pointed out, we have no way to verify what the guy is saying or where the money is going.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

So if you don't want to give then don't.

I won't.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

In principle I don't see any difference between this and a fundraiser to restore, say, an old steam locomotive. And I'm sure many would be happy to do that.

Typically those types of projects are taken on by local historical societies, town councils or clubs devoted to those particular vehicles. They aren't usually the projects of lone individuals who want other people to fund their hobbies.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

As an Alfa fan I'd like to see as many old and classic Alfas restored to their former glory as possible.

I like to see as many old cars preserved as possible. I just don't believe in doing so by begging other people for money.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

If someone has the initiative to get off their backside and the creativity with ways to make that a bit easier/less expensive/more likely top happen then I applaud it.

I wouldn't count asking other people to pony up cash on blind faith creative, but that's just me. Going out and setting up a real fundraiser and making this a legitimate cause that people can support would be creative -- at least to my mind.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

Has the guy said you can't ride in it, photograph it working and generally enjoy it, or even drive it, if you contribute? No.

I wasn’t actually disagreeing with Toronto.

Darn it. Here I thought I was getting myself into a good flame war. I haven't had one of those for a while.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

I wouldn’t contribute myself for exactly the reasons that Jim and you Mitch give.

I’m not stupid.

Well it's good to hear that your money is safe and that only your own Alfa will be making demands on your wallet.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

But if I had a friend or acquaintance in the same position and I could help out I certainly would.

I'd try to do the same. I think most people on the forum would do what they could to help out a friend, but then again, there's a difference between help and footing the bill.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

I just don’t think he deserves to be shot down in flames that way for simply having the front to ask. A simple 'no thank you, best of luck' would have sufficed.

I just gave him a mild warming. You should watch me toast somebody when I'm really trying.

I do strongly believe that when people make preposterous requests that they'd better be prepared for responses that point out the errors of their ways.

Originally Posted by Mr-T

And if he raises his $5k and gets his Spider fully restored while everybody else’s project is still struggling on who will be laughing then eh?

I certainly won't be laughing. I'll be crying. I'll also be raising my glass to Mr. Barnum and admitting that he was right yet again.

Originally Posted by Filbyman

We all have the right to ask for money, we all have the choice to donate or not, but is this forum the place to be asking for money?

The original posting has obviously started an interesting debate judging by the numbers who have been looking. If people think it is ok to ask for money on this sight, start up a new section called ‘Funding’ or something similar, but if people think it’s not appropriate they should say so and the forum should act accordingly.

I don't think there's a problem asking for money on this site. It just depends on the cause. I can easily think of a few examples where members asked the community for funds. In all those cases, the people were known to us and the causes weren't personal wallet-stuffers. The difference here is that some newbie in his first post popped in here, and then asked for cash for personal use. Now I'm sure somebody will say, "he wasn't asking directly, he only mentioned his donation site in passing," but forgive me if I take a sceptical view of the post. To me it read like he was trolling for donations.

Originally Posted by VeloceMitch

Classic car restoration has always been a private individual thing, we do it for our own ends, sure it doesn't stop people enjoying it even if you don't own it, but to ask for money for your own individual project is just ridiculous... the phrase only in America comes to mind .

I must admit the the first thought that crossed my mind after I read the post and looked at the information under the poster's name was: he's an American, it figures. Of course I didn't want to say that as I don't want anybody to think I'd pick on our poor, defenceless neighbours to the south.

Originally Posted by