- Local time
- 5:25 PM
- Joined
- May 14, 2011
- Messages
- 17,246
- Reaction score
- 32,451
- Location
- On the Ridge, TN
I bought the GTX back in 2011, having been without an old Mopar for some years (sold my last Super Bee in 1996 in a tough time in life). The usual "guy getting older and wanting to revisit the glory years" sort of deal; there was a hole in my life that needed filled.
It was almost immediately after that when I stumbled upon FBBO one evening while doing some research.
I joined right away, recognizing something special was going on here versus any other Mopar site I'd seen before.
Much stumbling, re-learning and screwing up commenced as I attempted to resurrect the GTX. Much great advice was gleaned from FBBO members who tried to help.
That went on for a couple years, off and on - until I was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
It was the third actual time I'd had cancer, but the first "serious" one.
Prognosis was not good, to put it kindly.
Then came April 11, 2013....major surgery, flatlined in the OR, the whole she-bang.
You get the drift. My goose was pretty much cooked and the GTX was not on the front burner anymore, if ever again.
Well, I'm not wired like that. I come by that honest; my dad was the type that simply never took "no" for an answer and I guess I'm that way, too.
Having survived all that crap (and more cancers to come in the future), I didn't accept the "this is the new you" line the docs laid on me.
When I was supposed to be quietly resting at home for months afterwards, I'd wait for the wife to go to work, then slooowly work my way out to the garage.
Some days, that wasn't much more than a bent over shuffle that took seemingly forever - but somebody had tried to tell me "no", so..."moral imperative", ya know?
At first, it was "clean this little part here" or "replace that wire there" sort of stuff, little mini-projects I could do without needing energy or strength.
That progressed over the weeks to come to bigger and better - until my wife caught me out there after work one day, that is.
Point is, the resurrection of the GTX became the resurrection of ME, too - which leads me to the point of making this post to begin with:
I don't think I've ever done a proper job of expressing my gratitude to many folks right here on FBBO over these last 8 years or so.
If not for this site and more importantly, those who choose to avail themselves of it and try to help one another on it, my struggles with the GTX and with getting through all my own medical struggles would have been MUCH more difficult, if not altogether impossible.
THANK YOU to everyone who put forth the effort to help me and the GTX get this far!
What started out as intending to be the typical "older guy has fun playing with old car" turned into "walking undead older guy MUST get car done so when he kicks the bucket, his wife doesn't have a mess to clean up"....
has now returned to the original mission!
Full circle, I'm happy to say I ENJOY the car, probably for the first time ever - and if it weren't for all the help I've gotten from so many folks here on FBBO, that simply would not have been possible.
Again - THANK YOU!
-Ed on the Ridge
It was almost immediately after that when I stumbled upon FBBO one evening while doing some research.
I joined right away, recognizing something special was going on here versus any other Mopar site I'd seen before.
Much stumbling, re-learning and screwing up commenced as I attempted to resurrect the GTX. Much great advice was gleaned from FBBO members who tried to help.
That went on for a couple years, off and on - until I was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
It was the third actual time I'd had cancer, but the first "serious" one.
Prognosis was not good, to put it kindly.
Then came April 11, 2013....major surgery, flatlined in the OR, the whole she-bang.
You get the drift. My goose was pretty much cooked and the GTX was not on the front burner anymore, if ever again.
Well, I'm not wired like that. I come by that honest; my dad was the type that simply never took "no" for an answer and I guess I'm that way, too.
Having survived all that crap (and more cancers to come in the future), I didn't accept the "this is the new you" line the docs laid on me.
When I was supposed to be quietly resting at home for months afterwards, I'd wait for the wife to go to work, then slooowly work my way out to the garage.
Some days, that wasn't much more than a bent over shuffle that took seemingly forever - but somebody had tried to tell me "no", so..."moral imperative", ya know?
At first, it was "clean this little part here" or "replace that wire there" sort of stuff, little mini-projects I could do without needing energy or strength.
That progressed over the weeks to come to bigger and better - until my wife caught me out there after work one day, that is.
Point is, the resurrection of the GTX became the resurrection of ME, too - which leads me to the point of making this post to begin with:
I don't think I've ever done a proper job of expressing my gratitude to many folks right here on FBBO over these last 8 years or so.
If not for this site and more importantly, those who choose to avail themselves of it and try to help one another on it, my struggles with the GTX and with getting through all my own medical struggles would have been MUCH more difficult, if not altogether impossible.
THANK YOU to everyone who put forth the effort to help me and the GTX get this far!
What started out as intending to be the typical "older guy has fun playing with old car" turned into "walking undead older guy MUST get car done so when he kicks the bucket, his wife doesn't have a mess to clean up"....
has now returned to the original mission!
Full circle, I'm happy to say I ENJOY the car, probably for the first time ever - and if it weren't for all the help I've gotten from so many folks here on FBBO, that simply would not have been possible.
Again - THANK YOU!
-Ed on the Ridge
.
