Welding...then on the other hand

[alfacybersite <acs@domain.elided>]

In V8 #671 Tony Sims signs off with: "PPS: Biba -- stick with restoring
Alfas, brother -- your future is not in advertising... ;-)"

*******

(Reading my old Biba Communications business card out loud to self):

'Advertising & Marketing Communications'.

You mean for 30 years I was in the wrong business?

Now you tell me.

I'm well aware I repeat myself. I'm old. One gets to repeat them self
when they reach 'a certain age' and can say such things as in "I'll be
95 years young this coming..."

Okay, I'm not quite that old, but do want to reemphasize some stuff
regarding the restoration of carsespecially those cars that mattersuch
as Alfa's: I fully understand the owner of one or several cars that are
special to him who wants to make them 'perfect'no matter how long it
takes, no matter how many tools he has to buy, no matter how many
specialized skills he has to learn, no matter how much room this all
takes, no matter how much money it takes, and no matter how many
relationships he goes through trying to achieve those impossible goals.

However I am old enough to tell you quite bluntly, "Life doesn't give us
that much timeit is not infinite. Period."

Unless one or two of these skills are your 'specialty' how often do /
will you actually use that press, lathe, drill press, welding equipment,
myriad of hand tools, etc., etc?

Those of you who are non-professionals and actually have the Snap-On guy
regularly stop buy your place are looking at a big divorce settlement.
Hope She gets all the tools and sends you a video of her dropping all of
them in to a dumpster.

How can I put this delicately? Quit Masturbating Yourself by doing
somewhat minor 'details' on your car which can be better performed (and
most generally cheaper) by professionalsand which require umpteen tools
which will be rarely, if ever, be used by you again.

Should you find yourself sitting on the loo, reading the current (your
choice) Snap-On, Eastwood,  Racer Parts Wholesale, Re-Originals, IAP,
Centerline, catalogue and the little head seems more interested than the
somewhat larger onemy friend, you have trouble in River City.

The solution is simple. After you have purchased a new band uniform from
me, you then go into your garage and work diligently on your Alfa. When
you get stuck, you don't necessarily reach for the 'new tool' way out.
You either solve it with what you have or hire a 'professional', unless
it's a tool you will use over and over and over againand, you know how
to use it.

Yes Tony, you can still say you restored it yourself, which does make
you a "restorer" (I, unnh, guess).

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA
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