John Edwards - the estate sale

[Frknfiat]

When icons pass from our hobby scene, which so many have in recent years, like Paul Swenson, Al Consentino, and John Edwards - to name just the more notable ones - my thoughts focus on taking stock of the hobby which we invest some much of our wealth and time in and perhaps wonder what the future holds for that “investment” , excuse me “hobby” - and who’s going to give a dam if we leave our pile of stuff for (family&friends) to sort out after our eventual demise?

A friends wife was heard to say that when her husband died, she was selling all his car stuff by the pound if he hadn’t organized it and taken stock of his treasure while he was alive.

Having found myself a de facto fiduciary cleaning up many of my older deceased friends Estates, all car guys, I can say it’s overwhelming, time consuming and gets ones attention as to ones own mortality, then taking stock of the hobby and the treasure we all collect and which we attest (to our family?) is worth something - but how is it sold on and to who?

I see many older guys taking stock of there collections, deciding some treasures should be passed on to the next generation, those who are moving our hobby forward.

I would add that there hard earned experience and knowledge should be passed on to the next generation too, X-Web is a fine example, so please share your knowledge of our shared hobby - it will be appreciated, but only if you give a dam enough to share your knowledge and not horde that In your back yard storage shed full of dreams.

The icons of our hobby all built on or borrowed from there predecessors ideas, no mystery to that knowledge evolution, I’m promoting the conservation of that knowledge before its lost, selfishly horded away in the dark, that’s the concern.

For your reflection:
John Edwards Costa Mesa R&D estate auction this past July :

https://www.bidspotter.com/en-us/au...ge=6#lot-dcf0974a-3d37-4403-8c00-aa7f013bdef9

 

[Dr.Jeff]

Any idea what the outcome of this sale will lead to? I know the employee that worked with John for ages wanted to take over the business, but apparently was blocked from doing so. By chance was he able to acquire the equipment? Maybe to start the business again? It would be a huge plus for the Fiat community if that were to happen.

 

[kmead]

It strikes you as you look at these things which can do nothing without a guiding hand, knowledge and intent. I could own all those things and never be able to achieve what these tools did in their past.

Interesting points, I would agree with you, get it out there for others to use.

 

[Jeff Stich]

Any idea what the outcome of this sale will lead to? I know the employee that worked with John for ages wanted to take over the business, but apparently was blocked from doing so. By chance was he able to acquire the equipment? Maybe to start the business again? It would be a huge plus for the Fiat community if that were to happen.

The other machinist (Dave, I think?) had offered a fair market value to buy the machinery outright, but the Edwards family member(s) wanted more money (even though their own appraiser quoted very near the same value as Dave's offer). I don't know the end results of the various auctions. A friend of mine said Dave has since moved to the 1000 Palms area to work out there (non-Fiat).

The auction proceeds were divided between family members, while ownership of the property/building went to John's sister. When I was there last Sunday, the building was being painted in preparation for a new tenant beginning next month (private party, not a business & not Fiat-related).

 

[Chad C.]

John Edwards is a great example of passing along what you know while you can. So many of his youtube videos concluded with his tag line "if ya wanna know more about________ (whatever the video was about), email me...". I really hope his 850 Sedan autocross racer made it into good hands. I'd love to see it preserved as he had it, and doing memorial exhibition laps at John's preferred events.

One piece of wisdom that I can memorialize here for the ages is that when you're under 30, you can't do as much as you think you can in the garage, and when you're over 40, you can do more than you think you can in the garage. Regardless of your age, you likely can't do it all by yourself, and this entire petrol-fueled pursuit is predicated on the understanding that those you meet in parallel to the cars are as cool as the cars themselves. (If they're not, you're likely a BMW enthusiast)

I lament that the majority of my day to day friends are Prius driving democrats who hate cars. Though I match that demographic, I've got glazing putty in my fingernails as I tap this out. My very few friends who know cars at least as well as I do are especially valued.
I lost my close friend and savant auto mechanic to schizophrenia & drug addiction three years ago, and it severely irritates me that I can't get his response to the Lancia Scorpion that I bought six months after his passing. I regret all that I should have asked him to show me how to do, and I hate every similarly burdened guy who stole all his tools and the project car he never got to finish.

Old cars that continue to live are often the products of the friendships that preserved them. Of course there's the Singer Porsches & checkbook mechanics and that's all well and good, but the X1/9 that has a nicely tuned DCNF set-up thanks to its owner's neighbor who came over with his carb sync tool & shared some knowledge is just deeply cool. You just don't get that with Pokemon Go... I've promised my six year old that we're going to be race car drivers someday, and I totally meant it. I'll pass to him what I know, I've already started. Most of what I know about body & paint was shown to me by an old girlfriend's step dad, may he rest in peace.

People here share what they know, and the friendships that are created here are in the same spirit as those with that sum'bitch who still has your timing light & called your masterpiece "a good ten-footer". Priceless.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

A friend of mine said Dave has since moved to the 1000 Palms area to work out there (non-Fiat).

Wow, that is pretty much the middle of nowhere....a very isolated, tiny desert community. I can't imagine it having much business opportunity, but I haven't been that direction in ages so maybe things have changed. I suppose it would be a very affordable place to set up some sort of 'remote' service, like a internet/shipped based operation.

The thing is he has the valued knowledge, experience, skills that this thread is speaking of. I believe that during all those years with John he did a lot of the same work. If he gets back into doing machine work of some type, even one that is not Fiat based, he still has the skills and might be willing to do some local work on occasion. Unfortunately I have not found any alternatives in the south west for machining these engines, so it might be worth looking into. JeffS, does your friend have contact with the guy to find out more?