Not your typical new GT Owner
- Thread starter fstrthanu
- Start date
2112
Blue/white 06'
A short summary of the background is I lived in Japan for 3 years and I saw this car sitting outside of a coffee shop. When I stopped to take a couple pictures of a FGT in Japan, an older man with 2 hearing aids and walks pretty slow came outside and surprisingly spoke a little English and we hit it off. He purchased the car new and would occasionally take it out for Sunday morning coffee. We became friends and spent most of our time talking about cars. I told him one day I will buy his FGT when he is ready before I returned to US. Shortly after I returned I found he was in the hospital and had a bad wreck, when he was well enough he began texting me and asking to help him repair the car but the language barrier with the shop in Japan and the parts availability was not going to let this happen. We brokered a deal and I promised I would do everything possible to save this "treasure" and give him the opportunity to come to the US and drive in the FGT again. So this project has some sentential value for me. Before the car came to the US I started reaching out to a couple friends who own these cars and getting a grasp on the culture of the people in this group. I know to undertake a project like this it will require a good network with the availability of parts being so scarce and expensive. Part of that search led me to this site and also to Rich Brooks who happens to be local to me. He took the time to chat with me and let me know what I was in for before I even finished the deal and about a week after it arrived he came to my house and we spent a couple hours talking about the best way to go about this project. One week later he called me up and said he was making a delivery to a customer at M1 Concourse and would like to come pick up my car to start the first phase if I was ready. Well... needless to say it is now at his shop.
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fjpikul
GT Owner
Best thing you could have done. Good luck. It is in the best hands.
MJSFRX
GT Owner
Amazing story. Pretty exciting. Keep us posted on the progress and your friend.
I see you are from Carlsbad; I grew up in San Diego and graduated from Mt. Carmel HS.
extrap
GT Owner
Thanks, this will be a long road but I will definitely be documenting this repair and every step of the project as it unfolds!Welcome! Cool story, and it's in excellent handsLooking forward to updates and seeing it on the road and at the next Rally.
Tom
2112
Blue/white 06'
2112
Blue/white 06'
GSix
GT Owner
Great story, Rich is the go-to guy for sure.
All the exposed aluminum has a salt/corrosive coating from being on the boat. Easy clean up but LOTS of clean up.
PeteK
GT Owner
It was not inside a container? In case you don't already know, salt corrodes aluminum into dust very quickly. Make sure you REALLY clean out all the salt, then apply anticorrosion coatings to the back sides and to all enclosed panels. Rich should know the best approach.
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
Which is why racing the salt flats is not advised
Last edited:
2112
Blue/white 06'
Pete,
It was for sure in a container but that moisture makes it way in there. I have shipped a bunch of cars back and forth to Australia and it is pretty common. Just surface corrosion and it does wipe off easily, just a PITA because there is lots of clean up.
Tom
Great story!
If it’s in Rich Brooks hands , well you are in great hands!
If it’s in Rich Brooks hands , well you are in great hands!
MJSFRX
GT Owner
