I would like to take the time to explain some more about this car project and what my wife and I have long considered to be “its purpose”
The car is in part a fulfillment of a lifelong dream of mine, to have a very fast car, a race car. Now don’t get me wrong, I have no delusions of being a champion race car driver. Instead I just want to get out there and play with the boys on the race track. Part of this desire comes from being around my oldest brother Bill, who always loved fast cars and racing. I remember on time him taking me to a dirt oval race track watching the cars race. The going around in circles didn’t really do it for me, but the fast cars did. There was another time that Bill had a 1970 Road Runner built up with a 440 balanced and blueprinted engine. He let me drive it once but I was not ready for that power at the age of 16. I did buy my first car from Bill, a 1967 GTX with a 383 in it. That one was not so powerful, more a bucket of bolts that had been beat up on. Some said it was fast but I didn’t find it to be.
That car didn’t last long as there were many problems with it. Another experience with driving a quick car was my Dad’s 1970 AMC Rebel SST. For a station wagon, that car sure surprised many a people. Over the years I drove every car I ever had to the limits. Still my desire for very fast was not to be satisfied.
Fast forward many years to when my kids are grown and Chevy releases the Cobalt SS/SC. I fell in love with that car from the first time I saw it on a showroom poster. Why? Because this little econo tuner car came with a 5 speed, Supercharged, 205hp power plant. It would be realized later that Chevy sheepishly meant 205hp at the wheels. This Cobalt was quick and that made me smile.
Then the modding bug hit me and I started thinking about more. It was at that point that this story converges with the ‘Sad Saga of My Project’. I have been supported by many throughout this project but I have also been chastised by others for being stupid enough to do this project. What they don’t know is that there is a ‘purpose’ behind my stupidity, my madness. There has always been a reason why I trusted companies to do the work they committed to perform and there has always been a reason why I was always reticent to give up on the project.
The simple answer to why I trust people is that as a Christian, I am willing to trust and extend a second chance. This is not being naïve because I that mistakes are made and can be made right again if people try. The part of me that sees the potential in others is the same part that allows unscrupulous people take advantage of me but I am unwilling to let those same people change the essence of who I am. This brings me to the purpose of the car which is Christian ministry and healing.
The Christian ministry aspect of this car is simple, taking the finished car to different churches on ‘Youth Group’ nights as a way for youths to draw their friends to a meeting. Clearly many guys have many things to do to occupy their time and church isn’t always high on their list. Now throw in a ‘race car’ doing a burnout in the church parking lot and some guys will decide that is worth making the time to go to a youth group meeting. Perhaps these same guys will also realize that Christians don’t have to be boring. I have already spoken with the youth pastor of our church and he said that he knows of several such guys as I mentioned. The youth pastor also agrees with the viability of such a ministry and would help facilitate it.
The healing part of this project goes back to the beginning of my desire for a fast car, my family. We are not the closest of families and we have long lapses in our relationships with each other. It has been my hope that I would be able to use the finished car as a bridge of sorts to reopen the lines of communication between some of my brothers and I. Two of them also have cars they race and it has been with that in mind that I have chosen the power goal for this project. Presenting a car that is faster than theirs will be away to ‘encourage’ them to start talking once again, if for no other reason than to try to get a chance to drive my car. I truly believe that all is possible with simple talking. Life is too short to miss out on family and friends.
Friends are another aspect of this car that won’t be over looked. I have made many friends on the Cobalt forums that I am on. Some of these guys even drove for hours to help support me when the car was moved to the new shop. These same friends had never met me yet they came along side me when I needed them. There are many more friends like these guys, friends who have followed this story for years and encouraged me not to give up along the way. There have been many times that I wanted to quit and each time someone encouraged me to persevere, to not quit and to see through a dream of a lifetime. If I had money for every time that someone told me “it will be worth it when you drive the car down the track for the first time” this project wouldn’t need a fund raiser.
I have persevered and I am trying, against the odds, to see this trough to the finish line. While this is not the way I expected things to go, I have learnt many things along the way. I have learnt that friends can be a world away, the trust can be taken advantage of and that dreams take a whole lot more work than we want them to be. Would I change anything about this project? Yes, I would have done it as close to home as possible where I could check up on it frequently.
Would I do things differently if I was to start it today? Yes, I would never agree to spend this amount of money and all work would have been tightly budgeted well before the work ever started. All of the contracts would have been very detailed with no allowances for deviation without prior written consent.
I still believe in Christ, I still believe in people being trustworthy and I still believe in the purpose of this car. God willing this project will see completion this summer. If it does there will be an image of Christ on both doors.
I found it important to write this letter to all of you for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that I don’t want anyone to donate to the car without knowing its true purpose. I know that there will be some that don’t agree with the Christian ministry purpose and that is understandable. In fact, if someone has already donated to the car and they want their donation back, I will gladly refund it to you. The second reason is that I want everyone to know that I didn’t just blindly throw away all that money, without a reason, thinking that people would come along and help me. In fact it was suggested by forum friends that we hold this fund raiser. I hoped, I still hope, that this car gets a chance to be part of ministry and a part of a family healing.
Right now the project really isn’t in my hands and perhaps one way or another, it never was. I have simply tried to fund a dream, a purpose and still I strive to persevere to see this through. I again want to say thank you for all of your support as well as taking the time to read this.

Rod