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Took a big step closer yesterday on a slow path I've been taking toward acquiring a particular SJ.
Our local Jeep Club used to have a regular visitor at the monthly pub meets in Ben, a young guy with an '82 Chief that had been passed around the family (Dad, Uncle, Ben) that he was restoring. As I've had a few SJ's, we'd hang out and talk about what needed to be done to his rig and how best to proceed.
Then he stopped coming to the meets. Months went by, until last September, when he showed up again. Glad he did as no-one else did that evening.
Turned out the reason he'd not been coming was because he'd been in and out of hospital for months. He'd been diagnosed with, and was being treated for, Aplastic Anemia, a form of Leukemia. Which basically means your bone marrow stops making blood cells.
So we spent the evening talking about his illness, Jeeps, Harleys, and general BS'ing. The next month i tried getting in touch to see if he was coming, that's when i found out he had lost his fight against his illness a few days before. At the age of 28.
Unfortunately i was not able to attend Ben's Funeral as my Mother In Law passed at about the same time, also from a long term illness, and we had to go to California for her funeral.
I waited a few months before trying to reach out to his family to find out what their plans were for the Chief. I finally reached his Mum on Facebook, through his page, and explained who i was and what Ben and i had talked about. Got her reply yesterday:
Read her answer to my Wife last night, who of course started bawling as it reminded her of her Mom passing. And she DEMANDED that i follow this through. For Ben, for Ben's Mum, (and for her Mom).
No pressure then!
I'll update the thread when i've been to see the Chief, know better what needs to be done, and whether i'll be helping them restore it, buying it or 'brokering it' to someone who can. I have said that a condition of sale to anyone else will be to restore it, and not part it or scrap it (though i have yet to see what shape the bodywork is in, my three were all FUBAR'ed by the tin worm).
Our local Jeep Club used to have a regular visitor at the monthly pub meets in Ben, a young guy with an '82 Chief that had been passed around the family (Dad, Uncle, Ben) that he was restoring. As I've had a few SJ's, we'd hang out and talk about what needed to be done to his rig and how best to proceed.
Then he stopped coming to the meets. Months went by, until last September, when he showed up again. Glad he did as no-one else did that evening.
Turned out the reason he'd not been coming was because he'd been in and out of hospital for months. He'd been diagnosed with, and was being treated for, Aplastic Anemia, a form of Leukemia. Which basically means your bone marrow stops making blood cells.
So we spent the evening talking about his illness, Jeeps, Harleys, and general BS'ing. The next month i tried getting in touch to see if he was coming, that's when i found out he had lost his fight against his illness a few days before. At the age of 28.
Unfortunately i was not able to attend Ben's Funeral as my Mother In Law passed at about the same time, also from a long term illness, and we had to go to California for her funeral.
I waited a few months before trying to reach out to his family to find out what their plans were for the Chief. I finally reached his Mum on Facebook, through his page, and explained who i was and what Ben and i had talked about. Got her reply yesterday:
i'm so glad to hear from you. The meet he turned up to was two days before he went to b arts (Hospital, UKJ) and never came home. He barely made it home that night. He kept blacking out, but refused to let my husband chauffeur him or come get him. He was so stubborn, he spoke about that evening as he said you had said about helping him. I had to cancel the order from the States, but he had been getting bits from various sources. The reason I was trying to find the Jeep Club was I had hoped to do just as you've said. Ben so wanted it finished, I couldn't bear for it to just waste away.
We called it the family heirloom as all of us had passed it around free, except for the large bills for whatever ailed it at that time. I would be grateful if you would come and look at it and discuss our options. Ben had two other projects, his Harley and his Fiesta. The Fiesta is a project his friends in the Ford club want to do, and his Harley will be going to Italy in September to a Harley meet with one of his friends. My phone no. is xxxxxxxxx or mobile xxxxxxxx. No rush but when you want to come look let me know and we can discuss the options. My main aim is for Ben's projects to be finished and loved.
Loraine
We called it the family heirloom as all of us had passed it around free, except for the large bills for whatever ailed it at that time. I would be grateful if you would come and look at it and discuss our options. Ben had two other projects, his Harley and his Fiesta. The Fiesta is a project his friends in the Ford club want to do, and his Harley will be going to Italy in September to a Harley meet with one of his friends. My phone no. is xxxxxxxxx or mobile xxxxxxxx. No rush but when you want to come look let me know and we can discuss the options. My main aim is for Ben's projects to be finished and loved.
Loraine
No pressure then!
I'll update the thread when i've been to see the Chief, know better what needs to be done, and whether i'll be helping them restore it, buying it or 'brokering it' to someone who can. I have said that a condition of sale to anyone else will be to restore it, and not part it or scrap it (though i have yet to see what shape the bodywork is in, my three were all FUBAR'ed by the tin worm).
and so young. I hope you can restore it to beyond his families expectations.
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