Full Throttle

2012-01-18T13:13:00.001-05:00

Jim Troeger and Mark Vojtisek got the Dynasty running, fixed a leak and changed the oil Monday night. Jim sez it will be ready to go soon!!

Aaron Klenke and Ron Thuringer worked on getting the steering column out of the Olds in preparation for lift-off!!

Paul Straithe and Jeff Schneidman continued the re-build of the Honda motor to factory specifications and tolerances.

2012-01-09T23:32:00.001-05:00

A very productive Monday night on all 3 project fronts!

Below, Dave Mills is disconnecting front of dash components on the Olds as we prepare for lift-off.

Here is the dash stripped of components and wiring.

Do you think this salvaged cart will hold the body??

The Dynasty should be ready to fire up next week. Join us for the celebration! Then in February a someone with a need for wheels can be blessed! Here is the engine as we started the night.

Mark Vojtisek and Jim Troeger add more of the components back.

While Tim Clever does cleanup on the exhaust manifold.

Here is the status at the end of the night.

Meanwhile the Honda team prepares to re-assemble the engine. Here are the parts being readied.

Jeff Schneidman and Paul Straith checking out the block.

When finished, the Honda will be our next project to find a new home with someone who really needs a car.

2012-01-07T22:26:00.001-05:00

OK so here is a picture of what we are thinking for the 1956 Olds. Stock body, lowered suspension, great wheels, dyn-o-mite paint, new interior, and as much motor as we can get!! What do you think???

Could this be love??

2012-01-07T15:50:00.000-05:00

Today was the start of our new Saturday hours at the garage!! We plan to meet on the first and third Saturday mornings of the month to allow more guys to attend that can't make it on a Monday evening. If you haven't been by to join in the work, come see us and check out the facilities. You'll find that the shop has a pretty full complement of tools, is heated to a comfortable level, and has improved bathroom facilities. If you would like to get our regular emails, send us a note to fullthrottlekcc@gmail.com.

We did not work on the 1956 Olds today, but you can see from the pics that she is getting close to body lift-off. We will be posting a picture of our intended final look soon.

The Dynasty heads are now re-installed and we will be completing the rest of the assembly in the next few sessions. With a general clean-up, it will then be ready for a new life serving a new owner.

The Honda engine re-assembly also got a good start today and we will be ordering the parts necessary to restore its roar (or humm) in the next few weeks

2011-09-18T19:33:00.001-04:00

Full Throttle owes a HUGE thank you to our new friend @RoryMacDonald92 from Kensington Community Church! Rory is an amazing young man with a heart for Christ that far exceeds his years. He hung out with the full throttle crew for significant portion of our first ever safety inspection day to help out single moms in need. In the process of doing so, he shot some great video and created a video short that captures the essence of what KCC's Full Throttle missional small group is all about. Check it out!

Full Throttle's Open House & Commissioning

2011-09-18T11:41:00.001-04:00

Full Throttle's open house and commissioning on Monday, September 12th was well-received by all in attendance. More than 30 people were on-hand to tour our new shop, learn about our vision and goals, and speak with the leaders and members of Full Throttle to learn about what we are gearing up to do. We also had Kensington Community Church - Birmingham Campus lead pastor, Clint Dupin on-hand to commission our new shop and lead us in prayer.

We will be busy in the coming months with safety inspections, Bible studies, classic car restoration projects and ample opportunities to serve His Kingdom as the hands and feet of Christ.

We had a great turnout for our open house!

Mark V. addresses the crowd.


Clint Dupin shares a Biblical perspective of what it means to "be" the church and serve God's Kingdom as the hands and feet of Christ.

Mark V. shares Full Throttle's vision and explains what our primary missions.

Mark J. adds more perspective regarding Full Throttle's mission and goals.

Join Us For An Open House!

2011-09-09T21:56:00.001-04:00

This coming Monday (12-Sep-2011), Full Throttle will host an open house. It’s open to all of Full Throttle's friends and family. Whether you haven’t come in a while, you've recently renewed your ties with us, or simply wish to discover what we're all about, please stop by to check out our new digs! We have the shop primped and primed for our guests (we even cleaned and polished the bathrooms with the fairer sex in mind) and we'll have munchies and refreshments on-hand for all to enjoy. Please contact us at FullThrottle@kensingtonchurch.org to get directions and/or more information

Our upcoming restoration/raffle project, a 1956 Oldsmobile Holiday, will also be on display and we would be thrilled to discuss our multi-faceted approach to serving God's Kingdom!

As the "icing on the cake," Kensington Community Church's - Birmingham Campus lead pastor, Clint Dupin, will be on-hand to lead us in prayer and "commission" our new shop. How exciting!

Here are some photo's of our finished shop and some teasers for two of our primary missions:

Our new "work" area, complete with a hoist, compressed air, and the tools necessary to serve those in need.

Another view of our newly-renovated shop area. We even have a trailer to help us serve our mission!

A Blast from the past... A banner from an earlier restoration project that was championed by the members of Full Throttle. Our new restoration project, a 1956 Oldsmobile Holiday will be on display at our Open House!

Bob G. works on our very first "customer's" vehicle. A Honda Civic belonging to a single mom in need.

Ready for Paint!

2011-05-25T21:44:00.001-04:00

Continuing down the road of renovating our new digs, Full Throttle is pleased to have completed the construction of a partitioning wall and "window" fillers. As our rented shop area is but a portion of a larger facility, we needed to separate our area from the rest of the building. We will be painting the north end of our shop of Memorial Day weekend, setting the stage for finalizing installation of additional electrical outlets, running compressed air throughout the shop and adding vehicle lifts and more.

The lion's share of this task was constructing the partitioning wall. Working around a double-pitched roof line as well as a steel support bean made the job more interesting for all of those involved.


Here Mark J. and Steve L. trim studs with precision to accommodate said obstacles.


Larry, Moe and Curly?!?!? Nope! Just Chet, Bob G., and Steve L. working on building that partitioning wall.

Tom E. takes a break while holding a piece of sheeting in place.

The finished product. Ready for primer and paint. Full Throttle is very excited for this next stage in our shop transformation.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Home Renovations Continue at 'Full Throttle'!

2011-05-13T17:18:00.000-04:00

Renovations of Full Throttle's new home are progressing nicely. Seemingly a rather daunting task at first, a large amount of trash has been removed from all areas of our space. This necessary first step cleared the way for the shop area, break room, storage area, and covered porch to be ready for the improvements necessary to allow Full Throttle to live out our mission.

One of our first major projects was to install a sufficient amount of fluorescent overhead lighting. This involved the help of a fair number of Full Throttle members over the course of several weeks. Due to these efforts, we now have a respectable number of overhead fluorescent lighting fixtures. While we may opt to add additional fixtures in the future, the improvements made over the past month provide ample light for our continued renovation projects. These lighting improvements also provide a solid foundation for when we're ready to take on projects where we can really get some grease and grime under our nails.

The second of our major projects was to renovate the meeting / break room. Again, more improvements may be forthcoming but we now have a functional room from which to take care of the spiritual aspects of our group such as prayer, devotionals, study groups, business meetings, etc. First, all of the belt-line shelving from the break room was removed and recycled into a number of "high-top" workbenches. Next, the wall covering was repaired in those places where it was damaged during removal of the shelves. Finally, boards were stained and installed sort of as a wide "chair rail" molding around the perimeter of the room to cover the spots where the shelving had been attached to the wall.

Much more progress has been made... stay tuned for new posts with more info!

Full Throttle Has a New Home!

2011-05-07T18:54:00.001-04:00

On April 4, 2011 Full Throttle began the exciting process of moving into our new "home." While much work needs to be done, our new space offers many great features, such as this covered porch area.

While we have some renovations planned, we're also excited to have a very nice meeting room. This will provide Full Throttle members a place to meet for devotionals, studies and prayer time.

Several members of Full Throttle work to install additional fluorescent lighting in our workshop area.

High ceilings, solid concrete floors, overhead I-beams suitable for a chain winch and ample storage space provide all the basics for a great shop.

Stay tuned for more updates on our new shop area and other exciting new activities that Full Throttle will embark upon as we grow and ramp-up to kicking off the missional aspect of our small group!

Work continues - great progress

2010-06-29T17:10:00.012-04:00

Great stuff happened last night as we continued working on the van.....Dave Mills finds the leak and fixes the fuel filler ....nice legs Dave !

Don takes a look at the spark plugs....good luck with that one !

Steve Prill and Dave tackle the front bumperWhile Dennis and Bob bleed the brakes....

We found Treasure !

2010-06-21T22:25:00.010-04:00

Work continued in earnest on the van, Bob did an awesome job with the brakes while trying out new face markings, Check - Done.

Paul did an oil change and Oil and Air filter change and and removed the decals...Er you need to wash your hands Paul........

It's a wonder the van ran with the air filter this clogged up....

Mark V and Dave S drilled out the broken fender bolts and removed the front valance...we only broke three drill bits....

But perhaps the most exciting find was a real sword by Don and Dennis...who were also removing the shelving and making all sorts of really bad noises...there goes the neighborhood...

Of course none of this would have happened if Ramona hadn't made us all Smores ! Thanks Ramona !

Work begins !

2010-06-19T19:49:00.004-04:00

Work started today on the Agape Van. Mark J tackled the rear brakes and we were joined by Emma Stencil, Mark V's niece from Ohio to help pull off the bent fender...

And now for something completely different !

2010-06-15T21:40:00.002-04:00

Well, we have a new short term project. The Agape ministry van needs some work and we are happy to help. Check back soon as we get stuck into this new adventure !

MG Finished !

2010-06-15T21:02:00.006-04:00

Well, we did it ! The MG was finished in May and Jeff from City Mission came to take her to her new home. Here are a few pictures of the finished car....

MG pick up and delivery

2009-05-14T22:24:00.011-04:00

Thursday 14th as Jon the donater of the MG nervously awaits the arrival of his new Granddaughter, Steve, Dave and Mark, expert car haulers, arrive to take the MG to it's new (Temporary) home. Actually Jon doesn't seem all that nervous !

Shelbo hooks up the front straps, mmm how do these work ??????

Steve Quinn knows what he's doing....

Firmly secured, ready to roll ! Thank you so much Jon !

As the sun sets, the MG arrives at it's new home....

Vojtisek can't help grinning as he skillfully negotiates the trailer ramps, which appear to have been designed for wider cars...it JUUUST fits without falling in-between them...

Two is always better than one..Steve's Camaro gets a new garage buddy, American Muscle, meet British style ! Beautiful Garage space donated by Mr "did I mention this is temporary ?" Quinn. Thanks Steve !

Stop back soon for more updates and progress reports

MG Midget for City Mission

2009-05-14T22:10:00.003-04:00

After a significant pause in any major car projects Full Throttle is back in business. This Beautiful MG has been donated by a very generous local man to our new partner City Mission. We plan to get the car running and cleaned up for a new lucky owner, the car will be raffled in the fall. City Mission hope to raise money for its schooling program for the children of Brightmore, Detroit. Check back to see our progress and news.

AutoRama 2008

2008-03-15T14:20:00.029-04:00

Photos by Dave F. and Dan L.

This year's AutoRama was the best ever, and I've been going since I was a kid in the '60s. Back then we'd gawk at the incredible creations, that can only be described as "auto sculpture", by legendary George Barris.

This year people stopped to admire our T-Bucket. Which, as you'll see by the photos, looked great. It was a "sweet spot in time" for Team Full Throttle.

Overall, the raffle brought in $18,837 ($5,720 generated during AutoRama weekend) for the Open Door Rescue Mission! Along the way we studied the Bible, grew together as group of Christian men, and served God.

Palm trees, sand (yes, sand, look closely) ... listen and you can hear the Beach Boys singing "California Girls" from their "Endless Summer" album.

Mac drumming up some last minute ticket sales.

John demonstrates a slightly more easygoing sales technique :)

Between conversations, Rick gets bite to eat.

Mac, Pastor Farris, Toan, Dave S., and Steve L. posing for a photo-op.

Our graphic artist John L., showcasing the "T" and the sign's artwork.

March 7-9 - Come See Us at AutoRama This Weekend!

2008-03-07T21:00:00.007-05:00

Our scouts tell us the "T" is looking good at the Detroit AutoRama! Come see us at space #1331, in the middle of the upper level. Look for the aisle with the red '58 Rambler wagon and black '57 Chrysler. Head down that aisle. We're about half way down, right hand side. Look for the lighted palm trees. (Really.)

March 5th - AutoRama, the Final Road Trip

2008-03-07T05:27:00.009-05:00

Photos by Greg B., video by Mike N.

Our "Fab Four", Greg, Mac, Mike, and Rick registering the"T" at AutoRama. For those of us that have to wait until the show formally opens, heres how it went down...

A Work of Art

2008-03-05T12:00:00.007-05:00

John L, our graphic artist, designs a custom banner for AutoRama!

Read all about it!

2008-03-04T18:22:00.012-05:00

Yeah, Open Door & Full Throttle made the news this morning! Our thanks to FOX WJBK Detroit, Channel 2 Morning News. Here's the interview with Pastor Jerome Farris, Open Door and our own Mark Johnson.

"DETROIT -- The Open Door Rescue Mission has recently restored a 1927 T-Bucket Roadster with the help and generous donation from Team Full Throttle, a Christian Men’s group passionate about cars and the love of God." Click here for the full story!

Or click below to watch the video...

P.S. Great job Mark, but where's your Full Throttle shirt ':0)

T-Bucket in the news!

2008-03-03T06:45:00.008-05:00

Detroit Auto Scene

T-Bucket was Built from Donated Parts

By Irena Granaas, Staff Reporter

March 3rd, 2008

"Based on a cut-down Ford Model T, the T-Bucket was popular with fans of fast cars and customization in the 1950s. Team Full Throttle, a Christian men's group whose member combine their love of God and their passsion for cars to help others, spend 18 months donating their tme and labor to build the Roadster from the ground up."

For the complete article contact the Detroit Auto Scene

Before and After

2008-02-27T22:03:00.025-05:00

See the details by clicking the images.
BEFORE...

...AFTER

Everything you want to know...

Heck, all you really need to know is that it's got about 326 HP. Oh, and the wheelie bar isn't included :-)

February 25th - It's a Wrap :-D

2008-02-27T20:41:00.024-05:00

Photos by Dave F. and Greg B., video by Steve P.

Finito! Somehow we knew, deep down, that we'd finish before the raffle at the upcoming Detroit AutoRama. Heck, they always finish on time building cars in Overhaulin' and bikes in Orange County Chopper.

The T-Bucket didn't get built without a struggle. What you never see on those T.V. shows is all the behind-the-scenes scrambling to get things done, and done on time. Coping with last minute problems, like brake switch fitment. Breaking stuff like the speedo glass, locating and ordering a new one, only to find out the replacement speedo was too big for the dash. Scavenging junkyards trying to find hard-to-find steering assembly parts. Scratching heads to come up ways to coax parts from different manufacturers to work together.

Memories of late nights. A few early mornings. Mike's UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) going down, with the server, when we inadvertently plugged the coffee pot into it. (So much for "uninterruptable", eh.)

The T.V. shows may have Hollywood backing them, but we have God. I figure He chuckled. Then He answered our prayers. Schedules were adjusted, people showed up, parts were found. Looking back, it's all too coincidental to be a coincidence.

The photos offer a glimpse, but not the essence of the project. Celebrate with us...

February 18th - Burning the Midnight Oil

2008-02-20T21:47:00.052-05:00

Photos by Dave F.
Multiple choice:
a. Hi-jack.
b. Tease and blow dry.
c. Heat thermostat, test fan.
d. Best not to ask ;-)

Dave S. routs brake lines.

John R. troubleshooting the pesky wiring harness.

Thanks to Dave S. the speedo now fits!

Notice the oil pressure gauge and horn are hooked up.

Steve L. fabricates a mounting bracket for the water temp gauge.

Showing off Mark V's fabricated brackets for the dual horns!

Showing off Toan's custom fuel pump lines!

Mark V. and Steve L. ponder the electrical schematic while Mac works on the trans.

Showing off the brake pedal / master cylinder assembly -- tight fit, creative mounting.

The mechanical brake light switch had "fitment issues" so we replaced it with a fluid pressure activated switch - nice plumbing!

Bleeding the brake lines - always a thankless task.

February 4th - "It's Alive!"

2008-02-05T17:38:00.001-05:00

Photos by Dave F.

Tonight's the night. We've been waiting a long time -- it's time to fire up the bucket ...

Got battery? Cables? Check!

Got distributor, coil, plug wires and plugs? Check!

Got that 1-wire alternator hooked up? Check!

Rick's gonna crank it up...

Get your volume off mute. Turn it up.

Turn it up some more. Now click the arrow below.

If it sounds like this, can you imagine how fast it's gonna go:)

Wow, that was sweet!

January 14th - Back from the show...

2008-01-15T19:23:00.001-05:00

Photos by Mark V.
The "T" is back from her showing at the Grand Rapids AutoRama. Yikes, the raffle's in early March. This time we have to be done. "Time Waits for No One" (you know, that song from the Rolling Stones album) plays in my head. Time to get to work...

Say it ain't so: Steve P. and Fernando disassemble the steering column for the n'th time!

Rick, what are you up to now?

Dave S. wires in the chassis ground.

January 7th, 2008 - Surprise Road Trip

2008-01-08T05:57:00.001-05:00

Photos by Mark V.

Surprise! Tonight we learned the "T" is going to be shown at the Grand Rapids Autorama this weekend. Here we are, scrambling to get it off the jack stands and out on time...

Rick J. demonstrates the latest New Balance fashion statement.

Steve Q. ponders electrical fan connections.

Steve L. wires in the electric choke.

Dave M. installs the master cylinder / brake pedal linkage.

Best not to ask.

Ah, ready to roll (perhaps not under her own power yet, but roll she will). Off to Grand Rapids, affectionately known as Michigan's "West Coast". See ya there :)

December 27th - Electricity in the Air

2007-12-30T10:56:00.001-05:00

Photos by Mark V.

George V., Tom, Dave S. and Steve L. route the pesky wiring harness.

George V. flies in from England to lend a hand and fabricate turn signal brackets.

Steve L. routes the rear harness

Tom H. and Steve L. search the Net to match wire colors up with the steering column wiring harness.

December 17th - Counting the Days

2007-12-18T19:48:00.001-05:00

Photos by Mark V.

There are 8 shopping days until Christmas, but all we're thinking about is getting the T-Bucket operational by the Detroit AutoRama, March 7-9th.

Tom H. and Steve L. begin work on the electrical system ... to be continued

November 26th - Sweating the Details

2007-11-26T21:42:00.001-05:00

Photos by Steve L.

Steve Q. bends brake line.

Steve P. straightens bent fins with the radiator comb.

Mark V. and Dave S. take a fantasy cruise.

Occasionally, we need to clean up. Knox V. demonstrates how to correctly coil an extension cord.

November 19th - Shiny Stuff

2007-11-19T21:58:00.001-05:00

Photos by Steve L.

Man, those gas tank welds are smooooooth!

Nothing beats stainless steel braided brake lines. Connecting it to the master cylinder will definately improve stopping distances!

At last the steering column is installed, now sporting a jaunty rake that won't prematurely wear holes in the driver's jeans :-D

When we're not working on cars we're studying God's word. Dave S. (second from left) leads this week's bible study - Phillipians C4.

October 29th - More progress

2007-10-30T00:26:00.000-04:00

The shop was a hive of activity tonight, with Toan making a shroud for the radiator (and lots of noise to boot !), Dave and Steve mounting the brake master cylinder and pedal assembly. Knox, Dave and Greg worked hard to plug any open passageways in the block and fit the fuel pump and Mark and Mark worked on setting up the steering shaft.....

Measure twice, cut once......

Mounting holes going in....

Brake master cylinder positioning.....About here O.K. ??

Nah, Back a bit.....

Steve combs the radiator veins while Dave muses the fuel pump installation

Mark J is very happy with the new steering column - Look ! It tilts ! Woah !

Sparks fly as Mark V trims down the bar stock to make the steering shaft....

October 15th - Update

2007-10-29T23:58:00.003-04:00

Photos by Steve L.

We returned the short column and replaced it with a very nice new longer column with Tilt . This will allow us a much better driving position...

Then comes the scary part - drilling the hole through the firewall.....No Problem

October 1st - Update

2007-10-01T21:48:00.001-04:00

Photos by Dave F.

Mark, Dave and Toan test drive the new steering wheel... ... seems the wheel sits a tad low, scuffing Mark's knees :)

The bungee cord mod keeps it upright and centered,

while we ponder how to increase the wheel's elevation.

To be continued...

September 17th - Update

2007-09-18T02:59:00.001-04:00

Photos by Dave F. & Don L.

Dave F makes the Wood Brothers look like amateurs.

Our youngest member, Cale J, handling quality control!

August 27th - Update

2007-08-28T02:59:00.001-04:00

Photos by Dave F.

August 18th Update

2007-08-23T18:58:00.001-04:00

Photos by Greg B.
Every hot rod needs some flame treatment, and this one is no exception. Very tasteful flames appeared over the weekend, Beautiful ! Prior to that the team worked more on engine ancillaries, mounting the radiator and lamps, steering rack, Windshield and rear view mirrors...

Check out the flame job...

Radiator, Lights and hoses all done !

August 20th - Update

2007-08-21T02:59:00.000-04:00

The team assembled for another Monday night of Bucket work. There seemed to be a lot of head scratching this evening as Dave S and Steve L tried to figure out the brake pedal mounting, Mark V worked on the steering shaft routing, Toan worked on the hinges for the decklid, Mark J and Nate worked on the front drive belts and Knox sorted through the wiring....

Toan, Dave S and Steve L position the fuel tank to clear the hinges...

Knox ponders the wiring.....

Dave S searches the Speedway catalogue...Now where does it show how the brake pedal mounts....

August 11th - Progress report

2007-08-19T23:01:00.001-04:00

We really needed to get the engine installed so we could position the body shell, radiator and steering gear...Rick J and John R get the transmission mount located while Steve L and Don L

offer encouragement - Left a bit, no right, other right, now down.....Perfect !

Eyeing up radiator position and steering gear

Just couldn't resist trying some of those shiny bits for the photos ! Mark J fits the
radiator shroud while Tom W models the ram air intake, whoa !

Rick J and Mark J mock up the headers, nice !

August 6th - Progress Report

2007-08-19T22:37:00.001-04:00

We now have something that resembles a rolling chassis, some tweaks needed to the front suspension and perhaps the most exciting things - our Body has been sprayed and the interior finished trimming - wow - they look fantastic....

And here it is - the picture does not do it justice, a beautiful Gold paint job with
a wonderful custom hand trimmed tan interior - Sweet !

Both front and rear suspensions received significant modification - the original leaf springs were removed in favor of coil overs for better ride and control, a front watts linkage was added and multilink rear end. All new structure was added to the rear of the frame to support the fuel tank

July 30th, 2007 - Progress Report

2007-07-30T17:20:00.002-04:00

O.K., so we are going back in time a bit here....Up until this point most of the work had focused on cleaning, stripping and re-painting. The Full Throttle team has done a fantastic job getting parts ready for assembly. On the 30th we began re-assembly...

Sam, and Eric prepare the back axle for the pinion and differential re-assembly

Mark V and Dave S shim the kingpins on the front axle...no problem..

Meanwhile Rick works his magic the heads, small block, water pump etc
- In case you were wondering, they were yellow, now they are gold...

Steve L takes no chances with toxic chemicals - I thought we said paint it gold ??

The bodyshell arrives from prep - Thanks Mike P, nice job !
Mark J, Steve P, Eric and Ken lift while
Knox directs, "watch out for the wheels !!", Er thanks Knox !!

Fits perfectly !

Beautiful job on those wheels - Nice one Steve P !

What's Open Door?

2006-10-04T12:00:00.001-04:00

The T-Bucket Hot Rod project you see has been donated to the Open Door Rescue Mission. The team at Full Throttle have a passion for helping others in a rather unique way, and with their automotive talents have been restoring this T-Bucket with the goal of raising funds to support Open Door in their mission of bringing glory to God by helping those in need.

Whats a T-Bucket?

2006-10-03T00:00:00.005-04:00

A T-bucket (or Bucket T) is a specific style of hot rod car, based on a Ford Model T but extensively modified, or alternatively built with replica components to resemble a Model T. More....

2004 World Record T-Bucket Build

2006 T-Bucket Nationals

October 2nd, 2006 - T-Bucket Project Kickoff

2006-10-02T02:58:00.009-04:00

One very kind person has donated a 1927 Ford T-Bucket, a.k.a.a hot-rod. We've decided to put the Mustang project on hold and restore this car instead. To say it's in "rough shape" would be an understatement. Here we go, unloading it from the trailer and pushing it into the shop.

Check back and watch our progress...

March 20th, 2006 - Vette Project Retrospective

2006-03-20T03:57:00.024-05:00

I'm retroactively adding this post. Not only to reminisce, but to say thanks to Howard for launching us into high gear.

On March 20th of 2006 we were in the early stages of disassembling our first vehicle, a '67 Ford Mustang. Howard W., one of our members, decided to donate his gorgeous '61 Vette. With a sense of urgency we spent most of 2006 learning how to successfully partner with a charitable organization, conduct a vehicle raffle and generate publicity. "Rocked our world" is an understatement for impact Howard's extreme generosity had on us.

The Vette raffle was a smashing success: it generated over $84,000 for the House of Hope, a Honduras charity committed to help educate and assist orphaned and abandoned teen-aged girls. In between selling raffle tickets we studied the Bible, came together as a team, and took a step forward in our walk with God.

Here's a few artifacts to capture the moment...