[deuce_roadster]

There are some really hard core scam artists out there. Over 10 years ago, as my buddy and I were doing our 40 deluxe woodies together, a barn member who still very occasionally posts here did a really horrible thing to a really nice guy. This guy I won't mention said he was working on 2 40 woodies and because the tops were off wanted some really tight measurements from a landmark on the floor pan to one on the top of the cowl above the windshields. Of course I sent him the measurement. Then he asked me about patterns like he was going to have someone mill the parts and asked about a specific curved piece that is the "jamb" under the rear doors. Tom (my wood artist buddy) had made all the parts for both of our cars at this point. The pattern in question was no longer needed for us but I was saving it incase someone with all original wood needed it. So after long phone discussions about all kinds of minutia regarding the woodie body I sent this to him with the understanding he would send it back. After many contacts with him stating he wasn't done with it yet I just forgot about it. This person in our always 1 hour calls asked me if I knew anyone making 40 wood. I told him about a guy I always talked to at Hershey named Russell who always had a booth up near the golf course near the National woodie club booth who did very nice work. Each year I would chat with Russell as I went to Hershey 20 years in a row. One of the last conversations I had with Russell, he told me of this person from th OHIO area that had ordered 2 complete bodies from him. Russell said he cut out the parts, DELIVERED them something like 6 hours away and still was waiting for payment. Shortly after this conversation I read where Russell had passed away. The last time I saw him in person at Hershey he was telling me he was having heart issues and was sitting down a lot. To this day it angers me that someone with no morals at all would do this to someone as trusting as Russell. I know from my own experience we spent $7500 each just for clear maple to make our bodies. I quit trying to contact the scammer who stiffed Russell as he quit responding to any inquiry. Like others here have said 99+ % of those here are good honest people, but we all need to be wary of that 1 %