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When Helping a Neighbor Pays more Than you Put In

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turbowoodworker

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Mar 18, 2012
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Apex NC
Sometimes you offer help to a neighbor, and most often you expect nothing in return, except for the knowing that when you need help you will get it (if the neighbor is a true friend).

Today I had the absolute pleasure of helping a neighbor with a little project that was causing him a snag. His mostly restored postwar Jeep had problems with the water intake on the top of the 4 banger. He was replacing the thermostat and managed to break off all three bolts in the cast flat head water jacket. He asked if I would help him drill them out and easy out the bolts.

Drawing on personal experience and knowledge imparted from all the GJ folks who have been in tight spots, I stopped him and suggested I take a look. The bolts had all broken with about 1/2 inch left above the surface. Perfect, I thought.

We strapped it up and dragged it across the street to my place. In GJ fashion, I welding nuts onto the 3/8 studs and with the heat from the MIG process, they rotated right out. Very easily and wayyy better than using easy outs.

We hauled it back over because he was waiting on the thermostat and some other parts and we couldn't finish the job today. We shared cold beers and a couple of stories then I went back to cleaning up my shop after a recent woodworking project.

It was a great day. I never get to work on cars anymore. I'm not a mechanic and have no knowledge of modern systems, electronics FI, brakes etc. This was just fun like working on my old '71 VW or '72 F250 back in the day.

But that is not all...
 
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kjdhawkhill

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Flyover state #4
I only help my neighbors when beer is involved.


But that's because they don't need help, unless they started the process with beer. Ok, maybe whiskey, too.
 
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T

turbowoodworker

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Mar 18, 2012
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Location
Apex NC
A while later my neighbor stops in with a plastic bucket of goodies. They had a story behind what was in the bucket. But suffice it to say that the tools he had decided to gift me were worth way more than the time spent MIG welding three nuts. And I know I will get to put them to use.

A near complete set of SK impacts, Snap On impacts, SK crows foots, a Great neck torque wrench and a bunch of sockets marked taiwan and Japan, some no marker extensions and a single Craftsman =V= 13/16" socket. But the prize for me were the two Snap On impact swivels 3/8 and 1/2".

A good day indeed. But the best was hanging with Pete and fixing a problem.

Thanks for listening,
Rick
 

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T

turbowoodworker

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Apex NC
Funny you ask about the 10mm. I was going to mention that I had found someone's 10mm that had been lost. There was a single chrome Taiwan 10mm in the bunch. So if anyone is missing their TEN, I found it.
 
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brownbagg

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Mar 20, 2006
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i got one of those post war jeep in the shop, but i replace the four cly with a buick v6
 
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T

turbowoodworker

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Apex NC
He didn’t do the restore, and doesn’t do much work himself. But these were extras that he said he has never used. I don’t think he has an impact wrench and he knows I will use it.
Nice gesture, very much appreciated and I know what these are worth as tools to be used.
 
C

cdestuck

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Nov 13, 2013
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Location
Altoona, Pa
You have a great friend and respect his wish to reward you. That’s ok to do on your part. A lot of friends would have just written it off like you owned it to them.

I had a similar incident last summer where I re sided a friends park model trailer. Now I did give his a very modest quote up from which he was pleased with. I liked him, the project, and that kind of work. I just do some stuff on the side and don’t charge much as I don’t have the expense of running as business. Well into the project and the osb on half the one side was totally rotten. 5 windows needed to be removed along with a lot other problems. Near the end he demanded a new higher bill. I gave a very reduced increase which was fine with me. After the job I gave him the total bill. To my surprise, he included a extra 700 bucks and 300 dollars in gift certificates.

I really have a lot of respect for this guy as most would have paid my bill and walked on. Everyone I work for I treat very modest as far as a bill. Most know I’m as cheap priced as can be and I could give you some pathetic sad examples the way I’ve been treated. A big kudos to your friend and others that recognize and treat a good deal
 
B

Boilerhouse

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Mar 20, 2012
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Muskoka
Yes, I have helped out a couple neighbours lately and though I wasn't expecting anything, figure that I have gotten more than I have given.
 
G

gearhead1

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Oct 14, 2013
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1,935
Location
NC
I have super neighbors. I also don’t live in city limits or a development. Country folk are sometimes a little different about stuff.

I’ve known one for almost 20 years, he used to go to my church. I didn’t know he would be my neighbor when I bought the property. That worked out extremely well. He has a saw mill and I can get all the free slab firewood I want for free. I also get free sawdust to put on oil spills.

After the house was built, we move in and my other neighbor knocks on the door one day explaining he is digging a drainage trench and has to take down a tree and one way would go on his shed. He asked could he fall it on my property (it’s in the woods, not anywhere close to my house or anything on my property). I went and looked and said why not just dig the drainage ditch around the tree. He said then it would be on your property. I said I don’t care, you can do it either way. Then I said let me dig a ditch and tie into as it would help a section of my property. So that what we did.

He’s more of a carpenter type, I’m more of a mechanic. He helped me build my workshop. I help him keep is backhoe running. For the two of us, it works out. Of course not everyone can do that as there are a lot of knuckleheads out there. I avoid deadbeats/knuckleheads/users like the plague. If you’re going to be decent, I’ll bend over backwards to help.
 
D

Dumber than lumber

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Dec 19, 2015
Messages
1,960
turbowoodworker said:
A while later my neighbor stops in with a plastic bucket of goodies. They had a story behind what was in the bucket. But suffice it to say that the tools he had decided to gift me were worth way more than the time spent MIG welding three nuts. And I know I will get to put them to use.

A near complete set of SK impacts, Snap On impacts, SK crows foots, a Great neck torque wrench and a bunch of sockets marked taiwan and Japan, some no marker extensions and a single Craftsman =V= 13/16" socket. But the prize for me were the two Snap On impact swivels 3/8 and 1/2".

A good day indeed. But the best was hanging with Pete and fixing a problem.

Thanks for listening,
Rick
Click to expand...

This thread has quickly gone from the haunting feel of "No good deed goes unpunished" to 'YOU ****". :lol_hitti
 
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T

turbowoodworker

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Mar 18, 2012
Messages
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Location
Apex NC
Thanks for that. I thought by making the story in two posts I might hook at least one sucker.:lol_hitti
But you have to admit it is a good story.
 
J

junkyardwarrior

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Nov 17, 2014
Messages
176
I help all of my neighbors at often as they need. Granted, they are not really "neighbors" in the traditional sense (closest is 1/2 mile) but if you guys knew them, you'd probably help them too--particularly if you, too, are single and living alone. One of them had a plumbing issue last week and asked me to stop by to address it. No problem. The sink drain trap was plugged with dog hair, she gives the dog a bath in the sink. Those two (one on each side of me) are single mothers. Their kids sometimes show up to chit-chat (all in their teens and one just turned 20). Other neighbors are great folks, only have one that is a problem and I'm a problem to them as well, purposely. Guy behind me, I work on his equipment (boats, mowers, etc) and he trades me out; he caters pork, chicken, etc, has his own large commercial smoker, traps hogs, and if it's small repair stuff I'll just trade him out for some pork loins or ribs or whatever. Man they are good.
 
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