One girl’s passion for a project car has inspired a whole community of gear heads. Kathryn DiMaria was only 12 years old when she came to her parents with the idea to refurbish a Pontiac Fiero. The car hadn’t been in production for 13 years when she was born, but after spotting it at local classic car show, she knew it was for her.
The fact that the restoration would allow her to learn her car inside and out for several years before actually getting her driver’s license seemed like solid reasoning to mom and dad. So using her babysitting money they bought a rough, but drivable 1986 Fiero for $450.
Her dad hit the Internet message boards to brag about his ‘cool daughter’ and her story became a source of inspiration for other Fiero lovers. Even though the pair aren’t asking for help, assistance from the community has been pouring in ever since that first post. Members have followed the 2 years of updates and pictures of progress and have helped with their advice and even a few tools and parts.
For her 13th birthday members of the forum even sent her gifts just to be part of the build. When the DiMarias had trouble with the bumper, a user named James Schultz sent them some parts from his side business Fiero Fiberglass.
“Kathryn helps motivate things. We think ‘She’s gonna need this, let’s make her something'” Schulz told CNN. The shop keeps her thank you note hanging on the wall.
Right now she’s facing the biggest job yet, rebuilding a 3.4-liter Camaro engine to replace the 2.8-liter that came in the Fiero. Now 14, she is optimistic the car will be running by the time she reaches her 16th birthday in 2014.
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Car repairs can be stressful, time-wasting and, most importantly, expensive. That’s why we’re not surprised to learn when a person takes it on themselves to attempt a do-it-yourself approach when it comes to vehicular repairs.
What does surprise (and, at times, horrify) us, is when we see people employing shoddy and unsafe methods to keep their car on the road. Take, for example, this person’s solution to a broken lock. At least if they lock their keys in the car, a good saw or pair of pliers should remedy the situation. No need to wait for AAA.
The pictures in this gallery, taken from a hilariousslideshow by Huffpost Comedy, show more incredible examples. Sure, you could call these repairs creative, but mostly they are just absurd, inept and downright awful.
There I Fixed It
Now that’s a good use for that extra riot shield we all have lying around.
There I Fixed It
Does this count as a”padiddle?”
There I Fixed It
This is either intended to stop people from siphoning gas or remind the driver not to spend so much on gas.
There I Fixed It
There, good as new!
There I Fixed It
Does the risk of splinters hurt a car’s safety ratings?
There I Fixed It
We sincerely hope that this was intentional and is not a product of some sort of horrific accident.
There I Fixed It
This DIY air conditioning system probably was a life-saver this summer during those record heat waves.
There I Fixed It
Knowing how well the wheels on shopping carts tend to function, we’d be pretty concerned about driving this car around.
WordPress: West Seattle
A rare Mary-Poppins-mobile spotting!
There I Fixed It
Last year’s Parent of the Year winner.
Reddit
The door handle that helps you eat on the go. This could be huge.
Blogspot: Ajorbahman’s Collection
Finally, someone’s vanity is put to good use.
Reddit
A broken windshield defroster is much more important that a plaything for your pet hamster. No question.
There I Fixed It