[PROPEL]

It was a bad situation. The business was being looted while I was making arrangements to tow my car out. I recovered very few of my NOS parts, and large pieces like the windshield and gas tank went missing. I had the feeling that most of the people who were removing things from the property were actually friends of the owner. I had little recourse except to mention my suspicions during his bankruptcy hearing. However, I was conveniently left off the list of creditors for that court meeting (even though his lawyer had told me that I would receive notice to appear).

In August, I received a letter from the court stating that I had been left off the list of creditors (!!!) and that the final bankruptcy hearing had been held. However, the court found the owner guilty of "fraudulent conveyance" and DENIED him his bankruptcy. He is also subject to criminal penalties for lying to the Feds. I can now sue him in small claims, and even though the max damages allowed is $1500, I intend to seek a judgment against him. (Most likely, I will have to take a number in line and not receive any financial restitution.)

I have been working steadily on the Spyder. My friends and I are doing all the bodywork now, and there is still some work to be done. I am not an expert bodyman, but I cannot afford to pay someone else again for this... so the car may not be show quality in the end. That's okay for me, though, since I just want to drive it, anyway. Lots of bodywork, sanding, priming, and preventative rustproofing has been accomplished. In addition, I have fabricated a custom dash for it, installed a 1.1L SSD drivetrain, installed twin rollbar hoops from a Honda S2000, and mounted Triumph leather buckets seats. Presently, the Spyder is having a custom tonneau cover sewn at an auto upholstery shop three blocks away (so I can keep my eye on it).

Hopefully, the shop won't go out of business before they finish it.