[Spridgets] Ruminations on OSHITs and Frank

Sun Dec 12 11:36:12 MST 2021

 Ok,After a few early OSHIT gatherings I can say I saw a lot of how this all got here from there.I have the complete 1/4 that Amy was told she needed for her museum find Spridget where I repaired the rear of her car ( without the 1/4) and I have the tattoo ( Amy did it there!)  on my back to prove I was there and contributed to soiling her bathtub.  Larry's midget rust , 5 speed and of course paint .  Allen's front suspension and brakes.  Larry's lower control arm at spridgetfest (1 of 2!).  Kevin's (& family!) LBC rallys and my navigator who got every F-word under the sun who unknown to me was the Pastor for the church a few doors away from Kevin's home....thanks for not telling me until AFTER the rally. ( very embarrassing!   We drove across a lawn , did a doughnut next to a porta-potty and tore up grass and passed a pretty peppy MGB that could not keep up with my Bugeye....in a no passing zone!)The time Frank & I went to the Healey Conclave with our Bugeyes roaring into the lot of restored well muffled show cars...In one way it seems like it was yesterday yet in another way a lifetime ago.And now 10 years after Frank's passing having his now completed race car here in our carport.  In spite of his really not liking this specific car , I think he would approve of how it turned out.  The New Jersey plate I found in the dirt in the car is on the car and a Speedwell emblem is on the dash.*sigh*ChuckFormerly "The Worlds Largest Sprite Driver"
    On Sunday, December 12, 2021, 08:41:26 AM EST, HealeyRick via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:  

 In many ways, Frank embodied the spirit of the Sprite ... a simple guy who knew how to have fun.  He knew everything about keeping these cars running and wasn't afraid to mod them.  He enjoyed sharing all that knowledge but never talked down to folks who asked dumb questions.  And his generous nature and respect in which he was held was shown by the long lines of folks waiting outside his wake.  When I see the prices that bugeyes are selling for now I often wonder, "What would Frank think?"  A great guy sorely missed.
Rick Neville

|  | Virus-free. www.avast.com  |

On Sat, Dec 11, 2021 at 11:37 PM George Marinos via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:

Thoughtfully stated.  George

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 11, 2021, at 10:53 PM, Linda Grunthaner via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:

List,I haven't been on the list for several months now and I apologize but it sure warms my heart to see a post about our dear friend Frank Clarici. Frank revived my confidence when my parents passed and I lost all my sense of self confidence in all the things I loved. Frank reassured my confidence in  welding, tools and machines of all sorts. He never doubted that I could complete a repair and enjoy it like I did in the past. I will always be grateful for Frank's encouragement and fortitude to move forward with the love of the LBC. I continue with "Pay it forward" as he is the essence of the term, and as I grow older I continue to do much more of it.
Lift your glasses up gentleman and have a toast, to our dear friend Frank Clarici, may we all work toward his kindness toward others and keep our LBC's running. Linda62 Deep Pink California Sprite Pinky
On Sun, Oct 24, 2021 at 8:49 AM Larry Macy via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:

Mark,
Thanks you for this email. Frank was AWESOME. I could leave this email at that and everyone who ever met Frank would understand. I met Frrank virtual in Oct of 1997. I was on the MG Autox list and there was announcement of a new list for “SPRIDGETS” I think I was number 4 in subscribing, It was Franks insistence that made Mark (mjb) create this list. 
A while later I was in need of a pumpkin. Frank said he had one so I drove from Lansdale PA to Toms River. Frank was gracious and would not take anything for it. He just handed it to me. Instant respect and friendship. A few years  later, and I am not sure of the date a group of us, Frank, Allen Hefner, Chuck Crist and Kevin Valentine (I hope I didn't forget anyone) went to Latrobe, PA (home of Rolling Rock beer) to work on Amy’s Sprite. We spent the weekend (and boy  was her tub a mess after we had all showered) fixing up her car. I  had the honor of first drive. A while later we repeated the group going to help fix up another car (it might have been Chris King’s, I  don’t recall). Well since we all enjoyed doing this we figured we might need a name. There were a few bandied about. One I remember was CRAPOS, I don’t recall what that stood for, but I suggested Organization of Spridget Hanymen In Transit and OSHIT was born. (I always wonder how many folks actually realize what OSHIT stands for). After that we did a lot more transiting as handymen and worked on a lot of cars. We did a lot at Frank’s and Kevin’s. My Midget was reborn at Kevin’s. 
When my first wife left me for my best friend, it was Frank and Ron that reached out and took me to see Bruce Springsteen. I drove to Toms River and Frank and I drove to the Meadowlands, in his Sprite, to see the show. At that time I only had the Midget, with no top,  as my car and I drove home at 1 AM in a drizzle. 
My Midget 1500 had gotten a few upgrades over the years. I had a Weber,  5 speed transmission, hi compression pistons and a mild street cam. One day, in Toms River, Franks asked me to take him for a ride. So we did his “loop”. He said he hadn’t realized how fast a 1500 could be. Boy did I smile. 
Eventually, my Midget had gotten to the point of body rot so bad it was not worth fixing. So I bought a shell in good shape and had it trailered to Toms River. The OSHIT crew got together and fixed that shell up like new. It was in Frank’s garage, in primer when word came that Frank had suddenly passed. What the shock that was. 

Well, the  thing that Frank was inspirational for, the OSHIT idea, has thankfully remained alive. I no longer have a Midget, I sold in 2019 to a relative of Kevin’s so  I could live, full time, in an RV. 
Frank  was my  friend, he is missed.
Larry
Here are linkks to my tribute to Frank at the Midget 50th in Elkhart Lake. First kink is a video, second is my powerpoint with pics and Frankisms.https://www.dropbox.com/s/svm5fepeowwkq3k/Larry%20Macy%20Tribute%20-%20Frank%20Clarici.mpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kanf3n84aa1q0i4/Frank_Memorial.pptx?dl=0

On Oct 22, 2021, at 8:44 PM, Mark Haynes via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net> wrote:
This'll be a little long, so bear with me or just delete as you see fit.I was having a beer with a friend who got me into AutoX last night and he mentioned that he'd told his wife about how I travelled to Dodge City to help out Jim Johnson with his Sprite. he inferred that I did it because it was pay back, and I told him no, that I did it 'um, I'm not sure why'.Today I was stacking wood for the winter, which is a kind of meditative process, and realized that the reason why I am willing to travel long distances to help  people that I've never met is Frank Clarici, and his motto "Pay it Forward".This realization that Frank is still affecting my life and correcting my attitude was very powerful. That a man who I never met could have such a long lasting affect on me and my approach to others simply astonishes me. 
The fact that OSHITs are still occurring is a testament to what he believed, that there is always someone out there willing to devote their time and skills to help others who are unable to finish a labor of love. I have found that I enjoy the sharing of the knowledge and skills we all have acquired, both ways, is one of the best parts of an OSHIT, not to mention the prodding and poking and general lack of any respect for one's person 😜.The ability of everyone to come together from great distances and work toward a common goal for another is such a gift to all who are involved, not the least of whom is the car owner. My local British car buddies are great, but having the opportunity to come together with folks from so distant is a gift that I cannot express.If you're still reading this, I'm sure that you too, knew Frank. If you've never taken part in an OSHIT, I would encourage you to do so, you'll meet like-minded folks, enjoy some laughs, make some memories, make some friends, drink some beers and most of all, create an enduring memorial to The Dean of Spridgets, Frank Clarici.As always, PAY IT FORWARD!
Mark Haynes
It only goes one way- Pay It Forward
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Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught, will we realize that we can not eat money
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"Pay if forward" in honor of Frank Clarici III, Spritenut
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