Today
is the worst day of my life. Yesterday was the first day of summer for
me and everything was great. I got in my first bike ride and talked to
my dad like I usually do. We talked about the normal stuff that a 20
year old college student and his father talk about. The first thing out
of his mouth was how is your car running, talking about my coupe and I
replied great. My dad and I had just spent my spring break putting a
9-3 5spd in my 95 ng900SET coupe as well as a few more upgrades to
replace the tired parts a 160k mile car has. We go on to talking about
my 91 900T Special Edition Airflow vert and how we are going to have it
ready for SOC. We said goodbye and I love you and planned to meet up
this week. For those of you who don't know my parents were in the
middle of a divorce so they were not living with each other.
Furthermore my dad had chronic back pain problems resulting in two
titanium rods in his back and him in constant excruciating pain if he
was not on medicine. At this time in his life he was not on any
medication as he was pursuing an alternative treatment which included
hypnotism. Today I was awoken by my mother who told me she had some bad
news to tell me, in no way was I prepared to hear what came out of her
mouth. She told me my dad had been taken to the emergency room and
passed away. At that moment I lost it, how could he be gone? I just
talked to him the day before and he was fine. I feel robbed of my
father. Why did he have to be taken away from me? My mom has always
said that my dad and I were the same person. My dad and I had plans not
just to finish my car but for him to start biking with me and to buy a
Sonett like he had when he was in college. My dad was the one who got
me into Saabs, he used to have a Saab parts yard that I used to go play
in as a kid. He taught me a lot about these cars and started my
obsession with them. The day I got my convertible was a total accident;
my dad brought what he called a SPG convertible home that he was going
to resell. When I laid my eye's on that car I knew that it was the only
car that I wanted, so he paid for half and I paid for half. I went to
work on that car right from the start even though it was perfect, but
now is in poor shape due to being my daily driver for many years. I put
a new alarm in it, and then my dad and I installed the Airflow bumpers
and from that point we just loved the car. I am going to miss those
long nights in the garage with my dad, not being able to call him up to
ask him a question about some weird Saab thing and most of all not
getting to roll with my dad in matching 91 SE verts, his yellow and
mine grey that he planned on buying. It's just not fair but I know that
he is looking down on me right now and always will be. My father was
only 50 years old and was taken from us way too young. I had lots more
to learn about cars and business from him that I never will. He left
this world leaving a family and many friends who loved him dearly and I
am better because he was my father. I have to honor him in some way and
I have been thinking over and over about this and I told him when I
went to see his body in the hospital "Dad don't worry I will have my
car done for SOC and it will be a memorial to you." The thing is I have
no way to do this as we have to sell our home and money is very tight
as many of you know because of my dads business going under. There is
no way I am going to break this promise to my dad, I look at this
project as a way to heal after this great loss. What I am proposing is
getting my friends and my father's friends that are into cars to work
on my convertible as a memorial to him and have it done for SOC. I want
to put a plaque on the glove box that says in memory of Robert Golub
the best father a son could have. There is one thing standing in my
way; money and parts to complete this memorial and that's where Saab
community comes in. If you can send me anything to help me out please
do, I would greatly appreciate it. I am going to put a framed sign in
the back with all the people who helped me out with this. I just can't
think of a better way to show my dad I loved him then dedicate my
finished car as a memorial to him.