u/InitialUnable5365 — reddlx

Any info on area non-profits that can provide bikes/e-bikes/transportation assistance?

I work with a non-profit that tries to connect homeless/at-risk Veterans with employment. I’ve got a couple of clients who live on the edges of the greater Madison area. Their biggest barriers to employment are transportation to/from a job.

Buses are accessible, but routes very geographically constrained, and service times quite limited. I’ve explored the state programs, (WETAP, etc.), but those are either resource constrained, or unsuitable because they focus on “solutions” like low-interest car loans (for someone who doesn’t currently have income, and doesn’t have a car because they couldn’t afford to maintain the car they used to have…)

I’m crossing my fingers that I can crowdsource some suggestions/connections better than the circular and unhelpful results of my Google/AI searches.

Anyone got anything?

reddit.com

u/InitialUnable5365 — 2 days ago

▲ 126 r/Volvo240

I recently got my first project car (‘89 245), and I’ve got no experience wrenching, but plenty of aspiration.

Short version of how the car was acquired, and my vision for it:

A former co-worker of my wife’s used to daily a (the now mine) ‘89 245. The car was maintained by her friend’s partner, a quite smart electrical engineer with many car projects/project cars. They moved away to PNW from Wisconsin a couple of years ago, but left the Volvo behind in storage, with the intention of driving it out to Seattle the following summer.

Well, they moved out to Seattle, he got another project car (ambulance to RV conversion,) no longer had space for the Volvo, and so it sat. They finally decided to part with it, and I’m the new owner.

It runs/drives, but hasn’t been driven much in the past two years.

I have no shade tree mechanics in my family tree, and though I’m long on understanding of how many mechanical systems work (BS in Engineering, career US Navy officer — think management and paperwork more than actual “get your hands dirty work”) I have little to no experience beyond occasional oil changes decades ago, cabin air filter replacements, etc.

The car seems in reasonably good nick, but is, of course, 37-yrs old, has been sitting for a couple of years, and so on.

My vision: make the car reliable enough and comfortable enough to take on family camping trips, and commute to work in the regular, while injecting even more fun than the original.

So…in no particular order…
- BTCC-inspired livery
- Enough power to not have to white-knuckle it while merging with traffic on the hwy with 4 occupants (200-225hp ought to do it.)
- Make the car a bit lighter on her feet — though with such a low curb weight compared to modern cars, I was surprised at how well it already handles.

u/InitialUnable5365 — 16 days ago

▲ 7 r/madisonwi

I have a project car that my wife bought me a couple years ago (‘89 Volvo 245,) and a vision for what I’d like it to be, but…I don’t have much experience wrenching on cars, and

I know that there are tons of good content on YouTube and elsewhere, but I’d really like for my refresh/mild-mod project to be something that I’m not doing alone in my garage, but that might also become a social event. Absolutely willing to trade labor on someone else’s project car, or adult beverages, or both for a chance to build some knowledge.

If anyone has/is into turbobricks or other square-backed vehicles, that’s a big plus.

reddit.com

u/InitialUnable5365 — 16 days ago