$25K Project Dino: An Unexpected Kindness

While writing a check for his insurance bill, Hagerty Drivers Club member Paul Dickenson sent me an unexpected gift: money. “Donate $49 to Larry’s Dino fund,” he scrawled on his payment slip. “He will need it!!”

Dickenson, of Santa Fe, Texas, has been following my four-year quest to restore a 1975 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 that I bought for $25,000. I’ve been thwarted by bad parts and, tragically, the sudden deaths of two craftspeople who had the Dino in their possession to do jobs that are beyond my modest capabilities, namely painting the body and stitching together new leather and wool upholstery. The Dino’s no longer a car; it’s a setback machine.

I tend to value project cars for the intangibles more than the actual thing. They’re an excuse to seek counsel from experts and an opportunity to meet new people and hone DIY skills. For all the bumps in the road on my Dino journey, the project has also illustrated the kindness of others. As for the generous Paul Dickenson, he has graciously allowed his donation to be transferred from my nonexistent Dino fund to the RPM Foundation, which trains the next generation of skilled automotive craftspeople.

The end, I cautiously write, is near. The upholstery and trim are finished, and nearly all the cabin parts are back in place. I say nearly because when the interior craftsman passed away and I collected the parts, the sun visors and mounts had gone AWOL. Perhaps someone reading this knows where I can find replacements? If so, feel free to drop me a line using the comments below.

Those missing parts certainly won’t stop me from driving the Dino as soon as spring rains wash the salt from our Michigan roads. In the July/August issue of this magazine, I’ll tally up what I’ve spent, a task I’ve been dreading. That 25 large was, as most of you know, just the down payment, but I already know that the experience has been worth every penny.

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This story first appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Join the club to receive our award-winning magazine and enjoy insider access to automotive events, discounts, roadside assistance, and more.