Kim Nielson and the Banana

This is Gunner Mench and I met Kim Nielson in 2019 while crossing the country in my Pink Pig Livery 944 Turbo. Since then we have become close friends and as my health has improved, his has declined. The goal for this fund-raiser is to bring back the 84 944 Banana to full running condition after it spun a bearing and to inspire and give Kim hope to overcome his health issues and for us to drive together from Colorado to Ohio in early September to attend the 944 Fest together like we did last year with the Pink Pig before his health deteriorates further and he is no longer able to make the journey and attend. He may hate me for letting you all know, but he is in rough physical shape.

Kim turns 56 tomorrow, on the 26th of February. Yes, he has been "Rode hard and put away wet" a few times. He is soon to have open heart surgery to repair an aortic aneurism that threatens his life. The back surgery that repaired the leakage on his spine has been repaired several times, after leaving him with spinal meningitis last year after surgery, and no feeling or control of his left foot. This condition cannot be reversed. He recently took his mother's ashes back to Denmark to be with his father after she died.

As an incentive to give him something to look forward to, I have secured a replacement engine for the junk engine in his 944, a gift from Mark Pleiman at Plyhammer's Parts in Ohio, and now need to raise funds to pay the mechanic for the engine swap, and purchase belts, hoses and seals and engine mounts as well as fixing the air conditioning system to make the car reliable to get us both from Colorado to Ohio and back. I will not let him attempt this trip alone. The Pink Pig is staying on the West Coast. I know that I am compromised as well, but having traversed this country 3 times and traveled up and down the East and West Coasts solo in my 86 944 Turbo, I feel that he will have a reliable partner in this task. I just hope his health holds up and he recovers well from open heart surgery. It may take a few months. Surgery is due to happen next month. Don't bug him, he doesn't respond to most other friends. Sorry.

So I plead with you all for help. I have personally helped him as much as I can over the last few years and look forward to enjoying his friendship for years to come. We would all love to see his smiling face and The Banana at 944 Fest in September. Can you help make this a reality?

Please donate generously to help Kim get his 84 944 Banana to 944 Fest and back. We all want to see his smiling face there on the track! The 944 Community is the best!