How I spent my summer vacation – on the Galileo

[Jsimon999]

That's very true. I'm sure she did what she could.

I myself would have tarped it for as long as necessary until I could find someone who could give it the conditions it needed to maintain it properly. Especially when I saw the beginning signs of damage/aging.

:thumbsup
Jon

 

[newworld]

That's very true. I'm sure she did what she could.

I myself would have tarped it for as long as necessary until I could find someone who could give it the conditions it needed to maintain it properly. Especially when I saw the beginning signs of damage/aging.

:thumbsup
Jon

You've hit the nail on the head, Jon. $50 worth of plastic and this piece would now be in far better shape than it's in now. It was obvious to me that it had been left out in the weather after the various "restorations". Had it at least been covered and protected from moisture it would not have to be a complete restart in restoring.

Having seen the owner's home, I can say that she treated this the same way she treated the rest of her property.

 

[newworld]

Someone who wasn't a true fan would have had the shuttle demolished years ago.
She may have lacked means, doesn't mean she lacked heart.

I mean no offense, but let's be clear. She let that thing sit year after year without trying to sell it. It literally melted away. It was unnecessarily exposed to weather (buy tarps!!) and time. That didn't take heart – it took neglect. Had she moved on it 10 years ago she would have actually gotten a better price and the piece would have been in better condition. We'll never know why she waited, only that she did. She herself came to call it "a white elephant", so obviously there was little affection left. I judge the situation only by the actions taken. Or not taken, in this case.

Demolition was never an option to her, IMO. She saw it as valuable IN ANY CONDITION and was waiting for a payday which she finally got.

It was heartbreaking to stand in front of that piece and see its awful state, knowing that its caretaker literally took no care.

 

[Bronson BB]

I mean no offense, but let's be clear. She let that thing sit year after year without trying to sell it. It literally melted away. It was unnecessarily exposed to weather (buy tarps!!) and time. That didn't take heart – it took neglect. Had she moved on it 10 years ago she would have actually gotten a better price and the piece would have been in better condition. We'll never know why she waited, only that she did. She herself came to call it "a white elephant", so obviously there was little affection left. I judge the situation only by the actions taken. Or not taken, in this case.

Demolition was never an option to her, IMO. She saw it as valuable IN ANY CONDITION and was waiting for a payday which she finally got.

It was heartbreaking to stand in front of that piece and see its awful state, knowing that its caretaker literally took no care.

Ah.
Well....

If you've ever watched the show 'Hoarders', the subjects of each episode do much the same.

 

[Treadwell]

Meh, seems to me the deterioration to the shuttle over the last 10+ years did no more damage to its original parts than it had already suffered prior to its first restoration. You've seen the photos of it surrounded by cars and buses in a paved storage yard with the roof collapsed, right? That was in the early 1980s. (I wish I had asked David Silver for a copy of the video he shot of it in that state--see other thread for my story on that.)

A lot of previous restoration work has been ruined, but that wasn't original anyway.

 

[newworld]

A lot of previous restoration work has been ruined, but that wasn't original anyway.

Absolutely correct. But there are still SOME original exterior panels in place that will now have to be totally replaced. I assume they weren't replaced before because they were in good enough condition to keep. But now, it all has to go. IMO, keeping ANY remaining pieces intact should have been the priority and would have been a plus to any restored version. But now all remaining original exterior panels will probably have to go.

 

[Treadwell]

Then that is a shame, agreed.