Help Frances Finish What She Started
She sold grapefruits at 11 to buy a Porsche 914. Six years later, she's this close to finishing. She just needs the most expensive part.
I've spent five years watching a teenager outwork most adults I know. I've put my own time, parts, and reputation behind her project. Now I'm inviting this community to be part of how it ends.
I first met Frances Farnam in 2020. She was a kid in Sierra Madre, California with a 1976 Porsche 914 in her garage, an aspirational EV conversion project, and a mission to inspire other kids her age. That mission is what got me.
I started mentoring her and introduced her to 914World and the incredible people in this community. Experts like Mark Brem, Eric Shea at PMB, Bruce Stone—people who know these cars inside and out. They all chipped in. Parts. Knowledge. Time. Because that's what this community does.
Now we're making that opportunity available to you.
But before I ask for anything, you need to understand who Frances actually is.
She Started with Grapefruits
At age 11½, Frances picked and sold grapefruits and vegetables from her family's garden at local farmers' markets. She saved approximately $2,000 and bought a 1976 Porsche 914. Not because someone told her to. Because she decided that if there's no money, she'd create it.
The hardest thing for most people to do is start. Frances's superpower is she didn't just start—she went for it.
She had no automotive experience. Zero. She taught herself welding, bodywork, painting, electrical systems. She listened—not the way most teenagers listen, but the way someone listens when they know the car is just a door to something bigger.
No experience. No resources. No one telling her she could do it. Just the courage to begin and a community that showed up when she needed it. Your contribution—any amount—tells the next kid watching that this community has their back too.
Contribute NowWho She Is When Nobody's Watching
Before Tinkergineering had any following at all, before anyone was watching, Frances donated her hair to Locks of Love for children with cancer. She used money from her grapefruit sales to buy Christmas presents for less fortunate kids in her community. When fires threatened Sierra Madre and her family was evacuated—uncertain whether their home would survive—she volunteered at shelters to help other families.
She doesn't talk about any of this unless you ask. That's how you know it's real.
"The car is a door to opportunity. It's about inspiring other kids my age to chase their dreams and show them what's possible when they try."
— Frances Farnam
Maybe you sold yours decades ago. Maybe life got in the way. You came back because some things are worth finishing. Frances hasn't had the chance to walk away yet—she's still in the fight. Help her see it through.
Back Her BuildWhere She Is Now
Frances is 17. She's been building this car for six years. The body is done. Paint is on. Suspension is in. Wiring harness is in. She's past the point where most adults quit—and I told her that directly, because it's true. Most grown adults with full workshops and decades of experience leave their projects in storage. She didn't.
Her Tinkergineering YouTube channel documents every step of the build. She was named a finalist for Plug In America's Emerging Leader Award—competing against graduate students and professional environmental specialists. She's been featured at SEMA. She's inspired adults to rethink what young people are capable of.
But now she's hit the wall that every builder knows. The final push. The most expensive components of the entire build.
The late nights. The setbacks. The moments you wondered if you'd ever finish. Frances is right there—except she started at eleven years old. She's earned every hour. Your contribution says what every builder needs to hear: keep going.
Fuel the Final PushWhat's Left
The EV conversion components are the heart of this project—and they're the most expensive part of the entire six-year journey. Here's what Frances needs to bring this 914 to life:
Total needed: approximately $25,000. That's the gap between six years of work and a running car.
Why I'm Asking
Mark, Eric, Bruce, myself—we've all been contributing parts, expertise, and time for years. That's not going to stop. But the EV components are a different scale. This isn't bushings and seals. This is the powertrain.
I believe in this project because I believe in what it represents. A teenager who started with nothing but grapefruits and a dream is about to prove that you don't need to be an adult to create real change. That a 914—our weird, unloved, misunderstood car—can be the vehicle that inspires the next generation of builders.
The 914 community has always been about strangers helping strangers. People showing up for each other because the car connects us. Frances is one of us. She's been one of us since she was eleven years old, even if she didn't know it yet.
The 914 community doesn't let people disappear. It doesn't let projects die. And it doesn't let someone who's worked this hard come up short at the end.
Every dollar goes directly to EV components. I'm personally overseeing that. Frances isn't asking for this—I am. Because someone has to, and I've watched her earn it for five years.
You've spent decades preserving 914s. You know they won't survive without people who care enough to do the work. Frances is 17 and she already cares more than most. Your contribution isn't charity—it's an investment in the future of this hobby.
Invest in the Future Watch Her Build— Matt Whitesell
Owner, 914 Rubber
914World: Matty900
Help Her Finish
Choose an amount below. You'll complete your donation securely through PayPal — every dollar goes directly to Frances.
All donations go directly to Frances's EV conversion components.
Personally overseen by Matt Whitesell, 914 Rubber.
🔒 Secure payment via PayPal. No account required.
MBAM