I started out with old British motorbikes when I was still at school. My dad made me take the first one back - try explaining that to the fat old guy who has just off-loaded a duff Tiger Cub and spent the money (I didn't tell my dad about the next bike). I broke any number of bikes before I discovered that a) cars kept you drier (although not necessarily dry); b) you could carry lots of bike parts in them, and c) girls liked cars more. Not being rich and liking engineering I stuck with old cars and worked my way back from a 1968 Austin Cambridge Estate to a 1927 Erskine via all sorts of oddities (Steyr Puch TR650?). Still not rich and still liking engineering, I work on other peoples' cars now, from old Astons to old Austins but I seem to being seeing more Model As than is good for me, as well as the occasional modified T. I like those big old four-bangers despite some of the old car guys over here being a bit snooty about them - mind you it's probably because they know the ohv hot rod A I'm currently working on will whup their expensive, hand-made and over-rated English "thoroughbred" - and at 1/20th (or less) of the cost!
The Jalopy Journal
