IF I CONNECTED all the threads from all the T bags I have ever used, the string would reach to Le Mans and back.
If I could find all the tiny spring washers I have dropped into the unreachable depths of all the cars I have ever owned, they would fill a skip.
If the horde of many years’ worth of lost spanners, pliers, screwdrivers and sockets all magically rematerialised I could open a tool shop and would never need to work again.
Like odd socks in the washing machine, what happens to them all?
As I press energetically through what is optimistically tagged as ‘middle’ age, my dexterity deteriorates in tandem with my libido. While the ambition is still there, I am much better - as a mechanic I need to clarify - in my mind than in the real world.
Mysterious as that existential crisis is, there are other puzzles in my garage. It seems that despite lost spring washers and sockets, all my recent work is paying off.
For the first time in about a decade, a majority of the cars in my shed are actually going.
Reliably starting, driving and returning home. Not leaking. Not needing any urgent fettling. A pleasure to drive. When I tuck them back into their cosy nest, I can simply turn off the ignition, shut the roller door and walk away.
I am not sure what to do with myself. This is alien territory, confusing and psychologically challenging. I am habituated to feeling needed and am unsettled at having a garage with cars that do not need urgent repairs.
Denne historien er fra Issue 482-utgaven av Unique Cars.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 482-utgaven av Unique Cars.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
V8 MATES
THIS HOLDEN SL/R 5000 BUILD WAS THE CATALYST FOR A GREAT FRIENDSHIP
ICE ICE BABY
TAKE ONE VOLKSY FASTY AND ADD A SUBY FLAT FOUR ... SIMPLE
LOST & FOUND!
THEY THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE FOUND AMELIA EARHART'S PLANE...WE ALREADY HAVE HER CAR!
CAB CHARGE
WHEN IS AN EX-TAXI NOT AN EX-TAXI? WHEN IT'S A FORMER WEDDING-CAR. THIS RARE EBONY BLACK VG VALIANT WAS FOUND BY SHEER LUCK
CBX1000
HONDA'S BIG-SIX TOURER IS A COMPELLING RIDE
1967 FORD MUSTANG FLASHBACK
THIS 1967 MUSTANG MIGHT LOOK LIKE ANOTHER BULLITT TRIBUTE, BUT WHAT LIES UNDERNEATH IS NO ORDINARY MUSTANG
HONDA S2000 SPORTS
THERE ARE numerous contenders for the title of 'World's Best Four Cylinder Engine' and Honda's F20C, twin overhead cam powerhouse must be right near the top of the list.
FORD ESCORT 1970-80
FORD VERY nearly turned the Japanese small-car tide with its conservative but groundbreaking Escort.
ROLLING BACK THE FEARS
HYBRIDS AND EVS ARE BECOMMING MORE POPULAR, BUT A RECENT RETHINK SEES ICE ENGINES, THEREFORE CLASSIC CARS, SET TO ROLL ON FOR MANY YEARS TO COME
SUPERCAT ON THE PROWL
TWR HAS revealed its limited edition Supercat, with a price tag of $428,000 plus taxes, with deliveries to commence late 2024.