| Vehicles: |
That daddys motoring interest is allowed in such a scale, - has a
historical explanation. Once upon a time this little boy was even
smaller than today, and it was at that time the motoring interest and
engagement started. Here you can read the a description of what seems to
be the cause of a "manic car- and motoring obsession-diagnosis":
As a little blue-eyed and blond norwegian kid, it was a great thing to
have aunts and uncles in America. So did also this kid on both his
mothers and his fathers side. Even a great grandfather who had been
working as a real cowboy in Dakota. And a grandfather who spent some
time in Little Norway as a carpenter. Some of these stories colourized
the kids mind and imagination. The fact that the famliy even got visits
from USA from time to time did not improve on the diagnosis. Sometimes
he also got presents which contained small things with wheels.
There was also another relative on his fathers side, - aunt Caroline.
She was a tiny, - but yet a great person when she arrived for visits
every summer during the 60'es. And when she came to visit, - she came in
a "big, safe and american way", - as the AMCAR
magazine usually says.
She brought her "veeery" big 57/58/59
Buick (or was it a Ford) ? to Norway every spring. (The
memory might be a little out of shape here, as the boy at this time only
were 4 or 5 years old.) Caroline and her car arrived with the "America-boat"
in the spring and went back in the autumn.
(Here it should have been a picture
of the car and aunt, and we are working on it.)
The "Dollar grin": 1957 Buick Special
4-door sedan
And the boy went on several trips
with aunt Caroline and her big american car. Often together with his
younger brother. Both in the front seat and in the rear seat, where it
was soooo
far over to the other side. It was
real fun to slide over in the rear seat. At that time there was no
obligation to use a safety belt. Even though aunt Caroline was no
Schumacher, - american cars were not made for bumpy and narrow norwegian
country roads and the G-forces this combination often produced. But they
were still comfortable, exotic and luxurious to us. And they had real
engines, - V8's.
By the time aunty grew older, - the trip over the sea became longer and
the roads became even more narrow. Then she decided to buy another car,
- and she asked the boys father to get her a smaller and more "neat"
car. The new '67 Volvo Amazon was nice, - but it was not quite that cool
to go cruising with a Volvo.......
The trips with aunty and her "dollar grin" american car were
repeated while playing with toy cars. Yet often also american toy cars.
Model car racing also was very fun at the age of 8-10. Uncle Morten's
Revell-track with '63 Corvette Split Window was VERY FAST! Since then
there has been some other american
model racing cars.........
So I believe it was here it "started", - even though many
other things also was very fun at that age. A couple years later the boy
got his own car, - an Austin
1100 MKII, as his father gave up to sell it. Now the boy also
got greasy hands, as he started an engine overhaul. He started racing
the fields at home on the farm, - with the Austin and some Volkswagen's,
- with and without chassis. Inspired from Disneys "Herbie" and
articles on dune-buggies in car magazines. Ice-racing on the lake in the
winter also was very fun. The interest in motoring even included bikes
and boats, Tempo Corvette,
Tempo 175 ccm off-road and some more.
A 10' Pioner Cipax boat with a 35Hp Chrysler outboard was used in the
summer for waterskiing. (Did this affect the later interest in
Mopar-products?) This boat was so "over-motorized" that it
could not be used with full throttle unless there was 4 persons in the
boat!
Then the boy started reading car magazines, such as Hot Rod Magazine and
Wheels. Then came the norwegian magazines AMCAR
and RightOn. At this point, - and for some years, his car-dream was a 1957 Chevrolet
Bel Air Convertible, in bright blue metallic and with a blower.
(Or a Rod, or a Stingray, or .......)
Instead he bought a 1953 Plymouth Cranbrook, the 17 year old boy could
not afford the "dream". The wallet had spoken. Still very
eager and "blue-eyed", he went to work. This machine was to be
ready for his drivers license of course!
(The car was sold 10 years later, -
not yet finished......)
As he was turning 18 he also had to try a "big" motorcycle.
And he made some experiences with a '73? Yamaha RD350.
Such as how NOT to use the throttle on a bike that is known to do easy
wheelies.
With a fresh drivers license in his pocket, the guy was ready for the
roads. Uncle Morten's '69 Opel Kadett
1100 SR was to be his first car. He spent some time to customize
the car, - both on the outside and inside. How about that paint????? A
year later the Opel was crashed into some rocks, without personal injury.
From this incident, - a new currency was born: Car$
1 Car$ = 10 $ (100?)
Of course he had to have a new car!!
The Opel Kadett was followed by a few japanese cars. First a '74 Datsun
(Nissan) and then some Mazda 929's. But the dream of an american car
would not fade out.
In the Autumn 1981 he bought his first american car which was ready for
cruising. It had a nice grey primer all over. The old dark red metallic
with yellow and orange custom flames had been removed. Still very eager,
the grey primer disappeared under some layers of a dark blue Toyota
metallic. Spring 1982 the boy proudly went cruising with his fresh
painted
1964 Dodge Polara 330 4-door sedan.
The page is full, - the story will continue later!
|
Velkommen til Jahren
Welcome to
Jahren