I guess it’s appropriate I start this blog on Father’s Day, since this is all about building a car that is much like the one my father drove years ago. I always thought the Lotus was a very cool car. Small, sexy and cornered like it was on rails. And those swooping front fenders. They seemed extravagant on such a minimalistic car. Indeed, most builders are putting the smaller B, for British, or bicycle, fenders on their build. I haven’t decided yet about that detail, there’s so much more to do first.
I was actually only allowed to drive the car once, to get it serviced. The other time I “borrowed” it for a short drive, not realizing that it’s lack of a gas gauge would strand my father on the way home from work. It didn’t take him long to put two and two together and realize that it had been borrowed, and that’s why the he ran out unexpectedly. Thanks Dad, for not making a big deal of that.
When my Mom sold the Lotus after Dad passed away, Both of his sons showed up when the new buyer was due to arrive. “So you’ve come to help load the car?” my Mom asked.
“No” we both replied. We were there simply to witness it’s leaving, to say a little goodbye to this diminutive part of our family.
It was driving distilled to it’s essence. The leather wrapped steering wheel had no other tasks. No wiper stalk, no turn signals, no air bag, not even a horn button. The tubular steel frame, clad in aluminum and fiberglas body panels was strong and light.
One day I asked three friends to stand at each wheel. We knelt and picked up the car and held it at chest level. That’s a light-weight vehicle.
The 998cc Austin engine had enough umph to make the little guy get up and go. Zero to 60 times? Don’t know. Don’t care. Who would care when the next intersection beckoned you to turn right? It wasn’t about getting there fast, it was about enjoying the trip.
That pretty much sums up my father. He enjoyed the trip that was his life. Flying planes, hunting and fishing, cars and music were just some of the things he enjoyed.
He left this earth much sooner than most, but I feel he did a full life-time of living while he was here.
So here I go, on my own trip, working to make my own joy ride out of life. Wheeee.
