[AlanHo]

A young chap who lives with his parents in our Grove has been rebuilding a Ford Focus for several months - most evenings and week ends you can see the garage door open and hear noises of drilling, angle grinding and see flashes of a MIG welder. For the past two weeks we have been treated to the noise of the engine and its harsh crackle and pop on the over-run.

On Saturday I saw it for the first time out on the drive and I must admit it looks very racy - with ultra low suspension, rubber bands for tyres on what must be at least 20" rims, a huge air intake box on the bonnet, very low side skirts and a front skirt that would make a good snow plough.

I met his dad when I went to fetch my Sunday news paper and commented on the car. He told me that after months of work and a lot of expenditure, the lad cannot use the car. We live in a cul de sac and the main road it joins has speed humps every few yards in both directions - most of which are quite high. When he took it for its first drive on Saturday afternoon he found that the car could not get over the humps so he finds himself a prisoner in our Grove.

I suspect we are in for another round of drilling, angle grinding and welding.  I could have warned him about it if he had asked me - It was precisely why I chose an i30 in preference to a Lamborghini Gallardo............

[eye30]

Well at least the boom from the mod exhaust won't wake you up for a while yet...

[Dazzler]

Great story Alan  If you worked for the local paper I would have considered that to be a bit of  a scoop 

[AlanHo]

Great story Alan  If you worked for the local paper I would have considered that to be a bit of  a scoop 

I think it best not to rile the neighbours - let's keep it between you and I...

[Doggie 1]

His Focus was aimed too low then 

[Surferdude]

He sounds like he's pretty handy. Why doesn't he just make up a set of ramps to straddle the speed bumps. 

[Dazzler]

His Focus was aimed too low then 

 

[2i30s]

   been there done that.  i can remember asking my passengers too get out so as i could go over speed bumps or driveways in a few of my earlier cars. 

[Keith]

As the sort of extreme lowering you describe Alan is so impractical, I'd suggest these kids look towards Airbag suspension.
The purpose of lowering really is a visual effect desired by the owners / drivers, our roads dont facilitate driving with cars that low... my nephew has done similar also with a focus, the adjustable coil-overs are wound down fully!
I cannot get even my fingers between tyre & wheel-arch! I helped him fit the last kit which is Bilstein made & good quality.
With airbags the cars can be at least raised remotely from inside the car, to navigate these horrendous speed-bumps.
He also has fitted Auto remote start linked to his alarm system... and a huuuuge Sub & Amp that shakes all the windows in any street he drives down... 

[AlanHo]

I lived in Bahrain a few years back and in 1994 had to move to the USA for 7 months to buy and asset strip a rolling mill factory in Kentucky and ship it to Bahrain for installation there. Some of the kids in Kentucky fitted hydraulic cylinders to each corner of their cars with a control unit that could make the car rear up at least 18" and dance to the horrendous music being pumped out by massive speakers in the boot (or should I say trunk). They used to meet up at a mall car park at week-ends near to our apartment (or should I say condominium or condo for short). It was fascinating to walk down and take a look at all the cars - they loved to show you their pride and joy (the car) and demonstrate its locomotion.  I bet most of those lads are as deaf as a post by now - the noise was mind blowing.

It did take quite a few photos and videos of them - but unfortunately our house in Bahrain was later raided and set on fire in one of the riots whilst we were away on holiday and we lost a lot of stuff.  Riots in the Middle East make big news today - but they were going on just as much in Bahrain 15 years ago.

[Dazzler]

It did take quite a few photos and videos of them - but unfortunately our house in Bahrain was later raided and set on fire in one of the riots whilst we were away on holiday and we lost a lot of stuff.  Riots in the Middle East make big news today - but they were going on just as much in Bahrain 15 years ago.

You have had some amazing life experiences Alan (your legendary sense of humour must have been a life saver on some occasions)

[AlanHo]

You have had some amazing life experiences Alan (your legendary sense of humour must have been a life saver on some occasions)

I suppose you do what is required of you at any time in your life without thinking too much about it. I rather take for granted much of what I have done - but I have been fortunate to have lived (with the exception of WW2) through a period of fantastic technical development, wealth, health and a huge increase in the general standard of living. One of our Prime Ministers ( Macmillan) coined the phrase - "You have never had it so good" and he was right. I had a wonderful career, have enjoyed quite good health, can afford the things I want and now have a lovely wife to share my life with. Having lost my late wife to lung cancer in 2004 I didn't expect to ever find another life partner - but I did at the ripe old age of 71 thanks to a chance meeting on an internet forum.

I have often considered writing some short stories covering the most interesting bits of my life - but my friends and family already know about it and my grand kids (those that I am in touch with) are too busy building their own lives to be interested in my history. Maybe they will in time - but I rather doubt it. Their generation is going to face some serious challenges and I fear that they will not find life as safe and as easy as our generation have enjoyed.

[Doggie 1]

You should put pen to paper Alan.
My grandad wrote his memoirs and it's now that he's gone that they're probably most valuable. (Not that I'm wishing you gone, you understand  )

[Phil №❶]

Alan, I highly recommend you write all you can remember as the information about what life was like is most valuable and interesting. I have some examples.

1. When I was about 5, my aunties father was about 80 and I used to listen to his stories of his life with great interest. I remember to this day, how he told us that the world was getting too modern, too quickly (approx 1960, well before the digital age,) but this observation was based on the fact that around 1930, the city council installed electric lights in the vegetable market in the city of Adelaide.  If he was only alive to see what has happened since.

2. Searching for my family history, i came across the journal of a 15 yo lad who sailed from England to Australia (voluntarily,) Little did he know that his record would be stored electronically, for the whole world to see. He was not a relative of mine, but I found it just plain interesting to read first hand, about those times.

[Surferdude]

^^^
My grandfather's brother was a Baptist minister and his wife Elsie wrote his memoirs and self published them in the last few years ofhis life. It's a fascinating window into life in SE Qld from around the turn of the 20th century.
Perhaps others might not find it as interesting but I sure do, even though I only met him a couple of times.

[Keith]

There is a TV program on here in the UK (Central ITV region) called "56 on".

It recounts the progress in a (I think) unique way, reviewing the lives of youngsters from age 7 years old in 7 yearly increments, up to current time where they are all around 56 years old now. Its an interesting watch for me as it covers my age group, I recall similar events as they do... and having similar thoughts & fears. Amazing how many times I said to my wife " I remember that" or "Oh I did that" and all that stuff... Even my 22 year old daughter was fascinated!

From school when I was around 14, how work would be a thing of the past (not just for the unemployed) because robots would do everything for us.
How we would all be in flying cars by the year 2000 & a colony would be living on the Moon... how Space travel would be commonplace... the Cold War, Cuba crisis, '66 World Cup... Miners strikes... Red Robbo... blimey... how the World has changed...

[AlanHo]

 

[Keith]

Stunned! Coming from you Maestro... I bow & touch my forelocks... thankyou! 

[eye30]

There is a TV program on here in the UK (Central ITV region) called "56 on".

Also, on Granada.

'66 World Cup...  blimey... how the World has changed...

No really for this.
 I doubt if England will ever win the World cup in my lifetime.