Restoration by Uncle Ted.
My current obsession driven intrigue has found its way back to automobiles. As a small child I was always fascinated with things with wheels, or tracks. From heavy duty construction equipment to what I now consider to be a tad gaudy, the Lamborghini. I would make intricate drawings of common semi trucks and exotic sports cars. At age six I wanted very much to become a car designer as an adult. Car obsession was nothing new to my family. The family's last name on my mother's side was Kolodzyk, which in its original form translated to wheels in Polish. On this side of the family, dating back to their lives in Poland, there were workers of the auto industry in one form or another. My uncle Ted was always busy buying and restoring cars, from his teenage years up into his late 60's. He also worked for an American car company based out of Milwaukee in the 70's by the name of Excalibur. As a child I was always intrigued by a new addition of an old or unusual car in his driveway that seemed to show up every few months while others would be sold. His father, (my grandfather) owned an auto body shop in Milwaukee in the 50's and 60's. This guy once fabricated his own camper, I'm hoping to find those pictures some day. And his father, (my great grandfather) also an autobody man, I believe designed a body for a Nash Motors concept car that is now somewhere in a museum near Detroit. At the time when my Polish ancestry still lived in Poland they were repairing stage coaches before the onset of the automobile. On the other side, my father wasn't much of a mechanic but he sure did like his Saabs. He drove his first Saab in 1978 and had a Saab up until his passing in 2010. I think there were 4 or 5 between those years and I always enjoyed their slightly odd appeal.
Growing up, it only made sense for me to switch my focus to the more obtainable bicycle. An obsession that lasted into my mid twenties. I'm 27 now and haven't quit bicycles by any means but my obsessiveness over them has died down some, and has moved back to automobiles. Upon my father's passing my lifestyle changed, a car was needed and financial backing for one was available. Since then I've been spending a lot more of my time on the internet researching cars, their history, and how to repair or modify them is some way or another, than I have been on seeking out pictures or information on obscure bicycles. I feel like I've got bicycle pretty well figured as far as I need to at this point. As far as cars go, I've got a lot of catching up to do to even consider myself a competent home mechanic. The more complicated, intricate, and variety of systems a car presents has got my mind challenged once again. Once again there are unknowns for me to puzzle over, sort out, and understand. This learning is very much welcomed and enjoyable to me, as I hope to not stop learning at any part of this lifetime.
I'm a little bit regretful that the age gap was so great, or that I didn't take a stronger interest in my families talents while they were still alive or able. Besides my uncle Ted's talent with cars there was a great uncle who was a master cabinetmaker. Of course in hindsight everything is always more obvious. Regardless, I've developed my own interest in mechanics and metal working and hope to continue to expand my range of abilities.
As with most things I tend toward the obscure. I can't be happy with anything common it seems. I must seek out the unusual, the obsolete, or the uncommon. This either has some direct connection to a deficiency in my personality or is just part of my family heritage. For now I'm proud to continue my families obsession.
