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It was my father that got me interested in customizing & drag racing. He worked as a night telephonist in a local hospital, to pass the time away he would buy car magazines, in the mid sixties he started to get the American mags which after he finished with them, brought them home for me to read, in the seventies he started to buy Custom Car from the second issue (Which I still have) (I picked up from where he left off.) At school in art class, I used to draw and paint Fuel Altered's & Front engine Dragsters, (All with Hemi engines as they were easy to draw.) and I customized my push bike with ape hangers and a flake paint job out of aerosol cans which at the time you could buy. (He also bought Chopper magazine's) Then he encouraged me to buy my first Motor Bike to make it easier to get back and for Portsmouth when I was in the Navy, (Even this bike ended up having some flake paint on it.) After righting that bike off, when a 100E Anglia pulled out of a side street in front of me, I went a bought a brand new Honda CB 175 with electric start. (I think it cost me £307 on the road.) When Linda and myself moved to Chatham with the Navy, I sold that bike, I did not get another until I left and moved up to South Wales.
The first bike I got up here was a Triumph Tiger cub 200 and used that to get back and for work. I also got my first car which was a SL90 HA Viva which I started to do some custom work on, but a lack of funds and proper tools it was sold for scrap, but not before I had sold the front suspension to Jon Lane (From Barry) for his pop. (Jon has now moved to the States taking his 32 Ford and Harley with him.)
By this time I had a Suzuki GT250 which I had from my Brother and had this until I was made redundant and went and got the Mini. (See history page) I still have a motor bike in the shape of a Honda Shadow 600 which I use as much as I can.
My Father never went to see drag racing but went to a few custom shows, including one Hayling Island on the Sunday when I was down for the weekend showing my car.
I am proud of my Father and am thankful for all he done for me and I will miss him like mad.
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