It was 1981 and I'd just realised that I'd made a fundamental mistake in my kit-car design. Two actually, the first was getting inadvisably married. Not really part of the kit, but it had a serious effect on it.
Enough said.
The car drove well enough and all the bits worked. however, the body was all wrong, mainly because I had no idea that you could get bodies or "tubs" to fit the chassis, and so had made something myself out of this and that. For all it's ugliness it had working doors and a folding screen, storage space and a comfortable ride. The real fault, and second mistake, was my lack of practice and maybe a bit too much of the trial and error, with the errors still in.
The build, on the farm, took me several years, starting in complete ignorance, although the deathknell was getting married, it never really stood a chance, what with the nest building and the psychotherapy. So sadly the special died from lack of attention, although it came to Scotland with me, and technically outlived the marriage. Cost less too.
The process stood me in good stead though, and I learned much about practical engineering and materiel sourcing, when to go and buy an expensive tool and when to jury rig a way around it. It's probably just as well it never got near a vehicle inspection, and if I'd made it look legal it indubitably would have taken the first opportunity to kill me and anybody within a mile or so of road.
The one thing I didn't do that I should have done was to keep the headlights and mudguards, and a few other bits. There again if I'd kept all that might have been useful, later in life, I'd have needed an aircraft hanger to put it all in.
So why resurrect this memory? Well I've been married to the right girl for some time now, and it seemed like a good idea to have another go. I have more time and a fair bit more experience, somebody else has done a fair bit of the work on the tub, rather better than my first attempt. And there's a plan. Most important that, a plan. If I understood it I'd feel a little more confident, but I'm sure I'll manage, one thing "the special" taught me was how to think sideways around problems.Of course the moment I got started, two major time eating opportunities opened up, of which more later, and so there'll be less time than I thought, but only busy people do anything now, the rest do it later, maybe,
well, they'll try,
probably.
"The Special", a car that never quite was. 1975-1983
