Greeting from Australia

Hi Paul

Just read your thread.......and, WOW. I totally agree with you. I love what I do for a living.

I started at a young age 10, being facinated with my fathers moped a old NSU Quickly that was proped up against a wall in the garden and had been there for some years. Neadless to say, the engine had seized and all in all looked a bit sorry for it's self.

I remember him saying if I could get it going I could have it. So, going it would be, because I wanted it. I spent most of my spare time on it, carefully taking the engine apart and labeling every thing, as I didn't have a manual and to be honest, I hadn't a clue what I was doing either. But I was loving it, and my father always said "if your keen boy, throw yourself in at the deep end. You'll soon learn"

After a few weeks I had it running.......My father supervised in the background but there if I needed him, and of course I did at times. Hell i was only 10. Like when it came to remove the barrel and the piston was stuck fast. He handed me a can of Plus Gass, told me what it was used for and of course he had to organise for the liner to be honed out along with buying a new piston and rings etc.....My pocket money wouldn't stretch that far.

That experiance and facination has stayed with me. I left school and went on to college to get my City and Guilds as a motor vehicle technician. Maybe like the birthday girl and her maiden flight.

Whenever people come to us for work to be carried out, I will always try to educate them to some extent, rather than just take in the work and money without giving them an idea of what is envolved.

Ian