So Bill, why the strange cars?

I've always been a gearhead; growing up in the NC Mountains bootlegging and hot cars were in my family tree. My earliest memories are of sitting in my great uncle's garage/gas station/ body shop/ used car lot.

Even though I didn't start driving until the 1980's, in Ashe County it was still the 1950's. No alcohol, no dancing, only one fast food joint, one theater that was closed more than open... you get the picture. All there was to do on a Saturday night was to cruise town (American Graffiti style) and drag race late at night.

Even in the 1980's a Honda was an unusual sight. A Corvette was "exotic". Well, one neighbor had a 1960 Corvair sedan in their carport and another had an MGTF. These cars captured my imagination unlike anything I saw on the street... though neither had moved in a couple of decades.

So at 16, I wanted a Corvair. "No way" said Dad, an old hot rodder. "The are unrelaible, unsafe, and leak oil". So at 17 I bought an MG Midget instead! ;-)

I finally bought my first Corvair while at NC State and since then have hardly ever been without either British cars AND Corvairs.

As an unreformed CAR SLUT (as one of my buddies affectionately refers to me as), I've dabbled in all sorts of cars from every corner of the world... usually looking for technical innovations (both in engine, construction, materials, etc) but also at cars badly undervalued by the market. ("World's Worst Cars"? Been there, done that!)

Lately I've branched out a bit more to include cars that have played an important role in automotive history, but even after the 100+ cars I've owned over the past 25 years, I continue to gravitate back to Corvairs and LBCs (Little British Cars). I'll never have a clean garage floor!!