With every automotive task in the garage, you'll make several visits to most if not all of the following: community auto parts stores, specialty tool retailers, the local hardware, the mega hardware emporium, and vintage Ford (substitute brand of car for your collectible here) parts houses throughout the duration of the project. Among car guys this is fully understood. I've never completed even the simplest of jobs without purchasing tools and components from at least a couple places. What gets me every time is the 11th hour, when you're almost done, and you know you have everything you need to finish the job. At the point right when you think you have every needed item, you realize you're missing one vital tool or part. That's often when automotive improvisation is at its finest. Seasoned gearheads always improvise. And they do it in such a way that the job is done right-often better than if the exact tool or component was available.
For as long as I can remember I've taken part and witnessed automotive improvisation. The first time you pick up a wrench and work on a car you become a practitioner. As with doing anything, the more you work on a car, the more proficient you become at the art of AI.
My brother Kevin and I learned AI from our Dad, Dan Brian Smith Sr. (now you know what the D. stands for). We worked alongside him, as we began the restoration of the rare German Auto Union 1936 Wanderer W25K roadster I mentioned in the November '06 KIT CAR editorial. We watched Dad whittle horn grilles out of wood and have them cast in brass, because we couldn't find the scarce, must-have chrome grilles. We took the car apart piece by piece, lovingly renewed every component, and commenced the ongoing reconstruction project. All the while, we learned by doing and watching our Father, how the professional fabricators perform their craft.
Dad, Kevin, and I had an opportunity to work again side by side during the Christmas holiday season. As always, we learned from each other, and employed a fair amount of AI on the '34 Ford roadster pickup Dad and I are presently building (see the tech article in this issue).
I was mightily impressed with how skilled my little brother has become in the art of automotive improvisation; several examples of Kev's prowess are in the aforementioned story. Remember, I've been afforded the opportunity to observe some very talented metal magicians in my day, considering all the tech articles I've photographed and written these past several years, and the 30 some years I have in the hobby.
Since the early days of working on the Wanderer, Kevin has wrenched on a '55 Chevy Bel Air convertible, two '68 Mustang convertibles, a '84 VW Scirocco, a Datsun 2000 roadster amateur race car, a '64 Sunbeam Tiger, a '87 SAAB 9000 amateur race car, a '86 Toyota MR2, a '65 Mustang 2+2, a '87 Barber SAAB Pro Series open-wheeled race car, a '87 Ferrari 328 GTS, a '90 Mazda Miata, and now of course, a '34/'05 Ford roadster pickup hot rod. He has a knack for swiftly figuring out the best way to fix, restore, or create anything that's automotive in nature. More importantly, he has the ability to take action, and make it happen.Not so coincidentally, Kevin took his love for all things automotive and made a career in the industry. He worked for SAAB for over 18 years in ever-increasing roles of responsibility, and finished there as the director of communications. He's now the manager of public relations for Cadillac.
Like me, Kevin's passion is also his profession, which is quite a blessing. As you can imagine, having my brother and my Dad alongside me, while working on our '34/'05 Ford dream drop-top truck is another one.
We hope you enjoy the tech articles as much as we like performing the work. Anytime we can impart some automotive improvisation within the stories, we will. If Dad and Kevin are turning the wrenches, it's a given there'll be some AI that might help your kit car projects. So, be on the lookout automotive enthusiasts.