Now this magic mechanic I mentioned Barend, kinda got me started on my rotary engine love/hate relationship after I accidentally stumbled across his shop in the Gabba, Brisbane. It started off with the webber carburetor and soon became a manual gearbox, and a new exhaust and a new fly wheel/clutch and, something else, and some new suspension, and the somewhat standard car wasn't so standard anymore and modding it was becoming addictive.
Being a poor uni student (poor because of the car), I would help Barend out at the shop to pay off my debts....as well as uni and working part time with Andrew Peers and his Lanscaping business. At Barend's shop I would do grease and oil changes and general servicing and eventually I was pulling engines out of cars, rebuilding the engines with Baz and putting them back in.
In late 2000 early 2001 after spending a year or so modding the series 2 I stumbled across a series 7 on the Gold Coast in a car yard.....It was awesome...My dream car, I just wanted one and I was going to do anything to get that thing. I had saved a bit of money but nowhere near enough to buy this thing. I had some shares and a few ivestments that my mum had put me into but what were the chances that she'd let me spend $40k+ on a car. Pretty slim I thought... When I told her about the car it was much to my surprise she agreed to have a look at it. So with Baz and Mum I headed down to the car yard. She liked it and made a deal with me that it would be her car until I finished uni and then I would have it transferred to my name...Oh and the old S2 would have to be sold otherwise all deals were off.....Ok mum what ever who cares about the old s2. That afternoon we signed the papers and drove off in the 4 year old S7 Rx-7. Yippie!!
For a year or so the s2 sat around while I tried (half heartedly to sell it)... The S7 was just soo much faster, better looking and handled better and did everything the old car couldn't. But in all honesty it still lacked something.....Heart and soul and a bit of me. In 2002 my final year of uni, I took a drive down to Sydney in the old S2 to visit my uncle Jim....It was to be the final run in the old girl before I was to get serious about selling it..... Hmmmm.
While in Sydney I punted the old girl around Eastern Creek and Bathurst, and I also drove out through the Jenolan caves, Blue Mountains and back through the Hunter Valley wine region....The car never missed a beat and quickly reminded me what driving was all about....not about necessarily going fast but the freedom it brings. looking over the bonnet and remembering all the things I did in that car and I realised that there was no way on earth I could get rid of it. It was a bit rusty and a bit crusty but it was my car and she loved me..... as much as I loved her, as much a man could love a machine.
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