Classic car mechanic – The sock paradox

‘In the corner of the workshop, Olli Ragbin sits watching events unfold before him’

I’m getting old (which I should immediately point out is not the same as feeling old).

It is however a cold hard fact. Whilst I still maintain the mental state of a 27-year old, the signs that things are, well, aging, are there for all to see.

‘I’ve already told you that’.

This statement is becoming a much more common response to my questions.

People also seem the be starting sentences with ‘are you listening to me?’ which may be implying that there were words uttered in my general direction prior to being asked that particular question. I can’t be sure.

A more telling sign is the apparent joy I seem to get from efficiency in certain areas. This week I went out and ‘bulk bought’ a whole draw-full of socks. I got home and threw out every old pair. Job jobbed. A smugness settled. Out with the old, in with the new.

After the initial glow of self-satisfaction subsided, a gnawing doubt started to unravel in my stomach. Was the mass purchase of socks really something I should be gaining pleasure from? Should the fact that the cost per unit was low and the ‘pence per wear’ lower still, be something that even registers with a normal human, let alone give any scrap of enjoyment?

I say this not to underline with ferocity the boring creature I have turned into, someone with whom any level of ‘passing the time’ conversation should seemingly be avoided at all costs, but rather to contrast the difference in mindset that can exists at the very same time in the very same person, dependent only on the object of the matter at hand.

Supreme cost-consciousness and judicious use of time focussed on 'very-minor-financial-commitments-to-completely-trivial-items-of-clothing' is thrown well and truly into the shade by the completely unfazed ability to spend a small fortune on cars/motorbikes/bicycles etc. for the most tenuous of reasons.

I have a racing bicycle which I pedal about the place. Have done many a foreign trip with this thing. It’s a nice bicycle, it really is. My obsessive attention to detail for the bicycle I love went to the extremes of replacing perfectly serviceable items, with newer, significantly more expensive alternatives on the back of perceived performance advantages. I spent a keen sum on carbon fibre pedals which were literally grams lighter than the old ones. A sum I’m too embarrassed to actually write down on paper, I might add.

Now, anyone who has met me will know that there are many, many grams available to be saved in the lycra’d combination of me on my bike. The overwhelming proportion of those grams belong to me in the most biological of senses. In short, they are me. The fact that those ‘difficult-to-get-rid-of-whilst-still-drinking-lager-and-eating-sweets’ grams get ignored and those ‘cost-a-fortune-to-engineer-out-of-a-pedal’ grams are the ones I go for says a lot.

Well, 2 things really;

1. I love to obsess over engineering beauty, cars, bikes, watches, anything in those ball parks seem worthy of ‘investment’

2. I’m lazy and want to eat sweets

Classics are no different. Ages (as well as pounds) spent tweaking, refining, perfecting. It’s something in all of us when it comes to the objects of our desire. We focus our attention. Our wallets. We switch off our ears. ("You’ve spent how much?......on that??!!”……sound familiar?)

If you, like I, are afflicted in the same way, then we at CCM are here for you. We share your obsession. We seek it out. And we’re here to help. We don’t want to cure you. We just want to make sure your obsession is attended to properly, by those of like mind. We’re good like that, see.

And so to our pics from this week’s workshop of activity.

As usual, I’m not quite sure what’s occurring here. What I do know though is that the thing holding the thing was engineered by Alfie for the precise job of holding the thing that it’s holding. See, obsessive solution-finders. If we haven’t got the tool, we’ll just make it

Expansion is on its way. Here we see Alfie (It’s not me, you can tell by the socks and by the fact that something useful is being done) is making a new bench for the workshop

More things can now go in the air. Another ramp adds to the collection of rampy things

Last week’s Ford Pop makes it up in the air. Details of work have not been fully discussed with me (only the techs get to know this sorta thing). Engine work is required. The rest is on a ‘needs to know’ basis

Will (I aint) admires fresh suspension components. Young Chris with Aflie dressed as Marshmello (over 40’s feel free to google that particular reference) admire from afar

Love the wheels on this TVR Vixen

And so another week in the world of classics draws to a close. Technical problems have been solved, some classics are better suspended than they were a week ago, brakes have been improved, welding has been done and new equipment has been installed. Meanwhile in West Sussex, a sorter at the local clothes bank looks into a large bag and wonders what type of person donates this many socks in one go.

Until next time, from the gang at CCM, Eric, Siobhan, Tasha, Dr Ray, Shrimp-eye Justin, Young Chris, Izzi, Ingrid, Alfie, Will (I aint) and Jake have a great week.

Olli

Eric has been wandering around with this photo all week showing people and saying ‘look how happy everyone is to be part of the CCM family’. He’s proud. Nothing wrong with that. And Will (I ain’t) does indeed look happy, doesn't he!