Out of the past  [Return of the rustbucket? Grassroots history? There must be a better title.]

Who hasn't wondered, at one time or another, what happened to a car we've sold?

Berkeley discovered!


 

 Dick R looked at this site a while back and sent an e-mail mentioning that he has a Berkeley. We traded stories, opinions, and so on. Recently, I posted a little more info on the car including the serial number. Shortly afterwards, he sent a note saying that the number matched his car! He owns one of the  Berks I once owned - the light green 3 cylinder shown with the Lotus Eleven. It's been painted white and has a different steering wheel but seems to be pretty much as it was then.

UPDATE: It's mine again! Dick, thank you.

Current pics at the right.

Peripatetic Porsche!

Dick (of Berkeley fame, see above) has a terrific story here. Over thirty years ago he bought a Porsche for $300 and used it for daily transportation (top picture). After a while he sold it and moved on to other things. He discovered its whereabouts in January of 1998.

Based on the center pictures, most of us would have shaken our heads sadly and mused about the effects of time. Hopeless car guy that he is, he bought it back!

The bottom picture shows why, sometimes, it's best not to listen to "most of us".

(Historical note - the trailer upon which the Porsche sits is the very trailer used by Candy Poole in transporting the PBX at one time.)

Kieft Survives? Maybe.

Our Kieft (inset) may have been discovered!

The top photo was taken at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix in 1997. Although not obvious from the pictures, the wheels appear identical and these were not common on Kiefts.

This car (same car as the red one) was built for Don Parker who was very small (A big advantage in Formula 3) and the frame rails in the cockpit area were only 14 inches apart. It was later bowed outwards to provide more room. Note the very clean rear suspension design with a single brake drum and bungee cord springing. Taken at the Mount Equinox (VSCCA) hillclimb in 1996.

I don't remember if ours had the bowed frame rails or not. Cyril Kieft (!) says they are not the same car and I certainly won't argue with him. But who knows what happens to cars over the years once they leave the "works", especially here in the colonies?

[Jerry, thanks for the pictures and all the info.]