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Even as the automobile has entered an important
transition across the threshold of the 20th Century into
the 21st Century with re-engineering of drivetrain
propulsion from reliance on petroleum to alternative
fuels and electric power, the community of people that
is united by the shared experience and collective
expertise about maintaining, repairing, restoring or
collecting cars continues. Even the unfolding
"hybrid" and EV car cultures bring an esprit de corps
within these communities of vehicle owners.
On any weekend in
cities and towns and roadsides car enthusiasts can be
found gathering to share their energies and efforts to
take on projects together. Across the years
through generations, perhaps it may continue to be about
swapping out a camshaft or induction system. Yet
today, there are increasing numbers of high-tech
projects that are more about recalibrating fuel trim and
spark control for computer controls via a laptop.
For the more "finished" wheels that can show up, it
might mean simply waxing paint finishes and cleaning up
the chrome trim. What has been around as long as
the cars has been the "camaraderie" in the friendships
and bonds that are forged around the shared
understandings that give ready admittance into a circle
of individuals who speak with a common vocabulary -- not
a code, necessarily, though not everyone could walk up
and speak the language of car guys. It might just
be knowing when you hear it right, or hear it wrong ...
and know the difference. Maybe you've been there
in a circle of discussion: "Anyone hear got small-block
327 Ford?" Another might gently correct the
statement, "You mean a 327 Chevy, don't you?"
"Yeah, I mean Chevy." That's it, the one with the
four-bolt camshaft and cross-drilled injectors."
Maybe that's the invisible price of admission -- you may
inherit wealth, but when you are authentic it becomes
something that money can't buy. In the subjects
and people invited into this website the common
denominator is what is authentic -- and the celebration
of that gift of camaraderie.
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Inside the automotive circles of Detroit there are
generations of individuals who have expressed their
gifts and talents across their careers in the auto
industry. Here on the CarGuy2CarGuy videos you can
join for a visit with one of the original Detroit 'car
guys' before there was such a term in the lingo of the
automotive circles. There have been a variety of
terms used over the past century to describe auto buffs:
scorchers, motorheads, gearheads, car nuts, car buffs --
yet the early guys who were the hard workers in
Detroit's 'Golden Years' were the 'auto men' of
their era. Click over from below to meet Michael
Kollins, auto man extraordinaire.
Michael was an
amazing interview for a number of reasons, including the
fact that at the time of the video conversation he was
almost 90 years old. You have to ask yourself, as
much as it might be interesting to spend a career in the
design or manufacture of 'refrigerators' or 'washing
machines', it is hard to envision a person still active
with as much passion for appliances as Mr. Kollins had
for cars. He was born in 1912 and he went right
into the automotive career out of high school in 1930 as
a service technician for the Dodge Brothers and then
moved on to work in the Technical Data and Service
Engineering Department for Packard Motor Car Company,
then later as the Service Technical Manager and Warranty
Manager for the Chrysler Corporation at the Highland
Park Service Center.
Throughout his
career, Kollins raced cars on the weekends (sound
familiar?) and eventually served as an official at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he became Technical
Inspector and later as Vice Chairman of the Technical
Committee. When fellow journalist and motorsports
enthusiast, Bob Stockton, joined to handle the video
camera and shooting of this footage it was back in 2000.
Imagine that Kollins was inducted into the Indianapolis
"Old Timers Club" with Honorary Life Membership ... in
1952 (48 years before we interviewed him!!). Now
that is staying power and a passion for wheels.
Join us for the conversation:
CLICK HERE |
