6 thoughts on “Proper British Racing Shop…

  1. That picture is darned close to how I remember my grandfather’s shop only he wore a white tunic over his street clothes when working on cars. He was a factory trained mechanic for French and British cars back in the 20’s through the early 60’s

    Cement floor with a pit on one aisle, wide enough for 4 cars, two on either side of the stairs to a mezzanine where the office and parts stores were kept in a wire cage kind of thing.

    The order writing desk was a stand up wooden affair just as you came into the shop from the street. Outer walls were 15 ft tall brick and cement with huge steel doors. Lots of locks and barb wire along the top of the walls. Had to keep the thieves out. It was not in the best part of town but pretty safe most of the time. Corrugated roof over wood beams. Wish I had pictures but I have not located any yet. Still digging through a lot of my dad’s stuff.

  2. I remember going into garages like that with my Dad when I was a kid. Always been fascinated by the sights, sounds, and smells of an active shop.

    • Have a modest Whitworth set, wrenches and sockets. Needed for any 50 to 60s Brit cars/ I rebuilt an E type 30 years ago and have a 52 MG TD in process now. Might get it finished before the pine box arrives, maybe not.

    • Dont know if a Whitworth set would be much use o that Bugatti, but I bet it came with its own tool kit with the EB marks on it

  3. I still remember the small local machine shops that seem to be everywhere back in the day (1960’s) philly. stopping by after school let out, old guys having a smoke break in the cool outside air. saw my first metal shaper in one of those shops
    great machine, watching it peal chips of metal off with each stroke.
    there was one behind a candy store, his wife ran the candy store and he had his small shop behind it. use to buy something with my saved up lunch money and then go around back and peak in over the half door and watch the machine work
    nice old guy too, if he had time, he show you around and explain how they worked and what they did. I loved machine shops and tools ever since.
    miss those days, and the people who made them as well.
    kids today know you can use a screwdriver to either break into a house or stab you with. a lot has changed and not for the better either.
    I wonder what all those kids I help fix their bikes will remember about me.
    I do remember getting a few meals from their moms though brought to my garage back then. I saw kids I never seen around before showing up to get their bikes fixed, most of the time it was simple shit, adjust the seat, handlebars or fix a flat or chain or fill the tires up with air . one thing though, I never had anything stolen from me while I was there. when i was moving my stuff out of there for the last time. had a couple of boys help me out, taking trash out and the like. I didn’t know them, but they knew me, seems like I fixed their bikes back in the day.
    not sure about that , but I take any help given back then as my back was shot.
    they saved me quite trips carrying heavy shit to the truck. I thank them ,tried to give them some money, they wouldn’t take it. might be some hope yet for the younger ones.

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