Some of you may know me from the Bears group, I’ve been in the trade for almost 20 years and worked my way from an apprentice to running my own smash company. Over the years I’ve met some pretty interesting characters and been involved in all the ups and downs that is the panel game. I got out of the game last year and chatting to Sam Street in Melbourne at L!VE this year I was telling her how, more than anything, I miss the people.
This trade has some weird and wonderful characters that you just don’t find in anywhere else. So the idea for this column was born. We all have that one bloke in the shop that has a story at Monday smoko about his weekend or that’s just a bloody legend. So I’m ditching the business shirt and letting my hair down to give interviewing a crack, here goes...
For my first story I decided to start close to home with a champion known only as Boogie. I’m sure he wasn’t born Boogie but he’ll tell you that’s his name and who am I to argue? I met Boogie when I was a first year apprentice. He was quiet at first and no one was game enough to give him stick. As the weeks went on we quickly figured out this bloke was gold. A true champion of the trade that had tried everything from scaffing to plumbing, but always came back to his drug of choice - panel beating.
He tells me that he reckons he’s worked on over 300 cars in his back shed since the late '80s, with a few of them making it to the big stage at the Nats. He’s a Ford fan and has built and owned a few GTs over the years, we talk about if he had kept even one of them, he could probably sell up and retire now. I don’t believe him though, he’s not the kind of guy to stop tinkering with cars, he just loves 'em.
Besides working on customs after hours, he’s also been known as the workshop clown. This bloke can turn it up and make even a shop manager laugh. Magic tricks are his speciality and he reminds me of his signature trick performing “the Elephant”. The trick consists of pulling the pockets in his trousers out like ears and, well, I’ll let you work out the rest. I’ve personally seen the trick more times than I’d like to remember, but it never gets old if you're having shitty day.
On my travels I’ve figured out that most shops have a Boogie and that’s what I want to tap into, if you have an unsung hero of the trade at your place, please drop me a line and I’ll do my best to give 'em a plug.
Email:steve@bearsgroup.com.au
Hope you enjoyed. Lozo.