Jay Laifman wrote:
>
> On another car group I am on, there is a thread going with everyone
> introducing themselves. .................
Further to what Jay wrote-I think it's a good idea and it's certainly
interesting to find out who's behind some of the names that appear at
the end of emails.
I've owned my series V Alpine for about 11 years now. I brought it when
I was undergraduate at Auckland Medical School in 1985 for $8,000 ($5600
US). When I think back I had no income and although I had a small
deposit I ended up borrowing the full purcase price and used the extra
money to pay the interest until I started earning 2 years later. The
interest rate was 25% per annum over 5 years!!!! Never regretted it for
one minute.
The Alpine was in pretty rough condition but is now almost finished to
concourse standards-although I intend to use it regularly -in my mind
there is nothing sadder than a beautiful car that is not in use.
I guess I was always going to end up with a classic car. I come from a
long line of car nuts. My Grandfather was a motor enginer in the true
sense of the word. My Father tells stories of him rebuilding the bearing
shells (with paper from Christmas presents) of a 1938 Austin by the
roadside during one Christmas Holiday Journey!!!Apparently they drove
500 miles on paper bearings before they could get the bearings they
required. Another time my father brought home a 1936 Alfa unfortunately
nminus a gearbox which was subsequently manufactured from scratch by his
father.Would have been nice for him to help me with my restoration but
unfortunately he died soon after I was born.
My Father (like Jay's) was also a keen racer and competed in many club
events in the early sixties. He raced a hot (thanks to his father) Skoda
(!) and apparently held several local track records. Because of this he
was heavily involved in Motorsport and met and became friendly with
World Champion (then) Jack Brabham (whose racing overalls sit in my
wardrobe not ten feet from where I am now) Jack Brabham thought very
highly of our Alpines and competed in them extensively. Dad introduced
another of his aquaintances to Jack Brabham-Chris Amon. Chris became the
most sucessful NZer in Formula one and raced for ferarri in the sixties.
Enzo called him the best test driver he ever had.
In keeping with the family tradition I an at present looking at buying a
Series 2 Alpine solely for racing.Finances permitting.
I am 33 and finished Med School 9 years ago (NZ has no pre med school
degree and we go straight to med school from college-hence we qualify at
age 24 or so) I have worked extensively in hospitals but am now in
General Practice in a small rural town of 23,000 although still only 15
minutes of pleasent rural drive from a city of 60,000 with three
hospitals.-so you could almost say my town is a suburb of the city.
General practice in NZ is sort of like what I imagine a Country Doctor
would do in the States that is every thing from deliveries,paediatrics
to geriatrics and every thing in between. My special interests are
Paediatrics and Obstetrics but I do the rest as well.
My practice is new and I am currently building it up.I have 2000 people
on the books and see about 35 people per day. the cost in NZ to see the
doctor is about $35 ($24US) for a 15 minute appt. Prescription items
cost no more than $15 per item. The state subsidises many consultations
so depending on your income level you pay as little as $20 and the state
pays me the $15 balance. Mostly I love my job but the issue of
litigation is a real worry and is always in the back of your mind-in the
end I just guess you can only do your best
I am married to Andrea who is English and we have two children. Thomas
is three and intensely dislikes Dad's "noisey car in the garage", which
is sad because one day it will be his, and Rose who is 9 months old and
doesn't like any thing she can't stick in her mouth.
Thats about enough from me.Wishing you the best of the season from down
under.
Karl Gilchrist
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Sep 05 2000 - 09:31:01 CDT