My first car was a 1974 Chevy Nova, not a bad car, a little slow, (also it was painted yellow) but my main gripe was that lately it had made up it's mind that it would decide when to turn off its engine. I used to time the starting point when I turned off the engine and then the final gasps which culminated in a lot of smoke and noise a few minutes later. It was six years old, on the verge of costing me more than it was worth and the decision seemed pretty clear to me. That, combined with the fact that I was a young executive on the move made this an easy decision. It was time to go car shopping!
In my own act of rebellion, (mostly because my grandfather was a executive with Ford Motor Company and no other brands existed outside of their products in our family) I cast my eye toward a foreign model, a Datsun, a 200SX to be exact. It was a technological marvel! Voice activated commands, (well not really but a voice did tell you to put on your seat belt) amazing power and handling and a cockpit worthy of a fighter pilot. Actually the dashboard was pretty tame but I knew just the person to fix that issue.
My buddy Vincent was a nerd before the word was even in existence. He lived at Radio Shack, could take apart and repair anything electrical and he worked cheap. (He worked for pizza if I remember correctly.) I mapped out my desired accessories, dropped off my car at his house, and three days later I picked up my new automobile. I was amazed!
Vincent had installed the usual automobile accessories of the day, 3-D equalizer, Alpine Radio and Mixer, Radio Shack EQ, but that is where normal electronics came to a screeching halt. My techno wizard friend installed buttons, knobs, switches, and lights that were everywhere in the car. There were flip switches, some of which performed functions and some that didn't, lights under the seat, on the roof, on the dash, in the back seat and even under the dash! That also didn't count the lights that he had installed outside the car! I was now driving a spaceship!
I thanked him profusely, (might have even promised him pizza for life) and off I went into the night. I was happily flipping buttons and switches and halfway looking at the road when I happened to notice lights that seemed to be shining from behind my car. Due to my newly enhanced sound system I never heard the siren and was honestly pretty fortunate to have even noticed the flashing lights.
Well, there was no way a mere traffic stop could ruin my night. I cheerfully greeted the officer as he gazed into the interior of my masterpiece. "Um, son can you turn some of those lights off?" he asked. I tried to comply but honestly I didn't even know what half of these buttons, knobs, and switches even did! I explained that I had just gotten this upgrade and could he believe the difference that it made and I really believe that my enthusiasm started to wear him down. With a final comment, "You could land planes with this thing . . . " he wrote me a warning and I drove blissfully into the darkness.
One of the regrets of my life is that I don't have any pictures of the art that Vincent created. So, Vincent, wherever you are, give me a shout, I owe you a pizza . . .
