Name : Fredd Scheys
Born : 1950 in Belgium.
Living in the US (Alabama) for the moment.
Blame my car disease on an uncle who had several Vauxhall's in the 50's and
60's.
Spent as a kid also a few years in Belgian Congo until it became Zaire, got
my first taste of Land Rovers in the African mud.
Back in Belgium, in the 60's, I started helping in a Fiat garage after
school. The guy was into hillclimbing with Fiat Abarth's.
Had my first car in 1967, Morris Mini, one year before legal age in Belgium.
Went with the Mini to the hillclimb races to help the Fiat guy, and started
racing also of course. Or trailer towing car was a Morris Oxford Diesel
station wagon (never a speeding ticket in this slow car).
At 19, lost a girlfriend on a guy with a TR3, so I got a TR4, but never got
the girlfriend back.
Same year signed up as para commando in the Belgian military, loved (and
wrecked) the Minerva's (Belgian made Land Rovers)
1972 till 1974, worked for Triumph assembly plant in Belgium, a dream come
true, I could drive TR's for free.
When I worked later for Mercedes Belgium (trained by MB in the armored
cars), got a company car, so I could afford all crazy cars for the weekend
(gas paid by the Mercedes pump), went to the States to buy my first
Corvette, later Trans Am's, Chevy Blazer's, ect.
At the same time, as a sideline, I became known for having a collection of
cheap cars (junk at the time) as TR's, MG's, Rover's, basically eveything
that nobody wanted at the time. I even got several for free, so I made some
people happy with cleaning out their drive way.
Late 70's, the golden years of importing US cars to Europe because of the
exchange rate. Also the golden years of selling LBC's to the Netherlands and
Germany.
In 1980, finally got married, in the hope to spent the rest of my live in a
normal (what's that ?) way.
Early 80's, a friend start a Mercedes conversion company (limo's and/or
armored), and I join him, while at the same time there is the booming market
to send new Metro's, Mini's, Allegro's and even Morris Marina's back to the
UK, due to the exchange rate.
Yes for you Brits, I'm guilty of shipping the last 20 Marina's in Belgium
back to their homeland, I hope you enjoyed them :)))
During all the UK trips, I fell in love with boating on the broads (spelling
?) and I kept buying all kind of LBC's and occasionally a Jenssen
Interceptor (I love these), Aston's, Jag's. I loved a '63 MK10 I had for a
while.
Philippe born in '82, to celebrate this, I buy myself a '74 Vette
convertible 454, that I trade for a '69 RR Siver Shadow in '85 when
Christophe is born.
Mid '80's also start the gray market export of Mercedes and Porsche to the
US and later the crazy years of buying LBC's and Porsches in the US for
Europe.
Moved to the US in 1990, and had to sell my long time favorite '72 TR6 to a
good friend in the Belgian TR Register.
My wifes dies in a car wreck four months after we move here and I spent a
long time recovering.
Got married again with Pat (a Californian, born in 1949)
Her first car was a Bugeye, then a Sprite, later a series of MG B's, and
Z's. Her dream car is a Morgan +8. I have to admit, she has taste in cars.
For the moment, we have ;
- 72 TR6 ( a copy of the one I had in Belgium)
- 69 MG B (guess who's car that is)
- 64 TR4, to restore, with tires brand "Stripper" ! (was that maybe also the
job of the previous owner ?)
- 77 Z, to restore for Pat her old days (her words, not mine)
- 79 Panther J72, with the typical US rape, a Chevy small block engine, I
will put a Jag engine back in it.
- 90 GMC full size Jimmy 35" tires, lift and 454 engine since last year.
(favorite toy)
- 89 GMC full size Jimmy, my oldest son's HS car.
- 92 Volvo 940 Turbo, 187,000 miles and keeps going.
- 89 Volvo, Pat's car with 156,000 miles, and keeps going.
- 91 MB 560SEC, for when we feel old.
For a living, I help to spent the US taxpayers money with building armored
Suburban's and Crown Vic's for some agencies, and travel with them to their
little plots overseas where they need these cars.
Working with them has the side benefit that I get their anti-terrorisme
training also.
As another hobby, I restore and build African calibers rifles on Mauser
actions, I co-write with a friend a book "Belgian Browning Pistols" (to be
ready by the end this year hopefully) and I collect everything regarding
Belgian made FN weapons, in the hope to do a book about the history of FN.
My favorite cars of all time;
My first Mini, my first TR4, my last TR6 in Belgium, a Rover 3500S, a Rover
SD1 Vitesse, and my all time favorite, a MK10 Jaguar.
Fredd
PS : First of the 12 steps to recovery,
I'm Fredd, and I'm a car nut !
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