i 7-yearmold owns an origi nal By JII Mclntoah At flrst glance, Earl Robinson of Whitby doesn't seem like a otypicai ua enthusiast. For one thing, ho often uses it ta get ta school, whero he's just flnished grade 11. Eau, 17, cannot remember a timo whon ho didn't like aId cars. *They've always been in my family," ho explaîns. nArt Robinson (of Arts Auto Wreckers in Whitby) is my unclo. Wy dad has a 1966 Pontiac Grand Prix and ho was always bringing home aid cars ta fix up. 1 leamned how ta, work on cas by helping him and by fixing things that ho brought home He bought the Morris for $50 when ho was 14 -- toa yaung ta ho able ta driveit. Olt was otite aid 1 was interested in itw ho says. Olt was almost in two plocos, the* floor was se badly rotted. 01 did mast of the work myseif, putting in a now floor and fixing it. 1 got an original ongine and interiar fram another Morris whioh I put im. Because the Morris is a Owaody wagan,wit required special intorost in that area ta keep tho woad froam becoming weatherboaten. Earl sanded it down and thon finished it with 14 coats of marine vamish for protection. This is also a special, vehiole, being the frst Mçrris Minor Travollor imported into Canada. OThey have unusual tumn signais, and a bill had ta ho passed allowing them ta bo brouglit inta this oauntry,a Eaul says. OThe original owner lias a documont showing that the bill was passed and the Marris could oame ta CanadIa.» Ho drives the car regularly and put almost 3,000 miles on it between April 15 and June 15 of this year. "Not toa many poople beliove it's mine, thougi," lie says. wMost peoaple ask if my father lots me drive his car. 1 tel thomn that 1 restoreci it, it's miner The Morris isn't the only projeot he's restored. Also in lis garage is his 1966 Triumph which ho lias been putting together, and a 1969 GMVC piokup with a converteci hydraulic dump box. Ho plais ta selI the Triumph and keep the truck for use in the winter when the Morris is undor wraps. A member of the CANATS hast club Street Dreams, Earl also keeps busy by working as a voluntoor at the Canadiai Automotive Museum. There ho holps move the vehicles, works on them and tends ta their regular maintenance. # Once a 'compromise,' now part of family By JiI Mclntosh For Davo and Gerhlld Martin of Wliltby, thoir 1940 Chevrolet Special Deluxo Coupe started out as a compromise. Now it's part of the famlly. I had a 1928 Chevrolet, but it wasn't big onougli for ail of us," says Davo, whoso sons Daniel, 9, and Erie, 13, aooompany their parents ta car shows aid crulse nîglits. I had a 19M Ford, whlch 'm stilI worklng on, but we wanted somothlng ta drive riglit thon aid the Fard was a long way from bolng completo. 1 bouglit the '40 Chevy just ta drive ln the meaitimo, but 16 Canats '90 now we wan't part with it. Wlien ho gat it two years ago, the Chevy was incomplete. Davo flnstalled a new Interior, liac the chrome redono, added runnlng boards aid put on now wheels aid tires. "1 also buffed out ail of the stalnless trim on It," ho says. "mhars a horrible job, but the results wero worth the effort." Because satety us ai essentiel factor with Dave, ho also addod seatbolts, dise brakos aid headrests. Ta mnake driving mare ormfor- 1table, power steering, power brakes, a tilt whoel, rocllning bucket seats, cruise contraI aid a storea were aise includod. - 111 started out building Corvettes," Dayo says. 1I restored a 1961 Corvette which won first prize in a course ovent But Ihoy arent family-oriented. You can't brlng the ldds whon you'vo only got the two seats. "I1 got into street rodding bocause the famlly could get invalved. The klds are wolcome at the shows aid also the cars are big enougli ta hold overything." Dave, a piping foreman at a nuclear plant, tries ta get the '40 Chevy on the road at least once a day. 1I get home aid 1Iput away the new car and drive this," lie says. "Fromn May to Novembor lest year we put 10,000 miles on 1tV Those miles include a 900-mlle trip ta St. Paul, Mnnosota for the Amorioan street raad nationals, aid a car raily In Oshawa where h aid Gorhild won first prize. "lWe ail get a lot af pleesure out of drivlng it," Dave seys. "But tho foromost thing for me is safety. 1 made sure this car had every safety feeture 1 could put inta it ThaVs very Important since we do evoiythlng togother as a famlly in IL"