First off, I had been active in the auto body repair trade for 30 years, I retired from the trade in ’95 after spending the last 20 years in a foreman/management position at a GMC dealership body shop. I got my journeyman ticket in 3 years on a 4 year apprenticeship course. I started the trade in 1965 but I didn’t get initially signed up on apprenticeship until 1967. I doubled up on the last year, went to NAIT twice in one year [1970]. But they wouldn’t award me my inter-provincial ticket until I put in the full four years of time in the trade. Go figure, eh. Anyhow, I’m from the old school of brass welding & pick and filing & using Mutton Tallow on wooden paddles for filling dents with Lead. I became very proficient in sheet metal fabrication, shrinking it, stretching it, twisting it, bumping and rolling it, whereas, sheet metal became like clay to me, I could make it obey my every command in forming whatever pieces I wanted to form. I also became very proficient in painting….I custom painted dozens of cars in my career. This car – [a 1953 Ford Club Coupe c/wa 289 cid Mustang engine & C4 automatic] is of special significance to me. This car is very similar to the car in which I met a VERY special young Lady [Patricia] back in 1965 so I’ve aptly named this car the [PatMobile]. Whoever transplanted the Mustang engine in it did an excellent job. One of the cleanest engine transplants I’ve ever seen, but he butchered the floor pan when he raised it to accommodate the C4 …