WHERE IS BOB FOREST?

by Bob Forest

Well, it has been quite a while since I have written for the Autosiaste. One Day, the Editor mention, "Bob, why don't you write an article on what your are now doing, we miss your stories which you use to write for the Autosiaste." So this was like 3 or 4 years ago. So now being 71 years old, decided to do it, before I forget what I am doing. So here is my story, hope you enjoy it, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Way before the car thing, I was a model plane enthusiast. This hobby has never left me. It was my first passion. I built Free Flight planes, those were very light and had an elastic band to wind up, which was the engine for the propeller. We would let it go and hope for the best. Next came U Control, with a small nitro gas engines. Flew in circles with two wires that controlled the up and down motion of the plane. Then in the late 50's came Radio Control model planes. Very basic with one control, for left and right movement, also not very reliable. We would lose a plane every now and then. Loss of signal, was the primary reason. Then the radios got much better in the 70"s and more reliable, the planes got sleeker and faster. Then came competition. I competed to the point that I became Quebec Champion and 2nd in class in Canada. I was also factory sponsored.

One day in 1977, I got up one morning and said to myself, that this was no longer a hobby but a job. Sponsors telling me to go here and go there. So I sold everything, and bought a sail boat. Did that for 15 years.

Now comes the cars. When I was in my 20's, my first car was a MG TD, a used one bought for $325.00, then sold that and bought a brand new Bug Eye Sprite, sold that and then bought a brand new BJ8 Austin Healey, my payments were around $250.00 and my salary was about $375.00 a month. I was still living with my parents. After 3 months realized I could not afford this car, so sold it, for what I had paid for it. I was lucky. From then on, I always said, that if one day I could afford one I would get another one. All this time I was also doing my model plane thing. Then in 1986, I was selling my business, and I found a 1966 BJ8 Healey, which I bought and restored, sold it about 10 years later after putting 116,000 miles on it in those ten years. So we really used it. Then I bought the MGA took 8 years to restore, drove it for 3 years and if I remember put on about 16,000 miles, beautiful car, was very happy with the end results. Then my Heart failure in 2002, which made a big change in my life and my priorities.

After getting my Pace Maker Deliberator, and now we are in the month of July in Les Iles de Madeleine with the MGA, I got a phone call from a good friend who had a friend that owned a MGB and wanted to sell it, but did not know what it was worth. This fellow turned out to be a patient that was just down the hall from me at the Jewish General.

When I got back from my holidays with the MGA, I went to see the 1974 MGB. The car had never see winter, never seen rain, and had only 22 thousand original miles. I told him that it was worth at least 20 thousand, but that I was interested in it, but I could only afford 9 thousand. He thanked me for coming and spending the time going over the car. The next morning at 10 am, the owner of the MGB calls me, and says, "Bob come over and get the car" , I told him I could not afford 20 grand, He then said, look I don't want kids coming over, and saying, can I test drive it, then said, " I know it will be going to a good home." So I bought it. Now I had a MGA and a MGB. So that is when I sold the A.

Also while in the hospital, the model plane thing came back into my mind. I missed the hobby and made a decision to go back into it, but for myself, not compete, just build and fly and have a good time. What a time I have been having, it was the best decision that I have made. Here I was on the heart transplant list for two and a half years, and by some miracle, after two and a half years, I was taken off the waiting list as my heart came back to almost normal, not in size but in pumping action. I am convinced that my hobby had a lot to do with this wonderful result.

It had been almost 30 years that I had left the hobby, for sailing, and cars, and now back to flying Radio Control model airplanes. The changes in the hobby were just incredible. The radios were now computerized, and the planes were much bigger, engines up to 250cc. I started with a 40cc engine size and to my surprise, could still fly, not as precise as I was years ago, but at least could take off and land with no damage. From there I went to planes up to 70cc, and I could not go any bigger, unless I got myself a trailer to carry these huge models.

As you can see by the picture with what I call my harem, I have quite a few models. One plane called the Edge 540T has over 3000 flights. The J3 Cub has over 500 flights.

Have I had any crashes? Yes, since 2002 have had 6 crashes, 4 were repairable, and 2 were what we called totalled. That is part of the hobby, building, flying, and crashing sometimes. The radios are now so reliable, that if you crash, it is a pilot error. You can no longer blame the equipment.

So members of the VEA, that is why, you have not seen me at many of your events. I am still a member and keep in touch with a few of you, and still love my MGB.
The VEA has been a good friend for me, I have met wonderful people, and seen many beautiful cars, and of course, many wonderful outings. Now that I am retired, what I enjoy about my hobby, is that I do it every day that the weather is nice. Winter and summer, year round. I have also My J3 Cub which I fly on Floats and in the winter I put skis on her. So it is a year round hobby. When I want a break from flying in the summer, I go for a ride in the MGB. So I have the best of both worlds. I have made friends from both hobbies, cars and planes, and that is what life is all about.

We will have to have an outing to our club field in Ste-Marthe. I belong to the Montreal Radio Control Club,(MRCC) which I am one of the founding member of this club. I was surprised that it was still in existence. About 4 years ago, we did have a VEA outing at the Ile Perrot Club which I belonged to at that time, and a great turn out of members came out. So we will try and do it again.

I still really enjoy receiving the Autosiaste, and read the stories of those wonderful outings organized by the social committees. They have to be thanked for all the work that they do in organizing these events. Also I want to thank all those that send in articles for the Autosiaste. I know it is time consuming, but it is important, in that it is what keeps the club together.

See you on the road or at the field.

© VEA

Here are some Bob's articles:

Lac Brome in a Citroën 2cv
Should additives be used in breaking
Picking the right restorer
The British Invasion VIII
How important is to prepare your antique car to a governement inspection
1999 VEA annual supper
The Byward Market Auto Classic
Brunch-Croisière, what a day! !
10th Annual Boot'n Bonnet British Car Day 1999 Kingston, Ontario
Brunch at Outremont Park
2000 VEA annual supper
The Grand Gala International de L’Automobile
Wednesday Night at COTE-St LUC BBQ
The Longs Bonnets Night
VIKING INVASION 2000
Rally lessons at the BBQ
VEA Annual Supper 2001
The Longs Bonnets Night 2001
A little italian spaghettata, a little french poutine
What did the MGA do this year? Destination: Bathurst, N.B.
Maybe something you did not know, about heating problems
Finally, the secret revealed
Iles de la Madeleine and Prince Edward Island, all in a MGA
British Invasion XIIth
The 29th Annual Supper, the best one yet
La Grande Ballade du VEA 2003 (in english)
The Gaspe and Charlevoix 2003 Trip
The VEA méchoui in a 1939 Citroën cabriolet
Our trip to Prince Edward Island