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On the Road Again<< BackFrom the outside, Phil Hunt's 1985 Volkswagen GTI is nothing to brag about. Affectionately named "the Pimple," because it is "erupting with rust," the silver car lost its gleam long ago. "This is a precious piece here, you know," jokes 53-year-old Hunt, owner of Phil's Foreign Car Service in the Kenvil section of Roxbury. Yet the hand controls inside, created to operate the manually driven German car, are the result of hours of arduous work and a love for driving that did not die when Hunt became paralyzed from the waist down five years ago in a motorcycle accident. The clutch and break are operated by a lever constructed with the handle from a pair of pliers. A metal ring, fitted under the BMW steering wheel, releases gas to the engine when pulled upwards. The gearshift is on the floor and adjusted for Hunt's convenience. "It's kind of cool to be driving a stick again," Hunt said while changing gears along Route 46 during a recent drive. Hunt estimated that the entire system cost him $50 in parts and uncountable hours of work with help from his friend, Forrest Phillips. "It's an interesting story, but it is not a pretty car," said his wife, Julie McCormick. After the accident, his wife left her interior design job to help him run the auto repair shop. A former amateur race car driver, Hunt recently entered "the Pimple" in two time-trial runs at raceways in Pennsylvania, placing 10th out of 20 duringthe first run. Technical problems during the second run kept him from completing the course. "I was alarmed to see it going to 90 mph," said Hunt, describing the first time on the track. Before the accident, Hunt toured in amateur races across the country with a Volvo sedan. His affinity for the racing world started at the age of 13,while watching the Daytona Races on television with his father, a high school automotive teacher. Playing with the idea of entering more amateur time trials, Hunt said he is somewhat reluctant to get back into the game and its competitive nature. "It's cool being back at the track and I did really well, but sometimes I wonder if I really want to go back there," he said. Although he started driving a stick shift car at the age of 12, Hunt said learning the new system was difficult. He practiced with "the Pimple" late at night along the roads near his shop on Route 46. "It's like learning to play the violin with one hand," he said, chewing on a straw meant to curb his desire for a cigarette. Plans to put a hand-control system into his orange and black 1965 Lotus are on hold until he perfects the system in the Volkswagen. Hunt said he plansto create a remote on the steering wheel to control the clutch and make braking smoother. Hunt said he refused to pay more then $250 for the car from its last owner a few years ago. "I told him it's just a parts car, who would buy it?" But before he converted it for his use, his 18-year-old twin daughters, Liz and Jacky, learned to drive using the old Volkswagen. Liz Hunt, attracted to the racetrack like her father, recently completed a high-perfomance driving class. Hunt rides along with her in her Volkwagen GTI during the time trials as an instructor. Source: The Star Ledger - Morris Towns |
