Wow, I remember that well.the shop I ran back then, I did a transmission rebuild for a gal that worked for the local paper. She took interest in the boats and stuff,and was asking me questions about it. She then asked if she could come back and take pictures and interview me. Being the shy and quiet guy that I am, I said sure. Good times and memories, thanks Raff. Steve
More than thirty eight years ago Steve! Somehow that doesn't seem right. Yesterday keeps stretching out.
Maybe your both old farts?
yes it does Wayne, and Bill, your comment is the pot calling the kettle black Ithink
The date on the article is March 1985. That was the same year we went to Dieter's shop in January when Steve learned to do crankshafts among other things, including dancing with girls at an east Berlin nightclub that Dieter took us to. This club had tables with numbers and a phone at each table, where you could call up and ask a girl to dance. This was also the same year that I left my passport and had to go to Grein, Austria by myself and Steve had to find Douglas Willey in the airport by himself. I'll have to get back to the Douglas Willey story because Grein was the first stop and Berlin was the next, and it gets better.
I don't know if this has been said on BRF before, but I will say it, when we were leaving Dieter's shop to go home, Dieter gives Steve a hand full of Deutsch Marks for all the work he had done during the week we were there. Steve says to Dieter, I don't want any money, and Dieter replies, "When somebody gives you money, take it".
Not quite Ralph, the money thing was later, maybe in 87 or 88, that is when the factory was behind on motor delivery to the Russians, and Deiter did not want us in factory because everyone was busy. I just rolled my sleeves up and went to work,we made delivery a head of schedule and this meant bonus thimble for Konig. We delivered some 40 motors 3 to4 day’s in advance, and all I wanted to do is do a crank for my D and putpistons in it. After Dieter offered me money,and I refused, and he said that, he said ok, if you don’t take my money, you will take my parts. This worked out very well for me, and if you remember I brought back to USA in my back pack, a new FA to run as a RB for you. We never did, and I have that new FA in my hord. Also got a steak dinner on bet out of Konig because my old D made more power than his new one at the time. The D bet went on for a couple years until 89 when I won the 700 worlds in California. That nite I bought Deiter a steak. Good times for sure and I still miss my friend very much to this day. He had such a impact on my young life as others too have. Thanks, Steve
Sorry, I get the years mixed up, we had so many back then. I do remember now, you had a carry on that I bet weighted 100 pounds full of Koenig parts. You could never get by with that now. Which year did Dieter, Hans and families come to Sarasota and you took them water skiing, we called you skinhead for a time after that. I have some pictures of that trip some place. I'ii try to find them.
Keep the stories coming Ralph, and we are looking forward to more of the trip to Grein, but I need to ask this question. Dieter took me to a place in 1975 that had orchestra music and a big dance floor in front of the stage. Behind the stage were water fountains spouting up, weaving back and forth , and sometimes jumping up and down and it was all co-ordinated with different colored lighting. Besides the phones with numbers at each table, there were pneumatic tubes and pencils and papers. You could write notes and send them to a table as well as call them up. That was in West Berlin. I went with Dieter to a club in East Berlin in 1976 with Walt Blankenstein to meet Bernie Danisch, but what you posted sounds to me like the club in West Berlin. Very old, and dating back to the 1920's.
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