home The Pick Up 
I called him early the next week to see if he'd decided. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to sell, after all, what else could he buy for that kind of money? But he thought I was the right kind of guy. I was really into the marque and was up on the different models and I was above all else an enthusiast. He said he'd fixed the shocks and I offered to pay him for the work. I asked what his rate was and he said $62.50 and hour and it took him about 7 hours. We worked out details for a cashiers check and figured a way to arrange to pick it up.
   My wife and I debated modes of transport to go get it and finally decided to make it a family affair. We'd rent a car, drive down, spend the night at the Oakland Airport Hilton and arrange to pick it up. I took Friday off and we left town at about 7 in a rented Buick Skylark.

We showed up at his shop, Motor Pro Garage, in Berkeley and talked to him. The car was there but there was still a couple of things left to do including the final emptying out of all the stuff, something I helped with. He was in the middle of installing a new V8 in a Jag XKE 2+2 (that had been converted long before) and still had lunch to go. We needed to check in anyway and drop off the rental. We went and did our thing and hung out at the hotel. The phone rang at about 3:45 and it was Jaan, he was downstairs. He had come in the car and as we drove to his house in Piedmont he explained a few things. He drove with enthusiasm and it was apparent that he loved the car. We made it back to his house and dealt with paperwork. With Marshall stacks against the wall and cases of guitars on the floor it was only appropriate that the receipt was written on a BMI music release form. He showed me some of the other stuff around the house as well as some of the parts that would be mine as soon as I had a vehicle that would haul them back. Included in this list was the old thermal reactor, a collection of different sway bars, and other things that wouldn't fit in the trunk.