"A happy family is but an earlier Heaven" - George Bernard Shaw
Cars (well, all things mechanical) were in the blood before I was born. My grandfather was a Sea Bee during WWII, became a crane operator, then a superintendent for a foundation company, building many of the Chicago skyscrapers. His son, “Sonny”, followed his father’s footsteps into crane operating.
My father worked for 50+ years, building foundations for The Hancock Building, The New Chicago Post Office, Millennium Park; or the updates to Soldier Field and Lake Shore Drive, removing the “S” curve. His work immersed him in Chicago’s past, while creating its future. His off-time meant he would drag race his ’55 Chevy with a Nailhead Buick and 4 speed or fly his private plane; or read voraciously about history, especially Chicago’s. His part in an iconic city’s former era and one yet to come, gave my sister and I insight and appreciation for Dad’s unique life.
Dad’s retirement lasted 3 whole days. He started hanging out at a Land Rover restoration shop in Chicago. That became part-time work, and soon his search led to buying a 1972 Series III Land Rover. This particular one was used as a plow truck for a gas station; every panel was a different color, but it ran and drove, the latter being the important part. This birthed my father’s “Second Act”, a career his children would witness and embrace.
My earliest memories are car shows, swap meets and helping dad with oil changes and tune ups. I did not enter construction; I chose Product Development. My first Chicago job as a Design Engineer for an automotive accessory manufacturer began 20+ years of weaving work and passion for cars and problem solving. I’m still in automotive and manufacturing.
As my father and I attended machine shows, we registered as Bassett Engineering. This name gained visibility, and we got professional mailings from the different shows. It’s still just what we’re doing in our own garage; restoring and resurrecting cars and motorcycles, loving history and machinery.
My father loved to say often, "My heart belongs to the road and the way I most love to experience it, one project at a time..."
Eventually we both moved away from our Land Rover Restoration Shop jobs. Sonny’s cancer diagnosis meant a couple of years to live. Dad and my sister, her husband, and I spent this time purposefully. We attended Land Rover events, visited Illinois Railway Museum, and fulfilled Dad’s wishes. This isn’t a problem, as it’s what we like too. In 2017 my father passes away. Those who support me are those helping develop Bassett Engineering to reach you and become part of our chain.
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