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These are pictures 2006 from Jan's Garage in Gustavsberg. Now the time has gone so far and with some resistance from community against parcel out one lot. This makes that he has to sell. Look at the sign to the right. His new garage is more suited for the lower intensity of producing crash bars. But time has gone and no new buyers so the new garage is sold. Wonder who will continue his work when he stops completely.
The garage started with the little grocery shop behind the parking sign. Some legitimated pride from my side, but I "found" the little hose and gave Jan the tip. He fixed later with Factories of Gustavsberg to buy the lot. After much discussion they agreed. Much money at that time but nothing compared today. Then he had good contact with the contractor Fingal. He had an excavator and at last it became a big flat area. Here he could build his LLentab Hall in which his  business increased. Here he also could take care of his cars and motorcycles. He made an enormous work to make it suitable inside. His flat parking area was goodies for all summer people from Stockholm to park their cars. But he hunted them with blowlamp and at last they had learned not to park at his place.

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Jan's Garage inside

In this hall he arranged all his popular parties where always Dixie orchestra Cave Stompers and others played. Then he made an eating table of the car lift and food was bought from restaurant White Horse Gustavsberg. Then his guests supposed to dance. Here also the Champ Ingo was special invited at Jans 60th birthday. That was a party worth to remember. Ingo's arrival was secret and when the Champ arrived without any presentation everybody became perplexed. A short awkward silence before Hasse Eliasson broke the spell and said: "Now look it is Ingo. Such a hand I must greet". After that all of us had to put our small hand in his right one. It was still that powerfull as it had been over 30 years earlier. Then the nice party continued. Jan went around with Ingo and showed the Ingo pictures and he wrote a personal dedication for Jan on one. Jan and Ingo's birth year are the same 1932.

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Jan's Lambretta

Jan's first vehicle was a Lambretta 125 Sport. Except from Minehaha in Strömsund (see Family). With this he drove to Karlsborg where he made his service at the wing F6. It became many km.

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Jan's Merca 230

He bought a Mercedes 230 1938 together with his mate Björn Almström. An old classmate. He had not so good knowledge about cars and maintenance. He filled up the engine with waste oil in order to save money. Then this fine car had to be scrapped. One Nash 1930 was used to take care of girls and with a 6V coffee machine, it was always interesting to jump into the car. One winter the camshaft gear broke. It was made of vulkan fibre.  He could find a new one as spare part. Member of A-Ford Society forced of course him to buy a A-Ford. Later he found a A-Ford Cab.

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Jan's 34:a Lorry

Time went on and he screwed a 34 Ford Pick up together. The platform body came from a Volvo PV pick up. We picked up this platform from Linköping together with lots of old Ford spares from a stock that were going to end up. Sorry to say it was mostly early Anglia and 60 hp Ford. Everything was loaded in an Volkswagen Beetle and with trailer it was much over allowance. Most of the castings were put in the car and the platform upside down covered the rest on the trailer. We was caught by police outside Nyköping. It was a notorious place already at that time. Then we had to follow the police to a balance where they controlled lorries. But they never weighed the car, only the trailer which I am sure had at least 250 kp on the hook. At that time police was not so well educated. Luck for us. But in some way they should have us for something. You have driven to fast. Of course the top allowed speed was 40 or 50, I don't remember. It ended up with trial in Nyköping with lawyer and everything. Although it became nothing because the police had not made notices good enough. That was a little story about The Ford Pick Up.

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Jan's 34:a Lorry

This lorry was well used and got as time went on closed cover. Now he could sleep on the platform. For this he had a thick carpet. The car was used for delivery of crash bars to Stockholm. It was brilliant of Jan to have this car. It opened doors because people got interested. Finally he was so well known that he could buy a more suitable car. It became a Chevy Pick Up.

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Jan's junk journey 1

Jan and Lennart made many journeys in Sweden searching for Ford parts. This for saving all parts that they could find behind barns and junkyards on the countryside. This was a wonderful time when the junk men still kept the cars without dismantling them. There were so much of everything that they only took the best parts. But everything alled for space and at last Jan hade to hire the old shoemaker's house in Betsede and then buy 2 containers. A perfect place for Ford parts from the 40 and early fifty.

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Jan's junk journey 2

On these travels they met many people that hade several different cars. Here is a special ordered Allard L2X lengthened because the buyer wanted place for her dog. Years later this car com to Big Bengt's car museum High Chaparall. This museum took fire, beginning of 1990, and this car together with several more were destroyed. We had heard that it was an Allard for sale. Jan and I was down to Gothenburg to have a look at this L2X. It was at this time, I learned, that Gothenburg had no snow cleaning. The car was though not interesting because it was to long and the door went backwards. Here you can see the rests of the car.
In the center of Smålands-Stenar there was a small junkyard. There they found an Allard which was sold in parts. I was there once but there was nothing left. The yard had to end up because community was growing. It was situated in the middle of the village.

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Jan's A-Ford Roadster

Where Jan found his A-Ford Roadster, I don't know, but it became his love car. It was slowly rebuilt and got the 100 hp flathead engine. It was equipped with double Strombergs, modern shock absorbers and 47 rear end. 59 AB engine had a certain sound when it was revved. No push rod engine could do that. Of course he had 47 brakes, and a Hudson Terraplane steering gear. This gear had double screws and for that reason much more easier to use. In the gearbox there were was Lincoln gear. At this time he had not yet bought Betsede. Instead he worked in his little local garage. Cab and inside draftings was left for Håkansson Saddler.

 

 

 

 

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Jan's A-Ford Roadster-engine

This is the engine which together with his A-Ford Roadster should drive away from Lennart. It was equipped with 3/4 cam, ported, bigger valves, double Strombergs, stroked crankshaft and double ignition, Edelbrock heads and balanced to max. But what did this help! A side valve engine, with long exhaust channels in block, becomes easily to hot and this happened when pressing the engine. Perhaps mostly depending on the stroked crankshaft. It didn't became so much street race, only some time on race tracks.

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Jan's drivers course 1960

I have told you about the driver's course in my article about my 32 Ford Roadster. Here you can see Jan to the left, a Porsche in the middles and Sven Flärvall, with what we called Nordic Special. Sven had Citroen fenders in front. Björn Atterberg officer in Swedish Air Force keeping up the start flag. Read more under my article B-Ford Roadster.

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Jan's drivers course 1960

For some laps Jan succeeded to keep the Porsche behind but had to let him drive over and ended up second.

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Jan's Allard K2

For the time the A-Ford Roadster was not good to drive race with. Something new must be purchased. Valle Norrman had a garage in Sollentuna and still owned from his active racing time an Allard K2. It was kept under a  tarpaulin outside his workshop. We was allowed to buy it by pay off. It was equipped with 8 carburettors. A marvelous sight. It had Ardun heads. But how to get this set to function. The Ardun heads were also so big that they were hard to get down under hood. They had to be mounted separate. All who had seen those long valve pushers can understand what a to high rev can cause. Jan did test several different engines like 100 hp flathead, Buick V8 and Cadillac V8. He liked the Cadillac best. The Buick engine had problem with lubrication which was later solved.
The picture is a round spin from Skarpnäck.
He did a fine gesture a time before Valle died, when he went to his home to show his former car, although Valle was so sick that he had to stay inside and looked at the car through a window.

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Jan's Allard K2 at Skarpnäck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skarpnäck was our club track. Here we raced both SSK:s race and KAK/U. You can here see that when I had got my 32 Roadster in order. Jan was already on the way with the Allard K2. On the starting grid there are Jan, Sven Flärvall, a Porsche and Harald Kronegård's Lotus Elite. Of course Harald was fastest. In the beginning the K2 had some child sickness. For example several different gearboxes were tested. From Ford, Jaguar and Alvis. The one from Alvis was the most strongest one and had the best no 1 gear. The front end had the curiosity to raise. This was later fixed with a dropped axle that was put in place after dividing into two parts.

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Jan's Allard K2 at Skarpnäck

At Skarpnäck there were hot competitors. Sunbeam Tiger, Ferrari Monza, Lotus Elite, Lotus Super Seven and Porsche. Name like Freddy Kottylinsky, Björn Atterberg, Hans Radefalk, Bo Elmhorn and Nils Björk. Here you can see that I have changed to BMC Mini. It was not a winning change. Normally Jan was second if he not won. He drived over the Monza (Håkansson) who had the same problem as Jan in hairpin. This Monza was so seldom driven that water pipes had dried and started to leak. About racers at Skarpnäck read  my article about SSK-club.

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Jan's Allard K2 at Skarpnäck

Jan was wellknown for his driving style and his elbow outside door. I drove the Allard a few times but didn't liked it because I couldn't reach the brake pedal good enough.

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Jan's Allard K2 in Gustavsberg

In the autumn 1966 we decided to make motion pictures of ours cars. Me and the Ferrari and Jan in the Allard We drove out to a low traffic road nearby one afternoon. There we filmed our cars in all angels. I was also sitting in passenger seat filming when Jan drove in 200 km/h, as you can see on pictures it is a little blurred. If you click on pictures the video starts.

The car on the last picture is a K2 imported from Canary Islands.

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Jan's Allard K2 at Roskilde Ring

Jan were racing at Roskilde Ring Denmark twice in SSF-series. There he also once met a J2X chnr 3156 (acc to Sören Forsberg). Jan wanted to buy that car but it was sold to Svedino for half the price that Jan had offered. This car had a sad ending. It was later supposed to be transported for sale in Austria by Svedino and during transportation he dropped the car from the trailer. It was not sufficient fastened. It was sold as is.
Roskilde was not a appropriate track for a heavy K2, with it's long round curves. Compare the front wheels leaning between K2 to J2X.

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Jan's Allard K2 Karlskoga Club race

At Karlskoga race track the Allard was nice to drive. It could be seen on the happy driver. He could not match drivers in more modern race cars of course. Rolf Lundbom drived a Porsche Spyder. And others had Lotus Elite and the Porsches sports.
 

 

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Jan's Allard K2 Karlskoga club race

A set of pictures from Karlskoga Race track under SSF races. The Allard was a very rigid car and seldom failed.

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Jan's Allard K2 Canon race 1966

This wonderful race which never more will happen. At this occasion we Swedes showed the English that there were boys in Sweden who could match them. Although we had cars which was nothing compared to the famous race cars from 50th and 60th. Jan drove with a hell of feeling and in spite of 8 position at start grid succeeded end up 4th. No one of the other Swedes drove with such a feeling. An important cause was that he knew the car so well. I had my Ferrari and drove a little gentle in the beginning but started to push the throttle when I understood it was not so dangerous. See more in my article Ferrari.

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Jan's Allard K2 Canon race 1966

You can see with which force he drives. Note also that at this time there was no regulation to have fire secure overalls and security belts. The drivers were sitting in normal shirts. The Allard had also no side support in it's seat so it must has been physically exhausting during this race. Note also the front wheels leaning.

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Jan's Elwa Buick Bengtsfors 1967

Once we drove a SSF-race at the Bengtsfors Ring. It was a wonderful day and the sun was shining. Jan's new car Elwa Buick had already showed up at Skarpnäck and had drived away from everybody. The resistance was my Ferrari, Dagobert Swensson in Cox mini and some Lotus Sevens. The race went this way. I took the start mostly due to that the Elwa was high geared in it's Porsche gearbox. I gave what I could in my Monza but realized soon that he could easily follow me. After the curve before start he drove me over as easy as nothing. It's a hard feeling to realize. It's like to be pushed down and having no strength left to make resist. The other cars first Janne Agrén were way behind.

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Jan's Elwa Buick Skarpnäck, Karlskoga

The Elwa Buick had inherit the engine from his Allard K2. But it was not possibly just to install it. The car was lengthened for the engine. Left were the wheel uprights and gearbox. This change made the car very stabile and secure in curves. Note the higher elevation to the left on rear fender. It was a plastic tank for cooling water high up to give a secure pressure on water pump. Compare my problems with Lotus 15.

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Jan's Allard J2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allard J2, as Jan for a long time had looked at the owner Bengt Ramén. At his place the car was dismantled in pieces and perhaps never more has run if not Jan had bought it. From the beginning it was a car in possession of Gösta Forsberg who let other drivers hire it.   Just like John Bengtsson to the right 2004. The car had been driven 17 races and won all. At this occasion it was an Ardun V8 engine under hood. Here you can see John Bengtsson 2004 together with Jan at Rättvik Hill Climb. Later Gösta let Bosse Ljngfeldt hire this winning car.

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Jan's Allard J2 in hill climb

Unloading at pit in Rättvik 2003 and preparing for race. Inspection together with a Nordic Special. It has Ardun heads with 2 carburetors while Jan's J2 has Cadillac engine. The front beam at the white car is a firm Ford 47.

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Jan's Allard J2 and The Professor

One day he had invited Harry "The Professor" Lundberger to come down to Brostugan outside Stockholm. It was with this J2, as Harry according to the legend had been run over. Now the truly story can be told direct out of "professors" own memory.  His memory is not bad because I have heard him telling about pictures from the 30th at the the MC-museet of Surahammar.
It was this way. Harry was standing besides John Bengtsson, who was behind steering wheel, talking, engine was running, and John Bengtsson was going to drive away. A J2 has almost free wheels and Harry didn't step aside enough so his long leatherjacket was caught by rear wheel. It took him down and went over his leg. The jacket prevented a serious accident. "I became a little dotted" said Harry. Anyway he had pain in his leg. Harry was very discreet at this meeting. Jan almost forced him down in drivers seat. He had as always his large high boots. Engine was started, but Harry with his boots had no feeling for the throttle and the Cadillac Engine revved up and scared both us and Harry. Silent he murmured "I should not act with things like this anymore". This was the true story about Norrtälje 1952. In the pictures you see Harry and Jan with a time typical 6x6 Rollicord camera.

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