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Nostalgia fuels upgrade of old Jeep
The Psychology Dictionary defines nostalgia as "1. a wanting to return to a formative time or state of life recollected as being better than the current in some manner. 2. a wanting to return to a place to which one feels emotionally tied." Until recently, nostalgia was considered a psychiatric disorder. However, a 2008 news release from the Association for Psychological Science noted that recently, "psychologists have begun focusing on the positive and potentially therapeutic aspects of nostalgia."
As a link to one's past, nostalgia gives life continuity and meaning.
Having grown up in Waterbury's Hopeville section in the 1950s and '60s, I spent much time at Nick Parillo's Atlantic Service Station on Baldwin Street and Edin Avenue, as my family's car was repaired there.
Nick and his business partner/brother-in-law, John Russo, owned Willys Jeeps around the same time Pat Brady was driving his Jeep, Nellybelle, on "The Roy Rogers Show."
Coming from a machine-trade family, Jeeps — those strange-looking four-wheel drive, rough-terrain, general purpose (GP) vehicles developed for World War II service in 1941 by Willys-Overland Motors — fascinated me. Willys-Overland and Ford Motor Co. jointly produced more than 270,000 of these "blitz-buggies," as they were dubbed.
Fast forward to 1992 and Shaker's Jeep dealership in Waterbury. A sage-green, low-gloss metallic Wrangler YJ with a spice-colored soft top grabbed my attention. Wham!
For $14,000-plus, that five-speed, dual-range Jeep was mine. The following year, John Lukosavage's Universal Welding installed a plow blade, trailer hitch and diamond-plate running boards, and repainted the Jeep Mack truck forest green.
After 22 years of work and fun, the Jeep was due for a thorough upgrade. Genuine classic car owners recommended that for restoring this emotional bridge to 1950s upper Baldwin Street, I turn to Bob Lebrun's North East Customs in Wolcott, as well as Mark and Julie Kalinowski's Dave's Upholstery in Oakville.
So now, as oldies fans hear Sandy Shaw and R.B. Greaves sing on Sirius XM satellite radio's '60s channel, "there's always something there to remind me."
Thomas Peter Durso lives in Watertown.
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