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 Barstow,
California—
We stopped at A-1 Towing & Garage on Highway 58 near Barstow,
California. A motorcycle with missile launchers attached to its windshield
and wicked bayonets protruding from its wheels greeted us at the gate.
Nearby an old Hillman boasted tank treads and anti-aircraft guns. "Who
lives here, Mad Max?" asked Mark. No ordinary imagination had given
birth to this bizarre collection, and we knew we had to meet the mind
behind these mad machines. The genius in the desert turned out to be
Ed Parker. Ed and his brother Greg welcome vistors who
wish to take photographs of their unique
cars. "All but one of them actually function," says Ed.
"Some have recently been used in movies."
Inside
the main garage, Greg, who designs and builds winning off-road racing
cars, demonstrated some of his latest innovations, including a floating
suspension system that allows the race car to mimic a hover-craft as it
rockets across the course. Then Mark got to be a guinea pig. "Hold
this," said Greg, handing him a steering wheel, "As tightly
as you can." Mark tried his best, but Greg yanked it away from him
without trying very hard. "Okay, now hold it like this," said
Greg. "Angle is everything." Greg tried and failed to wrench
the wheel out of Mark's hands a second time. "Okay, now everybody
lift your toes up and down, up and down. That's what you have to do with
an ordinary accelerator pedal. But not with mine." Greg showed us
how he'd designed the controls on his car to reduce fatigue for the driver.
Greg has many theories about balance and weight distribution. "If
it's balanced right, it weighs nothing," said Greg, and proved it
by lifting his race car with one hand
As
we left, Greg gave us one of his business cards, and it's one we'll be
sure to keep in a safe place. "Get out of Jail Free," it says
on the back, "And the local gendarmes will honor it," says Greg.
Whether
you find yourself visiting the Parker Brothers by choice or because your
car broke down on your way to Las Vegas, you're in for a treat you won't
soon forget.
A-1
Towing
30939 E. Hwy 58
Barstow, CA
Map
April,
1996
A
Visit with the Parker Brothers
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