Local car enthusiast Paul Koski brings classical cars to Parktown North

Local car enthusiast Paul Koski has collected and restored classic cars since 2012 and now has a collection of five classic cars.

The Parktown North resident said he has been passionate about cars since he was a child and his love has now grown from toy cars to actual cars.

“When I became interested in collecting classic cars, about 15 years ago, I started initially with comparatively late models – 50s and 60s – but then switched my allegiance to much older models. My current collection includes a 1904 Curved Dash Oldsmobile and a 1909 Star made in England,” said Koski.

He said he drives his Model T most weekends, but learning to drive it was not easy and he hated his first driving experience in the car. While he enjoys the driving far more now, he said it still requires a huge amount of concentration. “Driving a Model T Ford is an acquired art, but when you learn the idiosyncrasies of the planetary gear transmission system then driving one of these cars becomes most rewarding and gives one a sense of great pleasure.

“The accelerator is a lever on the steering column not on the floor. The three pedals on the floor do everything differently when compared to the modern car. The left pedal, usually the clutch on a modern car, selects high and low speeds thus driving and not concentrating can get you into trouble quickly.”

Koski said South Africa is a car crazy place and coming across classic cars is not too difficult. “Sometimes you could even find a garage with 20 or 30 cars in it.”

The chartered accountant said he sees himself as a full-time apprentice who does whatever restoration work he can in terms of his mechanical ability, but when he gets stuck he calls on the services of friends who are skilled in working with old cars.

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