From 1925 to 1970, Popular Science ran a fictional story each month about Gus Wilson and His Model Garage.
Gus Wilson was the main character of the series and part owner and master mechanic of the Model Garage. A thoughtful man, respected in his town, Gus was never without his common sense and trusty pipe. You could always tell when he was pondering possible solutions to a complex problem as he became quiet and lit up the famous pipe. That process was usually follow by the exclamation "I've got it" and then we were treated to the solution and the logic behind it.
Gus was never given a specific age but was always described as a "veteran mechanic" who had been around since the very early days of automobiles. In the early issues he was portrayed as the stereotypical "garage-man" in bib overalls and engineers cap. Later issues showed him in coveralls but always with his pipe and cap. Gus was single and lived in a house close to the shop and was often called from either slumber or vacation to solve some particular emergency. In his career he was involved as a expert witness and concerned citizen as he saved lives, solved mysteries, and defended the country against saboteurs and the criminal element. He was and remains, an amazing man.
The stories were extremely well written and though published long before I was born, I read them whenever I found old PS magazines at sales or antique stores. I learned a LOT from Gus about old cars and still use some of his tips today on even new cars.
Someone has made a website with all the stories published and I can't stop reading them.
http://www.gus-stories.org/index.htmlEnjoy!
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