EX-TEST DRIVER STILL LIKES FAST CARS.

Byline: BETTIE RENCORET

LANCASTER - It has been life in the fast lane for Duncan Currie most of his 75 years, and passing time has not decelerated his enthusiasm.

Starting in 1946, he spent 17 years as a test driver, mechanic and machinist at a tire test track that U.S. Rubber Co. maintained at Avenue D and Sierra Highway.

Currie's fascination with cars and trucks has diminished little since those days of exciting high-speed and skid-test driving.

``We had our own shop where I also worked as a mechanic and machinist. We built most of our own test equipment there, so I knew what I had to work with when I went out on a run,'' he said.

Not all of the testing was confined to the local track, he said.

``I did quite a bit of high-speed test driving on the Muroc dry lake, among other places. One of the routes was to Bishop and back. One went east to Ludlow. And then there was what we called the `town and country' that went down to Santa Monica as a turn-around.''

Fifty drivers, two secretaries, three mechanics and three tire inspectors were employed by the rubber company.

``Sometimes a car and driver went out alone, but often there were three and sometimes six in a convoy on those test runs,'' he said.

In the early 1960s, he said, when Los Angeles County raised the price of a new lease, the testing moved to Laredo, Texas, where land and labor were plentiful and cheap.

Currie declined to move.

He went to work as an assistant foreman for United Technology at the Edwards Air Force Base rocket laboratory. His crew's job was to assemble propellant for the Titan III booster rocket.

In 1965, when that operation was moved to Cape Canaveral - then Cape Kennedy - in Florida, he didn't want to go.

After a brief stint with Douglas Aircraft, he left to take over management of the machine shop for H. M. Parker and Sons until the lure of the aircraft industry captured him again in 1967.

He then went to work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Edwards as a technician in its solid-propellant department. There he made the propellant and cast motors for test firing.

``We had our own test stand for firing those rockets,'' he said. ``But we had to take the 500-pound motors up to the rocket base altitude chamber to test them.''

About four years of that was enough, he said, and in 1973 he went back to Parker's and stayed there until he retired in 1987.

In one way or another Currie is still involved in the maintenance of infernal machines.

His recent projects have included building a standby home generator with a log splitter. This not only provides power for electrical emergencies but also an easy way to split winter firewood.

He also builds and sometimes flies radio-controlled airplanes, and he loves to restore antique autos.

Currie and friend Lou Ward restored an antique American LaFrance truck, owned by George Lane. It has been used as a movie prop and has transported the Lancaster City Council in the Antelope Valley Fair and holiday parades.

Born March 28, 1922, in British Columbia, Canada, Currie was brought to Santa Monica by his parents in 1925 and from there to Llano in 1926.

They spent a couple of years on a ranch that is now the site of the Crystalaire golf course, country club and airport.

``A lot of wild burros used to wander around out there,'' said Duncan. ``I was 5 or 6 years old when my brother, 11 years older, wanted to see me ride one of them. He put me one but I didn't stay long. That thing bucked me off in two shakes.''

They moved in 1928 to an alfalfa ranch at 90th Street East Avenue E-8, in the old Redman District, and were there when the Great Depression hit.

His father returned to Santa Monica to work during the winter months for a banker who owned a paving business. His mother went along to be housekeeper in the banker's huge home. Currie's older brother stayed to keep the ranch going.

``With both my parents and brother working like that, we made out OK during those lean years,'' he said.

PALMDALE - Craft classes for seniors 55 or older are conducted from 2 to 5 p.m. each Tuesday in the Courson Pool Building under the auspices of the Palmdale Parks and Recreation Department.

All types of crafts are taught, and a small donation is requested to cover the cost of supplies.

For more information call the Palmdale Senior Center, [phone].

LANCASTER - Menus for the week at the senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster, Palmdale and Pearblossom have been announced. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk.

Monday: Closed. Presidents Day.

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrot/pineapple salad, orange.

Wednesday: Barbecued chicken, macaroni salad, cabbage, tossed salad, apple crisp.

Thursday: Hamburger on bun w/all the fixings, corn, cauliflower, cheesecake.

Friday: Pinto beans and ham, carrots, fiesta coleslaw, cornbread, pudding.

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Photo

Photo: Duncan Currie and his wife, June, relax in their home in Lancaster.

Bettie Rencoret/Special to the Daily News