The Crew

Driver: Steve Braithwaite
Navigator: Spade Braithwaite
Logistics/Knitter: Liz O'Neill
Logistics/2nd Navigator: Teeter Sperber
Videographer: (Yet to be determined)

Steve Braithwaite

Steve (Harry) Braithwaite (Driver/Builder)

Steve was born at a very early age in the picturesque town of Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England, under the inauspicious sign of Taurus. As a youngster, like a moth to the flame, he was attracted to all things yellow. The movie "American Graffiti" channeled his attraction toward yellow hotrods and then a chance meeting with a basket of fruit in a gas station narrowed his focus even further and an idea was born.

"Why not build an enormous banana car and drive it around the world?"

A ridiculous idea he'll be the first to admit.

"A few years ago I did a very foolish thing." says Steve. "I rode a motorcycle across India. I say it was a foolish thing to do because every day since then I have spent too many of my waking hours wistfully dreaming of dusty third world roads."

"You can read the story of my trip across India here"

Contact Details:
(810) 444-2792
Email: steve@stevebraithwaite.com
Website: SteveBraithwaite.com

Spade Braithwaite with two fish.

(Spade is the one in the middle)

Spade Braithwaite (Navigator)

Spade is a happy-go-lucky, mercurial Gemini, born in the Summer of Love, in the same village in England.

He briefly attended college in Oxford, hoping to learn Civil Engineering but quickly realized that he was far too gentle and honest to make a career of it.

Since then he studiously avoided even slightly sensible career decisions, gravitating ever more toward interesting people and sordid situations. At some time or another, he has worked in absolutely every appalling industry, with the exception of banking and finance.

His greatest pleasure has been to travel all the way around the world, several times, mostly by local bus.

Among his unlikeliest achievements have been convincing his wife to marry him and being recognized by the City & Guilds of London as a competent motorcycle mechanic. The latter, without being completely sure which end of a motorcycle is expected to go forwards.

He is also a fully initiated Earth Wizard, certificated to practice Reiki Healing.

For the past few years he has worked as a lumberjack in Pennsylvania, but he is quickly beginning to realize that it’s a job for tough-guys, not effete Englishmen.

It must be said, he is looking for a complete change for the second half of his career.

Contact Details:
Email: olibra@yahoo.com
Website: Amsarnie.com

Liz O"Neill

Liz O'Neill (Logistics/Knitter)

The Banana Car is now being built at the home of Liz O'Neil in Coopersburg Pennsylvania.

Liz has a beautiful 4 car workshop that wasn't being used for much other than storage and being the adventurous type with a heightened sense of the silly she agreed to our taking over her workshop to build a huge banana car.

As she told her family and friends what was going on they all said “Huh? Say that again. They’re building what in your garage?”

Liz has been such a huge booster of the Big Banana Car project we have asked her to join us for the entire trip.

Liz has become the official photographer of the big banana car build and, if we need anything knitted, she will spring into action with her blazing needles.

Teeter Sperber

(Teeter after an unfortunate incident concerning a custard pie)

Teeter Sperber (Logistics/Second Navigator)

Teeter has worked for many years in the NYC record industry, where she was responsible for everything from babysitting Hanson during TV appearances to slaving away as Iggy Pop's record label lackey.

She now works as a touring marketing manager, having exchanged her gray carpeted cubicle for a life in the captain’s seat of a ginormo tour bus. For the past three years, she’s been on the wide open road with everyone from Bon Jovi (ewh!) to the Jonas Brothers (awesome!), feverishly seeking top-notch vegan restaurants and thrift stores in each new city that she lands in.

Teeter also co-owns a tote bag and accessories design company named "31 Corn Lane" along with her 3 sisters. She's been vegetarian since 1992, but is totally proud to report that she keeps it real by remaining relatively chubby.

Her highest achievement yet is that a perfect stranger named their Border Collie after her, both first name and last name, dog tags and all.

Unknown

(Could it be you?)

Unknown (Videographer)

We need a videographer to join us on the world trip.

Thanks go to:

	Steve Myers. Videographer, web designer and all around useful guy. Steve shot most of the video for the early stages of the movie in Michigan and also some in Ohio. He has been instrumental in getting the project off the ground and moving it forward. He owns his own internet radio station at FlintTalkRadio.com along with many other websites.

	Mark Steele. Auto body expert and general automotive expert. Mark has his own body shop in Bowling Green, Ohio. He has an astounding knowledge of all things automotive and the skills needed to repair and restore vintage automobiles. The banana car project was started at Marks Bowling Green location and with his help progressed very quickly.

	Glen Lewis. Glen is not only a very skilled auto mechanic but he is someone who doesn't need much direction. Give him the basic outline of a job and he goes non stop, working quietly until suddenly you look over and it's finished.

	Ron Kutt. Ron is welding all the important parts together to ensure our trip around the world is successful by staying in one piece. Ron is the owner of a small part-time welding company located in Sellersville, PA called RK Services, with the dreams of one day turning this vision into his full-time business. The birth of RK Services was in 1996 and Ron is a 3rd generation welder who believes in doing the job right and at a reasonable price. He is “A Kutt Above the Rest”. Like the name, he does a variety of services from equipment repair, modifications and custom fabrication. RK Services can do projects at his small shop or can come to you with a mobile welding unit. For a free estimate or to reach Ron, he can be contacted at 267-718-8604.

	Gene Toner (The Elder). I needed some Fiero seats and had been driving past a house that had a couple of Fiero's in the yard. I stopped to enquire about them having no notion that the home owner was a huge car nut. We got chatting about the big banana car and Gene was hooked.

	Gene Toner (The Younger). Gene is a very skilled auto mechanic and sees solutions before I have even noticed the problem. It's been fun having a pair of "Genes" working on the banana car.

	Custom Services Company. Sandblasting Glenn Singer and Leo Moyer of CustomServicesCompany sandblasted the very rusty F150 frame. It was an extremely hot day and we all remarked on how hardworking Glenn was. He had to wear a lot of protective clothing and must have been absolutely boiling as he crawled around, over and under the big banana car frame spraying every inch with a powerful blast of sand. The frame came out looking fantastic! Glenn not so much. Glenn Singer Custom Services Company Inc. 768 N. West End Blvd. Quakertown, PA 18951 PH: 215-536-5339 FX: 215-536-6923 QuipCal.com QuipColor.com CustomServicesCompany.com

	Yerkes Auto. I called in the experts to plum the brakes. The team from Yerkes Auto in Quakertown ran all the brake lines, hooked up the master cylinder and booster and bled the system to give me a strong brake pedal. Yerkes Auto 1916 Quarry Road Quakertown, PA 18951 Phone: 610-346-7098

	Hoover Steel. Ron buys a lot of his steel supplies at Hoover Steel in Schwenksville, PA and they provided him with some of his needs at no charge.