jimbob

[Mike Y]

To all LEC members.

It is with great sadness I have to announce the death of Jamie Benzie to everyone on Lotus Elan Central.

Jamie passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in 2012.
I know a lot of people watched in amazement as I did the endless attention to detail Jamie was putting into JUF’s his ex concourse winning Black Lotus Elan SE. Although I only spoke to Jamie a few times and conversed with him over the internet I quickly built up a lot of respect for him and the skills he turned his hand to. Jamie never ceased to surprise me with the energy he seemed to have completing multiple projects while resting from the extraordinary restoration of his Elan SE. The fact he built a spray booth while doing various projects still has me amazed!! Not to mention building his own house and switching from one skilled profession to another seemingly easily during his life, how do you do that???
Having talked with Cheryl (Jamie’s partner) and Anna (Jamie’s Mam via emails) it seems Jamie was indeed a man to admire and respect for being a loving family man with a can do attitude to all aspects of life. This attitude to life allowed him to deal with the most terrifying illness CANCER. Even cancer could not stop him this was a man cancer simply could not beat.
I am sure everyone on LEC will join with me in offering belated condolences to his family. I have copied below with the permission of Jamie’s family a brief history of Jamie’s life. I am sure you agree Jamie was an extremely remarkable man.
Rest in Peace Jamie.

Mike Y


Jamie
• His schooling was at Keith Primary then Forres Academy
• Age 7 loved tools and taking things to bits and finding out how they worked
• As a teenager he built bicycles and a ramp for his BMX, he mastered so many stunts and pleased his son Zack by showing him now and again
On leaving school at 16 he knew he wanted to be a panel beater so pursued his chosen career
• The first car he built was with his grandfather, a Windowlene pink 3-wheeled Bond Bug
• He loved motor bikes and cars
• He loved the west coast and camping in solitary places he didn’t rely on other people
• Enjoyed fooling around with his son Zack and generally having a laugh
• He had a witty dry sense of humour
• Perfectionist in everything
• When he took something on he threw himself into it whole heartedly
• Head hunted as a top grade panel beater from one garage to another around Inverness
• Set up his first business lasting 5 years having converted an outbuilding into a garage and spray booth to continue his chosen career
• He missed the workplace banter so went back to working with others in the motor trade
• Sally, his rescue collie of 11 years was never far from his side
• He met Cheryl in 1997 and they had their son Zack together
• He loved soppy Romantic Comedy movies, much to everyone’s surprise
• Jamie was never out of work his entire life
• He always had at least one project in hand
• Bought a derelict house with land in Strathconon then proceeded to knock it down and start again, drawing up his own plans. The build took 4 years during which time he was diagnosed with cancer which knocked him for 6 but not for long – he had a mission
o Loved collecting and maintaining his tools for all his trades and hobbies
• He converted another Bond Bug from a 3-wheeler to a 4-wheeler
• A Road Buggy was the latest project he finished
• He still had an unfinished project – a concourse condition Lotus Elan which he was going to show
• He was always ready to get into the guts of something to sort it
• He started a new business 1 ½ yrs ago in Domestic construction, repair and maintenance working locally and loved the variety and freedom it brought
• His motto was “Quality Matters”

• Clean living
• Independent
• A very gentle loving soul
• Always saw a funny side


R.I.P Jamie

[theelanman]

indeed...RIP Jamie....

great wordage Mike thanks...I cant really add to what you've said.....

[Andy_J]

Jamie's passing is very much a sad loss. I met up with Jamie a number of times swapping notes on M100's and have visited his garage a number of times to see his progress. The work he has done is nothing less than amazing, his Elan when finished would have looked like a brand new car. As Mike has said Jamie was not just a mechanic, his house and garage which he built were fantastic and beautifully built in a beautiful location.

Rest in Peace Jamie

[RayD]

Thank you for letting us know Mike,

I only knew Jamie from the forum but he seemed a remarkably talented person.

Best Wishes to his family

Ray

[Steve A]

What a sad loss to the LEC, just looking at this post alone shows what a talented and dedicated man he was, all the best to his family and friends.

[Jamie N]

Very sad indeed. RIP.

[norman lovie]

there was obviously a man who gained a lot of pleasure, quality and value in the journey's he took, as much as the destination - i'll keep coming back to this thread for inspiration.

[RichardK]

Very sad indeed.

I remember very clearly the first time my wife and I came across this thread, we read it through without a break and looked forward to his updates, such quality work and hugely inspiring.

RIP Jamie.

[dapinky]

Okay, I've made a decision on behalf of 'The Management' (which may well be overturned in time, if I've acted inappropriately)...

Jamies' work on the elan (and everything else he gave his attention to) was second to none.

The story of his elan rebuild is in this thread, and makes a great read for anyone who wants to know the best way to do ANYTHING on the cars - it is a story of seeking ultimate perfection, and has been an inspiration to me and many others who only try to get anywhere near that level of work.

To avoid any 'watering down' of the thread contents by the many well-wishers, I have split the messages at the end of his thead (which will always be fondly remembered as 'Jimbobs thread') and added them to this one.

I have now locked that thread to prevent any further comments on it, and it shall remain as a testament to the man who did what we could all only dream off - the final words on that thread are Mike Ys' comments and epitaph - a fitting end, I believe, to that particular prose.

[Dico]

Only just seen this. I'm in shock yet again.

Jimbob was a lovely lovely fella. I met him a couple of times over the years, but not heard from him for a long time.
He once came down from Scotland overnight to collect an Elan tub from me. He insisted on sleeping in his car overnight. I seem to remember it was an old Rover that I believe he paid £5 for!!! The brakes on his trailer overheated and seized on on the way down. He pulled in at a services, let them cool down and freed them off with a hammer. The trailer looked to be worth around £1.

Smashing chap. Such sad news. R.I.P Jimbob.

[Rob P]

Didn't know Jimbob at all but having read through a lot of the Buld thread he clearly was a man who had a keen eye for attention to details, building your own Spraybooth is pretty extreme but then I would love my own so I can finish off the Mini Cooper I have tucked away in the garage.

As I stated I didn't know Jimbob but he was a LEC'r and as such clearly a top bloke.

RIP jimbob, rest easy