The Mechanic
Upasena Thenuwara
Upasena Thenuwara moved from Galle to Colombo in 1965 to work at Car Mart before establishing his own small garage on Lauries Road. Over time he became known among Volkswagen Beetle owners as one of the few mechanics in the city who truly understood these cars. His garage remains a gathering place for enthusiasts, and he is valued for his patience, skill and straightforward advice on what needs fixing and what can wait.
I didn’t have to travel far to meet my final character for the I Am project. Mr Thenuwara, or “Beetle uncle” as I call him, is the mechanic who looks after my 1971 Volkswagen Beetle.
He moved from Galle to Colombo in 1965 to work at Car Mart. After some years he decided to strike out on his own and eventually set up a small garage on Lauries Road. Among Volkswagen owners in Colombo he is widely regarded as the person who understands these cars best.
His garage is only a few streets from where I live. Anyone with an old Beetle knows there is always something that needs attention, so I often drop in. Over the last four years I have spent many hours there and we have become friends.
I have come to trust his judgement. He is honest about what needs repairing and what can wait. If a repair is necessary he will explain when a Mexican part will do the job just as well as a more expensive German one.
It is a pleasure to watch him work. There is a quiet admiration for these cars among the people who gather there. One or two vintage Beetles are usually in the garage, often belonging to doctors, lawyers or long-time enthusiasts. Their owners come and go, and the cars often become the starting point for conversation.
There have been misunderstandings between us too, mostly because of the language barrier. But over time, through gestures, my few words of Sinhala and his growing confidence in English, we manage well enough.
Over the years I have grown very fond of my Beetle. Mr Thenuwara, however, thinks that is not enough. He often jokes with Benjamin, his assistant, that since I got married my attention has shifted and the car has suffered. “You don’t love this car enough,” he scolds when I arrive with an unwashed car or one marked by my careless driving.
Interviewing him with the help of my researcher Gayathri gave me a different perspective on a man I thought I already knew. His portrait reminded me that sometimes the stories we are looking for are very close to home.
Colombo
March 6, 2011
Transcript and translations
Language
Subjects discussed
"From the sound of a running engine, you can tell if there is a problem or not"
I can overhaul the engine in three to four hours and have the car up and running again. Anyone can do it, but you need commitment. When you start the engine you must feel it, your ear must know what the sounds mean. Whether there is a problem or not. I wouldn’t call this specialist knowledge, the Volkswagen is basically the same as other cars. The only difference is that in the Volkswagen the pistons are horizontal. This allows the car to “pick up” as soon as you start the engine. Since the engine is air cooled, if the engine is working properly, the engine never overheats.
You don’t have many problems with this car. If you leave it in good running order, you can go anywhere. All you need is petrol. You can take it to any knowledgeable mechanic and they will repair it straightaway. But you can’t take it to any old mechanic in Sri Lanka and expect them to repair it. Nowadays if you go into a garage they chase you away because they only know how to repair Japanese cars.
In the new cars, even if a small part malfunctions, you can‘t run the car. That’s not the case with this.
You can do something, somehow and get it running. That’s the same with all the old cars.
The owner of this car is an MP. He has around four Volkswagens. Respected people such as lawyers come to me. In the past I got a lot of people from the Electricity Board and the Ministry of Defence coming to me for repairs. I knew a lot of important people from those places.
There was a red car here. EN 8… I can’t remember the full number. That customer has been coming to me for more than 40 years. He is a doctor and I even get medicines from him. His wife says that the car is his ‘first wife’, and that she is the ‘second wife’. He loves the car that much. It’s the same as a husband and wife — they have to care for each other. You can’t just leave the car. You have to wash it, service it, grease and oil it, and check every morning that the engine was oil and water.
"From the sound of a running engine, you can tell if there is a problem or not"
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