Part 1 - A funny thing happened to me on the way to the forum

Life is strange sometimes. You can be a stand up bloke, do right by people and things still don't always go the right way. I'm digging myself out of a bad patch at the moment, and this is MY therapy. My inspiration for this is simple, I'm inspired by many people, my family in England, my family here - but my current inspiration is Steve. Steve - aka Herr Spano has put his money where his mouth is, he didn't just talk the talk, he walked the walk. Then he blogged it! So much so and such short order - that he inspired me to get out of the lethargy Ive been in, get my ass in gear and get back to doing something I'm good at, something that gives me a sense of self achievement, and something that will serve a purpose. Thanks for the kick in the ass Steve!

After reading Steve's blog I was downstairs in the "skunk works" I finished up and was closing up shop - I walked past shelves full of dusty Jag bits, and reached to turn the light off. Suddenly I heard a quiet voice say " Matt - its time to get going again or sell us off" - the voice was right - time to get going again.

CAUTION THIS BLOG MAY CONTAIN COLOURFUL ENGLISH.

Ive always loved things that are tweaked - why? because you can tweak them!
I also LOVE cars, aeroplanes, boats, hot women and mechanical things - even more so if they have panache, style and perfect form.

Perfect form : Italian women, Supermarine Spitfire, P51D mustang, Schneider trophy racers, Percival Mew Gull, Chrysler building, streamliner trains and art deco style, Cris craft and Riva barrelbacks and speedboats and most things with sexy styling. Did I mention E type Jaguars? Enzo Ferarri himself dubbed it as "the most beautiful car ever designed" Now there's a bloke who knows his "Lento" from his "velocemente" ( I prefer Molto Rapido as often as possible)

I'm fitfully proud of my English heritage, and as you already know - I love Jags, so I'm going to take what I have now, a very scruffy 1968 E-type roadster from California, and on a low budget create a reliable daily driver. It will be built to resemble an early 1960's privateer race car. It wont be a real lightweight - it cant be, but it will be my slice of fantasy..........

It will be made reliable so I can drive it work, or play, and as is my normal mandate - with appropriate use of the loud pedal, will scare the shit out of anyone prepared to sit next to me in the passenger seat. If its not scary - its not been done properly. If it works out well, Id like to get it out to Bonneville before I turn 50 and find out just how fast it can really go........ I smell 219 mph.

but that's much later.

Money is not copious right now, but it will be again - I will take a list of readily available ingredients, blend them carefully with my skills, and make the best of what I have available.
I'm going to take my car, all the E Type bits I have accumulated, A lot of blood, sweat and tears, and my skills I have learned because I wanted to, or from my many jobs as a youngster (motorcycle mechanic, car mechanic, welder, carriage painter, carpenter, aeroplane builder, designer and comedian extraordinaire) and my education - I have a PHD in scrounging. Ive been called a visionary, its the nicest compliment anyone ever paid me.
Wait - wasn't Joan of Arc also called a visionary? Look where it got her! Its lovely to go to a barbecue, but not to be the barbecue....oh well, I will try and use the visionary thing carefully.
I'm going to call in help from friends here and not here.

Here,
Damien Pasqua, dear friend, car restorer, builder of the house I designed and He loves my humor! We have done some amazing projects together. Look forward to working with you on this mate!

Ernesto, dear friend, AMAZING mechanic - shows up saves the day and helps me out when the going gets tough.

Not here,
Nino Cugliari - my dear father in law and good friend who died a few weeks ago , the day before my birthday. If he had been well enough, he would have been up for this - he had some hot rides in his time! and a consummate, tinkering engineer. We dried out a couple of vineyards and consumed several hundred pounds of grilled Sausage in the 22 years I had the pleasure of knowing him.

Patrick Healy - Alive and well in London - that's no effing good - it's 3519 miles away. Best friend as a child, great car builder, avid hot rodder - if he was here, we would be sucking down hot tea and pulling all nighters as we did growing up to get our cars finished.
you will both keep me going when I think of you.

Luis Cervino - Alive and well in London - I need to see him more often!! One of my longest term, best friends - ALWAYS and I mean always up for the crack. I have a picture of his speedo (no stupid I don't mean the bathing suit) in his Ferrari at 186 mph on a little jaunt between Paris and Amsterdam. John Q couldn't stop us, so why would anyone else? You need to do the Bonneville trip with us mate! (you too Pat)

Greg Fairy - alive and well in London - Friend, confidant and beloved Big Brother - you taught me to fight, and my back is against the wall right now - I know I'll see you soon. I know you will go to Bonneville also.

There are a lot of people worse off than me - I have an attitude of gratitude.
I have so much to be happy with - my life is full with Cath, Miles and Cameron - I love all of you so much.
I am really grateful for all that I have.!

I'm a big proponent of the law of attraction - What one thinks about, and thanks about comes about, when one is ready to receive it. Better think good things - because they come true - if you focus on something hard enough -it will manifest itself.

OK I am now ready to receive.

Lets make this happen.

This is where the rubber meets the road! Literally.

Part 2

What found me
neighbour dog story
What I found