Low Budget Light Weight

Part 17 - Dawn of a New Era........

2009-01-20T15:07:00.000-08:00

"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now...We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

Congratulations my friend, this is one of the happiest days of my life, the others? The day Cath said "yes" the day I first held Miles, and the day I first held Cameron.

This is the first day of the rest of our lives........

Love as always, Dad x

Part 16 - Cadaver secured...get my scalpel

2009-01-13T12:28:00.001-08:00

Well, Happy New Year everyone! After the lovely weather gets a bit easier, I will go and collect my new "score". I ended up getting the 86' XJ6 for $675.00 !!! A harvest that will provide a taller Diff, spare rear end, Front suspension with Much bigger front brakes that will accept Wilwood Calipers ( Go fast, but stop fast also) 5 stud hubs, a host of donor parts for my fuel injection experiment AND more importantly a fairly fresh 4.2 engine, the last in a series of developments providing the strongest of Jag engines - That way I can swap engines, keep the matching number engine to rebuild at my leisure (or not) then I'll shitcan the rest of it, like Jack the ripper with a sixpenny trick in Whitechapel. SO I'm feeling pretty excited right now...........

Part 15 - Heart and Lung Transplant.......

2008-11-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

So Tis the night before thanksgiving, a good time to be reflective...........

As is usual things have a funny way of happening. The oil pressure thing has been bugging me latley - should I pull the motor and replace the oil pump?

If I do what else will I find?

Supposing she has crabs?

Well during a Craigslist scour & search I found an 86 XJ6 series III - has 130,000 miles but engine was completley rebuilt 10,500 ago - and the price is right..... it would yield a front suspension upgrade, a motor, the 86 IS the best of engines, best power/torque figures least prone to block cracks , rear differential and 5 stud front and rear hubs to go with the 4 spiffy alloys

I bought off EBay for $150 - YES $150!!! ( You have to love a mispelled listing - no other bidders!!!) anyway - I'm going to pop off and see the car tomorrow...... you never know I may have to get it into the lab, Stay Tuned......

Look for pictures of the car next time....and my new steering wheel............

Part 14 - The fun begins.......

2008-10-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

After not blogging for a long time because my Fekin Laptop burned a hard drive, I'm back!!!
Operation weber has been a success, but crazy work schedule has kept me from installing them.
Things went fairly smoothly, except a few stubborn jets that had fuel residue which glued them in Like Epoxy! Its funny because this is a cathartic experience, when I write about it, it makes me want to work on the car, when I work on the car it makes me want to write in the blog!

Am I hot? - This is what I'm shooting for........

I'm doing a bit of experimentation here, with some jet sizes which combined with a certain size of venturi recommended by another e-type guru, should yield acceleration faster than shit through a goose - again my mandate is : scare factor required when stepping on the loud pedal!
Im going to change all the inlet and thermostat gaskets as well so the bastard doesnt start leaking on the first test drive.

We will see how it goes............

Part 13 - so many parts so little time........

2008-09-20T16:34:00.001-07:00

So after opening the boxes there were approximately 220+ parts on my Dining room table - this is going to take a while.........
I started of stripping down the carbs and removing the internals-there was a lot of shite in there, lots of the jets were stuck fast, there must be some incredibly filthy fuel being sold in gas stations!

Like anything else, it gets quicker as you learn to do it - I had all 3 carbs torn down in about 3 hours, and the jets back in them in about 5 hours.
The next part will be to put all the new jets in, zip them back up and get them mounted - I think when I do it Ill change over the oil filters also - with the old carbs off it will give me wide open access to whole side of the engine..........

Part 12 - Operation Weber Begins

2008-09-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

Finally, in a confluence of tiresome events, UPS got their shit together (ran out of excuses) and delivered the parts for the long awaited Extreme Weber Makeover...........
I got home expecting a no show, and there was a box - FINALLY!!!!! I think the UPS plane had burst a tire, and they used my package to land on, but it was here!
60 or 70 bright shiny brass parts, and about 100 gaskets and seals - I'm ready to begin......

get my carbs, manifolds, tools and spread everything out on the dining table (This is sure to make Caterina De Sucero Happy!!) Such a task should only be executed in comfort, if I did it in our bed there is a danger I would crash out when I got tired.
I go into the kitchen, turn on the sink and scrub my hands in a surgeon like manner and begin........

Part 11 - Walking across the US.....

2008-09-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

So Pierce Manifolds is a great company to do business with. UPS is not. UPS are cloth eared sloth's. UPS is an acronym for Untimely Parcel Service. Pierce Manifolds pulled a rabbit out of a hat, got all the parts for my Weber carb makeover together from stock even though they were moving most of their inventory to a vintage race meeting over a 3 day weekend. They got my order out by UPS 9 hours after I ordered - amazing. Why? because I needed it in a hurry.
Then mighty Brown sent all their hard work down the shitter 3-5 day shipping is 3-5 BUSINESS days, oh and it doesn't include the day it shipped out, oh yes.... it doesn't include weekends, OH or holidays, oh or the day they are catching up after the holidays, in fact its called 3-5 days and we will probably lose the shipment along the way........ Turns out one of their employees is walking from California with it in a satchel.....that's how it feels anyway.
This is an uplifting blog, I wasted an entry - if you need anything in a reasonable amount of time ( NOT 11 days) DON'T ship UPS - in fact - just don't ship UPS, they suck!

Ill be back with the blog WHEN the stuff gets here..........

Part 10 - The greatest lesson in life is to know is that even fools are right sometimes.

2008-08-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

So operation Weber begins....... I begin searching and calling around, it seems these Weber's are not cheap to re jet and overhaul. I'm getting prices around $600 yikes! I try to be logical......

its $900 for the shit bags to be fixed or $600 for blistering performance, hmmmm still much more than I wanted to lash out. I take a break then visit my four lettered friend EBay........

before I'm done I have the numbers down to $ 346+ shipping. I ordered the parts today and now I wait.... - its such a good deal I buy two tail pipe mufflers for 49 bucks!!! I find them after seeing (hearing) a 1300GSX Suzuki go hurtling past me at about a hundred m p h........ I like that sound!!

and if they don't work out....stick them back on EBay!
As you know, I want the reliability and mechanicals of a Series II but the looks of an early
Series I, So I find a great deal on this - a center section of the dash with - the dogs bollocks......
a push button start!!

part of the cosmetic deception........ on its way here from Hawaii - thanks again EBay.
I'll be back when the Weber goodies arrive from California. I'm getting pumped for this now....

stay tuned.

Part 9 - I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore

2008-08-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

So these stromberg carbs (I prefer shit bag carbs) are driving me mad. I'm not quite sure what has happened between driving the car last summer and today, but they seem to get progressively worse. I'm tired of backfiring, poor starting, and sweating bullets in the heat as I mess around trying to get it running. No amount of Earl Grey can stop this feeling........
I'm a mechanic, not a feckin magician!.

From people I have spoken with, they weren't that good new - apparently Jaguar in the US made a lot of money on servicing and replacing these carbs after the warranty period was up!

Ernesto used to be one of the top mechanics in a local Jaguar dealer, (he once told me I had a worn camshaft by feeling it, as the engine ran!!!) before starting his own business.
His face was like a box of frogs when I asked him to help me with these carbs - his look of disgust said it all. I trust his knowledge implicitly.

Annoyance x frustration = decision.
So Wednesday evening this week I made a decision - spend more time and money sorting these, (perhaps $450 each) to get them really sorted or in the "use what I have" vain - I have downstairs in the skunk works,

the Darth Vader of fuel delivery systems. TRIPLE WEBER 45 DCOE's with manifolds, air cleaners even a throttle linkage. They need some jets, a clean up and I will put a rebuild kit in each one - probably a $300 rehab in total........ yes- I will feel the force.
I'm going to do all mechanical modifications one at a time, so as I make changes I can feel the improvement with each change, or debug the component I have added if it isn't working properly - This way I wont be pulling my hair out trying to find out what has gone wrong with all the new bits added at once.
Off to the basement..........

stay tuned!

Part 8 - Hell hath no fury, like a woman scorned

2008-08-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

So its May of 08 now, I'm getting my mobility back now and starting to feel like my old self again. I cant keep just looking at her - I have to get going again or this will never happen.

Here is the current plan,
I'm going to get her running again - she's sat for a long time. I know she's pissed at me, I can feel it. Patience miss, Ive been a raspberry for Christ's sake.

When she's running, I'm going to sort the urgent stuff first.

I put a new coil on, I did all the stuff, labelled everything and now I cant get her started - I try loads of stuff for weeks - then Ernesto comes over - in 10 minutes he figures out that the new Mallory dual point distributor is full of coolant from a leaking thermostat gasket, and silly bastard that I am, Ive put the two carefully labelled coil wires on the opposite terminals - oh well so much for labelling. Finally she starts and roars again - its very motivating. I speak quietly to her and say "things will be better from now on." She seems content! I work in 93 degree weather and lovely humidity to make a new gasket, dry out the distributor, and surprise, she runs again - I CAN do this!

Next I tackle a biggy - I remove the drivers door. and over a few hours - fit new hinges, swap striker plates, rehang the door , and after about 30 minutes of trial , error and adjustment.........

My helper duJour Cameron pushes the door..... it swings........and slowly shuts, perfectly - with a satisfying "click" We high five each other, clean up and go sit in the hot tub. Its a big satisfying day. If Cameron cares to stick with this, he could be an excellent wrench - Miles already is!

I'm going to do some welding on the front belly cowl of one of the Series I front ends, get it ready to begin the transformation, then hang it on the front end.

welding the front lower cowling

I'm going to convert the "fat ass" series two back end

( Yes - this does make your ass look fat)

to a series one like this ......

stay tuned..........

Part 7 - Do these lights this make my ass look fat?

2008-08-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

The back end of the E-types until 1968 exuded sex, lights like cats eyes and perfect curves..... when the series one finished and the series two began, it was a sad, hideous transition - I cannot lie, your ass does indeed look fat!
The design team was not doing its best work at that time, They grabbed parts from Lucas electrics parts bin, slammed them on the curvaceous back end after slicing off perfect double compound curves - they must have been shit face drunk when the selection was made.
I'm going to not only correct those sins, but also, de-seam and de-bumper..........

Part 6 - They said smile, things could be worse - So I smiled, and sure enough things did get worse.....

2008-08-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

Ive bandaged my foot - I limp around in the most terrible pain. So we leave for Europe, I'm on the plane and my foot and ankle is purple, and dark blue. It swells more by the hour. A woman sitting two seats from Miles and I sees me trying to find a comfortable medium - tight bandage or no bandage - I'm in excruciating pain, She says " I'm a doctor - can I help" She takes the bandage off and her face drops - literally. She says " You need to see a surgeon, as soon as you can" this is not the news I wanted to hear. I know its bad because I cant move my foot - its just limp.
I hobble for a week in London, I'm so thrilled to see my family, time goes very quickly.
Then we move to Tuscany, for 3 weeks the cobble stone streets of medieval villages are stunning , but not kind to my foot - it kills me.
My foot has now become nothing more than a walking stick with a black ball on it - it hurts Just to go and sit with my foot in the pool. I spend my day getting Aleeve in the morning and red wine from noon onwards. After a terrific holiday with Cath, Miles and Cameron - I am glad to get home.
The following day I go to my doctor, she freaks out " how could you walk on this" " I couldn't" I reply.... She arranges for me to get an MRI that afternoon.
Next day, the results. "Your Achilles tendon is severed along with the ligaments in your foot and the bottom of your calf muscle is torn through" I place a quick call to Gerry aka the naughty nurse - he hooks me up with Dr Devang Patel (one of Ct's finest surgeons) - I go and see him, he says "how soon can you come in for surgery" I wondered why this was hurting so much!
80 staples outside, 175 loops and stitches inside, and I'm home again - this sucks!!!

Recovery is almost as painful as the injury was, its October and I'm freaking out - I just want to be well again...... I get in a bad place mentally, I'm very depressed and I feel very sorry for myself - I have so much work and NO motivation to do any of it - then I start rehabilitation, I meet David, he is a physiotherapist. There is a two fold benefit, I make a new friend, and he is awesome - He gets it " we are going to fix your foot, and your head"
"How do you know about my head?"
" Dude I can tell from how you walk in here where you are......... "He was right, he proceeds to work very diligently on me with painful treatments, and one-sided wrestling matches..... By spring 2008 I'm beginning to make a recovery physically and more importantly - mentally.
My E-type looks sadly at me, as I hobble around. Got to start work again......We are almost up to the present now.......

Part 5 - Rain stops play

2008-08-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

So I'm putting a fair bit of time into driving her, I'm really getting to know her quirks, its LOVE.....definitely. How can I keep this affair from my wife.....??!!
I'm in my forties and I'm working at keeping in shape also. I coach Miles and Cameron's "fitba" teams and they are both doing ok! - They are doing very ok actually!
I join a League for adult soccer - I really enjoy this and start playing quite focused - I'm playing my third game, and another guy from our league with a face like a smacked ass, is getting pissed off because I'm MUCH better than him - I can also play with both feet. I see him giving me the look during the first half, when I consistently take the ball from him with ease. About ten minutes into the second half, I'm playing on the left wing - I turn and intercept a chip that comes over to me. As I spin, the fat fuck slide tackles me from behind, with a noise that no human
should ever hear (a combination of a cork pop and rag tearing) I slump to the ground and the piece of shit just takes off, just like that.
For several minutes I roll on the ground in agony - the pain is so bad and intense, I pray to god I don't pass out - I don't want to go to hospital, we are leaving for Europe in the morning.
I manage to get myself up on my knees, and drag myself off the pitch - the guy who did it looks worried now, he knows its serious - I also let him know by telling him Ill kill you , you fucker - just as soon as I can walk. He split becuase he knew I was serious- So if you are that balding, fat, Simon and Garfunkel looking ass wipe, and your reading this - better look out because Matt the grim reaper, IS going to get you - may not be today, or tomorrow but I am going to get you, and when I do you are going to be very, very sorry.

Part 4 - The horses are on the track

2008-08-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

By the end of March we have pretty much gone over the car. The major bugs are fixed. Ernesto very kindly lets me use his trade plates for a few weeks here and there, this eliminates me registering the car until I'm ready and we complete more work on it.
First Drive
I get a pad and a pen, so I can record her driving habits. I get dropped off at Ernesto's and take her home. I drive slowly through his neighbourhood feeling out my new steed. You know what? for a 35 year old car she is pretty amazing. Handles rather nimbly.....I get to the entrance ramp of I 95 - I slowly merge with the traffic 30-40-50 55 mph, check the gauges - oil ok, temp ok, battery is charging..... good. I settle down and enjoy.
After a couple of miles, I reach the route 8 connector north. How sad, there is no traffic ahead or behind me - I do the only decent thing an English car nut should do, down shift and step on the loud pedal - she takes off like a greyhound in the slits at Walthamstow dogs....holy shit 60- 80 - 100 - 115 mph!!! easy son - this is only the first date ( would hate for it to be the last too) I'm booking 120 mph and I didn't even stretch her legs yet!! I take a moment to soak all of this in...... Its a sensory and visceral feast, there is a little oil smoke (a leak from the rocker cover drips occasionally on the exhaust) I can smell exhaust, I love this! There must be lots of holes in the bulkhead previously occupied by rubber grommets, long since perished and dropped out. I feel like a spitfire pilot over the Kent coast in the summer of 1940, looking for the hun-in-the-sun. If you ever fly an old plane you will know exactly what I mean - its a cacophony of smells and noises that make ones brain "sing" - Ive never experienced this pleasure from a car before. I ease off the loud pedal - considerably. If the surface is anything but flat she dances on the road, like a drunk bridesmaid at a wedding reception. I think the camber and tracking is out - My theory is soon proven when after a few hundred miles the front tires are bald on the insides. Time for new boots!
Small fuel leak but nothing major. I get home with a huge grin on my face, drive round the back and let her rest.

So here is the real picture :
Convertible top - a collection of brittle and torn vinyl strips, that flaps in the breeze at speed and leaks like a sieve.
Drivers door - hinge and striker plate is shot - door drops about an inch when opened - got to fix it, because it wont stay closed at speed ( not good)
Passenger door - handle sometimes opens the door - I need to remove the sometimes and replace it with an always.
Oil pressure is ok - but not great - this is potentially a big concern.
Battery tray rusted out - acid damage from a bad battery
Distributor - shitty and worn I suspect stops her from running perfectly. Will need to replace.
Starter - very, very tired - protests loudly when started.
Interior - "minger" says it all, wet and smelly.
Its also loud at speed - I think the exhaust is , well.......exhausted!
Camber, and castor - need correcting as well as tracking.
Carburettors - still not good in fact a long way from good! Do I want to drop money into something I dont like anyway, or replace with tripple 40 Webers or should I fabricate a fuel injection system using 3 twin throttle bodies..... food for thought.
front and rear suspension - some high speed driving has revealed a lot of slop in the bushings and a need for new shocks - both front and rear.
Brakes are ok but very Jaguar - they could certainly use an upgrade.
Transmission - high RPM's at high speed = high fuel consumption - a five speed may be in the works.
This car is going to need a lot of TLC and EVERY rubber seal replaced - come to think of it, some of them are not even there!! But it is an E type, it is a convertible, and it is mine - 3 perfectly good reasons to go on.

Part 3 - Toil begins, enter Barnes Wallis

2008-08-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

I spend lots of time at Ernesto's over the next few weeks - There is no heating at his shop so its colder than a witches tit, - progress is slow. When you start the car it runs like morse code. dot - dash - dot - dot - dash. It just wont KEEP running.
We go through lots of things..... Carbs come off, torn down, re furbed, put back on ( did I tell you I hate Strombergs?) We find a hairline crack in the inlet manifold.... a set of manifolds later and..... still not running properly - the fuel pump comes on, fills the fuel bowl the car starts, but it stops also!!!!!
Barnes Wallis is alive and well in Connecticut
Finally one day we remove the tank, go through every component. I blow compressed air from the carb end back to the tank, it makes a sound like someone with a hernia playing a tennor sax....... right in the middle of the fuel line is a lump of rust, with a piece of gunk behind it......when the fuel pump is on the gunk moves out of the way, as soon as it stops because the bowl is full, its settles nicley down. When the car starts the carbs draw fuel and pull it back onto the rust creating a check valve. Bingo - the morse code mystery is solved..........
We put it back together and its running.... at last now to sort out the brakes, the electrics etc etc.

Part 2 - Lust's passion will be served; it demands, it militates, it tyrannizes.

2008-08-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

What "found" me

1) A very scruffy 69 XKE roadster,

a California car at a price one would have to be a Fuckwit to refuse- from Jag-lovers.org classifieds. It ran for about 20 seconds at a time, and had several mysteries.....more on that later......

2) The ass end (literally) of a 66 coupe from Ebay more on that later also.

3) One, then two Series one front ends,

both scruffy from a really nice English bloke who lives in New Jersey, who is restoring I think a 65 Roadster - looked really nice so far - He probably finished it by now...........

What I found

From EBay, Craigslist etc........

Weber's, manifolds, seats, mirrors, five other E types, T5 parts ( yes a five speed is in the works when $$$ permits)

Ye Gods....... I get home from work early today, another piece has shown up - a nifty adaptor

to allow me to use a modern high capacity oil filter instead of "ye old rag in a can" that Jaguar supplied - I think Jaguar must have wanted to sell rebuilt engines.........

Revenge is a dish best served cold.......
Its early December 2006, I'm bummed out - things were not going well at work and I need a break in whats been going on. I find a classified add on Jag-lovers.org - I call the guy in California, we play tag for a few days - We finally talk..... as usual, I'm in love - I really want this car - after chatting with the owner, he builds and races cars as well as working for HP, and like me sometimes he has too much going on. This was one of those times - He wanted to get rid of her, rather than see her sit and become derelict in his garage........He told me pretty much everything - turns out she's a bit of a " minger*" warts and all!!! (* English vernacular for the term "skank") Only one problem, she is already sold........ A guy in Northern California has purchased it .........

I'm feckin crushed!! - I resign myself to the it wasn't meant to be, but that didn't make me feel any better. I KEEP THINKING ABOUT THE CAR.........

fast forward Christmas eve........
ring.......ring......... ring........ring............

" Hello- This is Matt"
" Hi its Douglas"
" Hi Douglas - whats new?"
" Well the guy never showed to pick up his car, so I sent his deposit back - She's all yours if you still want her"
" Does the pope wear a tall hat? yes, I'd love her!!!"
"Happy Christmas,- SHE'S ALL YOURS"

we exchange bank info and I wire the money during the holiday - it all goes well!

YOU SEE - the law of attraction does work!

Over Christmas, I read , gloat and look at pictures of XKE's I'm really pumped about this.
I get a great quote for shipping from California to Connecticut, and the car shows up the day before new years eve. I have it delivered to Ernesto. It arrives during a snow storm - A really cute woman about 5'2 shows up driving the biggest enclosed car transporter I have ever seen!!!
She jumps down from the cab and says "Are you Matthew?" I answer with a smile "yes I am. Are you single? "
We exchange niceties, and I say " how does one so small and beautiful drive one so big"
She blushes and smiles at me (flirt that I am) I follow it quick as a flash with "I paid for open shipping - I hope you aren't charging me extra?"
She smiles again and tells me "as a matter of fact, I'm charging you less" - which she did!!!
I was going to ask her in my best Austin Powers voice if she "fancied a ride in my Shaguar" But the prospect of New years eve with a broken nose wasn't appealing.
We started it, and drove it off the truck

For a car I never saw, and purchased sight unseen - he was the most honest bloke I ever dealt with ! Kudos to you Douglas!

Then the nasty bit.....
As she is putting the ramps back in the truck, she tells me that while she was picking up the car Douglas's (the bloke who sold me the car) neighbour has a German Shepherd that is going ballistic....jumping at the fence, snarling and generally menacing "the big metal dragon" she is driving to his neighbours house.
Douglas wasn't there when she first went attempted to pick up the car so she left, called him and returned an hour later - the dog comes out, is jumping, going nuts but its silent this time......... When she looks his mouth is taped up with Duct tape. I asked if she reported it, sheepishly she said no.

Its amazing what you can do with the Internet - I wished Ernesto happy new year, give him the Johnny Walker Black "thank you gift" and get home as fast as I can. He will work some magic, let me see if I can. The power of google at work - 2 hours later I have tracked down animal control, the local police department, and here's the best part - the guys home number!!. The animal control people are so horrified they go straight there - the poor dog shows sign's of abuse , so they arrest the guy, ticket him and take the dog to a shelter ( yes he was later adopted!!)
I phone the guy early in the morning new years eve, knowing its 3 hours behind. I awake him to tell him who I am, what Ive done and tell tell him I think he's a douche bag, and I hope someone tapes his mouth shut with duct tape - he goes apoplectic on the phone, I answer "Happy new year fuck pig" and hang up.

2007

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

2008-08-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

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