Four Years, Can you believe it?

photo source: happy new year 2018. com

When I was a kid my two favorite holidays were Christmas, and my Birthday.  Which of makes perfect sense of course, these were the days that I received presents!

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays, (Which ever ones you choose!)

Forget those old hay eaters, Old Nick wants a new bunch of horses!

Christmas art from Plan59.
An idealized American scene, but it doesn't look my old neighborhood.

Christmas is here and with it many memories from the past. 

What would we do without internet Enthusist forums?

My favorite site.

I had been well aware of the presence of automotive forums for quite some time. I discovered that there were forums available for just about any vehicle that the hobbyist might own. I remember frequenting the Ford truck enthusiast, the Datsun 510 and Z, and the Mustang forums. I was even on the Antique radio forums.

The elephant in the driveway, and other cautionary tales for children (and adults who should know better).

My Mark VII looks a bit like an elephant from this angle.

Like Rip Van Winkle it continues to sleep, but it's not dead!

If you invite an ailing elephant into your driveway it's going to sit where it damn well pleases, and it isn't going to move until it's good and ready!

Welcome to my world, Jaguar World that is.

I first dropped in to look for info about my XJS.

This magazine has been a treasure trove of information and enthusiasm for me. In this world the Jaguar lover can feel that he is in a "safe space." Forget all the cheap shots that are lobbied at our beloved marque by the writers of those other heathen magazines. Here is Jaguar Love twenty four seven! There is never any need to feel embarrassed or to make any apologies for our fascination with this mechanical jewel of the British isles. One of the things that I really like is that every generation, every model, is treated with respect.

Happy Thanksgiving! Turkey and left overs.

photo source: ginamote.wordpress.com
There's always something left on the platter after the meal.

What am I waiting for?

Engines. Sometimes you just dig them. The motor is the heart of an automobile or motorcycle. It can also be be the primary focus of the vehicle. Especially if it is the product of a famous manufacturer and is heir to a long history of racing success. Opening the hood can provide a world of satisfaction.


The Vincent.

What else could this be but British?

The Vincent was the World's fastest motorcycle during it's production run. It's all alloy construction and novel frame design kept the total weight of the motorcycle down. There were two carburetors fitted, and with the superior porting it allowed breathing at high rpm. The use of an advanced cam and follower design allowed the motor to achieve much higher operating speeds than it's contemporaries.

Working on the new car: Part two. Tire Troubles.

photo source: YouTube
     I love these old cartoons. A lot of the situations they deal with were based on the tough reality of the 1930s.

Besides that grey Mustang I have my '07 F150. It was bought new six months before the Mustang, and it now is also not a "new" vehicle.

In praise of "Petrolicious."

Drive Tastefully

Petrolicious is a YouTube site that feature the most beautifully produced car videos that I've ever seen. The photography is exquisite, the choice of subject matter is eclectic. Antique, Classic, racing and collector cars and even motorcycles. These short movies will warm the heart of the true enthusiast, because we know that it is passion that drives out hobby, not money.

Working on the "new car",

"Alloy" is the name of this color. The Pony package provided the 17 in. wheels, grille mounted driving lights. and black leather interior. 200 hp V/6 provides 28 mpg. through the five speed auto transmission. ABS was still on the option sheet this year, mine has it. This is not my car, but a look alike. These are really very good cars.

photo source: all Ford Mustangs. com

When does a car you purchased new, stop being the "new' car?

Roadblock!  Dead End. Progress comes to a grinding halt!

photo source: livefromlockdown.com.

I have described in an earlier post how my Mark VII's wheel cylinders defied my efforts to disassemble them. This resulted in a feeling of frustration and then, even desperation. Rebuilt cylinders were available on an exchange basis for 400 British pounds, that's over 500.00 American! And there was a 200 pound core charge, That's a total of almost 750 bucks. There is also a disc brake conversion which goes for around 1,500 bucks, much more than I want and am able to spend right now. I don't plan on spending that kind of money until I know that the car can be a runner.

Harley wings over America, Part Four, The road home.

Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho.

This 2,000 year old lava flow created some interesting formations. Even though it was almost 90 degrees outside, inside these caves there were still sheets of ice!

Keep Calm, Motor On!

I'm at it again, trying to be clever developing logos and such.
I came up with the artwork, My Daughter handled all the computer design stuff.

First it was the logo for my blog, now it's this inspirational shield. This shield sort of summarizes the right approach and attitude you need when dealing with hobby cars. When problems or complications occur, keep calm, take a step back and review the situation. You can't eliminate the innate frustrations and disappointments of our hobby, just learn to manage them! The crossed wrenches symbolize our ability to pick up a wrench and fix the problem, and our pride in our ability. Motor on, Good Man.

Harley Wings over America, Part Three. On to the Big Apple!

After a visit to the Harley factory museum at York PA. I left for NYC.
The factory tour was suspended while new models were starting up on the line.

Color My World. My first car, a 1966 Ford Mustang.

Ready to add your own touches and colors.
image source: Classic Cars Coloring Pages

Color My World. This was a hugely popular hit for the band Chicago. Chicago was one of the greatest groups during my high school years of 1969 to 1973. In so many ways our first cars are the blank canvases that we have colored with our hopes and dreams, however rooted in reality or fantasy. The car that we end up with is our "tabula rasa" that we will color with our expectations and the life experiences that we wish will accompany this vehicle. So much hope!

Harley Wings Over America, Part two. Run for the East Coast.

Crossing the Mighty Mississippi River entering Memphis.

After the delay and expense of my mechanical failure I realized that I was running my bank account down much quicker than I had anticipated. One of my priorities had been to make it to the East Coast, so I decided to pass on the Carlsbad Caverns and put some miles down. Across Texas and Arkansas. I did stop long enough at a Texas trading post where I bought a pair of steer horns, which I carried throughout the entire trip. These garnered quite a few humorous observations. These steer horns are still hanging up in my garage!


I entered Memphis, where gas rationing was in full effect. I almost ran out of gas and was running on fumes. Drivers were limited to five gallons per purchase. That didn't bother me, my tank only held a little over three and half gallons. The hour long wait did bother me though. Lot's of folks were pretty upset, five gallons won't take your Buick Electra very far.

I made a stop at Graceland which was one of my most anticipated destinations. Unfortunately, this was the weekend that Elvis' Father Vernon had just passed away and Graceland was closed down until after the funeral. While I was parked in front of the gates I was interviewed by a local television news crew. I'll never know if my interview made it on the air.

There was a thriving economy based on the mansion.

So close, yet so far. I still haven't gone back.

There was a large crowd waiting to get in.

This motorcycling couple hadn't come as far as I had, but they were still disappointed.

Just a glimpse of the grounds was all I got.

I found that the area consisted of the mansion and surrounding museums and souvenir and trinket shops. There was a lot of tacky memorabilia of all types available. I have been an Elvis fan for a long time but I could do without most of this stuff. I saw the motto "TCB" used on many of these items. I asked the clerk what that meant. I was informed that it stood for "Taking Care of Business." A good idea so I hit the road again.

I spent the evening of July Fourth at the Mountain Shadow Campground at Lookout Mountain in Georgia. I stopped to check out Rock City, it's kind of hard to tell the seven states apart from this view. I headed back into Tennessee to see the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Town square, Cherokee North Carolina. That is a statue of Daniel Boone.
This was a typical sight in these small Southern towns.

I had read about this road in so many touring magazines, it did not disappoint.

The Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline drive were enthusiastically portrayed in all the touring rider literature I had been reading. I was really looking forward to seeing this beautiful country and I was not disappointed. The speed limit is very low, thirty five miles an hour, and the road can be choked with slow moving cars and especially motor homes. Passing is not allowed. I don't blame the motorists for driving even slower that 35 mph. so that Granny can take in the sights, but it's hard to ride a motorcycle that slow on a curvy road. It's just impossible to get in the rhythm of the curves, which makes riding a motorcycle enjoyable and even effortless in these situations. I would ride until I encountered a group of slower vehicles then pull over and wait for ten to fifteen minutes and hope that they had pulled into a pull out. President Reagan once said that if you've seen one tree, you've seen them all! This was one time that I had to agree with him.

It was quite an experience to actually ride on this fabled roadway, traffic not withstanding. It was beautiful with the fog covering the higher passes.

Skyline Drive is just an extension of the Parkway.

When I reached the end of Skyline drive in Roanoake I was ready to get back into the highway hustle and bustle.

I had read a a magazine article about the Lynchburg Virginia Harley dealer who had an impressive collection of vintage bikes. It was on my itinerary as I planned to stop. This was the first time I had seen a collection of classic Harley Davidsons. Motorcycles had not really been considered as museum items and a collection of this quality and size was quite unique. The owner was very accommodating and let me take some pictures while I sat on the bikes. I think he was impressed that I had ridden all the way out from California to see his collection.

After I had left Skyline Dr. I filled up the bike and headed for Washington DC. After taking the wrong roads a couple of times, I was almost out of gas when I reached town. There wasn't a station open anywhere. I slowed down to 45 mph. on the freeway. There were lots of cars doing the same. I stopped at a couple of closed stations and drained the hoses into a Coke can. Both stops barely filled up one can. I decided to try to make it to Annapolis, where I had a camping reservation.  Just after I checked in at the campsite I ran out of gas.  I arrived at the KOA just outside of DC and actually ran out of gas just as I reached my camp site.  A fellow traveler, who was towing a nice old Airstream trailer came to my rescue with a gallon can of gas. He and a friend were travelling around the country earning their way by painting houses.

A group of people were there  from Albuquerque, (what a coincidence!) and they said that they would keep an eye on my gear while I did some sightseeing. I set up my tent and left my bike behind for the weekend. My plan was to take a the camp shuttle into D.C. where I could join a bus tour of the city.

Washington DC Visitor's Center.

Taking a bus tour was really a good idea. Finding my way around and locating parking would have taken up most of my day. My favorite monument was the Lincoln memorial, just so impressive.

Dinosaurs, now you're talking! The Museum of Natural History had this great Stegosaurus statue out in front. I was so jazzed to see this. When I was a kid growing up most young boys were mad about dinosaurs. Anytime there was going to be a TV show or movie we would discuss it for days before and days afterwards. Most of the time the "dinosaurs" were just some iguana with a rubber fin glued on their back, nothing like the exciting pictures in the science books. At least this Stegosaurus looked like the real thing! Kids today are spoiled. Once Jurassic Park came out and dinosaurs were brought to realistic life on the screen, kids seemed to lose interest. Inside the Museum were displays of dinosaur skeletons . There was also the museum of Science and Technology which was crammed with interesting displays.

I didn't have the time to check out the Smithsonian Museum, much to my regret. It, and the Henry Ford museum are still on my bucket list.

I spent only a couple of nights in the area. The gas situation had not improved very much. I had to wait in line for over an hour to fill my gas tank in the morning. Destination New York City.

Will this circle (of corrosion) be unbroken? The battle of the brake cylinders.

That round thing has to come out, but it doesn't want to.
 I guess that it got a little to settled after 28 years! 

My original plan for the Mark VII was simple, dismantle the hydraulic components of the brake system, inspect everything,  I would then rebuild the wheel cylinders, replace the flex hoses, clean up the drums and linings and see what happens.

Harley Wings Over America. Part One. Four weeks across the country.

This just kind of says it all.

The Summer of 1979. A 28 day trip around the USA, over 9,500 miles long, visiting the states of, Nevada,Utah, Colorado,New Mexico,Oklahoma,Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina,Virginia,Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, Then into Canada. Through the province of Ontario. Crossed back into the USA at Sault Ste Marie. I continued through Michigan,Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota,Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and finally back home to California.

Patching the convertible top on my XJS, the Better Beater Way.  Kind of Ghetto? Absolutely. Wouldn't have it any other way.

photo source: just look!
Hopefully it will look a bit better than this.

My XJS is coming right along. Smogged, the paperwork was cleared and it is now titled in my name, new license plates have been attached.

The Mark of Excellence?

Kind of like the Bible for my old Jag.

I post a lot on the Jaguar Forums, and I'm documenting the running story of my Jaguar obsession there also. On this blog I have a greater freedom of subject matter and I discuss my history with cars and motorcycles. Sometimes there is going to be some overlap. But my Jaguar story is a big part of my blogging identity. So I'm always going to cover it here. It's not like there is anyone reading this stuff anyway.

Why is this car considered a "White Elephant?"

Opinions may vary, but I think this car is just amazing
photo source: Jaguar cars ltd.

I guess that would depend on how you define the term. Not all value should be expressed in dollars and cents. The value of this car to me, exceeds any auction results.

Visiting the Petersen Museum, Part Two.

Of course there are movie cars.

My favorite Batmobile.

Christine and Herbie, a match made in Heaven?

Upstairs was the "70 years of Ferrari exhibit."

Instead of a random grouping of old Jags, I may have a real theme in my collection. Each of my cars appealed to me for  certain specific reasons.

"You talking about me? Because I'm the only one here!"

Through this collection of random models I have found a way to be a "participant" in a wide range of Jaguar's history and mystique on several different levels. None of my cars is the exact model that has become highly valued and therefore priced out of my reach, but they are realistic substitutes for those models. I'll admit it up front that almost everything is priced above my means! The challenge is trying to find the models that have the connection. They are all still worthy on their own merits. Let me begin my examination with my first acquisition, the '89 XJS convertible.

Visiting the Peterson Museum. You do get your money's worth. Part One.

All photos sourced from the Peterson Museum website.
Yes, He was there!

I was having a bit of a problem on how I would approach this post. I wanted to cover some of the vehicle exhibits but I also wanted remark on how the museum brings people from all walks of life and levels of automotive interest together, in many ways just like the LA freeway system. I didn't want to cover every detail of the displays and exhibits but give you my reactions to them. I have my own feelings about visiting museums like this. I like the opportunity to study the cars closely, and at my leisure. I will spend a long time looking at the details.

I guess you could say that I'm a glutton for self punishment.

Replace that whip with a spanner and you get the picture!
photo source:  atomic archive

I recently finished up replacing the transmission on my XJS. That was very tough. A couple of months back I changed out the control arms on my '96 Mustang. That was no picnic. Actually neither of these jobs were. Now, on the heels of those two triumphs, I need to change out the suspension bushings on my XJ6! There was a lot of controversy about what spring compressor to use, my own experience has taught me that it does make quite a difference.

I also need to rebuild the front suspension on the XJS, (Surprise, Surprise!) So lessons learned will be quite applicable.

I priced out the Jaguar spec compressor available from JagBits and really couldn't get excited by spending five hundred bucks. I had seen another compressor available that was around one hundred and fifty, although one of the forum members had used it, I got the impression that it still didn't make the job as easy as it could have been.

Several members had described how they built their own tools: actually it looked fairly simple.  I called my local guy at Jaguar Specialties, to inquire about the compressor and he told me that best thing is just to make your own. So that's what I decided to do.

I also plan on using that outside, mounted  u-bolt secured spring compressor that I used on the Mustang in conjunction with my home made tool. Several members also like to run some all thread through the spring mount plate as added insurance, so I might do that too.

Awhile back I posted about the author Henry G. Felsen. I decided to re-read "Boy gets car".  It's still my favorite, although it was a bit embarrassing seeing my self as the naive youngster Woody gushing over some old heap. (Although I just discovered another old heap to gush over!) The ultimate truth is that once your friends abandon you, you are alone with that old wreck. And that clutch ain't gonna change itself! In fact. nothing is going to fix itself, by itself. It comes down to grabbing those wrenches and undoing one part at a time.

So I got off my haunches and cleared out the garage, again. I bought the supplies and started making the spring compressor. I drilled out the rod, taking my time through successively larger bits, then smoothed out the area round the hole with a rotary stone and a hand powered tapered hone. Reduce those stress points! I found a slightly domed, circular pipe mount flange that will work as the bottom compressor plate.

Doing that drilling by hand reminded me why I used to have a drill press. I liked and used it, but the motor quit after a bout a year. I wasn't too upset, it had been pretty cheap, from HF of course, where else! I'm going to get another one because they are so useful and it makes your home garage workshop look more like an actual repair shop.

Only 80.bucks on sale. Hopefully this will work as is. If not, fairly detailed plans for improvement were found in the review section. photo source: Harbor Freight Tools.

I had gone down to Harbor Freight Tools and bought a bench top 6 ton hydraulic press. Hopefully it will be big enough to handle the job. I assembled it all by myself without any problems. Several reviews of this product described how difficult it was to assemble. I'm used the little landing of the concrete garage steps as my workbench area during assembly. I figure I can use this same spot when pressing out the bushings. If that doesn't work out I've still got the front porch steps.

All this work is being put off until I return from vacation. But all plans are subject to change!

I came back from vacation and what  did I do? I found another old car to drag home. So now my priorities have changed. Since my garage is currently being used by my Wife to "organize" her stuff there is no chance for me to put the XJ6 in the garage for the suspension overhaul. When the Mark was dropped off in the driveway I had it lined up so that I could roll it directly into the garage, Even if there were space in there I would be loath to place it in there. That Mark was a field car for a long time, no telling what kind of critters had been hiding inside, usually spiders and such. I hadn't seen any indication of mouse infestation and those tell tale signs are easy to detect, droppings and the unmistakable odor of mouse urine. I also haven't seen any sign of rodents chewing up the wiring, the harness under the hood looks quite well preserved. I cleaned out the debris that were in the car and vacuumed it thoroughly especially under the seats and in the trunk. I've looked under the car and haven't seen any indication that there is a nest of black widows under the car. I've looked every day so far, but this really hot weather we've had might show something.

I once bought a '67 Riviera that had been sitting in a driveway for several years and put in the garage right away. The next day I found a rather large spider in my foyer and went into the garage to investigate. I found another large spider hiding under the air cleaner and those thick Black Widow webs under the car. That's when I pushed it up and out of the driveway into the street, I was much younger than! I did the bug bomb thing.

I haven't seen any reason to bomb the Mark, but I have sprayed Ortho under the wheel wells. I'll probably spray the suspension behind the wheels when I go through the brakes.

Since I know that the motor will easily spin, I have to go through the fuel system and carbs, change the oil, check the radiator, electrical system, rebuild the brakes, clutch hydraulics, and see if I can get the motor to actually run. It should be quite exciting.

While the interior of the car is still a little dirty, I cleaned all the windows. What a difference! It looks so much more inviting. The car has that funky old car smell, it kind of reminds me of the old Cadillac smell. I can't say that I find it repulsive at all.

The biggest problem aesthetically with the car are the large areas of surface rust. If the car was a solid dull color of paint it wouldn't look too bad. Actually the paint on the front half is pretty intact, just dull. I wonder if the front half was shaded as it sat out side for years. There was red primer or paint brushed on the car, I imagine to protect it from rust. I used a shop vac to knock all the flaking paint off and keep it off the driveway.

If I was a real restorer I would just drop it off at the body shop and have them strip the body down to metal, repair the sheetmetal and have them do a complete respray. Well that is the plan, but I'll be doing it the Better Beater way. I've got to keep costs down. Just replacing the tires is going to run close to a grand! I have a more frugal plan. Since the car will probably stay out side the rest of the summer I just can't sand it down to bare metal and keep it in the garage to cut down on flash rusting.

Miracle in a can? Yes,

I plan to use an  electric palm sander with 60 grit sandpaper and strip one section at a time. I have a rust dissolver and metal prep treatment that I will treat the section with. I will then brush a light coat of blue Rustoleum enamel on. This will protect the metal from rusting but should be easy to remove later on. It will also make the car pretty much the same color all over, a real improvement. As I encounter heavily rusted areas I will treat them with POR paint and epoxy putty. The idea is to preserve the car and protect it from further damage. Luckily there is no real collision damage but there is a dent on the top of the left fender like some thing heavy fell against the car. Not in a hurry to fix that. I will be very careful not to scratch or otherwise damage the brightwork. I'll put a couple of layers of masking tape on the trim before I start sanding. I might hit exposed nuts holding on the trim with Liquid Wrench so removal can be possible later.

Harbor Freight to the rescue

After I've sanded the whole car and it is a patchwork of brush stroked enamel, then I will put the car in the garage and sand all that blue Rustoleum off, just before I deliver it to the paint shop. I hope to document my progress here for all the world to see. In many ways that Mark is going to be the ultimate Better Beater. I've had responses to my forum post about the car where I am being warned that the car will cost a fortune to properly restore and then will be worth quite a bit less then I will have spent.  I've replied that I don't plan on restoring the car. As I told the seller, I'm just going to fix it up, get it running and have an economical respray done. Just like I said about that XJ6 in an earlier post.

Can this really be done? Will this result in something that I am satisfied with, and can actually be a little proud of? I think so. It may shock, appall and offend those that have the money to spend, but I hope that it will cheer those who don't.


And I've still got two cars lined up after that.