Don't you ever get sick and tired of messing around with cars?

Famous cartoon by Bill Mauldin.
I will just remind you that this act was carried out as a display of mercy. 

Well, that's a complicated question. A lot depends upon who's asking, and why. 

Remembering Henry Gregor Felsen. (1916-1995)

                                                 photo soutce: front porch expressions

Who was this serious looking man and why do I consider him an Icon of automotive literature? Like most artists we remember their work instead of the artist themselves. Actually without their work, what would we remember about any artist?

Back in the day, people didn't actually restore old cars.

At least not in the way they are doing it today.

I managed to find a couple of copies of these anthologies in an old books store  years ago. I had subscribed to this magazine for several years and I still might have a box of them stored in my garage.

2017 California Mille Rally participant involved in fatal collision.

                                   www.autoweek.com/article/car-news/one-dead-california-mille

The article in Autoweek didn't give the cause of this incident. The driver may have sustained a tire or suspension component failure. The driver may have swerved to avoid a deer or other animal. I have driven in the Mendocino area for many years and there are many locations where the trees are right alongside the narrow roadway. There isn't a great margin for error. So there are many possible causes.

There is an old saying that you should never meet your heroes. That could be good advice.

Photo source: Wheels and Deals.com

Last week I went down to my favorite car lot, Wheels and Deals. I'm not really looking to buy a car right now, but I find the place quite entertaining. As I mentioned on a previous post, It's nice to view an eclectic collection of used cars, and since there are no salespeople you are not wasting anyone's time except your own. My current score there is three bought and one sold. Plus, I refer a lot of people to the lot.

Let's build a Hot Rod!

photo source: jalopy journal.com

I always felt I was born twenty years too late!

photo source: jalopy journal.com

I grew up reading Hot Rod fiction by Henry Gregor Felsen at a young age. 

Sometimes you just have to finish the job!

I wouldn't want to have to pick out each individual piece of fruit.
Being a backyard Jaguar mechanic is hard enough! 

The engine support bar makes things easier and cuts down on clutter under the car.  Note the lengths of rubber hose on the ends of the threaded adjusting hooks. That will prevent closing the hood and making a nasty dent.

I'm still deep into the transmission replacement of the XJS, perhaps a more realistic description is that I'm still buried in the job. On this car access is very tight, and there are a lot of contortions that have to be made to reach and remove certain components.  Like ALL of them! It is a jello mold of a car, Imagine the engine and drivetrain as huge chunks of fruit cocktail and the rest of the car is Jello poured into the mold to fill up the remaining space.