Holiday Greetings from Jaguar

Click on the photo for a large version.

With a too rare for me combination of time off+good weather+no chores to do, I was able to just have a little fun today with the Jaguar. Drove around for a bit, grabbed lunch with my wife and son at Park Burger and then spotted this beautifully deserted aggregate plant and thought it would make a good photo.

This was after I nabbed the wreath we had on our front door and zip-tied it to the MKII's grill. I would never have done this in summer what with the car's penchant to run a bit warm, but now that it is cool out, I had no worries. And the enthusiastic smiles that this adornment elicited from passerby showed it worth the effort.

Hope all you out there who read me have an enjoyable holiday season and are able to get your cars out a bit and exercise them. A perfect excuse to enjoy some time away from family.

I Park My Classic on the Street. Do You?

I had 3 people yesterday ask me if I worry about parking my car on the street. They caught me as I made some trips back to the car to put some booze purchased from Mondo Vino in Denver in the back. A rare and cheap($12!) Amaro from Miletti and a six-pack of Pumpkin Ale. I'm addicted to the stuff. Love them all except the one from Shipyard. Some people wait for the Pumpkin latte at Starbucks to return each year, I wait for the Pumpkin Ales to hit shelves.

Anyway. I do not mind parking the MkII or any of my other cars on the street. Heck, I enjoy it. I bought this car to drive and drive it I do. It is insured if someone were to hit it. Besides, I love just looking at it parked next to all the dull weekend transports of the Yoga pant-wearing fraternity who usually traipses around Denver on the weekends. 

Seriously, it is pictures like the above that get me excited about classic cars. Not the really posed ones. Or the ones of a shined up car in a line of others at a concours. 

Cars & Coffee Boulder Pics

Today was designed to drive your classic car in Colorado. Sunny. High 70s. Just remarkable.

And it coincided with the monthly Cars & Coffee in Boulder/Lafayette. It is held at the Brewing Market in Lafayette. Which, by the way, brews a very nice Americano. But I would pass on the Breggo Sandwich, it is just an overpriced Hot Pocket. The scone however, was crumbly perfection.

The MKII ran very well. With my Wife upfront and Graham strapped into his Recaro in the back seat, we were all well cosseted on the forty minute drive from home. It was my first opportunity to use the overdrive on the car and it was great. Just like shifting into fifth, minus depressing the heavy clutch.

So, let me describe the pics in descending order from the top:

1. Yes, that is a 914 towing half a 914. I can't comment further. 

2. Flared and checkered Fiat Abarth.

3. Late Carrera and early Countach, both with gold wheels.

4. Ferrari 330 motor. Achingly pretty.

5. My MKII next to one of the few cars in the world that could make it look ugly, a Ferrari Dino. Owned by the same gentleman for 30 years. Some people know when they have some good and don't let it go.

6. One of the rows. Alfa GTV looking prettier for parking next to a Z3.

Jaguar MKII PICS & Last Step Before Registration

So, I needed to get a VIN verification before I get the jaguar registered because it was purchased out of state. Now, for those of you who don't know, a VIN verification is where you pay a person who works for the state to walk about 100 feet and look at the VIN number on your car. But I digress....

After this totally worthwhile verification, thank you Colorado, I thought I would snap a pic or two when I got to work. But, I was rushed because the VIN verification was so thorough I was late. And then, after I snapped a dozen or so, I realized I had my D40 set on its lowest resolution. Best laid plans sometimes get buggered.

But, the upside is the car ran great this morning. Now that the temps in Denver are averaging in the 70s, not the 90s, the car believes it is back in the homeland and running very, very strongly.

A Weight off My Shoulders or Finding a Confidant

I know Porsches. How to fix them. Where to go when I know I am beyond my skills. With Jaguars, I am learning to swim all over again.

So, I needed to find a local confidant to help me maintain the MKII. A sounding board for repairs and a place to turn to in tough times. I got some suggestions from local Jaguar club members and settled on Jaguar Denver. I know, it sounds like a dealer name, but it is not a dealer. It is a shop run by a 30 year veteran of vintage Jaguar repair.

I dropped the MKII off this morning for a carb balance and a check over. I wanted to get a project list. The good thing. I do not have much of a list. The owner balanced the carbs in a half hour and pronounced the car good to go. The only suggestion, upgrade the cooling for Denver's thin, dry air. Something I had already thought about doing. Aluminum radiator here I come.

Notice in the pics the solid driver 2+2 XKE. I was contemplating getting one of these as my family classic until I saw the tiny back seat. Makes a 911 seem like a LWB sedan. Also there was a very mean looking RR. They yellow lights glowing like devil eyes. Very bad ass. Or, maybe I have been looking at BaT too much these days...Oh my god, its a black plate car...

My First Jaguar Repair (Bodge)

So, I owned the car one day without trying to fix/improve/modify it. But today was the second day of ownership and I just had to do SOMETHING.

First, I fixed the right rear vent window mechanism. It was too loose and would not hold the window shut when the door was closed. So, I disassembled, inspected and noted that an extra washer would allow me to get the proper tension on the unit. One fix. Free.

The other fix was mounting the main ashtray lid to the the base. The previous owner had installed a complete new interior and even redid the leather on the ashtray. Nice. But, I see why he did not reattach the lid. Originally riveted on with really, really small rivets it was a fiddly job. As I do not own a micro-riveter. I went to my local hardware store and bought some very small stainless nuts and bolts. I installed the lid with them, then Dremeled the ends off to make a smooth, almost rivet-like appearance. Not quite a bodge. Not quite concours. See the above pic. Not too shabby. And it is in an ashtray for God's Nightgown. (That last curse courtesy of Gone with the Wind.)

And does anyone else wonder why the words 'curse' and 'courtesy' are so close in sound but so far apart in meaning?

I loved driving the car today. Until it overheated when I got home. it was 94 degrees in Denver today and all I did was drive in stop and go traffic. Must be looked into...

New Cat Now at My Home & Classic Car Transport

After just 8 days, my 1962 MKII is now in my possession.

First Jaguar question, is it MKII or MK2(like on the bootlid) or Mark 2? Anyway.

I used classiccartransport.com. And I had a very good experience. My rep Lindsey was super nice. Even after I had to cancel a shipment last month when my deal fell through on the 420. My driver, Danny was accommodating, even driving his huge tandem trailer into my residential neighborhood. And even the unknown guy I spoke to in dispatch got back to me in five minutes when I called about my arrival date. All in all, well done. I have used the big boys before, Intercity, etc. And although the trailer was not as shiny looking, the car got to me on time, undamaged and for $400 less than their quotes. So yes, I highly recommend them.

Now, the car. I got it at 7am and drove to work around 7:30 having got my temp plates yesterday. Hmm, that moss box will take some time getting used to. But the car pulls great. Has a nice balance of restored and patina. I love it already.

First upgrade will be a Kenlowe fan to take care of the rising temperature when not moving. At speed the temp is fine, but I am worried if I get stuck in traffic. And with the American Recovery Act there is always traffic these days.

Side note, the rest of the trailers were filled with Corvettes, a 442, Porsche and T-bird going to Monterey for the auction next week. I for one, will not be buying anything soon. Much broke now that the car is here. But, the debt is worth it.

New Cat at Home.

After a long, tortuous and intense search for a family classic car I finally found one.

I thought I was priced out of MKII Jaguars, but was able to find one for sale in Mass. that fit the bill. And am over the moon about it. Even though I have not even seen it in the flesh. My brother taking care of the transaction as I am in Colorado.

It is a 3.8 manual with overdrive. Restored over the past decade. New interior from BAS. New wiring, motor overhauled, etc. All done to nice driver standards, not concours standards. It seemed that all the other MKIIs that I looked at were rusty piles or over-restored show cars. I didn't want a project and I didn't have $50,000. Or more, for something from the MKII gods JD Classics.

In opalescent blue with blue interior it looks the part. Like a boxer in a suit. Much, much more to come on this.