Category: Car Photo Of The Day

Just another place to look at car stuff.

Car Picture of the Day: Happy Driver

My Dad took this photo in June 2000. That’s me behind the wheel of his 1954 Jaguar XK 120.

We were on the 3rd day of the La Carrera Nevada, which was some inspired lunacy involving pre-1955 cars and a whole lot of open (and some that should have been closed) roads. At this point, if I recall correctly we had just left the pavement and were travelling along at 60+ MPH on a pretty nice gravel road. We were travelling through yet another huge and virtually empty, uninhabited Nevada valley. I had turned to my father a few moments before and said “I don’t think this is what Sir William had in mind when he built this car.” 😉

Ye Olde XK was not designed to be an off-road vehicle, but it held up admirably that week, finishing the rally that killed many more supposedly rugged machines (big “Yank Tanks” of the early 50s.) You can read the full story in the “goolsbee.org content links” to the right. Six years later and we haven’t changed a bit, off again to participate in another bit of inspired lunacy. We leave in one day. I can barely contain myself.

Vanishing Point

T-minus 2 days before I point the bonnet of the 65E east and head for Montana.

This photo was taken in Idaho, in the Lemhi valley if I recall correctly due south of Salmon. I’ll be cutting across the horizon left to right a good ways north of here on Highway 12 late afternoon Saturday, or maybe early Sunday as we make our way to Missoula, then on to Red Lodge for the Going To The Sun rally. Should be a blast. The car is all ready to go, and I can barely keep my mind on work. 😉

Boxed.

I’ve always liked this photo, I have it framed on my office wall. Of course I have lost the original high-res version of it… I took it, did my editing for my website, and threw away the original – which was stupid… because only afterward did I realize what a great shot it is! It is a wonderfully captured moment with nice composition and lighting.

This was taken on the New England 1000 rally, in 99 or 2000, (I’m too lazy too look it up at the moment.) On the first or second day of the rally the car broke. A clutch hinge pin fell out to be exact. The rally has the good forture of having the Markowski’s as the official rally mechanics. The Markowski’s run RPM, one of the best restoration shops on the planet. On the right is my father, and he is talking to (standing) Steve Markowski and if I recall correctly the kid leaning against the wall of the trailer is named Eben. The E-type has just been pulled into the trailer and my father is describing what happened.

What ensued was a miracle. I firmly believed that the rally was over for us. Anyone that knows e-types understands that clutch and transmission problems are impossible to address in a swift fashion. But somehow … using flashlights and surgical tools these two mechanical geniuses who were weren’t even old enough to drink at the time, managed to re-insert a clutch hinge pin through a hole in the bellhousing and get us back in the rally again the next morning.

I recently fixed the car’s latest ill, and am humbled by the abilities of these guys. I am the world’s slowest mechanic… I do not rush things and really don’t mind taking forever to address an issue. To me working on cars is a thing to be savored and enjoyed. I could never do it for a living, because I’m just too damn slow. These kids (who are now grown men) were born for the task. Good to have people like that around. Yin & Yang.

Adventures in Towing, part 4

The E-type had another trip on a flatbed this past weekend. :p

It has a NON-stock fuel pump, in this case a Mallory, which requires the use of a fuel pressure regulator. The latter device failed. I replaced the pressure regulator and the problem (loss of power, engine dying) did not go away. To make a very long story short: Car died on Chuckanut drive (right about here) not too long before sundown. I went into full troubleshooting mode, looking at the fuel delivery system back to front. We ran out of daylight before we figured it out. I called the insurance company (who provide a gratis 10 mile tow) who had a local flatbed company bring me to a friends house near Bow, Wa. I spent half the day Monday under the bonnet of the Jag in their driveway, until I figured out that the new part was just as bad as the old bad part. sigh. Oh well.

The upside is that I found a GOOD aftermarket pump, that will deliver the native pressure the XK engine requires, and as a bonus, it is inexpensive and comes with a serious endoresment.

The image above is from my infamous “voltage regulator” incident a few years back. Perhaps I have a problem with “regulators”?
You can read about it here. There is even a pic of my Mallory fuel pump there.

Anyway, big thanks to Greg Bilyeau, who came out from his home in Bellingham to help me out. Thanks also to Mike Hinson, who graciously allowed me to use his driveway as a garage for a day, and loaned me some compressed air, and some expertise. Huge thanks to Paul Wigton, my telephone tech support guy!

Bruce MacCormack also offered a bed for the night for us, which in the end I didn’t require. I would have stayed up all night watching “Grand Prix” on his big screen anyway. 😉 Thanks Bruce.