the kitty letter letter... 1 the kitty letter news and stories from the jaguar association of...
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www.jagcny.com 1
The Kitty Letter
News and stories from the Jaguar Association of Central New York
May - June 2020
Social Distancing Garage-Style JACNY Reference Chart for six feet of space
3 Breaker Bars
2 Air Compressors
5 Race Helmets
1 Dropped roll of shop towels…
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2020 Event Calendar
• Apr. 25th - Open House at Horsepower Motor Works - Victor, NY Postponed
• May 2nd - Spring Luncheon 1833 Kitchen & Bar at Inns ofAurora - Aurora, NY Canceled
• May 23rd & 24th - Rolling Antiquer’s Classic Car Weekend - Norwich, NY Canceled
• June 14th - JACNY Slalom #1 - Dewitt, NY
• June 21st - Euro Car Show - Cazenovia, NY Canceled
• June 27th - 1000 Island Concours d’Elegance - Clayton, NY
• July 18th - JACNY Road Tour and Lunch
For the complete 2020 calendar click HERE
Inside This Issue
Presidents Letter Editors Letter A Little Health Related Humor Motoring Conversations For Sale Regalia Member Application
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... pg 4
... pg 5
... pg 6-7
... pg 8
... pg 11
... pg 12
President Paul Chappell 315-729-0876
Vice President Wendy Havens 315-576-0228
Secretary Linda Dafoe 315-488-1492 [email protected]
Treasurer/ Michele Ball Membership Chairman 315-345-5591 [email protected]
Editor/Web Master Ellie Chappell Hall 315-237-8888 [email protected]
Assistant Editor George Parker 315-491-1857 [email protected] of Slalom Events/ Vars Smith Chairman of Advertising 315-487-5911 [email protected]
Chairman of Inter-Club Bill Licker Relationships 315-399-5305 [email protected] Committee Michael Havens Director 315-576-0228 [email protected] Off-season Events Ted Zoli 315-323-4357 [email protected]
Chairman of Club Regalia Bruce Brownfeld 917-723-4903 [email protected]
Directors of Rally Events Bruce Boncke 585-742-3281 [email protected] Nathan Lyman 585-880-9082 [email protected]
2020 JACNY Board of Directors and Chairmen
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Through the past two months we found ourselves living in some very dangerous times. With many of us out of work or trapped at home with not much to do, I found myself with hot prospects all up and down the East Coast from websites like cargurus , eBay, auto trader and craigslist. A new XE in Albany, a 2004 XJ North Carolina, XKR (also in North Carolina) and another XK down in Florida - if you don't think this type of thinking is dangerous just ask my wife about it.
Buying a car online is not the norm, but I know some members that have purchased online, myself included. In 2008 I purchased a Ford Mustang from a fellow in Nebraska which went without a hitch and today I'd like to take some time to tell you all about my most recent on line purchase.
My father-in-law has been getting up in years. He has totaled his primary pick up truck, Backed into his house, done some serious damage to a second pickup and if that wasn't enough, we got a report of him driving to town one day on a very flat tire. The siblings united and decided it was time to take his keys from him. Naturally he was not very happy as he would not be able to get around on his farm to collect firewood and check on his acreage. Searching all options, Debbie asked him if he would like a golf cart or something similar to drive the farm trails. He eagerly agreed and the shopping began. We found a nice side-by-side UTV in Cazenovia within our price range so I called on a Friday afternoon and found it was still
available. We drove out on a Saturday morning and as I was test driving it around the back lot another salesman told Debbie he had sold it the day before. My wife was so upset she was tempted to buy a brand new one right off the lot and have it all over with but I encouraged her to take her time. It would have been more frustrating if we bought him a new machine and then two weeks later found out he had driven it into a tree. The search on my iPad for a used one continued.
Over the next hour or so I would find something interesting, hand the pad to Debbie to check out the prospect, she would give it a glance over and hand the pad back to me. Eventually I found a John Deere Gator on Long Island that looked very promising. There were 10 photos showing that it was in "like new" condition, I was thinking the price was right, the hours are right, everything seems right. I asked Debbie if we should make an offer on it and she nonchalantly shook her head yes so I made the offer and about two hours later I got a message from eBay saying the seller had excepted our offer and that we were to immediately make a $500 deposit. This news got my wife's attention! I spoke directly with the seller and got a detailed history of the machine and what it was used for. We agreed that we should move ahead with the purchase and begin arranging for transport to Dry Run Pennsylvania. The offer was excepted 6 o'clock Saturday evening and by 1 o'clock Sunday afternoon the John Deere was on a truck and headed to Pennsylvania.
It all seemed too easy and oddly enough, we never experienced "buyers remorse". A week later we drove down and the John Deer proved to be exactly what we wanted, a used machine with low hours for half the price of a new one. It is easy to drive and well suited to his needs.
Now I have two online buying experiences and both were good. That's not to say it will always go that way. There are a few guidelines to keep in mind. If you contact the seller with your phone number and he or she refuses to call you, walk away. Legitimate sellers will be happy to talk to you. Also, if you request more pictures and they don't send more pictures its a clear sign to walk away. There's lots of ins & outs here and every situation is different. Would I buy a Jaguar online?? Well, there are lots of opportunities online for older cars and it makes it easy to shop around and see lots of prospects, but if I were buying a modern Jaguar (15 years old or newer) I'd be most comfortable buying from a Jaguar dealer.
I'm hoping our country will be getting back to normal by summertime so we can resume our scheduled events, but until then, we will keep you informed as to what activities we will have to cancel in which activities we will press onward with.
-Paul H. Chappell
Dangerous Times A message from the president
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I have officially moved back to New York state. Unfortunately I do not have a home yet so like all good children in their 30s I have returned to my parents house.
Several months ago I was dangling in the balance waiting to see if we would get approved for a house on the Hudson. I had just dropped my daughter off at school, my son had been very sick so down to the pediatrician we went and found out that he had a second in a row horrific sinus infection. I got in my car and the check engine light came on, so over to the auto parts store I went to get a read on it. While waiting for the woman to read her meter, I recieved an email from my realtor saying that the house we were waiting for approval on was declined because we had two cats. At this point she turned to me and said “I don’t want to alarm you, but you need to take this to your dealer immediately.” Bad things really do come in sets of three. My biggest concern was the check engine light, I was planning on driving from North Carolina up to New York state in a few weeks and was now imagining myself stranded on the side of the road with two children, two cats and a jaguar living up to a very bad stereotype. I called my dealership and begged them to let me bring it up. On my drive up to Raleigh the check engine light went off and came back on three times; at this point I was too exhausted to care. Still I was headed to the Jaguar dealership (everybody here knows how much I like going to the Jaguar dealer). They kept my car for a week and gave me a rather hideous Range Rover
Discovery - the result, “Nothing is wrong with your car, we’ve driven it every day and can’t get the light to come back on.” After I picked my car up I bid farewell to everyone in the service department. They all knew me well, hugs were exchanged and a few jokes about my window regulators and other stereo typical jaguar issues were tossed around. Most people search for a home that’s close to a good school and/or their job but I have found that my search also includes a third point; the nearest Jaguar dealership.
Now, I hate to be a broken record, but I’m about to hop on the COVID-19 wagon. My hopes and dreams for moving back to New York this spring and being more active with the club is looking a little bleak - so much so
that I have been having dreams about the slalom being canceled, changed or moved! After a brief email from Vars, he has concluded that the June slalom is still on for now. Please keep up on your JCNA emails so that you will know closer to the event time if our first slalom this year is still happening. I have tried to update our calendar as much as possible, but as I previously stated, keep a look out for email updates from our Board. I look forward to the next time we can all be together!
-Ellie Chappell Hall
Editor’s Letter
Top: First (of unfortunately many) exposure to… shudder shudder… road salt!
Bottom: Two Jags meeting. My 2017 XF on the left next to Mom and Dads 1987 XJ6. Needless to say, the two cats hit it off.
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We are all practicing responsible social distancing to keep our loved ones and communities safe in these difficult times. Most of you, like Barbara and I are spending more time at home looking for ways to keep busy. If you are like me and have a garage or workshop where your keep your Jaguar or other British car, it provides a great place to keep occupied. However, I have discovered there is a dark side lurking out there. It’s called Shipwright’s Disease. It is best described by the JAGNUTS Club in Regina, Saskatchewan:
- Shipwright’s Syndrome, and in its more serious condition, Shipwright’s Disease, is a highly infectious condition that breeds in classic British car seat leathers and vinyls. Very few people are immune. Its symptoms are an ever increasing amount of time spent putzing around on your automobile, and an ever decreasing bank account. The most serious cases are reported when an infected individual goes to replace a burnt out turn signal light, and, then, many hours later, usually early In the morning after forgetting to go to bed, he or she finds the engine in pieces at his or her feet wondering ”What have I done?” or in even more serious cases ”OK, what’s next?” There are self-help groups, where infected individuals gather to discuss their most recent relapse. They disguise themselves as car clubs. I have discovered that it is a fast progressing disease. It sneaks up on you. In my case, it apparently started
last summer when I encountered shifting problems in my 70 E-Type returning from the picnic at Sodus Point.
I decided I would have the transmission rebuilt. This required removal of the engine as well. OK, no problem. I reasoned that while the engine is out, I will have a new rear main seal installed to fix a long-standing crankshaft oil leak. With the engine and transmission out, I dismantled the engine and took it to Reeve Enterprizes in Cazenovia. I now had time to closely examine the frame rails. In the process, I discovered small rust holes in each of them. I didn’t want issues down the road so I decided to remove both rails and order new ones from England. While waiting for them to arrive, it then seemed like a good idea to pull the front suspension apart and have it replated. I found a great place near Toronto that does Cad Plating so I removed the front suspension and took it up to Toronto only to find a short time later the USCanadian border closed. I can’t retrieve my parts till the border opens. Not a problem, I reasoned. While I am waiting for the suspension parts, I will order new ball joints and poly suspension
bushes. It didn’t end there. Since I still don’t have the front suspension back yet and the new frame rails are not installed, I thought why not rebuild the steering rack, and, yes, replace those 50 year old steering rack mounts. Done. Since I still have a lot of time on my hands, I have also rebuilt the brake master and slave cylinder and booster. In the next couple of weeks, I expect to rebuild the Triple SU carbs.
The irony of it all is that I’m still waiting to get the transmission rebuilt! The good news is that Barbara tells me if I stay 6 feet away from the E-Type, I can be cured.
A Little Health Related Humor By John Duncan
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Motoring Conversations By Multiple JACNY Members
Bruce Boncke - With 50 years of restoring and enjoying old cars, it’s impossible to pick a favorite motoring experience. So, I’ll pick something that doesn’t involve our own cars or family fun.
It starts with a National Home Builders Convention and Meeting I had to go to, often, in Las Vegas. A few years ago, while there, the Andretti Driving Experience was at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The program offered self driven laps in an open wheel Indy Car with the engine tuned down to about 750 horsepower. Couldn’t pass it up! I was supposed to do 6 laps at 9PM, but due to a large group ahead of me, spending and making them lots of money, they pushed me back to 10PM. They thanked me and asked what they could do for me. So, I got 10 laps, same cost and had the track to myself under the lights. After some brief training on marks/apexes to hit and walls to avoid, I got push started and hit the gas. The car only has a tach. No speedometer,
transponders instead, so you don’t concentrate on speed. You have an assigned pro driver ahead of you and a flagman in the crows nest with colored flags to guide you. The seats in LVMS are
painted randomly, rather than by section, so you actually get the illusion that they are filled when you are at speed, particularly at night. So, my highest sustained 3 laps, according to the computer were 158mph. Really cool! My butt was 4 inches above the pavement, open wheels spinning about the same from my arms and the
engine screaming behind me.
When done, I got in my Toyota Camry rental car and headed down I-15 back to Vegas. At some point, I looked at the Speedometer and I was over 90mph!
Sure didn’t feel it. I called Diane in the morning and told her what I had done and that I was Ok. I did not tell her I was going to do it, so she wouldn’t worry. One of those “better ask for forgiveness, rather than permission” decisions.
Ted Zoli - We were living in Schroon Lake New York in the late 60’s, an Adirondack community and the “we” was my wife and a 2, 3 and 4 year old. We were driving a Griffith which was a TVR with a Ford 289 stuffed in it. Not the finest hour in my automobile purchasing experience. The three little kids were stuck in the rear compartment, not a seat really, and we were off on a 45 mile journey on a nice Saturday.
Passing through Fort Edward New York I spotted a 30’s saloon and stopped to investigate. It was a 1938 Lagonda in nice but unrestored shape. To make a
Top Right: You might get a kick out of the shirt I have on under the race suit, if you can read any of it. It’s roots are from the Grand Prix Festival and track laps at the Glen with some buddies.
Bottom Left: On the track, I’m driving the black one with the pusher.
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long story short, the owner loved the Griffith and we swapped registrations on the spot. Of course I had no idea if the mechanical brakes were up to the Adirondacks but it had a first gear!
So off we went headed back to Schroon Lake. The old Meadows flat iron six kept purring and the kids had a spread out rear seat. We went up Landon Hill just fine and coming down on the Chestertown side worked with compression braking and pumping the mechanicals. The “major” concern behind us we pulled into our trailer in Schroon Lake to call it a day. To condense a few years of ownership a guy by the name of Durland Edwards in Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania restored the car. I did the engine and brought it to him and ultimately brought the car back to Glens Fall, New York, our home by then. A gentlemen walked into my office one day who owned a Type 57
Bugatti as I had advertised a “wanted” ad in the NY Times for Bugatti’s. He loved the Lagonda, the Bugatti was not restored and, after a fashion, we took the Lagonda in a 45’ trailer to the upper peninsula of Michigan to swap the two cars plus 5K of my dollars…a steal really.
The Bugatti was restored in Colorado and I ultimately sold it at the Concours in Monterey because I needed the money, and the story ended there. Learned a lot. Wish I still had the Bugatti! Soothed my loss with an XK120 FHC which I have to this day.
Paul Chappell I must say, the Wine Tour lead by Michael & Wendy Havens last fall was a real "Hoot"!
Mike behind the wheel of Wendy's XK8R was truly enjoying a aggressive drive through the picturesque farmland between Seneca and Keuka lakes and to keep up with them in my old XJ6 was a real test of determination. I only lost sight of him a couple of times and I'm positive many of the local Amish kids had stories to tell as we raced by their stomping grounds on our way to Penn Yan! All in all, great memories..
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For Sale
1963 White Jaguar Mk2 Project - Price is to be negotiated (Ontario, NY)
Delivery available
The ’63 (from Orlando FL) has a professionally restored, bare metal prepped and painted body (Old English White) and restored suspension. The original red leather seats are in excellent undamaged condition. The engine is apart for inspection prior to rebuild. Cylinder bores and crank journals are in spec. A complete 1962 Mk2 with manual/overdrive and stuck 4.2 MkX engine is included for spares if you wish. This car has very little rust. It has been stored over 30 years and has no title or other documentation.
To view complete listing click HERE or contact George Leopard at [email protected]
XK150 (Red) and XJRS Convertible (Red)
Jaguar Club of Southwest Florida member is interested in selling - Both Championship quality.
For further information, please contact Derry Haynes at 239-641-9255.
1967 Green Jaguar 420 Sport Sedan - $12000 (Ontario, NY)
Delivery available
Zero rust original car with new driver quality repaint over original willow green paint. Perfect original chrome. Rebuilt 4.2 220HP engine. I’m aging rapidly so I must sell this fine car.
To view complete listing click HERE or contact George Leopard at [email protected]
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Your One Stop Jaguar Shop
From concours quality restorations to changing the oil on your special drive,we can do it all under one roof.
We can fulfill your needs with our complete concours restoration, paint, mechanical, upholstery and performance shops. We can care for all of your car’s needs. We also provide everything from routine maintenance and collision services. Our in-house custom photo studio by professional photographer Steve Rossini of Highland Design Studio can create stunning photos and
books as seen here. ( HighlandDesignStudio.Pixieset.com ) Call us today for a tour and make an appointment.
1957 Jaguar 140 owned by Ramon and Judith Rickers. This vehicle was restored by HorsePower and has won numerous awards and is the highest scoring Jaguar 140 in the country. Craig, one of our talented restoration specialists, has done the extensive restoration on this vehicle. It was most recently displayed at the Atlanta Concours d’Elegance, where it won Best In Class. Next stop is The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 2020.
HorsepowerMotorworks.com [email protected] Phillips Rd, Victor NY 14564 - PH 585-924-9199 - Monday to Friday 8-5
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Mail check for the full amount made payable to JACNY to:Bruce Brownfeld 1516 Grand Meadows WayWebster, NY 14580
25th T-Shirts Color: Black with silver and White with green lettering and silver JaguarSize: SELECT SIZES LEFTPrice: $15 $10 Clearance(tax included)
Hats Color: Tan or GreenSize: S/M or L/XL Price: $20 (tax included)
Polo Shirts Color: Dark Green or White Size: S, M, L, XL Price: $25 (tax included)
T-Shirts Color: Dark Green or Natural Size: S, M, L, XL Price: $15 (tax included)
DecalsStyle: Vinyl or Static ClingPrice: $1.50 (tax included)
Personalized Lanyard Color: Green with white lettering Price: $5 (tax included)
Quantity Description Color Size Price Each Total
Shipping $5.00
Total
If you wish to order, please email Bruce Brownfeld at [email protected] with the following information:
Contact person to order the badge and lanyard is Fran Riter at [email protected]
JACNY Regalia
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JAGUAR ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL NEW YORK MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
We print a membership roster in the January/February issue of our bi-monthly newsletter, the Kitty Letter. It will go to members only. If you do not want your information listed, please indicate so at the bottom of this application. Annual dues notices will include a copy of this application and be mailed in late November. Club membership is $50.00 per year due by January 31st of each year. New members joining after July 1st pay $30.000 for the balance of the year. Membership includes JCNA (National) dues and subscription to the bi-monthly Jaguar Journal. Please make your check payable to JACNY and send it with this application to: Michele R. Ball, JACNY, 13 Crestwood Court, Cortland, New York 13045 Name __________________________________ Spouse ___________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________________ City ___________________________________ State ____________ Zip Code_________________ Telephone (Day) ___________________ (Evening) ______________ (Mobile) _______________ E-Mail Address _____________________________ @ ____________________________________ Jaguars Owned: Year ______ Model _____________ Color __________ Special Features ____________________ Year ______ Model _____________ Color __________ Special Features ____________________ Year ______ Model _____________ Color __________ Special Features ____________________ Non-Jaguar Collector Cars: ________________________________________________________ Please (circle one) List / Do Not List my information in the membership roster.
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