nice description!
jerry didnt *seem* to have to shift slow on the autox course, and that thing
FLIES when the revs get up.
-james c (coveted the e-type since jr high)
----- Original Message -----
From: <Smokerbros@aol.com>
> Jerry writes:
>
> < Just in case any of you Miata boys have any questions
> > about the advantages of owning a real old Jaguar,
> > be sure to check out the Peter Egan column in the
> > latest Road & Track.
> >
> >
>
> Here's something I wrote and submitted to a major magazine which shall
remain
> nameless, but who has not yet responded... Maybe you'll see it here
"first"
> then see it in a magazine...
>
> CHD
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
>
> ------------------
>
> When Jerry Mouton volunteered his 1964 Jaguar E-Type coupe to be displayed
in
> San Francisco Region of Sports Car Club of America's booth in the San
> Francisco International Auto Show, I thought it was a very nice gesture.
The
> thought of allowing the great unwashed masses to get up close and entirely
> too personal with his freshly restored 36 year old car for 8 days was less
> daunting to Jerry than it would've been for me.
>
> Jerry was called out of town on personal business, and he asked me to
drive
> the Jag from Palo Alto to Moscone Center in San Francisco. I was honored,
> but more than just a bit concerned that some idiot would pull some stupid
> maneuver in front of me in the unfamiliar car. I agreed, anyway. I mean,
> what self respecting sports car nut would pass up this opportunity?
>
> After reviewing the starting and driving instructions (Turn key to on,
don't
> keep twisting it or you'll break it. There's a button to start the car.
Let
> the carbs fill with gas before starting. Set choke. Allow it to warm up
for
> a minute before driving off. No synchro in 1st, very little synchro in
the
> other gears. Shift slowly.) several times, I thought I could handle
this,
> despite being coddled by today's fuel injected, darn-near-drive-themselves
> cars.
>
> As Sherry Grantz dropped me off at Jerry's, I asked "You are going to wait
> 'til I drive off under my own power, aren't you?"
>
> The answer was "Of course. It's British." Smart lady, that Sherry... We
> took off the car cover, admired the white paint, chrome wire wheels and
red
> leather, found the keys in the designated hiding place, and I sat down in
the
> car, pulling on my driving gloves, as instructed. (The glue that holds
the
> wood steering wheel together and keeps it from splintering was the only
> remaining restoration project.)
>
> Hmmm, not much headroom, even for a 5'9" guy. My first reaction was to
reach
> down for the seatback adjuster. Hah! This car was build in '64! No such
> animal! Okay, I'll just scoot my butt forward a bit, bend my knees and
sit
> like a tall guy. I was wondering what physique the car was designed to
> accommodate. The mental image was a rather strange looking individual...
> Jerry hadn't mentioned the telescoping steering wheel. When he mentioned
it
> after the journey, I changed my image to a less simian and more human
looking
> individual.
>
> I turned the ignition on, found the choke and set it, and pressed the
starter
> button. It fired to life in about a second and idled smoothly, and I
brought
> it back a little to high idle. So far, so good. There was a surprised
look
> on Sherry's face. After a minute or so, I decided to try to find reverse,
> and back out of the driveway.
>
> Yep, reverse was right there to the left of first gear. Shifter is very
> stiff. Hmmm, clutch is very stiff. Car slowly backs out, I pull it out
of
> reverse and go for first. We're backing up again. Okay, the detent isn't
> very, uh, detentious. Is that a word? It is, now. There's first, and
we're
> off, taking it easy, nice muted growl. Up to 3000, pull hard into
neutral,
> then second. Krunch! Jerry said shift slowly, hmmm, thought I did.
Well,
> let's be even gentler next time. Interesting. How do you grab that
lever,
> pull hard, but gently?
>
> A few more blocks, and I'm getting the upshifts down pretty well.
Downshifts
> are a bear, though. I hadn't really thought about heel and toe on the
street
> since I was trying to learn the technique to be a better autocrosser many
> years ago. Guess it's time to think about it, again. It feels like my
size
> 11 shoes can make that happen. The Brits probably knew that this would be
a
> necessity, and placed the pedals properly. This one wants the ball of the
> foot on the brake and toes on the gas, not my normal style, but it'll
work.
> Well, we're in third going toward Highway 101, approaching a light that's
> turning. Time to give it a try. Light brake, clutch, blip, second,
clutch
> out, no crunch. Cool!
>
> Out on the highway, revving it up to four thousand or so seemed to make
her
> happier, and the shifts indicated that we were communicating a little
better.
> She seemed a bit more confident that I could actually control the
situations
> that might confront us.
>
> Jerry had warned me about the skinny radials were on and not the fatter
> autocross tires (yes, Virginia, this car does have some autocross
> experience), so I didn't challenge the corners much, and left plenty of
room
> so I could brake gently. When traffic started backing up coming into San
> Francisco, I found that the brakes were like the other controls, uh,
> resistant to pressure applied... I had to get real serious with the brake
> pedal, that time.
>
> Once in The City, there were traffic jams everywhere. Typical... But the
> temp gauge wasn't rising at all. Yet another surprise for a Brit car.
When
> I was able to cut and run, the Jag seemed to enjoy short blasts from light
to
> light, though something told me not to challenge the 5500 rpm redline. As
I
> pulled up to Moscone Center, I realized it was akin to playing fetch with
a
> nine year old Golden Retriever; she still likes to play, she just doesn't
> sprint like a young pup anymore.
>
> Later, working the SCCA booth at the show, I noticed that Joe Huffaker's
GT5
> roadrace Mini Cooper and Jerry's Jaguar were quite popular, and many who
> needed bibs while admiring the lines of the E-Type had to ask what it was.
> Imagine that in 2000 the two stars of the Sports Car Club booth would both
be
> out of production English cars!
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