MistyCastle

Back in late January I saw an ad roll across Craigslist for a 1979 Jaguar XJ-S Coupe. It was a cold, snowy night and the thought of going to look at it didn’t really trip my trigger. The price did though so I mustered up some resolved, called the guy, and went over to look at it in the dark. I did all the things you are NOT supposed to do when evaluating a car to purchase. But I ended up buying it anyway. I was thinking parts car…

So, I had a tow truck bring it home the next day and spent some time going over it trying to decide whether I should just part it out or maybe try and get it running again and put it back on the road. There were an awful lot of things wrong with it. It would start and run but just barely. The brakes were almost non-existent, the interior pretty ratty, and it leaked oil like a sieve. But, on the plus side, the body was straight and it had been repainted sometime ago. It looked nice and had potential.

I decided to see if the engine could be fixed without too much effort and that would be my deciding factor. Thus began a three month journey in Jag restoration. The laundry list of repairs is too extensive to really get into but in the end I had it running again and a large number of the deficiencies corrected. It was definitely a learning experience but I am grateful for the opportunity as I got to learn and experiment on another car so now am much better prepared to work on my own as the need arises.

I sold it this past weekend to a fellow that wanted a project Jag and was willing to continue the restoration.

Say what? Well..yeah, a couple of new developments. Josh and Selenda called the other day with some interesting news. We are going to be Grandparents this year! Selenda is expecting with a due date in early August. This is pretty cool and we are very excited for them. Thus begins a whole new chapter in life for us all. So, one day in the not too far distant future we could have little feet padding around the garage wanting to help Grandpa fix the Jaguar.

The Jaguar? If you read the Hobby Swap post you know I picked up a Jaguar project last month. I’ve been puttering about with it some and decided that I would chronicle my current project as well as my history of British Car adventures on a subsection of the MistyCastle site which I have dubbed the Garage. These pages can be reached using the menu bar in the header or using the Pages links in the sidebar.

It was fun hunting for the pictures, going back down memory lane and documenting the history on my other cars. I still have a couple left to write about. One of them, an early 70’s MGB, was a short term fix-up and re-sell project and I have realized that I do not have a single picture of the car. The other was a ‘67 Spitfire, a major restoration project that never got anywhere. Well…that’s not entirely true come to think of it, I did get the motor running again.

I’ve joined the Jaguar Club of Southern Colorado and am looking forward to meeting some of the other local enthusiasts.The meeting next month is at local restoration shop (ReinCARnation Auto) that has done some phenomenal work. I’ve only looked at their website but what I saw was quite inspiring and I can’t wait to see some of the actual works in progress.

Hobbies come and go and I am currently in transition. Sometime back around the 1st of October I ran across a startling opportunity to fulfill one of those once in a lifetime events that I’ve had in the back of my mind for some time now. You see, even though I live in close proximity to a 14,000 ft mountain, I’ve never lost my desire to make an extended road trip up through Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks continuing on to Banff in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

I guess this comes from a certain fascination with Vintage Rallies. We Americans don’t have much appreciation for this sport but the Brits do a marvelous job of planning these events.

Many years ago I got on the mailing list of a couple of British rally coordinators and from time to time I still get a brochure in the mail that sets the imagination running wild. Peking to Paris…..or how about… Read the rest of this entry »

In the midst of all the wedding day craziness I had to run back over to Camp Pendleton and sign for our beach cottage. We had been staying in the Ward Lodge on post but planned to have a couple of days at the beach to relax after the wedding. Check in was not until 3pm but I needed to be dressed and ready for pictures by 1:30 so that was not going to work. I called over and got them to get one of the cottages ready by noon and then, since Rhonda had the rental car, had Matt Ender run me over there so I could sign for it and get the key.

The cleaning crew probably thought they were being helpful by leaving all the windows open thinking we would be along shortly but alas we did not arrive until 10pm. Despite all the hoopla about Southern California the temps were down in the 30’s by the time we got to the cottage and it was freezing cold in there! We quickly closed all the windows and turned on the little-bitty heater but it was obvious there would be no comfort to be had that night so we decided to snuggle up in bed and get some needed Zzzz’s. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is the wedding video…sorry but there is no audio. Might add some music later.

“I have found the one my soul loves” Song of Solomon 3:4

This was the verse that Kristina and Daniel chose for their wedding invitations and it’s truth was apparent in San Clemente, CA over the weekend. This is truly God’s love story. As Daniel’s Mom often states, “God took two families from different parts of the country and moved them to Colorado without jobs within a week of each other. He then introduced them through their Realtor and brought them into friendship.” Our kids became friends and our families have interacted through joyous and difficult life changing situations over the last 5 years. Daniel and Kristina are truly “two peas in a pod” as Daniel’s mother, Tanya, refers to them. Read the rest of this entry »

We are home from Cali and the wedding! So many lovely memories! Everything was wonderful and I don’t know that I have seen too many couples so respectful and honoring of one another, not to mention in love. Such a God story!

I know it will take us a few years to regroup! Just kidding! We are tired but have taken a couple of days on the beach-it was COLD-before coming home to relax! That was a good time together and we got to spend Monday evening with the newlyweds. They were gracious enough to invite us to join them for dinner on the San Clemente pier.

The pier is beautiful, especially at night. The waves coming in under us as we dined on the outside deck. It was hard to see the moon as Mr and Mrs Daniel Brown were glowing so brightly! Great to be with them an ‘extra’ time!

Wedding pics and story coming soon!

I feel almost like Santa Claus as I check my list once, twice, three times….have I remembered everything? We are packing and making final preparations for our trip to California tomorrow and Kristina’s wedding on Saturday. We will meet for a Thanksgiving dinner after traveling, pick up Kristina’s ’sister’ who is also the Matron of Honor, Rose Miller, and her family from the train, and last but not least, attend an open house at Daniel and Kristina’s “California parents’ home”, the Enders. It will be a long but wonderful day full of blessings to be thankful for! We are tired all ready from the preparations but we can sleep later. To be sharing this weekend with Daniel and Kristina, the Brown family, the Enders and the Millers is such a blessing, I am sure we will float through the time.

The days have flown by since Daniel asked us for Kristina’s hand in marriage July 12th. It has been fast and furious! Kristina has been sick two of the almost 4 weeks she has lived in California. A lot of things she thought she would have time for have had to be compressed into smaller blocks of time or abandoned all together. Twenty four hours are just not enough hours in a day when you are trying to furnish your first home, finish wedding plans, and trying to enjoy being with your fiance who works a sporadic schedule.

Hopefully most of the preparations are in place and we can have some relaxing family time in California!