You say it's your birthday....

All the news that's fit to shift.
Post Reply
Rope-Pusher
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 11607
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:44 pm
Cars: '08 Jeep Liberty
Location: Greater Detroit Area

You say it's your birthday....

Post by Rope-Pusher »

50th Anniversary of Jaguar E-Type / XKE.

Image

My friend had a job pumping gas at a Mobil station.
Image

(Yeah, the world was black and white back then, not just TV.)

The owner or some mechanic there (all gas stations except for "Clark" had service bays) had an XKE roadster in the service bay with the front supported by a floor jack. He had told / showed my friend how to start it (my friend and I were not Amish at the time). My friend told me to get in and sit in the passenger seat, while he giggled the gearshift lever to make sure the trans was in Neutral. Then he depressed the clutch pedal and started it up. After a little bit, he pecked on the gas pedal and we listened to the sweet sounds the engine made while we played with the rocker switches to see what they controlled. My friend was then going to lift his foot from the clutch pedal , but I told him to step on the brake pedal first, "just in case". Yeah, it stalled. I guess I was wise beyond my years (between my ears?) even back then. We had a good laugh about what he would have had to tell the guy if we had driven the car across the bay and into the workbench against the back wall. Oh yeah, my friend was getting paid $1.80 an hour (to pump gas that cost $0.29 per gallon for regular grade) while we were having fun on a slow afternoon.
Image
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
User avatar
Bill B
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 201
Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:32 pm

Re: You say it's your birthday....

Post by Bill B »

It is also the 50th anniversary of my birth. I turn 50 this week.
Bill Berckman
West Chester, Ohio
2007 Honda Element EX AWD 5 Speed MT
Rope-Pusher
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 11607
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:44 pm
Cars: '08 Jeep Liberty
Location: Greater Detroit Area

Re: You say it's your birthday....

Post by Rope-Pusher »

I think you should go out and buy that 1961 XKE in BRG that you always wanted.
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
94Corolla5Speed
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 6927
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:51 pm
Cars: 1994 Corolla, 1990 Miata
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: You say it's your birthday....

Post by 94Corolla5Speed »

Rope-Pusher wrote:I think you should go out and buy that 1961 XKE in BRG that you always wanted.
I concur.
User avatar
Bill B
Senior Standardshifter
Posts: 201
Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 11:32 pm

Re: You say it's your birthday....

Post by Bill B »

That would look good in my garage. Did not see any 1961 E Types For sale, but saw a 1962 on Auto Trader for $110,000. http://classiccars.com/listing-180115/1 ... -sale.html Guess that one will have to wait. :o)
Rope-Pusher wrote:I think you should go out and buy that 1961 XKE in BRG that you always wanted.
Bill Berckman
West Chester, Ohio
2007 Honda Element EX AWD 5 Speed MT
Post Reply