Re: bye bye ... was: introduction
Junior and all:
I just thought I'd be one of the apparent few on this list who owns a "trailer queen" E-Type (1966 RHD OTS Series 1; one of only 1182 ever made), and to defend (to a certain extent) why one keeps his classic in near perfect condition.
First, I am a long-time member of Jaguar Clubs of North America, and during the restoration of my E-Type, it has always been my contention to preserve the authenticity of the car whenever possible. Going hand in hand with preservation is cleanliness. Driving such a car on a daily basis in bad weather and on salty roads along with others on the road who are probably uninsured and who could care less about your classic Jaguar (and who are idiots to boot) just doesn't make sense to me. Why rack up the miles and wear the car out? Again, I'm addressing those who use their E-Type as their primary mode of transportation.
In contrast to what you may think, most "trailer queens" get driven on a regular basis on nice days. You only assume that they are museum pieces in folk's garages because they are (a) perfect and (b) arrive in trailers. Ask any curator of a classic car museum or any Pebble Beach car owner, and they will tell you that their car is driven on a regular basis...the trailer is just for protected transport. In order for me to compete (on a national level) in JCNA concours competitions, there is no way to transport or even drive a championship entry to the various competitions (some 1000 miles away) except in an enclosed trailer.
JCNA recognizes this difference by having the Champ division and the Driven division. There is no doubt that restoring an engine compartment (to champ condition) is an expensive proposition, and I don’t blame someone for not doing so. And I am never critical of a driven machine (except if it’s been poorly maintained). I contend that once someone has restored their engine compartment, he/she will tend to be much more careful with their car. In general, I find that those who are most critical about “trailer queens” (and not you in particular), usually have a classic that is either in pieces; one that doesn't run; or one that will be damned expensive to restore. Talking is one thing; doing is quite another.
Restoring my E-Type took about 20 years, either due to lack of money or lack of time (see the story of my car’s restoration at
www.mcload.com). But I kept on believing that it would one day become quite a car to behold. I never got in a hurry (obviously!) and never compromised perfection for the sake of taking shortcuts to “just get it on the road”. And after all of that time and expense, I naturally wanted to show the car while it was in pristine condition. Now that I’ve won the 2002 JCNA National Championship in my class (all Series 1 E-Types), I’ve started driving the car on a more regular basis. I agree with all of you that the E-Type is a car designed to be driven and enjoyed. I just disagree that it’s a car to be driven hard and put up wet. It’s not a “throw-away” vehicle like the Taurus.
Respectfully,
Patrick McLoad
Hi Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
