As I watch my car being unloaded off the flatbed, I would like to wish you all a fine Memorial Day. My convertible was all buffed out, wheels shined, tires shined, and top down. The sun is supposed to be out all weekend, and the temperature in the 70s. I was about 8 miles away from home, when my tensioner pulley blew apart, shredding the belt, and breaking off the lower opening of the power steering reservoir. They say the parts should be here, before June......Looks like it is the X Type and a sunroof for me.....Be cool....Mike

 

Sorry to hear about your cascading mechanical ordeal. Hope the parts arrive early.
Also, thank you for wishing us a fine Memorial Day. I just finished doing a full day of detailing on my '03 convertible which will be used to drive the Grand Marshal of our local Memorial Day parade. Our Grand Marshal, age 93, is the oldest WW II survivor in our area (he fought in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944). My Jag wears Veteran plates which pays homage to those of us that served and Monday to a very special Memorial Day passenger.

 

You are welcome for the good wishes. I inquired about vet plates, but in this state they need to make money off of vets, at $35 extra a plate. I just have a Seabee plate on the front of my X Type, because it came from some Southern state that used 2 plates, and the plate frame was already there.

I am actually quite relieved that it was the tensioner pulley. I thought the motor was coming apart, with all the noise coming from under the hood about 5 miles before she came apart. I know some folks would have stopped right away, but I am of the opinion of getting home with the wounded animal, before it dies, is the way to go. Mechanical things never get better, and if there is damage and it gets noisey, the worst has already happened.

What you are doing is a very good thing. My son was a Navy spook for 8 years, with the Marine stationed down the hall, to blow his brains out, if the enemy breached the corridor, to save the codes he had in his head. I was just used by a Seal team, to take care of their mechanicals, and help out on a few sessions of Contra re-education. Those Seals are very efficient, in what they do. I only wish I was not directly involved. I thought I was able to deal with things, but my wife said after a few times out, it changed me. At least I am on the top side of the ground, and not under the ground as the people we are honoring on this holiday......Be cool....Mike

 

I'm still a little involved with 'Sam'. I'm my Legion's Post service office and a member of its color guard. Talk about spooks, my 201 & 214 files were very sanitized before my discharge in '67. According to the Army I never worked with stuff "we didn't have", I wasn't airborne and I never went or visited any place other than New England. The military is a strange place.