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From: Howard Ray Lawrence <HRL@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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Date: Wed, 24 Apr 1996 10:00:00 EDT
The XKE as an object is beautiful. I had made a drawing of my ideal car
form about 1 year before the 1961 XKE appeared. My drawing was so close to
the XKE form, I could hardly believe my eyes. Six years later, I had one!
BUT! The experience of owning, driving, and maintaining one is something
else! It is a total sensual experience. The cabin feels and smells of
top quality. When moving, it can leave your belly 1 block behind the start
of accelleration. Its bonnet is most sensual both in shape and length. I had
the XKE painted with about 14 coats of "sunshine white", a creamy white, their
stock color. The interior was black vinyl. I had hoped to have an extra set
of bucket seats---in swaid leather---just for the feel of it. Never did!
Still wished I had! I had a compass to keep my "bearings". Great fun!
In showing it off on a curve through a tunnel in San Francisco, I chipped a
valve! That got me into mechanics. How could anyone affort to have the
work done? Not me. I learned from scratch. I was guided by a master mechanic
at British Motors. Nice fellow! All he wanted was a ride in it after I finished
the motor work. Well, I learned how to work on cars with this car. What a
start!
There is definitely more to the car than the look of it. It involves the total
feel of it.
Howard