E-Type Front Suspension Rebuild
I had the pleasure of hosting my first NCJOC event at my house last Saturday (March 22), where a group of members got together to help me refurbish the front suspension of my Series 2 E-Type. Last fall Moss Motors had a promotion on Front Suspension rebuild kits and that prompted me to get what I thought I needed to get the front end of the car on a firmer footing (more to come on that). I can recommend hosting an event like this for a couple of reasons: 1) it makes you tidy your garage. 2) It makes you organize your tools and 3) you actually get the job done. I had already done the driver's side so that I knew a little about the job, but it was very helpful having experts like Doug Wolfire on the team who asked the telling question like "Why are you removing the torsion bar? Leave it in place and you won't need to reset it!!" Having done the other side I knew that resetting the torsion bar is a painstaking task, so the advice was very helpful. Also having Graham Harlowe, Jim Latoff and Steve Shapiro along with Doug made the job much easier and a lot more pleasurable.
However, the saga will continue as while stripping down the suspension I found that I needed new flexible brake pipes and tie rod ends, so that's a job for another day.
Thanks to the team
Bill Owen
Matt Seigel's summary of the event:
Yesterday, Saturday, March 22nd, on a beautiful day just east of Annapolis, Maryland, our club webmaster, Bill Owen, hosted a master-class in restoring the front suspension of his 1970 Jaguar XKE FHC.
As I arrived in my XJS V12, hoping I was at the right place, I first saw something from Germany, then something from Italy, both incredible. Then I saw Doug Wolfire’s more familiar pre-facelift (quad headlights) red convertible/black top 1989 5.3 V-12 XJS. There was a striking blue shell of a Triumph GT6 stripped down pretty well. The German Cayman of Graham Harlowe was stunning in silver. Jim Latoff’s Lancia Fulvia was race-ready in copper-gold!
Bill’s 1962 Mark 2 was standing watch and looked terrific.
By the time I arrived midday, I had cleverly timed it to join the gathering as lunch was being served. No fool here! What I learned was to be demonstrated shortly thereafter, when Bill, assisted by the other skilled “wrenches,” returned to do the right side of the front end. Upper and lower control arms, and bushings. Evidently a bit easier on the right side with no conflicts with the exhaust that existed over on the left side. With Bill having a terrific set up with a lift, Doug mentioned that Bill didn’t face some of the challenges that Doug experiences when working under floor jacks!
Now Jags are known for Space, Grace and Pace,… but wow! If only I could find any shop that was as skilled and adept at working knowledgeably, in good cheer and spirit. Bill and the team seemingly able to do the job flawlessly reaching into bottomless tools that were immaculate! I didn’t see a single IKEA instruction sheet anywhere! Nor even a Jaguar manual with the words that I read that simply say “Repair and replace.”
As a lay person, I was a little bit gun shy about asking a few simple questions here and there, but each question was greeted with friendship and patience. Thanks, fellas!
What a terrifically fun afternoon of camaraderie, education, and a perfect day for a drive out to Annapolis and back again in weather that said to my big 6.0 V-12, go ahead, make my day!
Bill and his wife’s hospitality was first rate. And his skill and ability was top shelf. Those who supported him, including Graham Harlowe, Jim Latoff, Steve Shapiro and Doug Wolfire were impressive, and everybody enjoyed a wonderful afternoon.
These were one of those simple elements of the club that I find sometimes overlooked but really fun.
Caboose Commons Brewery - Event Summary
About fifteen members participated in our first NCJOC "meeting" of the year at the Caboose Commons brewery in the Mosaic district in Fairfax. This was the club's first time meeting there, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Three new members attended, which was great to meet them for the first time, along with members who have been in the club for many years. Lots of great conversation about a wide variety of topics, including going over the club's upcoming activities and a recent article in Car and Driver magazine about the direction of Jaguar production in the future. Caboose Commons offered a good location for members to attend from all of our home locations, which is widely spread out over Virginia, Maryland, the District (and even some further origins). We also discussed what each of us enjoyed most doing with the club, and the consensus easily was "doing drives" around the area.
The brewery didn't really offer a place for us to display our cars (unless we use a level of the parking garage across the street, which we can use the next time). Caboose was a great starting point for our club's activities. It is being closely followed by a car modification meeting in Annapolis and the Bugatti visit in Easton over the next few weeks, followed by the club picnic on April 12th (the sign up for that just started so be sure to RSVP for that!).
If you have an idea of an activity for the club to do, please contact Greg at president@ncjoc.net or (703) 864 3870. It can be virtually anything - a drive around the area, a "destination drive" to a popular activity, a fun place drive to our cars and have lunch, a great car meet or show - whatever you can think of. Even better if you can lead the activity - we have all the tools needed to solicit and organize participants, gather the list of RSVPs, and help make the activity successful.
Capital Jaguar Register 2025 New Years Day Drive
At 8:15 a.m. on the first day of 2025, a beautifully bright, clear, crisp morning, where typically a gaggle of geese gather by the Potomac, this morning, the sound of well-tuned, mostly British cars rendezvoused by waters edge at the Washington Sailing Marina in Alexandria, Virginia.
A beautiful array of British cars gathered; primarily members of the CAPITAL TRIUMPH REGISTER (CTR). Terrific TRs ranging from TR 3s, 4s, 250s, TR 6s, 7s! Two Spitfires! One stunning red. Seasoned veteran vehicles with seasoned veteran drivers of a similar pedigree. However, one of my personal favorites was, “MISFIRE!” - a bright yellow Spitfire! What made that car stand out for me was that it was driven by an outstanding 17-year-old, young man. He was the owner! Additionally, his copilot was his 17-year-old high school buddy who also owned a Spitfire. How terrific to see that generation embracing British cars!
Making a strong showing in camaraderie, enthusiasm, good cheer and automotive quality if not quantity were members of our NCJOC. The CTR invited other British marques including Jags to join them for this outing.
Some of our club members may not have been immediately recognizable as they were camouflaged in other marques! However, Lyle Farmer was hard to miss in his ‘74 Lotus Europa twin-cam special. Despite its stealthy profile, it was impossible not to see its never-to-be-missed bold lizard green skin! And who couldn’t help but notice that outstanding ‘69 Citroen DS 21 (Viva la France!)! of Shane Sonneveldt.
Doug Wolfire, a veritable plethora of mechanical knowledge, was in attendance with his sharp looking opalescent maroon 1969 XKE FHC.
Sherman Telis was sharing his good company along with enjoying his always stunning, gleaming matching numbers, 1970 red E-Type FHC. It’s DOB just this month! Now 55 years old!!! The coupe that is!
Matt Siegel was in his ‘95 XJS V12 2+2 convertible in British Racing Green enjoying the days activities from the tail of the caravan taking some pictures along the way. Matt shares some of the photos below.
With the temperatures still chilly enough that none of the drop-tops were lowered, there was even a chance that temperature gauges might stay out of the red, and in the “N,” normal range! Be still my beating heart!
The drive from the Washington sailing Marina crossed the Arlington Memorial Bridge, towards the Lincoln Memorial. It then made a stately and majestic approach to the Capital, driving east on Constitution Ave., to Pennsylvania Avenue, to the Capital.
Passing around the circle in front of the west side of the Capital, then around for a photo op on the east side of the Capital building.
The drive continued and eventually ended at a breakfast Back in Arlington, Virginia at the Metro 29 diner.
Epilogue:
Following the terrific New Year’s morning Capital Triumph Register organized outing with British Car folks including our beloved Jag-U-ars drive, food and jocularity, two very thirsty Cats happenstance met at their favorite saucer of high-octane!
V 12 to V 12 guzzled down some go-go juice back in Bethesda and had a debrief exchange. Matt in his 6.0 L XJS and Doug, who had swapped out his E-type for a ride in his snazzy red 5.3 L XJS, “Vegas!” Both looking forward to a post-snow fair-weather ride! Albeit, now a few weeks after the salt-free roads!
Matt Siegel
Loudoun Prowl Pictures
September 21,2024 NCJOC Slalom
I’ve been an enthusiastic participant in our club’s slalom event since becoming a member a few years back, and they have always been great fun. The slalom we held on Saturday, 21 Sep, was extraordinarily successful, with the largest number of participants we have had in years, with lots of new drivers, and very impressive cars.
Doug Wolfire, our slalom chairman, took the bull by the horns on planning this event. He and John Larson met earlier in the week to map out the course in the parking lot of at the Unity Reed High School behind the Manassas Mall, where we have held the slalom for years now. Their advanced planning really paid off, because on Saturday morning I arrived an hour early, and the course was all laid out and ready to go. Their efforts, along with the assistance of David de Haan, had a huge impact of the conduct of the event, allowing us to efficiently easily get the 15 drivers through each of their five runs of the course.
We also had lots of side activities. Bill Fox brought his Mark 2, which unfortunately had difficulty starting after his first run. He had plenty of on-site expert advice, including from Peter Crespin NCJOC member and editor of the Jaguar Journal, to get it restarted but was unfortunately not able to continue. His car was brought quickly up to speed with their diagnosis later in the week, so he looks forward to breaking some records next year. George Cole, of Coca Beach, FL shocked us all by trailering his beautiful 1947 Mark IV to the slalom. George has been hitting a number of slaloms on the east coast, which he says are getting fewer and farther between. It was great to see such a beautiful car, and to be taken through the paces of the slalom.
During the slalom, we were able to monitor the times of other clubs’ participants that had been posted to the JCNA website, increasing the competitive of our timed attempts. We expect at the end of the competition season that some of our drivers will have some of the best times in the JCNA. The times of the top three reported JCNA member in each car class receive an award from the JCNA and are posted in the JCNA Journal. Overall best time of the day was posted by Lee Towne at 41.63 seconds. I am convinced that each of our event’s drivers will be at the slalom next year, and we encourage all member members to join us!
At the end of the competition a group of us met for lunch nearby, trading stories on a wide array of topics. Throughout the morning, each of us pitched in on the various tasks needed to make the slalom successful, from setting the course up, replacing cones during runs, and manning the start and end gates. It made for a “great day at the track”, and a very successful NCJOC event.
Finally a special thanks to Dee Cawthorn who did a masterful job as timekeeper.
Philadelphia Concours D'Elegance
All Videos
E-Pace Experience at 2018 Washington Auto Show
E-Pace Experience at 2018 Washington Auto Show
2017 NCJOC Fall Slalom
