Got a similar story. It was 1963...I was 16 years old. I had a white '52
Jag XK120M.spoke wheels and all. I had bought the car for $200...and it
ran...ran like a banshee....torque torque torque. Anyway I'm on the way
home at about 9 AM on a Sunday. Nobody else on the road...I thought. I
was on a two lane highway, turning left onto a two lane hwy...As I was
approaching the corner I felt like I was at Sebring or Lemans or
something.....I was going to take the corner as if I was in front of Phil
Hill....I was in "the zone". I tear into the left hander...and half way
into it I notice I am going thru a red light..like I said "in the
zone",...but I keep going...no one was around and by the time I saw it ...it
was to late to stop. Geez the Jag could corner...and the sound....ummmm.
So now I stay on it. I figure there's no one around so I'll run it
up....but to be safe I go right down the lane dividing line so if anything
does go wrong I have lots of pavement . I was at Lemans..........till I
look in the rearview mirror...yup ...here he comes ..a black and
white,.lights red and spinning around. I pull over, felt like a puppy that
just got caught peeing in the house... Cop comes up to the car....he did
not look happy at all.. "where do you think you're going?" Being the honest
person I was I say, pointing ahead, "right over there...that's where I live"
I could see my parents house about a 1/4 mile away. He says..."I have you
on a few violations.. no turn signal at the corner, going thru a red light,
illegal lane usage, speeding..by the time I caught up with you I was going
80 mph, loud exhaust, no city sticker....blah blah blah........I figured it
will be a looooooong time before I see my drivers license again. He says
"who do you think you are, Phil Hill?" I smile nervously...but thought it
was cool...he knew who Phil Hill was... he says....take this thing right
home and get a city sticker on it. He smiles...He lets me go...... I smiled
the last 1/4 mile of that Lemans race.
PS ...Sold the car that same year for $200...I sure was car smart.
Jerry G
59 BE
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