Expert: Skip Bollinger - 10/7/2006

Question
thanks, i will get those part tuesday.  yes it is all original.  ford dealership here did a nationwide search of ford dealerships and found nothing.  im kinda at my ropes end on the search.  thanks again, michael


'When chapman billies leave the street,
And drouthy neibors, neibors, meet;
As market days are wearing late,
And folk begin to tak the gate,
While we sit bousing at the nappy,
An' getting fou and unco happy,
We think na on the lang Scots miles,
The mosses, waters, slaps and stiles,
That lie between us and our hame,
Where sits our sulky, sullen dame,
Gathering her brows like gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.'


After Burns has located us geographically:

(Auld Ayr, wham ne'er a town surpasses,
For honest men and bonie lasses).

(a quote that gave Ayr United F.C. their nickname), Tam sits and drinks with his friends, and the reader is regaled with a bad character reference of him by his wife:

'She prophesied that late or soon,
Thou wad be found, deep drown'd in Doon,
Or catch'd wi' warlocks in the mirk,
By Alloway's auld, haunted kirk.


The wife, Kate, is portrayed as an authority to be feared. Then:

Ah, gentle dames! it gars me greet,
To think how mony counsels sweet,
How mony lengthen'd, sage advices,
The husband frae the wife despises!


Tam continues to drink and even flirts with the landlady of the pub. Eventually he mounts up and rides off on his grey mare Meg, for his long, dark, lonely ride home. Burns emphasises the spooky character of the Ayrshire countryside Tam has to ride through – but of course it is much easier as he is drunk:


Early 20th Century: a tobacco advert using a picture of Tam'Inspiring bold John Barleycorn!
What dangers thou canst make us scorn!
Wi' tippenny, we fear nae evil;
Wi' usquabae, we'll face the devil!'


With the scene set, suddenly: ‘wow! Tam saw an unco sight!’

The sight he sees is Alloway Kirk, ablaze with light, where a weird hallucinatory dance involving witches and warlocks, open coffins and even the Devil himself is in full swing. The scene is told with grimly enthusiastic gothic attention to detail. Tam manages to watch silently until, the dancing witches having cast off most of their clothes, he is beguiled by one particularly comely female witch, Nannie, whose shirt (cutty-sark) is too small for her. He cannot help shouting out in passion:

‘"Weel done, Cutty-sark!"
And in an instant all was dark:’

There is a chase and Tam’s evident pride in the ability of his horse is justified as she is able to help him to ‘win the key-stone o' the brig’. (Witches and warlocks cannot cross running water.)

They only just make it though, as Nannie, first among the ‘hellish legion’ chasing, grabs the horse's tail, which comes off. In fine, tongue-in-cheek (or is it?) moralistic mode, the poem concludes:

‘ Now, wha this tale o' truth shall read,
Ilk man and mother's son, take heed:
Whene'er to Drink you are inclin'd,
Or Cutty-sarks rin in your mind,
Think ye may buy the joys o'er dear;
Remember Tam o' Shanter's mar
-------------------------

Followup To

Question -
i cant locate a wiring harness for a 1984 ford f-350 crewcab dually, 460 gas, auto trans, dual fuel tanks.  vin#2ftjw35l9ecb31709  i need complete harness inside and out if possible or at least as much of it as i can get.  any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.  thanks michael smallridge

Answer -
Michael,
  I may be able to help on some or all of this but what I need YOU to do is go down to your local Ford dealer and get me OEM part numbers. I am guessing it is NO LONGER AVAILABLE from Ford? IF it is, just step up and buy it because you won't find a cheap wiring harness anywhere!
  I imagine you will come away with at least 3 part numbers. Possibly 5 depending on how Ford breaks up the harness. You could have a:
  Front lighting harness
  Engine harness
  Interior harness
  Interior accessory harness
  Rear lighting harness
  I'm having you do this in case there are any screw ups, it will be between you and your Ford dealer. I'm just going to try to find the Ford numbers they give to you.
  Have a good weekend and let me know. Remember Monday is a holiday and Ford dealers may be closed...
  Be sure to talk to someone that KNOWS what they are doing!! You might tell them you will be ordering whatever I can find from out of town, it is NON RETURNABLE and you will be stuck with it.
  One last thought, your truck is ALL stock with NO modifications, correct? Original engine, transmission, No lift kit etc...? Let me know..
  Skip
  HARD TO FIND AUTO PARTS
  CarPartMan@aol.com


Answer
Michael,
  Like I said, be sure to talk to someone who KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON!! I can't emphasize that enough!!!
  You can contact me at my personal eMail address if you want. Just be sure to put AE reply or something like that so I know it isn't spam.
  What was the deal with the Middle English stuff?? I don't recognize the author. I like Old English better. It was more melodic.
  Skip
  HARD TO FIND AUTO PARTS
  CarPartMan@aol.com