DeTomaso Mailing List: June 97, Message #189
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This is a bit long, but it is funny so read on. I found Kirby's Big Adventure ( sounds like a Pee Wee movie) quite amusing. One thing that I did not find amusing was the Pontiac part. You see, this happened to me too!!. When I started looking for a Pantera, I bought a copy of Hemmings Motor News and started circling adds. When I talked to my credit union and they said that they would only loan 15K on a used car it narrowed my choices down. I am not one of those rich executive types and can not just walk into a bank and get 25 grand. So I only found one car that fit my budget. I called the guy and went to look at the car. He told me that some one else was going to buy the car until it was found out that the title said Pontiac. It seems that guys bank would not loan 15K on a 74 Pontiac. You see, he bought the car from a owner in Missouri. It seems that Missouri is lazy and likes to abbreveate the names of their cars. They decided to call this one a Pant. Well the wise people in the Sectetary of States office in Illinois thinks that this Pant must be a typo and procedes to make the car a Pontiac. Well, the poor second (I believe) owner had no idea of this mistake since his bank had the title. Banks like to do that when you owe money to them. Well he found out 3 years later when he went to sell it. After loosing one buyer, he had to go around and get this and that paper to correct the title. He even had the copy of the Missouri title. That is where I saw the Pant. Well, he did not send in for the title change since he was selling the car and it would of delayed the sale. You see, he had 2 kids getting ready for college and needed money. Funny how that happens. I would of told the kids to get a job. They day I bought the car, we went with the car and a stack of papers about that high in hand and went off to the DMV. They looked at the stuff and said OK. I watched the DMV person STAPLE the title correction and all the other legal papers to the old title to be sent to the Sectetary of State. All seemed fine, I had my car, the plates came in with the little yellow registration card that said pantera and had the serial number and I was happy. Well shoot, who wouldnt, I had a PANTERA! And of course since I got a loan, well the title went directly to the credit union. I saw the lady from the credit union one day and she said the the title still said Pontiac. She was quite a kidder and I thought she was only joking. Seem to remember a story about cry wolf. Well about 4 months later, I was returning from the Pumpkin Fest celebration (yea, I live in the Midwest) when I passed a local turning into a liquor store. It was a 4 lane road so I did not break any law. well I guess it was more interesting to follow me instead of harrassing the store owner. I guess he hadnt seen a Pantera before and wanted to have a look. I recon he looked to hard and ran the plate. Probably the typical looking for stolen cars or checking for outstanding tickets. HA, Fooey on him, I had none. A little further down the street, while sitting at a stop light, he turned on the lights. So I pull over, wondering what the H___ can be going on, I havent broken any law, or did I.?! He come put to the side of the car and ask for the usual and went back to his car. A few moments later, he came back and said "You know this car is registered as a Pontiac". I told him that this was a Pantera and NOT a Pontiac. He insisted the computer said the car was a Pontiac. Remember that stack of papers the were stapled to the title, seems the Sec of State people just threw them all away and just copied the old title. Lot of smart people working there you know. So I show him my registration and say "look there is the serial number, check it for your self" and tell him a little about the problem I had when I bought it. He went back to the squad car an returned a few moments later. He comes back to the car and says "I am going to have to site you for no valid registration." I got a little hot here. I did not want staple holes in my liscence and decided to put up the 50 bucks cash. He could not take the money so we had to go down town. Now you try to drive a Pantera in front of a cop that is already on your ass for one thing and not get in trouble for NOISE also. After I got the the station and had to wait to pay the bond, I ask the police person at the desk what I had to do. They told me I had to go to the DMV and get a paper and have the Seargent sign off on what the car actually was, ie he has to ID the car. So I drive down to the DMV and tell them the story and get a Vehicle Identification Form, I forget the form number, they all have a number you know. I then go back to the Cop hangout, No not the donut shop, the other one. I ask to talk to the seargent and am told he is on the phone and I will have to wait. I wait for about 20 minutes before he comes down. Here is where it gets interesting. When the seargent comes down I tell him what I need and he is abliging. Much nicer than the earlier guy. We go out side, almost dark now, and when he takes one look at the car and says "So that is what a Pantera looks like, never seen one before." That is good, this man is suppose to be IDing a car and he has never seen one. Now that I have the car IDed, I have good old mom take the papers down to the DMV along with the title recovered from the credit union. The people at the DMV look at the paper work and say "Isnt this car right, we remember that car, that title should of been corrected." I wish the cop had realized that. The next thing I could not believe AT ALL. The DMV said "well this is obiously a state error, we will not charge you for the title correction". Wow, no charge, what next, the Cubs winning the world series. So they give me a paper to take down to the county cleark to get the ticket dropped. Now the county clearks office was another matter. I take off from work and go down town. I wait in line for about 2 hours to see an official in the ticket complaining department. I tell the guy behind the desk my story and show him my ticket. He questions the "no valid registration" and states that I have a registration for the car. It takes me 20 minutes to get it through this guys head that yes I have a registration, but since it has an error and is not valid, thus I have no VALID registration. This guy must of been fresh out of college. I finally convince him and he petitions for dropping the ticket and gives me a piece of paper to get my 50 bucks back. Down at the cashier they say they will send a check. HEY, I gave cash on the spot, why couldnt they give cash too. Any way, that problem was solved and I now have a title for a pantera. An interesting side note to the adventure was one night while sitting in a parking lot on the local crusing strip, a cop drops in. I think he is going to run me off as they usually do, but instead says "I have heard one of these cars was in town and just thought I would stop by". We talk for a while about things and among things I ask him if it is alright to set here (I knew it wasn't). He tells me it is technically not ok but if I am not causing trouble then they will leave me alone. After some more chatting he says "Well I was on a call when I stopped so I guess I better go." Now that is a scarry thought. Any how, this is just a little amusing adventure. How about some more from others? Hope you enjoyed. David Doddek pantera@pobox.com www.pobox.com/~pantera 217-422-3722 69 EFI Fairlane, 89 T-bird SC, 74 Twin turbo NOS EFI Pantera #6825 If you are going to go fast, go real fast. ==============================================================================