DeTomaso Mailing List: October 97, Message #208
     



From: 	Dan Jones <djones2@mdc.com>

Subject: I'm back

Date: 	Wed, 8 Oct 1997 17:42:32 +0000



Hi All,



My Pantera and I made it back to St. Louis.  The company ended up

paying for most of the Pantera shipping and paid me to drive the

Mustang back as well.  Before I left California, I relieved fellow list

member Steve Liebenow of two 351C's and put them in the back of 

the Mustang.  With the seats down, the heads removed, and the

shortblocks turned upside down, they just fit.  I figure I had over 1300

lbs of cargo in back.  At first I was a little apprehensive of all the extra

weight but soon  was running 90+ mph through the mountains.



I stopped off at the Pantera Performance Center in Castle Rock,

Colorado and spoke with Kip for several hours.  I was quite impressed

with the shop and their knowledge of Panteras.  One thing I found 

interesting was Kip's view on strokers.  He says most of the engines

they build now are strokers but they don't go overboard on the stroke.

Typically they offset grind the Cleveland crank and use custom pistons

and aftermarket rods.  Displacement is in the 370+ cubes range.  He's

not big on the 400+ cubic inch strokers because they don't rev as freely

as the smaller displacement strokers.  With the Pantera's relatively short

fifth gear, that may be an important point.  He also doesn't build 0.030"

over Clevelands, unless the walls are sonic tested.  



So Mad Dog, how did the race go?  Did the aero, suspension, and ride

height changes do the trick?



Later,

Dan Jones - now at daniel.c.jones2@boeing.com