DeTomaso Mailing List: November 97, Message #289
     



From: 	MikeLDrew@aol.com

Subject: Re:  Pantera in Germany

Date: 	Sun, 9 Nov 1997 01:39:58 +0000



Capt Mike Drew

150 Westgate Dr.

San Francisco, CA  94127



Home:   (415) 334-7860



E-mail:  MikeLDrew@aol.com





Squidly Mike Reilly wrote:



>As some of you on the list know, I am in the U.S. Navy (I choose the right

service, unlike poor Mike Drew who has had to spend all his time sleeping

with camels and eating kimchee) 



>>>Ahem.  As I write this I'm sitting in a luxury hotel in Waikiki, and today

I'll be spending the entire day lounging on the beach, checking out the

babes.  Tomorrow I'm flying to Australia for a few days in Sydney, then I'll

come back here for ANOTHER day of beach time.  All this is 'work,' mind you.

 Last time you left home for YOUR job you probably slept in a ditch.  I think

we all know who picked the RIGHT service! :>)  )



>and I am subjected to orders every few

years. Anyway, I was given an opportunity to go to Germany (Stuttgart) for

three years doing a job that is both career enhancing and fun.  My dilemma

is that I will probably have to leave the P here in storage for three years



>>>No,



>because the Navy will only ship one car for me. 



>>>Maybe.



>I just found out this news

today and I am still trying to think it all through.  Here are the options

as I see it so far:



>1. Store the car for three years in the U.S.  (What is required to store a

car this long without running it?  I know Mike Drew has done this, but

storing my car in multiple pieces throughout the country is not in my

plans. Anyone have any suggestions?)



>>>As the world's foremost authority on the subject of owning a Pantera (and

paying for it!) but not being able to drive it, I'm here to tell ya, IT

SUCKS!!!!!  Leaving the Pantera behind is NOT an option.  If you do, the

first time you're driving down the autobahn in your shitbox (of whatever ilk)

and some Dilbert in a VW Golf blows by you and sucks you're headlights out,

you're going to turn to Elizabeth and say "Honey, I'm a stupid

mother*******!"  ("Watch yo' mouth!"  "But I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft!")



>2. Leave the Saab (The family car) here and ship the P to Germany.

(Problem is I don't think I will have a garage in Germany and I will still

need a daily driver, remember the fuel costs in Europe)



>>>News flash for ya Mike.  The Europeans have almost caught up with us in

many ways, and you know what?  They discovered The Garage quite a few years

ago.  It should NOT be difficult at all to find a place with at least a

one-car garage; two car might be harder, but then again, maybe not.  See,

there's an Army airfield located in Stuttgart.  Now, we're still talking Army

so you've got to take that into account, but generally speaking, anywhere you

find professional aviators living, you're going to find luxury, 'cause we

know how to live.



Living in the free on-post housing isn't an option.  Air Force housing sucks,

and it's positively palatial by Navy standards.  Put a crowbar into your

wallet and spring for a real house.



Regarding fuel costs:  Yes, I know gas is expensive on the economy.  But if

you're purchasing it at any of the myriad military installations that dot

Europe, it's perfectly reasonable.  For example, gas is about $4.00 a gallon

in England, but at RAF Mildenhall's gas station it only costs about $1.35.

 The same situation will exist in Germany.  Depending on how things are set

up, you'll probably be able to purchase fuel at ANY military installation in

Germany, and pay virtually the same as you pay now.



And even if you have to purchase your fuel on the economy sometimes, realize

that while it costs an arm and a leg, the flip side is that they let you burn

it as fast as you want! :>)



>3. Sell the P and buy another one when I get back (or buy a Porsche from

the factory!!)



>>>Lame.  We won't even go there...



>4. Ship the Saab on Uncle Sugar's tab and ship the P on my own with the $$$

I would have otherwise spent in storage.  (Garage still a problem.)



>>>Now you're getting somewhere.  However, I have to ask, what's with the

fanatical devotion to the damn Saab?  That's a completely competent and

wholly soulless car if there ever was one, eminently replaceable.  Ditch the

Saab, when you get to Europe buy yourself a Bavarian Bahnstormer direct from

the factory (the Mercedes and BMW factories have 'buy in Europe and we'll

ship to U.S. when you're done with it' programs that are a really good deal.)



Suggest you buy something nice like a 3-series Beemer for the wife, and then

pick up a $500 daily driver bomber from the post lemon lot for yourself (yes,

I know, now I'm talking about you having THREE cars.  It's not hard.)



>5. Paint the P like a big piece of furniture and mix it in with my

household goods for shipping.



>>>This might not be as silly as it sounds.  Because you're considerably more

elderly than I, and married, your total allotment for household goods

shipment is probably something like, what, 35,000 pounds or so?  I strongly

doubt you have that much junk.  It is often possible to negotiate with the

TMO (gov't moving folks) to get them to ship additional cars, boats, etc. as

long as you don't go past your max weight allotment.



I'd seriously advice you to get in touch with somebody in Germany and find

out what the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) says about importing two cars.

 I know you're authorized to bring in one vehicle without being subjected to

any taxes or duties; if you bring in a second you might get nailed, but

perhaps that would be refunded if you then exported the car back to the

states.



I really think you should consider either storing or selling the Saab,

though.



You'll probably be subjected to a tech inspection to run whatever car you

drive on German roads; this won't be that rigid, and there's nothing on the

inspection that you shouldn't have anyway (all lights working, horn, seat

belts, tread on the tires, meat on the brake pads, etc. etc.)



There is reasonable marque support available from Roland Jackel in Hamburg;

he's got a decent stack of parts and knows the cars well, should yours ever

be in need of repair.  Plus, he could probably hook you up with some of his

awesome Porsche-derived Brembo brakes for a fraction of what such a

conversion would cost here.  



Also, you can order parts from U.S. vendors and have them delivered to your

APO via U.S. mail; since technically you will have a USA address (and then

the military takes it from there and delivers to Germany) you won't have to

pay any taxes or duties; it will literally be the same as ordering parts

through the mail in the USA.  Mail service from California to you will

probably only take about five days.



There is also a German Pantera club that's fairly active, and you know the

Swedes are all nuts, as are the Brits.  Language barrier shouldn't be that

tough as most of them speak reasonable English (except for some of the Brits!

:>)  )  There's going to be another int'l gathering of Pantera clubs I think

in France next year.  Wouldn't it be cool to show up for that?



One last thought.  Bill Hohnhorst (vote for Bill!) and I just got back from

spending two weeks driving vintage sports cars all across Europe, and we both

enjoyed the roads in Germany the best.  Forgetting the autobahn for the

moment, the secondary and tertiary roads in Germany are just absolutely

awesome.  Speed limits are rigidly enforced in towns, and seemingly

universally ignored (or nonexistent) as soon as you leave the town limits.



Nobody, and I mean NOBODY in the USA can possibly have as much pure FUN

driving their Pantera as you will driving it in Germany.  And that's why you

bought the damn thing, right?



As a final testimonial for the virtues of driving in Europe, I should say

that this summer I decided that once I start flying for the airlines, I will

either purchase another Pantera or use my GT-350, and ship a car to England

and just leave it there.  I'll fly there every month or two, just so I can

blast around in Europe.  It's really THAT fun over there.



Just do it, buddy.  You'll be glad you did!  :>)



Mike Drew