DeTomaso Mailing List: February 98, Message #29
     



From: 	Karen and Mike Coffel <coffel@a.crl.com>

Subject: POCA Photos

Date: 	Sun, 1 Feb 1998 16:55:24 +0000



     I thought I would take a moment to share a letter I got from Mike Drew

and my response to the

letter, which I thought was some sort of stab at me for associating myself

with the kind folks at

Pantera International.



Mike wrote;

"Dear Mike and Karen,



    Well after years and years, I'm fianlly returning your photos you

submitted for the would-be

POCA photo contest and/or Profiles article. As you may recall, while I was

stationed in Korea

I had grand ambitions of producing a calendar for POCA."



Mike goes on to explain why the calendar never came to fruition for various

reasons and how the

photos got stored over this period of time and after settling down he's

finally returning them.



But here's the kicker.....



"I'd have loved to do a full-color spread on your car like the one I did for

Steve Mooney, but once it's

appeared in PI, I can't use it. Too bad, because I didn't think they gave

the car nearly the coverage it 

deserved.



  Thanks again for supporting this noble but unsuccessful venture. See you

in Las Vegas!



                                                                            

                    Sincerely,

                                                                            

                     MIke Drew"



  I have several problems with this letter. First, let's review the time

line of events.

Approximately 3 and 1/2 years ago (2 years prior to my restoration), I

responded to a request from

Mike to get a profile out of me for the club as I was a relatively new

member. I had also recently married

and the Nor Cal chapter was there in force with 10 Panteras and a Mangusta

at the event. Both were

worthy of print according to Mike and I should 'get right on it'! Since

Panteras were a part of my wedding 

I was fortunate enough to get some very nice professional shots of my car

courtesy of our photographer

at the wedding. These I of course removed from our wedding album to provide

POCA and Mike Drew 

with exclusive photos of our car. These were sent to you Mr. Drew with the

promise of an article and/or

photo spread. I have to admit I was excited because I was a new member and I

thought it would be

cool to appear in the newsletter. 2 years go by. Our car was not what I

considered all that reliable at the

time so we did mostly social events with the club leaving our car behind but

I always took the time to ask

Mike if and when he was going to use the photos and or profile I had written

for him. He assured me he 

would. Never did. My wife finally got tired of explaining where the missing

photos from our wedding album

were and we began asking for the photos back as they are/were virtually

irreplaceable with out forking

out big bucks to the guy that took them. We still didn't get our photos back

but we were patient. Eventually

we restored our car (1996).  It still had never appeared in any publication

by any club. When the car was

done just before Vegas 96 I had it shipped directly from Wilkinson's to the

ballroom giving POCA the exclusive

chance to photograph and display the car. I was not allowed to compete in

the concours as I was parked

on the 3rd floor and of course I was told this after my car was in place. I

told myself it was worth it because

of all the exposure it got with the 'right' crowd. I was never even thanked

for the effort I went to. Not a mention

from POCA in a newsletter. I would point out that PCNC always took the time

to mention me and I always

appreciated that and have shown my gratitude by hosting several events and

writing several articles over the

years. After Vegas that year I decided to give PI a call and see if they

would like to do an article on the car's

restoration as POCA had done everything but told me to go away. They jumped

at the chance. Drew still had my photos and I had promised him that he had

an exclusive on them so I had no photos of my car published in PI except

those that pertained directly to the restoration. Mostly shots of dis and re

assembly. A finished photo of the car never appeared in PI until approx the

end of 1996 spring of 97 issue of PI when Dave Adler published a photo he

took of the car at the Concour Italiano on the back cover approx 1/4 page.

  So after 2 1/2 years of waiting for Drew to get off his ass PI got the

story and now he's trying to make me

feel bad 'cause I've 'sided' with the rival club. And, according to him, a

club who "never gave it the coverage it deserved". What a fucking crock of

shit. If coverage of my car was my priority I would have reamed your ass long

ago you pin head! I consider any coverage of my car a priviledge and an

honor but if you think you can hang

it over my head with your 'too bad.... you went with the wring club'

attitude, you are the victim of a severe

case of anal cranial inversion. I guess I'll have to suffer with being the

reigning two time Best of Show car at the

Concour Italiano, a virtual center fold in Euro Car, my autograph on a

poster size picture of my finished car

in the foyer at the factory in Italy, a feature on 'Classics' #18 by Speed

Vision, appearing in the PI website photo gallery for 18 mos (viewed by 10's

of thousands), being in the ballroom not to mention the pile of trophies

from every show I ever attended (except for a POCA event). 

  If it weren't for the great friends I have established with PCNC I would

tear my POCA card up right now!

The very thing Mr. Drew insists should not exists.... rivalry between the

clubs, he perpetuates with bullshit like this. 

  I will say this for Dave and Linda, they are good to their word! I can not

say the same for Mike Drew!





FLAME OFF!



Sincerely,

Mike Coffel





PS- It was told to me once by a wise veteran member of PCNC that you have to

take some of the crap from

these so-call club 'officers' with a grain of salt because they are, after

all, just volunteers and while their

efforts and intentions may be good and worthwhile some of them are just

weenies who havn't got a life

and the club gives them an opportunity to think they have one.