DeTomaso Mailing List: September 98, Message #27

Having just finished some major changes to my cooling system,
I was a little concerned about going to Mike Drew's party as the
weather report was for HOT days.  I have not bled out all the air
and visions of getting stuck on the road in the middle of a heat
wave is not my idea of fun...

I had talked with Bill Santos at the PCNC meeting about driving up
as a group, but I needed to pick up a friend, so I left a little early,
with hopes of catching up on the road.  Sure you get lots of looks,
honks and the occasional flash of a bare female chest, (uh, thanks (?)
great-grand-ma who ever you are!), but a group of Panteras traveling
together is much more fun.  And on-the-road photos are more entertaining !

Along the road I caught up to the one stock green Pantera left.  Is it
called Split Pea Puke, or Harold Green ?  Dude, you REALLY should watch
your mirrors !  I caught you, then changed a couple of lanes to get on your 
right side, before I got your attention !  And my car is  "Ticket-Me Red !"

Leaving the Green Lurker, I moved on out....I needed a head start as I can't
follow directions well.....especially when the streets on the map provided
are MISSPELLED !  A gimmick rallye I guess.

Got to Mike's early, after a short tour of the neighborhood, and collected
two other Panteras doing the same.  We rumbled into parking position
then Mike said we should follow the others and park perpendicular.
Really ? with a cop living across the street ?  While the neighbor (cop ?)
cleaned up a Toilet Paper Job we reparked....Cars rumbled into the
neighborhood for the next hour and a half....Donuts donuts and more donuts !
Nice of the NSX club to park WAY down the street.....(hee hee)  
There was one all-chrome engined  white NSX, the rest "looked stock".   
Looked like an Acura dealership at one end of the block !     
Let's see....Cobras....Shelbys... Mustangs....Panteras....and misc other 
cars....I spent the time reviewing all the club cars...as did EVERYONE 
else....Some woman at the end of the block came out thinking there 
were earthquakes....Nice nightie lady !

Anyway.....Mike does have a nice home.....The white shag carpet had no oil
foot prints, so I guess Mike has not been here long.  Truly a Dude's house
as previously described.  ALL the art work is automotive....save the "ego
wall".
(A Mil term: A world map of where he has been, and the cargo haulers he has
flown.)
Even Pantera scripted towels.....Which naturally would be sacrilegious to
use, so
I used his bedspread....like everybody else...
I bet you wondered how your pillow blanket, and sheets got wet !

We got ready to leave, and it sounded like the old Le Mans days....
"Start your engines..."  I had hoped that the various clubs would grid
together
and Bill Santos, myself, Keith Gilmore, and the green machine formed one 
line...while Go!Nancy just pulled out never looking back...then the green
machine
took off too.

We got onto the highway (80) and hit stop and go traffic ?!?!? on a Saturday
?
Turns out that after several miles we learn that DOT had the drunks
out picking up trash, and had closed the fast lane to get trash in the
center 
divider...would not want fast traffic to hit a staggering drunk ! 
(Darwin has something to say about this I am sure.)

We got off 80 for 12.  A double left turn lane.  The NSX's were trying to
autograph
the stop line....As I pulled up next to the white one, he took off, so with
me on
the outside, I played catch up.  I started to overtake him, flooring it for
the 
first time of the day....Then getting ready to shift, the throttle stuck
WIDE OPEN !
I shut the engine off with the key, and finished passing him with my motor
off !

As the NSX boys passed the left turn they SHOULD have taken, I stopped,
hopped
out and realized I had the aircleaner base spun around...One side has an
outlet for some pipe (smog ?) and the linkage bound on this....Thanks Dad ! 
My car was back running when 3 more Panteras came along...The NSX boys,
realizing
their mistake had done a U-turn and were now back on track.... We drove as a
group
along 12 until Rio Vista and our destination.  As we parked, Larry Stock in
the
Pantera Factory Support truck arrived too, with even MORE donuts !  Jeez !

The tour began...very interesting !  Nice shop !  You could take all the
photos you
want...and touch about everything !  Several team members there to answer
any
questions.....Took a few photos of the jet engine (F-4 ?) and such.  I'll
fast forward
here to let someone else describe this....

We arrived back at Mike's, still with no coolant problems....The BBQ well
underway.
Food O-Plenty !  The Silver State race of '89 on the TV....Others may add
more,
but then Mike tracked me down to witness "Rolling Thunder" !  Mike spent
several minutes under the dash of his Yellow Pantera...Then to the roar of
the crowd....Yes Mike's car DOES run, and even rolled (4 inches) under it's
own power.
Then back for another year or two of well deserved rest !

I left with Bill leading at a good pace, and I started a rolling test to
figure out
my faint howling noise.....Hmmmm, push in clutch, and keep the engine 
constant: no howl.  Let out clutch, wait a random amount of time, howl
returns.
Clutch in...no howl...clutch out howl.  I think we can eliminate a wheel
bearing !

And the ZF has been in the car less than 2,000 miles !  
When is the next PCNC Tech Session guys ?

---Murphy's Son.