DeTomaso Mailing List: October 99, Message #42

Youse all!

I sure did look good cruisin' to the meeting last nite IN MY GOOSE!!!!!!
(not that anyone noticed.... it was already dark.....)


Yes folks! #878 is on the road....  like a young sewer rat rising from the
street drain, it is finally on the road and officially a moving target!
(OK, not legally for another two weeks, but it's just a little DMV
thing.... pay this years fees or wait 2 weeks..... it's been this long... I
can wait... and fix a few more problems in the mean time!)

Took a half day off yesterday to finish up the car before the monthly
meeting. Reinstalled the oil pan after I got the crack brazed up finally!
Slammed the last tire on, dusted off the spider webs, and dropped it off
the stands... torqued the lugs, dumped in the motor oil, filled the carb
via the vents, stuffed a gallon of gas in the tank, checked the air
pressure in the tires, and then blew all the dust off with compressed air!
(Big Sun MicroSys construction project nearby generating TONS of
dust...aack!)  Rolled it out onto the driveway!  E-brake actually almost
works!!!  Spent the balance of the time dusting, cleaning leather,
polishing chrome, and then dinked with the missing cylinder a bit. Doesn't
do much at idle when you pull the plug wire off, and it should...  checked
the plug, fires about the same, wire resistance seems consistant with other
wires... swapped the plug with a different cylinder, but no dif!  Will have
to get more tools out to get this one nailed down!  Adjusting the valves
may do it too!  I just hope that the PO didn't scorch any valves if one was
adjusted too tight!!

Couple of pumps on the carb, shifter in neutral, turn the key all the way
to the right!!!! Oh what a lovely sound! Hadn't heard it for a long time!
Grabbed my shorty screwdriver and proceeded to retighten all the carb bowl
screws and needle locks! (Gas everywhere...)  No 'splosions!!!  Spent the
balance of the time dusting, cleaning leather, polishing chrome, and then
dinked with the missing cylinder a bit. Plus reinstalled the center console
and actually found long lost parts in my glove box! Imagine who the turd
was that put them in a nice neat little plastic bag...... and then forgot
about them! Doh!

Time came to put it on the street! Had already called the insurance
people.... so was covered, 1982 tag is yellow like the 2000 one, so chance
of getting stopped for the "wrong color" is lower.... (paid fees today...)
Manuevered gingerly out of the drive, big slope at the curb! ...had my son
with me.... and off we motored to the gas station to complement what was
left of the gallon I dumped in earlier!  Kevin was having a gas checking
out the looks on other peoples' faces! He asks, "dad, did you see the two
guys in the 99 Mustang checking us out??? They both had their mouths open,
staring!"  I sez, "Nope!" I was too too busy trying to "speed learn" the
shifter, clutch, brake, and gas pedal operation and location, rear view
mirror location, back to the shifter.... where's the temp guage?.....oil
pressure??? did I mention it was getting dark, and I couldn't see the
guages for anything!..... needless to say, I was BIIIZZZZZZY! Then there
was the HOST of new sounds to take in and analyze.... engine idling funky,
clunk here, groan there... ignore this one, remember that one....

Made it into the gas station without rearranging any sheetmetal....  sea of
minivans filling up after work.... they're no fun....! No DeTomaso tours
today!  Cruised home and ran in to clean up and change for the meeting!
Cruised over to the meeting and parked between a 66ish Mercury Monterrey
and a 75ish Ford club cab 4wd pickup....  boy, did I feel small!!!!

Had a blast showing my car to the membership... of whom some probably
doubted the existance of a real car....  Last time I remember a Goose at a
meeting had to be over 4 years ago!  Got lots of compliments... good thing
it was dark....!


So, now my list-o-shit to do to the car has grown exponentially!!!!

- adjust valves (one hole not firing at full pop!) Hmmmmm! Cross my
fingers...comp test!
- replace headliner- drooping cloth is not what I'd prefer to have messing
with my hair!
- adjust steering- steering wheel crooked, not aligned since PO replaced a
unibal joint.
- add "posi" goop to ZF- clank rattle every once in a while
- replace input seal on ZF- worse than my worst Harley! Coco's has been
"marked!"
- adjust shifter linkage- pops out of 4th, other shifts not precise as they
should be.
- replace dim guage lamps.... can't see squat at nite! Almost have to turn
on interior lamp!
- lube window tracks... no uppy or downy! Guage moves...
- find out how to turn off the damned heater!
- find some seatbelts...

So, now I just need to learn how to drive the darn thing and keep out of
other peoples blind spots!!!!  I guess it will be like riding the Harley...
make like you are invisible and no one can see you.... OR, make like a
target and assume everyone is aiming for ya! Paranoid is good....


Happier than a pig in cool mud on a hot day!
Steve