DeTomaso Mailing List: November 99, Message #374

Hi guys,

Just got home from Rick Moseley's house in Sacramento, site of the first 
full-up Gold Country Panteras tech session.

This event really came together more or less by itself.  Initially, I alone 
was scheduled to go up to Rick's and help him install his new/used Wilwood 
brake system (ex-Chuck Engles.)  

List guy and new Pantera owner Piccolo Pete down in LeMoore, CA (three hours 
south) wanted to have some experienced eyeballs look over his new purchase, 
so he and his buddy Derek (also interested in getting one for himself) 
arranged to drive up and join us.  Once word got out, several other 
Sacramento club members decided to come too.  

Next thing you know, we had a party on our hands!  Three Panteras present, 
plus my GT-350 replica.  I still have Gary Roys' digital scales, and he 
fortunately left explicit instructions for chassis setup, so we dialed in two 
of the Panteras, and weighed the other cars just for grins.

Also present was another pilot from my squadron who's starting to hanker for 
a Pantera.  This guy was smart enough to invest in Qualcom back in '95 when 
it was trading for $12 a share.  Yesterday it closed out at $375 a share, 
which is pretty damn good return on your investement no matter how you look 
at it!  So he's looking to turn some of that profit into Italian garage 
sculpture.  We were interested in checking out his '85 Corvette which looked 
virtually showroom new.

Actually, the demographics were somewhat similar to the PCNC sessions but on 
a smaller scale--there was one brand-new owner there with his car to learn 
about it, two would-be owners there to learn about the cars in general, one 
guy who just likes to lean on the workbench with a soda in hand and watch the 
young guys work (and periodically slide a jack stand underneath a car 
supported only by a hydraulic jack, lest we get squished), one guy with a 
beautiful car who doesn't do major work on it, wanting something minor done, 
one experienced mechanic about to undertake an ambitious job on his own car, 
and one semi-experienced and semi-capable mechanic (me) there to lend a hand.

The weather was super, and the camaraderie was great too.  Rick managed to 
get 90% of his brake system installation done (brake lines?  We need brake 
lines?) and a few other minor jobs as well.  I managed to again bleed 
profusely, a virtual necessity whenever I work on a Pantera.  (Note to self:  
When dropping heavy wrenches, it is NOT a good idea to have your face 
positioned directly underneath said falling wrench.)  Pete got to find out 
what lived behind his taillights (lots and lots of dirt and leaves), and a 
minor tweak of his decklid rubber bumpers got his decklid sitting squarely.  

(His story is pretty neat by the way--he well deserves the Big Balls award 
for the year!  He surfed the internet, found a Pantera for sale at a 
dealership in Missouri and purchased it the next day, sight unseen!!!!  Lucky 
for him he found what must be the most honest used car salesman on the 
planet, because the car is exactly what it was purported to be, and was 
offered and sold at an extremely fair price.  It's a rust-free driver that 
needs a few minor things (new radiator, steering rack bushing, a light bulb 
here and there) but is otherwise in pretty damn good shape.  The brand-new 
engine breathing through GTS exhausts sounded stout too, although the fact 
that his Hall Big Throat headers were GLOWING RED after the engine had been 
running on fast idle for a few minutes makes us think the timing could use a 
little tweak!)

All in all, a great day.  You'd be amazed how much more fun it is to wrench 
on your Pantera when there's one or two others in the driveway and a 
half-dozen guys hanging out, shooting the breeze and fetching tools (and 
bandages.)  You don't have to have a formal club to make something like this 
happen either; witness Mike Dailey's success recently in Atlanta, and Chuck 
Engles' social gatherings in Oklahoma City.

If you know of other owners in your area, you owe it to yourselves to get 
together once in awhile.  Have a cooler filled with beer, some warm coals 
going, pick up the phone and cold-call somebody.  It's a safe bet you'll have 
a happening of your own before too long!

Mike